During his early years, as a second lieutenant, General Vandegrift was also very nearly dismissed from the Marine Corps for disciplinary infractions and negative evaluations.

In 1912, he went to foreign shore duty in the Caribbean, first to Cuba and then to Nicaragua, where he participated in the bombardment, assault, and capture of Coyotepe Fortress.

In August 1916, he was promoted to captain and became a member of the Haitian Constabulary at Port-au-Prince, where he remained until he was detached to the United States in December 1918.

Promoted to colonel in September 1936, Vandegrift reported to Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC), Washington, D.C., in June 1937, where he became Military Secretary to the Major General Commandant.

[13] He was awarded the Navy Cross "for extraordinary heroism and distinguished devotion to duty as Commanding General of the First Marine Division and all ground troops action with enemy Japanese forces during the attack on the Solomon Islands 7 August 1942."

(attack on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Gavutu);[14] He was later awarded the Medal of Honor "for outstanding and heroic accomplishment above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of the First Marine Division in operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands during the period 7 August to 9 December 1942."

He had commanded the initial landings and the subsequent occupation ... that "resulted in securing a valuable base for further operations of our forces against the enemy.

"[15] Vandegrift was presented the Medal of Honor on February 5, 1943, from President Franklin Roosevelt during a ceremony in the White House.

In July 1943, Vandegrift commanded the 1st Marine Amphibious Corps in the landing at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, in the northern Solomon Islands, on November 1, 1943.

In that power struggle, the Marine Corps aligned itself with U.S. Congress in warning against the encroachment on civilian oversight within the Army proposals.

[16] To clinch the support of Congress, Commandant Vandegrift delivered the famous "Bended Knee Speech" on May 6, 1946, to the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs and ended it thus: The Marine Corps, then, believes that it has earned this right—to have its future decided by the legislative body which created it—nothing more.

[18] Together with Robert B. Asprey, General Vandegrift co-authored a book chronicling his experiences in World War II.

General Vandegrift died on May 8, 1973, at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, after a long illness.

[19] Vandegrift received the following decorations and awards:[20] Vandegrift's Medal of Honor citation reads as follows:[21] The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to for service as set forth in the following CITATION: /S/ Franklin D. Roosevelt Citation: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Major General Alexander Archer Vandegrift (MCSN: 0-1009), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished devotion to duty as Commander of the FIRST Marine Division and all ground troops in action with enemy Japanese forces during the attack on the Solomon Islands on 7 August 1942.

His fine spirit of leadership and his courageous determination throughout the engagement were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

[14]General Vandegrift held an honorary degree of Doctor of Military Science from Pennsylvania Military College and honorary degrees of Doctor of Law from Harvard, Colgate, Brown, Columbia, and Maryland Universities and John Marshall College.