Clayton Barney Vogel (September 18, 1882 – November 26, 1964) was a United States Marine Corps officer with the rank of major general who served in a variety of capacities from 1902 until 1946.

Clayton was influenced by his father, who was a veteran of the Civil War and served with the Union Army's 198th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry as a brevetted Captain.

[2][3] Vogel returned to the United States in February 1909 and was posted to the Marine Officers' School at Port Royal, South Carolina, as adjutant to Eli K. Cole.

Vogel returned to the United States in June 1911, and following the disbandment of the regiment he assumed prestigious duty as a special aide at the White House during the tenure of President William Howard Taft.

[2] Vogel was promoted to the rank of captain in February 1915 and returned to the United States in December for assignment to the Marine barracks at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

Vogel reported to Port-au-Prince as an Inspector-Instructor of Haitian Constabulary – Garde d'Haïti, and helped train them to combat hostile Cacos bandits.

From June to September 1919 he participated in the National Rifle Matches at Caldwell, New Jersey; he was then appointed commanding officer of the Marine detachment aboard the transport ship USS Pocahontas and took part in the repatriation of German prisoners of war.

The Pocahontas was decommissioned in November 1919, and Vogel was promoted to the permanent rank of major and ordered to his native Philadelphia as officer in charge of local recruiting district.

He served in that country during the combats with rebel forces under Augusto César Sandino and received Nicaraguan Presidential Medal of Merit with Diploma for service in that capacity.

[2] Lieutenant Colonel Vogel was ordered to the United States in June 1930 and was appointed commanding officer of Marine barracks at Naval Operating Base, Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Vogel held this office until the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Haiti in August 1934 and was awarded a special letter of commendation by the Secretary of the Navy, Claude A. Swanson.

[2] Upon his return to the United States, Vogel was attached as newly promoted colonel to the Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C., and assumed duty in the Adjutant and Inspector's Department under Brigadier General David D. Porter.

Vogel was appointed to the permanent rank of brigadier general in February 1939 and succeeded John C. Beaumont in command of 2nd Marine Brigade in San Diego during September of that year.

His headquarters was stationed at Nouméa, New Caledonia, and Vogel held administrative responsibility for all Marine forces in the Southwest Pacific area, including all logistical and personnel matters affecting combat operations.

During the spring of 1943, Vogel received orders from Commander-in-Chief, South Pacific Area admiral William Halsey to do preliminary studies of the New Georgia Campaign.

[2][3][9] On February 28, 1942, General Vogel tested the idea of the Navajo code talkers by "installing a telephone connection between two offices and wrote out six messages that were typical of those sent during combat.