# Samuel Milby Harrington

Samuel Milby Harrington (November 13, 1882 – March 31, 1948) was an officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general. His last service assignment was the president of the Permanent General Court Martial Board during World War II. He is the author of The Strategy and Tactics of Small Wars from 1921 and co-author of Small Wars Manual.

## Early service

Harrington was born on November 13, 1882, in Annapolis, Maryland, as the son of future Rear Admiral Purnell F. Harrington and his wife Mia Nelthropp. He attended Yale University and graduated in 1906 with Bachelor of Arts degree. After the graduation, Harrington worked for some time as cub reporter for New York Evening Sun and subsequently in W. R. Grace and Company. Finally he decided to follow his father's military career and entered the United States Marine Corps on January 22, 1909. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps and assigned to the officer course at Marine Corps Officers School at Marine Barracks Port Royal, South Carolina.
He finished the course on December 29, 1909, and was assigned to the Marine detachment aboard the battleship USS Idaho. He sailed with the ship across the Atlantic Ocean as a part of the Third Division of the Atlantic Fleet and finished his voyage first in England, and then in France. Harrington was then stationed at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base until June 1911, when he was ordered back to the United States and assigned to the Marine barracks at Norfolk Navy Yard, where he served as post quartermaster. While in Guantanamo, he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant on May 23, 1911.
His next expeditionary duty came at the end of July 1913, when he was assigned to the First Brigade of Marines and sailed first to Philippines and then almost immediately to China, where he served within Marine detachment, American Legation Guard in Peking. Harrington served there first with 38th Company, before he was appointed post adjutant in 1914.
Harrington returned to the United States in February 1916 and was briefly stationed at Marine Barracks San Diego, before he was attached to the Second Marine Brigade and sailed under the command of Brigadier General Joseph H. Pendleton to the Dominican Republic. He arrived in Santo Domingo on June 6, 1916, and subsequently participated in the engagements at Guayacanes, Pimentel or Las Trincheras. Harrington then participated in the collecting of weapons in the provinces of Azua and Barahona until 27 April 1917.
At the end of February 1918, Harrington returned to the United States and was assigned to the Marine Barracks Port Royal, South Carolina, before he was transferred to the Marine Barracks Quantico, Virginia, on November 16, 1918, and appointed post adjutant to Brigadier General John Twiggs Myers.

## Middle of career

Harrington remained in Peking, China, until June 1916, when he was ordered to participate in an expeditionary force in Santo Domingo, a duty he served with until 1918. Harrington returned to the United States in early 1918 and promptly served with a number of different military installations in a myriad of locations. The chart below depicts Harrington's military career until the breakout of the Second World War.(Quantico Marine Barracks and Fort Benning) until 1922. From 1922 until 1925 Harrington served as department commander with the Gendarmerie D'Haiti.
| Year | Location | Position |
| 1918–1919 | Quantico, VA | Adjutant |
| 1919–1920 | Fort Benning, GA | Liaison Officer |
| 1920–1922 | Quantico, VA | Instructor – Marine Corp School |
| 1922–1925 | Republic of Haiti | Department Commander in the Gendarmerie D'Haiti |
| 1926–1927 | Quantico, VA | Instructor – Marine Corp School |
| 1927–1929 | Nicaragua | Constabulary Detachment member – Guardia Nacional |
| 1929–1934 | Washington D.C. | Major – Marine Corps Headquarters |
| 1935–1936 | Pacific Ocean | Colonel – U.S.S. California |
| 1937–1938 | Quantico, VA | Commanding Officer – Fifth Marine Regiment |
| 1938–1939 | Quantico, VA | Executive Officer – First Marine Brigade |
| 1939–1941 | Quantico, VA | Brigadier general and president of the Naval Examining Board |
| 1941 | Washington, DC | Director – Marine Corps Reserve |

## World War II

With the United States entry to World War II, Brigadier General Harrington already served as commandant of Marine Corps Schools within Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. This school under his command served as main facility, where all Marine officers receive their basic training here, as well as enlisted technicians from many different disciplines. Harrington was relieved January 1, 1943, and retired on the same date.
However, he remained on active duty and was appointed the president of the Marine Corps Equipment Board, staying in this capacity until July 1943. His next assignment was with Permanent General Court Martial Board, where he served until February 1945, when he retired from the Marine Corps.
For his long military service in the United States Marine Corps, Brigadier General Harrington was decorated with the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.

## Personal life

On July 27, 1921, Brigadier General Samuel M. Harrington married Marion Nutting Meehan, daughter of Willard Holmes and Margaret Jessie (Wallace) Nutting. They went on to have two children together, a son named Samuel Milby Harrington Jr. and daughter named Margaret Willard Harrington.
Harrington died on March 31, 1948, in Annapolis, Maryland, following a complications of arteriosclerosis. He is buried at United States Naval Academy Cemetery.

## Decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Brigadier General Harrington:
| 1st Row | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | Navy Distinguished Service Medal |
| 2nd Row | Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal with three service stars | Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal with three service stars | Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal with three service stars | Dominican Campaign Medal | Dominican Campaign Medal | Dominican Campaign Medal | World War I Victory Medal with West Indies clasp | World War I Victory Medal with West Indies clasp | World War I Victory Medal with West Indies clasp | Nicaraguan Campaign Medal | Nicaraguan Campaign Medal | Nicaraguan Campaign Medal |
| 3rd Row | American Defense Service Medal with Atlantic Fleet clasp | American Defense Service Medal with Atlantic Fleet clasp | American Defense Service Medal with Atlantic Fleet clasp | American Campaign Medal | American Campaign Medal | American Campaign Medal | World War II Victory Medal | World War II Victory Medal | World War II Victory Medal | Nicaraguan Presidential Order of Merit with gold star | Nicaraguan Presidential Order of Merit with gold star | Nicaraguan Presidential Order of Merit with gold star |