Geiger, Roy, born 25-01-1885 in Middleburg, Florida, enlisted in the Marine Corps as a Private on 02-11-1907 in St. Paul, Minnesota and was sent to Naval Station Norfolk for his initial training. Further training followed and in July 1918, he arrived in France. He served with 5th Group, Royal Air Force at Dunkirk. He commanded a squadron of the First Marine Aviation Force and was attached to the Day Wing, For distinguished service in leading bombing raids against the enemy, he was awarded the Navy Cross. In August 1941, he became Commanding General, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force, in which capacity he was found upon the United States entry into World War II. On 03-09-1942, he was stationed at Guadalcanal to lead the Cactus Air Force during the early part of the Guadalcanal Campaign.
He was recalled to Marine Corps Headquarters in May 1943, to become Director of Aviation.In July he relieved Holland Smith as Commander, Fleet Marine Forc, Pacific. In November 1943, he returned to the field, this time as Commanding General of the I Amphibious Corps and led the Corps from November 9, to December 15, 1943, in the Battle of Bougainville, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. Redesignated III Amphibious Corps 
in April 1944, he led this organization in the invasion and subsequent recapture of Guam during July and August 1944, and in the assault and capture of the southern Palau Islands in September and October of the same year. For those operations he was awarded two Gold Award stars in lieu of a second and third Distinguished Service Medal. Geiger led this Corps into action for the fourth time as part of the Tenth Army in the invasion and capture of Okinawa. It was at Okinawa that General Geiger’s command was part of the Day Wing of General Simon Bolivar Buckner, U.S. Army. When General Buckner was killed, General Geiger assumed commandof the 10th Army 
until the successful conclusion of the campaign, relieved by General, nicknamed “Uncle Joe” or “Vinegar Joe.”, Joseph Stilwell on 23 June. The Army had over 102.000 soldiers (of these 38.000+ were non-divisional artillery, combat support and HQ troops, with another 9.000 service troops), over 88.000 Marines and 18.000 Navy personnel (mostly Seabees 
and medical personnel). At the start of Battle of Okinawa 10th Army had 182,821 men under its command. In all, Tenth Army suffered 65.631 casualties during the campaign, with 34.736 being suffered by XXIV Corps, 26.724 by III Amphibious Corps, 520 to the tactical air force attached to Tenth Army, 2.636 to the Army garrison forces of Okinawa and Ie Shina, and 1.015 to troops directly under the command of Tenth Army. As noted earlier, one of those casualties was the commander of the 10th Army himself, killed by an enemy shellburst while visiting a forward position. The day after, a second General, Brigadier General, Claudius Easly
, was killed by machine gun fire In July 1945, he assumed duties as Commanding General of the Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, which position he held until called back to Headquarters Marine Corps in November 1946.Death and burial ground of Geiger, Roy Stanley “Rugged Roy”.
. Roy Geiger died suddenly at the age of 61, on 23-01-1947 at Bethesda, Maryland, is buried with his wife Eunice, born Renshaw, who died old age 88, on 04-01-1982, on Arlington National Cemetery, Section 2. Close by the graves the Lieutenant General, Commander 92nd “ Negro Division”, Edward “Ned” Almond, Navy Admiral, Battle of the Leyte Gulf, Robert Carney, Major General, Commander 8th Bomber Command Europe, Frederick Anderson, Rear Admiral, Commander Destroyer Greyson, Frederic Bell, Navy Admiral, “Operation Crossroads” Atomic-bomb tests on the Island Bikini Atoll, William Blandy and General, Commander 32nd Infantry Division, Clovis Byers.
