Korean WarVietnam War Carl William Hoffman (December 24, 1919 – May 31, 2016) was a decorated United States Marine Corps major general.

[1][2][3] Carl W. Hoffman was born on December 24, 1919, in Omaha, Nebraska, and attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

He won a nationwide trumpet competition and was awarded a scholarship to the Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where earned Bachelor of Arts degree in Music in summer 1941.

While at the university, he enlisted the Marine Corps Reserve via Platoon leaders Class at Officer Candidates School on May 18, 1940, and took part in summer training camps in 1940 and 1941.

Hoffman led his Weapons Company ashore on November 20, but his landing craft received direct hit from a Japanese mortar and eight marines were killed and several wounded.

He led the rest of his men ashore and during the next three days of hand-to-hand combat, Hoffman and his company were integrated into the 2nd Battalion under Major Henry P. Crowe.

Hoffman was subsequently transferred to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines and appointed Commander of Company G. He spent next six month with training and integration of replacements into the regiment.

"Hoffman returned to the United States during September 1944 and was ordered to the instruction at Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia which he completed in the spring of 1945.

He also competed in ASCAP's armed forces competition to celebrate 100th Anniversary of the birth of John Philip Sousa and won $1,000 with his "Esprit de Corps March".

First Marine Division was ordered back to the United States in April 1955 and Hoffman was transferred to staff of U.S. Pacific Fleet under Admiral Felix Stump.

Hoffman was subsequently ordered for the instruction at Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia, and upon the graduation one year later, he was appointed intelligence officer of 1st Marine Division under Major General Edward W. Snedeker.

Hoffman left 1st Marine Division in 1960 in order to enter Senior Course at Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

He did not went with the regiment to Vietnam and was transferred to the Headquarters Marine Corps, where served as Assistant Head of the Policy Analysis Division under Commandant, Wallace M. Greene.

He was subsequently ordered to South Vietnam and joined 3rd Marine Division under Major General Rathvon M. Tompkins on January 22 of that year.

[8] The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and Vietcong, launched Tet Offensive few days after and Hoffman had full hands of work.

He instituted a special four-man deep reconnaissance patrols, which brought back invaluable intelligence about the location of enemy forces in the sector.

[1][8][2] On August 18, 1968, Hoffman was transferred to the staff of 1st Marine Division under Major General Carl A. Youngdale and also retained his temporary duty as Operations officer of III MAF.

He subsequently took part in the planning of Operations Maui Peak and Meade River and completed his tour in Vietnam in mid February 1969.

He also held dual hat as commanding general of Marine Corps Base Twentynine Palms, where the headquarters of Force Troops was located.

Hoffman served in this capacity only for brief period in 1974 and later assumed command of III Marine Amphibious Force at Okinawa on December 31, 1974.

During Operation Frequent Wind at the end of April 1975, Hoffman's marines assisted in the evacuation of U.S. and South Vietnamese civilians.