Clarence Eugene Corley, Jr. – Lieutenant Colonel, United States Marine Corps

Clarence E. Corley of the Kittatinny Lake section of Sandyston Township, Branchville, New Jersey, died Monday, November 5, 2007, at home.

A chapel service and interment will be held at 9 a.m. December 27, 2007, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, with full military honors.

Born in Alexandria, Louisiana, Colonel Corley was raised in Pineville, Louisiana, and graduated from Louisiana College there. In college, he was o-captain of the football team. Upon graduation, Corley joined the United States Marine Corps and was given the opportunity to attend the Marine Corps Officers Training School. Following the completion of this program, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant.

He served in World War II in the South Pacific as an Air Intelligence officer. In the Korean War, he was an infantry company commander and received the nations third highest combat award, the Silver Star Medal twice. He was also awarded the Bronze Star with a combat V, the Purple Heart Medal, and his unit received five Presidential Union Citations, the Korean Presidential Citation and a Navy Unit Commendation. He also received nine battle stars.

He retired from the Marine Corps in 1965 as a Lieutenant Colonel, having served at many military bases in the United States and overseas.

After retiring from the military, he relocated to Staten Island, New York, and launched another career in the health care industry. In 1965, he began a career as assistant personnel director at Queens Hospital, Queens, New York. In 1968, he accepted a position at Elizabeth General Medical Center in Elizabeth as director of personnel. Three years later, he was promoted to director of personnel administration. Colonel Corley accepted a position in 1973 as assistant executive director of Christ Hospital. During the following years, he was appointed Vice President, Senior Vice President, and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, the position he held until his retirement in 1991.

Colonel Corley and his family relocated from Staten Island to Sandyston Township. In addition to numerous career-related responsibilities, Corley was also active in many civic organizations. He served as president of the Staten Island Artificial Kidney Foundation, president of the Christ Hospital Diabetes Association, president of the Staten Island National Management Club and chairman of a New York City Community Planning Board No. 1 of Staten Island. He was a member of the Health Planning Committee of Staten Island and the Masonic Lodge. He also served as chairman of the board of trustees of Park Baptist Church on Staten Island.

Colonel Corley was a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, an honorary commandant of H-3-1, Korea (an infantry company he commanded), and a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame (football) of Louisiana College. The son of the late Clarence E. Corley Sr. and Pearl Smith Corley, he is survived by his wife, Mildred Thompson Corley; one daughter, Carol Samsel of Millburn; one granddaughter, Lauren Samsel, and a sister, Dorothy Heard of Arlington, Texas.

Memorial donations may be made to the Blue Ridge Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 232, Branchville, New Jersey 07826.

CORLEY, CLARENCE EUGENE JR

• LT COL   US MARINE CORPS
• WORLD WAR II, KOREA
• DATE OF BIRTH: 11/26/1920
• DATE OF DEATH: 11/05/2007
• BURIED AT: SECTION 60  SITE 8174
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard