Earl Sanford Piper (February 14, 1905 – July 7, 1979) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general. A veteran of the Nicaraguan Campaign, Piper distinguished himself under fire and received the Navy Cross, the United States military's second-highest decoration awarded for valor in combat. He later participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Chinese Civil War.