Ormond Ralph Simpson (16 March 1915 – 21 November 1998) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general, who held a number of important assignments throughout his career.

[2][1] Following the promotion to the rank of captain in December 1941, Simpson was appointed regimental adjutant and sailed with 8th Marines to the Pacific area in mid June 1942.

Upon his return stateside, Simpson was ordered to the Infantry course at Command and Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and graduated in November of that year.

[2][5][7] Upon his return from Japan in March 1946, Simpson was attached to the staff of Marine Corps Schools, Quantico under Brigadier General Oliver P. Smith and served for next three years as an instructor within Logistics section.

He was detached from Quantico in June 1949 and ordered to the Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C., as special assistant to the director of plans and policies under Brigadier General Edwin A. Pollock.

He was then ordered to the Headquarters Marine Corps and attached to the Policy Analysis Division, before he was appointed secretary to the General Staff in October of that year.

[citation needed] Simpson was succeeded by Colonel Roy L. Kline in July 1958 and then was ordered to the staff of Marine Corps Schools, Quantico under Brigadier General Merrill B. Twining.

Simpson was subsequently appointed assistant director of personnel at Headquarters Marine Corps and served as deputy to Major General Lewis J.

[5] Simpson assumed command of 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune on 12 April 1965, and shortly thereafter was tasked with the handling of the situation in Dominican Republic during the Communist-attempted coup.

[5] Simpson received orders for deployment to Vietnam shortly before Christmas 1968 and arrived at Da Nang, where he relieved Major General Carl A. Youngdale on 21 December.

Therefore, the division's infantry units and supporting arms were to be "disposed to provide maximum security for the Da Nang vital area, installations and Lines of communications of greatest political, economic and military importance.

Simpson subsequently ordered the search and destroy Operation Oklahoma Hills, to eliminate People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and Viet Cong (VC) forces in the area.

The combat lasted until the end of May 1969 and although the PAVN/VC avoided major confrontation, Marine units drove them from their base camps and inflicted a total of 589 casualties.

[9] Simpson then commanded the 1st Marine Division during Operation Pipestone Canyon, which was planned for the destruction of Go Noi Island area, south of Da Nang.

[9] On 31 May, Simpson launched the second phase of the operation and ordered the 1st Marine Regiment under Colonel Charles S. Robertson to attack Go Noi Island.

He then worked at his alma mater, Texas A&M University, as assistant vice president for student services and the head of the School of Military Sciences until his second retirement.