Douglas J Peacher - Middle Row, Second From Right
Bob Dart
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Thanks, Bob. There is not too much about Major General Peacher. I found the article below online.
Craig Hullinger
Marines to Attack Cong Village in County (Section B) Fri.. Aug. 12, 1966 By KARL R. EDGERTON Sun - Military Editor
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An American general living in Canada will lead 2,000 Marines in an assault on a Viet Cong village in San Bernardino County next week. It's all part of '"Operation Sidewinder, ''an air-ground training exercise to be staged Tuesday through Thursday at the sprawling Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base. Marine Reservists from Salt Lake City. Utah, to Indianapolis, Ind., will storm a thatch hut village at the base of a mountain to climax two weeks of intensive summer training.
Heading Operation Sidewinder is a 37 year veteran. Brig. Gen. Douglas J. Peacher, 53, who in civilian life is President of Simpsons-Sears Ltd. of Canada. One of 10 Marine Corps Reserve general officers, Peacher flew from his home in Toronto to command the summer training exercise at the high desert base.
The reservists from 10 specialized units are undergoing training conditions similar to those faced daily by regulars fighting in Viet Nam, including" extreme heat. The three day battle will be fought over __ acres with fighter planes from Yuma. Ariz., furnishing aerial support for the leathernecks.
Huts and shrines in the Viet Cong village will be hooln-traped with devices and snares, including bamboo lined pits. Marines recently returned from combat in Viet Nam will act as Vietnamese villagers and attempt to harass the invaders with demonstrations and ambushes. The exercise will be a full fledged combat type, complete with infantry, tanks and planes, according to Gen. readier. "It is designed to furnish the reservists with the same te of problems Marines contend with at this time.
Peacher, who enlisted in the Marines when be was 17, saw action from Guadalcanal to Bougainville during World War II. Born in the Deep South he is "the first member of my family to cross the Mason-Dixon Line and now I'm living in Canada.'
There has never been a day since his enlistment in 1929 that he has not been associated with the Marine Corps, either as a reserve or on active duty. 'J remember the early days of the reserve when we had to grub for every piece of equipment we got," Gen. Peacher recalled.
Dedication of Peacher Memorial Hall Held
Dedication ceremonies were held on Friday, 13 October 2000 in the main ballroom of the Cadet Activities Center, officially renaming it the “Peacher Memorial Hall” in memory of Major General Douglas J. Peacher, USMC and Mrs. Gwendolyn E. Peacher.It was approximately 11 years ago that General and Mrs. Peacher visited the campus of the Marine Military Academy. They, like all Marines, became enamored with the Academy and were truly impressed with the cadets with whom they came into contact. Thus began a love affair between the Peachers and the cadets of the Marine Military Academy.
General Peacher rose to become a prominent citizen of America from very humble beginnings. He wrote of having lived through a wonderful and dramatic period in history. “From the mule, wagon, horse and buggy period to seeing my first airplane as a country school kid, (not realizing that I would one day pilot a plane myself) to flying 2 1/2 times the speed of sound, longing to fly to the moon and beyond. Few people in the world have equaled my rich experiences- farm and nature, Marine Corps, civilian life, USMC air, ground and sea,” he stated. “God has been good and God has been kind.”
General Peacher was both a Marine Corps warrior and a very successful businessman. He not only rose to the rank of Major General in the Marine Corps Reserve, but also was the CEO of all Sears in Canada before his retirement. He saw many young men here whom he felt could reach a position in life similar to his and he wanted to assist them.
Gwendolyn Peacher, not only the wife of a Major General in the Corps, was a most successful woman in her own right. She had a great interest in the arts, particularly dance, folk art and music. She longed to make, and actually did make, the world a better place in which to live. She was a true humanitarian; she was kind, generous and compassionate; she was quick to recognize and appreciate these qualities in others. She was recognized for these qualities by becoming knighted, Dame of the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem.
The Peachers, though having no children, will live on in perpetuity through their generous gift to the Academy and the cadets of MMA.
The unveiling of the memorial plaque was done by Mr. Douglas Monroe, grand nephew of the Peachers, assisted by the Cadet Battalion Commander, C/Lt.Col Boire. The memorial plaque was read by Mrs. Laura Peacher Monroe, niece of the Peachers. Mr. Monroe was also a former MMA graduate, Class of 1992.
Mrs. Peacher obituary
Kicking off a fund-raising drive for Young People's Theatre at St. Lawrence Centre yesterday, Douglas Peacher (right), honorary chairman of campaign and president of Simpson-sears Ltd., and Mrs. William Francis, project chairman, host Metro children who attended performance of Joey's Surprise Party.
