Joseph V. McLernan – Major General, United States Marine Corps

Major General Joseph V. McLernan, U.S. Marine Corps, retired, age 81, of Panama City, Florida, died on Sunday, January 25, 2009, at Chester Sims Veterans Nursing Home.

He was a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Catholic elementary and high school prior to entering military service in the summer of 1945.

After enlisted service in both the Army and Navy, he entered the U.S. Naval Academy. He was active in various sports there and was a four year starter on the varsity soccer team. He was named to the All-American Soccer team for the 1948 and 49 seasons and captained the 1949 team.

Following graduation in 1950, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. During his thirty years of active duty, he served in command assignments in infantry units at every level from platoon through Division. Assignments with the U.S. Navy included duty as commander of Marine detachments aboard navy vessels, Naval Academy instructor and assistant naval attaché at the U.S. Embassy, Madrid, Spain.

He was director of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and his final assignment was commanding general of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island, South Carolina. Early in his retirement, he was active in coaching youth league soccer and coached the first Mosley High School soccer team to compete in the Bay County League. He served as a member of the Bay County School Board Advisory Council and was its chairman in his final year.

He was a devoted husband to June A Yale-McLernan; loving father to daughter, Patricia C. (Gerard) Lyons; son, Joseph V. Jr. (Carla) McLernan; daughter, Catherine T. (Bruce) Bronars; daughter, Mary H. (William) McClellan; and son, Michael J. McLernan; proud grandfather of eight grandchildren, Tara M., Meghan E. and Colin G. Lyons, Geoffrey D. Bronars, Jenifer M. Croxdale and Joshua B. Bronars, William R. and Connor J. McClellan; caring brother to Father Richard McLernan and Robert (Jean) McLernan; too many nieces and nephews to name, but all fondly loved.

Interment will take place at the Columbarium of Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C., April 20, 2009.

The family requests in lieu of flowers, those who wish may send donations to the American Diabetes Association, 1101 North Lake Destiny Road, No. 415, Maitland, Florida 32751, or the Alzheimer's and Aging Research Center, 800-877-0019 www.aging-research.org in memory of Joseph McLernan.

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