Paul X Kelley

Biography

Paul Kelley was born on November 11, 1928, in Boston, Massachusetts. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Villanova University in 1950.

Kelley was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in June 1950. After The Basic School in March 1951, he served with the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina as an infantry officer in a wide variety of billets, including his first assignment to Aircraft Engineering Squadron-12 (AES-12) out of Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. In September 1952, he was assigned to the USS Salem (CA-139) where he served for 20 months, first as Executive Officer and then as Commanding Officer of the Marine Detachment on the Salem. In December 1953, he was promoted to captain.

From July 1956 to December 1957, Kelley served as the Special Assistant to the Director of Personnel at Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.. He then completed the Airborne Pathfinder School at Fort Benning, Georgia.

In February 1958, he was assigned to the newly activated 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company, Force Troops, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, Camp Lejeune, when he served as the Executive Officer and then Commanding Officer.

From September 1960 to May 1961, he was the U.S. Marine Corps Exchange Officer with the British Royal Marines, becoming one of the few foreigners to earn the Royal Marines Commandos' coveted green beret. During this tour, he attended the Commando Course in England, served as Assistant Operations Officer with 45 Commando in Aden, and as Commander "C" Troop, 42 Commando in Singapore, Malaya and Borneo. On March 1, 1961, he was promoted to major. From June 1964 until August 1965, Kelley became Commanding Officer, Marine Barracks, Newport, Rhode Island.

In 1965, he deployed to Vietnam. He first served as the Combat Intelligence Officer for the 3rd Marine Amphibious Force, FMF, Pacific. Following this assignment, he served as the Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment in combat. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on January 20, 1966. During his tour as battalion commander, he earned the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with Valor device and two awards of the Bronze Star with Valor device.

Four years later, 1970 to 1971, Kelley commanded the 1st Marines, which was the last Marine regiment in combat in Vietnam; earning a second Legion of Merit.

In 1974, Kelley was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. As a general officer, he served as Commanding General of the 4th Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force; Director, Marine Corps Development Center; Director, Marine Corps Education Center; and Deputy Chief of Staff for Requirements and Programs, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.

In February 1980, Kelley was promoted to lieutenant general and named as the first Commander of the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force.

From July 1, 1981, Kelley was promoted to the rank of General and became the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and Chief of Staff, Headquarters Marine Corps. On July 1, 1983 Kelley was named Commandant of the Marine Corps, succeeding General Robert H. Barrow.

Promotion record

Post-Marine Corps career

In 1989, Kelley joined the Washington, D.C. public policy firm Cassidy & Associates; he is the Vice Chairman Emeritus. From 1989 to 1994, he served as Chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission. Kelley is on the board of directors for a number of corporations, including Allied Signal, Inc., GenCorp, Inc., Saul Centers, Inc., Sturm Ruger & Co., Inc.; and the Wackenhut Corporation.

On July 26, 2007, the Washington Post published an op-ed by Kelley and Robert F. Turner, in which they warned that the July 20, 2007. executive order issued by President George W. Bush, purporting to define torture and allowable interrogation methods, appeared to violate Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and thus expose the President and other persons to potential liability for war crimes. On November 9, 2010, he was named an honorable Reagan Fellow from Eureka college. Kelley currently sits on the Honorary Board for the 501 (c) (3) Non Profit Wine Country Marines [5]

Military awards and badges

Kelley's decorations, awards, and badges include:

Civilian

Kelley has been awarded honorary doctoral degrees from Villanova University, Norwich University, Webster University, Jacksonville University, and the United States Sports Academy.

He is the recipient of the National Geographic Society’s Major General O.A. Anderson Award, the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ National Armed Forces Award, the American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award, the Navy League’s Admiral John M. Will Award, the Ireland Fund’s Irishman of the Year for Southern California Award, the Reserve Officers Association’s Minuteman Hall of Fame Award, and the Marine Corps Scholarship Fund’s Semper Fidelis Award.

In December 2006, Kelley chaired a panel of military and business leaders looking to improve the U.S.’s energy security. They recommended tougher emission standards and greater access to offshore U.S. gas and oil reserves.

In 2007, in an op-ed piece in the Washington Post, Kelley and Robert F. Turner, a Reagan Administration lawyer, spoke out against President George W. Bush's executive order interpreting Common Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions — concerning the interrogation and torture of terrorism suspects.

Eureka College, alma mater of President Ronald Reagan, named Kelley as its third "Honorary Reagan Fellow" to celebrate his lifetime of service and leadership on November 9, 2010, at the Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. The date was chosen to correspond with the 21st anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.