Michael Hagee

Michael Hagee
Official portrait, 2003
Born (1944-12-01) December 1, 1944 (age 81)
Hampton, Virginia, U.S.
Military career
AllegianceUnited States
Branch
United States Marine Corps
Service years
1968–2007
Rank
General
CommandsCommandant of the Marine Corps
1st Marine Expeditionary Force
1st Marine Division
1st Marine Division
11th Marine Expeditionary Unit
1st Battalion 8th Marines
Conflicts
Vietnam War
Gulf War
AwardsDefense Distinguished Service Medal (3)
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (3)
Bronze Star Medal
National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal

Michael William Hagee (born December 1, 1944) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 33rd Commandant of the Marine Corps from 2003 to 2006, succeeding General James L. Jones on January 13, 2003. He stepped down as Commandant two months before the end of his four-year term, and was succeeded by General James T. Conway on November 13, 2006. On that date, Hagee had his retirement ceremony just prior to the passage of command ceremony. Hagee retired from the Marine Corps on January 1, 2007.

Biography

Hagee was born in Hampton, Virginia, on December 1, 1944 and raised in Fredericksburg, Texas. His father, Robert L. Hagee, served as a United States Navy pilot in World War II and, in the summer of 2009, was awarded a plaque at the Admiral Nimitz State Historic Site, now known as the National Museum of the Pacific War (formerly Nimitz Museum) in Fredericksburg, Texas. He and his wife Silke, daughter of the German Air Force brigadier general Werner Boie, have two children.

He graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and was a classmate of Oliver North, Charles Bolden, Jim Webb, and Michael Mullen. He also holds a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. He is a graduate of the Command and Staff College and the United States Naval War College. In 2004, he was honored with the Naval War College Distinguished Graduate Leadership Award.

Hagee was the commander of the Marine Corps at the time of the Haditha massacre, in which more than 20 Iraqi civilians were killed by US Marines. In a later oral history interview with a military historian, Hagee expressed pride in covering up photos from the massacre, stating that "the press never got them", thus distinguishing the event from Abu Ghraib.

Hagee is the president and CEO of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation. He has previously sat on the Board of Advisors for Cobam and Silicon Graphics.

Awards and decorations

Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Gold star
Gold star
V
Gold star
Gold star
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
1st Row Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit with two award stars Bronze Star with valor device
2nd Row Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal with one award star Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with one award star Combat Action Ribbon
3rd Row Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters Meritorious Unit Commendation with one service star National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal National Defense Service Medal with two service stars
4th Row Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal with three service stars Southwest Asia Service Medal with one service star Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
5th Row Humanitarian Service Medal Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with two service stars Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon with one service star French Legion of Honor, Commander
6th Row Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation Vietnam Campaign Medal Kuwait Liberation Medal
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jeff Schogol (November 13, 2006). "Conway becomes Marine Corps Commandant". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2006.
  2. ↑ Cpl Aaron K. Clark (November 13, 2006). "Hagee retires, Conway appointed 34th commandant". Marine Corps News. United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on November 15, 2006. Retrieved November 13, 2006.
  3. ↑ "Col M W Hagee". www.11thmeu.marines.mil. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  4. ↑ United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Armed Services (January 2003). Nominations before the Senate Armed Services Committee, second session, 107th Congress: hearings before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, One Hundred Seventh Congress, second session, on nominations of Adm. Thomas B. Fargo, USN; Lt. Gen, Leon J. LaPorte, USA; Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, USAF ... April 26, June 20, July 26, September 27, 2002. U.S. G.P.O. ISBN 9780160695216.
  5. ↑ "General Michael W. Hagee | Veterans Advantage – Military Discounts, Veteran Discounts, Benefits". veteransadvantage.com. September 17, 2003. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Silke Hagee helps families cope with deployments". Stars and Stripes. March 4, 2003.
  7. ↑ "GENERAL MICHAEL W. HAGEE, USMC (RETIRED)". www.usmcu.edu. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  8. ↑ Baran, Madeleine (August 27, 2024). "The Haditha Massacre Photos That the Military Didn't Want the World to See". The New Yorker. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Management & Departments". National Museum of the Pacific War. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Cobham plc - AGM Statement and Trading Update". otp.investis.com. Retrieved January 16, 2024.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.