John Groff (February 14, 1890 – October 2, 1990) was a brigadier general in the United States Marine Corps whose military career spanned from 1912 to 1946. Groff was a highly decorated veteran of World War I, earning the Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, and Purple Heart medals. He also participated in the Banana Wars (in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nicaragua), and World War II. At the time of his death in 1990 at age 100, BG Groff was the oldest surviving general officer in the Marine Corps.
Early life
Groff was born February 14, 1890, in Syracuse, New York. He attended public school in Syracuse from 1897 to 1904 and in West Chester, Pennsylvania from 1905 to 1908. Prior to enlisting in the Marine Corps, he worked as a sailmaker in Wilmington, Delaware.
Early career: Mexico and Haiti
Groff enlisted in the Marine Corps on October 9, 1912, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following initial training and a brief two-month stint at Camp Meyer, Cuba in 1913, Groff was assigned to the 46th Company, Special Service Squadron, which sailed for Mexico in April 1914 on board the . While the New York arrived too late to take part in the actual Battle of Veracruz, Groff participated in the United States occupation of Veracruz from May–June 1914. He spent most of the remainder of the year as a gun striker with the 46th Co., 5th Marine Regiment on board the near Santo Domingo City, Dominican Republic.
In 1915, Haiti was rocked by revolutions, which had begun the previous year. By then, Groff was a member of the Marine Detachment on board the . He participated in the initial landing force engagement at Port-au-Prince on July 28, 1915. For the remainder of the year, Groff was temporarily assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment for garrison and occupation duty in the city.
Groff, then a corporal, returned to the United States in early 1916, where he became a plankowner on the .
World War I
At the outbreak of World War I, Groff's experience in the Banana Wars led to his rapid promotion from corporal to sergeant and then gunnery sergeant. He sailed for France as a member of the 83rd Company, 6th Marine Regiment, which was part of the 2nd Division, American Expeditionary Force. Groff was wounded in action (minor gunshot) and was cited for gallantry on multiple occasions during the Battle of Belleau Wood in June 1918. For his actions, he was awarded the Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, and Silver Star citation. As the result of his heroics, Groff also received a battlefield promotion to 2nd Lieutenant in July 1918. After being commissioned as an officer, he was subsequently assigned to the 97th Company, 6th Marines, where he remained until the end of the war. His official World War I Victory Medal campaign credits include Aisne, Aisne-Marne, Meuse-Argonne, and Defensive Sector. Following the cessation of hostilities in November 1918, Groff stayed in Germany until April 1919 as part of the United States Third Army's occupation forces.
Navy Cross citation
"The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Gunnery Sergeant John Groff (MCSN: 99252), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving with the 83d Company, 6th Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F. in action in the Bois-de-Belleau, France, on 6 June 1918. While out with a patrol to obtain information essential to his commander, Gunnery Sergeant Groff was attacked by a German patrol of superior numbers. With six men he attacked the enemy, inflicted heavy losses upon them, and drove them back into the German lines."
Distinguished Service Cross citation
"The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Gunnery Sergeant John Groff (MCSN: 99252), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving with the Eighty-Third Company, Sixth Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F., in action in the Bois-de-Belleau, France, on 6 June 1918. While out with a patrol to obtain information essential to his commander, Gunnery Sergeant Groff was attacked by a German patrol of superior numbers. With six men he attacked the enemy, inflicted heavy losses upon them, and drove them back into the German lines."
Award authorized by War Department, General Orders Number 110 (1918).