Major Edwin N. McClellan, USMC

First edition published 1920

Second edition 1968

Historical Branch, G-3 Division

Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps

Washington, DC 20380

Updated and revised third edition 2014

U.S. Marine Corps

History Division

Quantico, VA 22134

WORLD

WAR

THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

in the

U.S. Marines in World War I Centennial Commemorative Series
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

McClellan, Edwin North, 1881-1971.

 The United States Marine Corps in the World War / by Major Edwin N. McClellan, USMC. -- 

Updated and revised 3rd edition.

 pages cm. -- (U.S. Marines in World War I centennial commemorative series ; No. 1)

 “First edition published 1920.”

 Includes bibliographical references and index.

 1. United States. Marine Corps--History--World War, 1914-1918. 2. World War, 

1914-1918--United States. I. Title.

 D570.45.A5 2014

 940.4’5973--dc23

2014042905
This pamphlet history, one in a series devoted to U.S. Marines in the First World War, is published for 

the education and training of Marines by the History Division, Marine Corps University, Quantico, 

Virginia, as part of the Marine Corps’ observance of the centennial anniversary of that war. Editorial 

costs have been defrayed in part by contributions from members of the Marine Corps Heritage 

Foundation.

No. 1 in the U.S. Marines in World War I Centennial Commemorative Series

Dr. Charles P. Neimeyer

Director of Marine Corps History

Charles D. Melson

Chief Historian of the Marine Corps

Angela J. Anderson

Series Editor/U.S. Marines in World War I Centennial Commemorative Series

Vincent J. Martinez

Graphic Designer

This printing represents the original work, with minor alterations to the text based on 

current standards for style, grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Any other revisions to 

the original text were made based on new statistics available since the time of the 1968 

edition.

CONTENTS

1968 FOREWORD .........................................................................xi

2014 FOREWORD .......................................................................xiii

EXPLANATORY NOTE .............................................................. xx

LETTER OF TRANSMISSION.................................................. xxi

CHAPTER I.....................................................................................1

In General

CHAPTER II...................................................................................4

Statutory and Actual Strength

of the Marine Corps on Various Dates

CHAPTER III..................................................................................8

Recruiting

Applicants, Rejections, Enlistments

Enlistments by State

CHAPTER IV................................................................................13

Geographical Location and Disposition

of Marines During War

CHAPTER V .................................................................................20

How Officers Were Obtained and Trained

CHAPTER VI................................................................................26

Training Enlisted Men

in the United States and Europe
CHAPTER VII ..............................................................................33

Organizations and Replacements

Sent to Europe

Organization of the 4th and 5th Brigades

CHAPTER VIII.............................................................................48

Operations in General

CHAPTER IX................................................................................53

Units Composing, and the Commanding

Generals of, the 2d Division-Verdun Operations

CHAPTER X .................................................................................59

Aisne Defensive, Hill 142, Bouresches, 

and Bois de la Brigade de Marine in the 

Château-Thierry Sector

CHAPTER XI................................................................................70

The Aisne-Marne Offensive (Soissons)

CHAPTER XII ..............................................................................77

Marbache Sector, Near Pont-à-Mousson

Saint-Mihiel Offensive

CHAPTER XIII.............................................................................79

The Champagne

Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge

Capture of Saint-Étienne

March To Leffincourt

CHAPTER XIV .............................................................................87

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive

Crossing the Meuse River
CHAPTER XV...............................................................................93

March To the Rhine

Army of Occupation

Summary of Operations of the 4th Brigade

CHAPTER XVI ...........................................................................100

With the Navy Onboard the Battleships 

and Cruisers

CHAPTER XVII..........................................................................105

The Activities of the 5th Brigade

CHAPTER XVIII........................................................................112

Casualties

CHAPTER XIX ...........................................................................117

Citations of Marine Organizations

Days in France

Artillery Captured

Prisoners Captured

Kilometers Advanced

Decorations Awarded

CHAPTER XX.............................................................................120

Rifle Practice

Rifle and Pistol Competitions

CHAPTER XXI ...........................................................................123

Aviation

CHAPTER XXII..........................................................................132

Marine Corps Reserve
CHAPTER XXIII ........................................................................135

Return of Marines from Europe

Parades in the United States

CHAPTER XXIV.........................................................................138

Demobilization

CHAPTER XXV ..........................................................................143

Office of the Major General Commandant

Adjutant and Inspector’s Department

CHAPTER XXVI.........................................................................145

Paymaster’s Department

CHAPTER XXVII.......................................................................154

Quartermaster’s Department

APPENDIX I................................................................................159

Marine Corps Deaths

APPENDIX II..............................................................................160

Biographies of Selected

Marine Corps Leaders

INDEX..........................................................................................215
Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Maj Edwin N. McClellan’s official portrait taken in 1935.

xi

1968 FOREWORD

Fifty years ago, men of the 4th Brigade of Marines, 2d Division 

of Regulars, and of the Day Wing, Northern Bombing Group 

took part in a memorable series of campaigns in France as 

part of the American Expeditionary Forces. The names of many of 

the battles in which they fought, in particular Belleau Wood, became 

household words to their countrymen. In part to provide a record of 

the Marine Corps’ efforts in World War I, the then-Commandant, 

Major General George Barnett, directed that a Historical Division 

be established at Marine Corps Headquarters and that a history of 

our participation in that war be written.

This monograph, The United States Marine Corps in the World War

by then-Major Edwin N. McClellan, first published in 1920 and 

long out of print, has proved to be an accurate, highly useful, and 

concise accounting of the growth, activities, and combat exploits of 

Marines. It is particularly fitting that we republish Major McClellan’s work in this anniversary year for the many persons, Marines 

and others, who have expressed interest in this important segment 

of our history.

In a larger sense, this republication is also a tribute to its author. Lieutenant Colonel McClellan retired in 1936 after 29 years 

of distinguished service to the Marine Corps. Twice the head of the 

Historical Division (1919–25 and 1930–33), he wrote a monumental source history of the early years of the Marine Corps, which was 

made available in manuscript form to many major public and university libraries. “McClellan’s History” is still the essential starting 
xii

1968 Foreword

point for any meaningful research into our past. In addition, this 

dedicated officer wrote numerous articles for professional publications that exposed an entire generation of Marines to the interesting 

facts, personalities, and events of their heritage.

It is with pleasure that I authorize the republication of this work 

and commend again a man who in his time was the Marine Corps 

historian.

L. F. Chapman Jr.

General, U.S. Marine Corps

Commandant of the Marine Corps

Reviewed and Approved: 12 September 1968
xiii

2014 FOREWORD

LIEUTENANT COLONEL EDWIN NORTH MCCLELLAN:

A CENTENNIAL TRIBUTE TO THE MARINE

AND HISTORIAN OF THE CORPS

by Annette D. Amerman

I

t is doubtful that many outside of the Marine Corps’ historical 

community recognize the name of Edwin McClellan; nonetheless, he left a lasting impact on the Corps. As we approach the 

centennial of Marine participation in the First World War, and with 

this commemorative reprint of his seminal work The United States 

Marine Corps in the World War, we wish to acknowledge and honor 

McClellan for his contributions to the historical field and the U.S. 

Marine Corps.

Edwin North McClellan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 5 December 1881 and graduated from Brown Preparatory School in 1902. While he attended law school at the University 

of Pennsylvania, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 

Marine Corps on 25 June 1907. His first nine years in the Corps 

were typical of the time; ship detachment and expeditionary duty 

abroad—USS Wisconsin (BB 9), 1st Brigade in the Philippines, Asiatic Fleet in Shanghai, American Legation in Peking, and in the 

Caribbean. In 1916, McClellan was assigned to the Judge Advocate 

General’s office at Headquarters Marine Corps and finally completed his law degree at George Washington University.
xiv

2014 Foreword

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Then 2dLt Edwin McClellan upon commissioning in 1907.
xv

2014 Foreword

Just before the United States entered World War I, McClellan 

was detached from Headquarters and assigned to the USS Arizona 

(BB 39). In March 1917, he was promoted to captain and, just a 

few months later, received a temporary promotion to major. McClellan remained at sea aboard various vessels throughout 1917 and 

well into 1918. On 29 September 1918 at 0315, while on board the 

USS Minnesota (BB 22) and only 20 miles off the coast of the Fenwick Island Shoal Light (Delaware), McClellan’s ship struck a mine 

laid by German submarine U-117 and suffered serious damage but 

managed to return to Philadelphia. Two weeks later, McClellan was 

transferred to Quantico, Virginia, where he took command of the 

9th Separate Battalion, which was heading to France with replacements to support the Marine war effort. However, the war ended 

with McClellan still in Brest, and he remained there until the end of 

December when he returned to Marine Barracks Quantico for duty 

with the 15th Regiment.

In 1919, the Historical Section of the American Expeditionary 

Forces (AEF) was established in France. Major General Commandant George Barnett immediately contacted the AEF commander, 

General John J. Pershing, about sending McClellan as the Marine 

representative.

The major general commandant desires to order Major Edwin N. McClellan, Marine Corps, to report to 

the commanding general for assignment to duty as 

historical officer with a view to collecting historical 

data pertaining to activities of Marines during the 

operations in Europe. All reports and papers prepared 

by historical officer to be submitted to [the] commanding general or to [an]other officer designated 

by him for scrutiny and action. Major McClellan is 

particularly well qualified for the duty required to be 

performed. The assent of the commanding general to 

the desired detail of Major McClellan as historical 

officer for the Marine Corps is requested.

McClellan was quickly dispatched to Europe and spent the next 

five months covering every inch of the countryside where Marines 

had fought and died. His journeys took him from Brest to Chau-
xvi

2014 Foreword

mont, from Germany to Château-Thierry, from Soissons to the south 

of France and then back to Somme-Py and Verdun. McClellan spent 

the better part of June in the United Kingdom—London, Cardiff, 

Edinburgh, Scapa Flow, and Bantry Bay. While the 4th Brigade was 

still on occupation duty in Germany, McClellan combed through 

their files and spoke with Marines. Before returning to the states in 

mid-August, McClellan spent the remainder of his time making his 

way down the Channel Coast, making several stops in Belgium at 

Ostend, Bruges, Zeebruges, Dixmude, and Ypres. McClellan’s collection effort was the first instance of a Marine deploying to a combat zone to gather documents and stories, just as our modern field 

history Marines have to Iraq and Afghanistan. For his efforts, he was 

awarded a special letter of commendation from the secretary of the 

Navy for his services rendered during the World War.

Upon returning to the United States, McClellan was appointed 

officer-in-charge of the newly created Historical Section of Headquarters Marine Corps, which was officially recognized by Marine 

Corps Orders No. 53 (Series 1919) on 8 September 1919, directing 

that a history of the United States Marine Corps for the period of 

the First World War be researched and prepared. During the next 

five years, McClellan not only produced The United States Marine 

Corps in the World War (1920) as directed, but also wrote dozens 

of articles for Leatherneck and Marine Corps Gazette, seemingly at 

the same time. In addition to researching and writing history and, 

mostly due to his knowledge of the Corps in WWI, McClellan was 

consulted by the secretary of the Navy’s office in preparation for 

testimony in front of the Senate committee investigating the Navy.1

The story of the Marines in the World War not only 

gives glory to the Navy and to our Country, but has 

won the gratitude of all who fought for liberty. From 

the beginning of my administration as Secretary of 

the Navy, no branch of the Navy has received more 

encouragement from me than the Marines. What 

1

 The Senate investigation was related to accusations made by RAdm William 

S. Sims (wartime commander of all U.S. Naval forces in Europe) that Josephus 

Daniels’ administration of the Navy was mishandled, specifically lacking aggressiveness and not keeping Sims properly informed during the war.
xvii

2014 Foreword

they have done in war and in peace justifies my high 

opinion of them and their importance in all operations. I wish to give you a summary of its service in 

the war which you will find more completely set forth 

in the excellent history prepared by Major Edwin N. 

McClellan, the able historian of the Marine Corps.

In July 1925, McClellan was transferred out of the Historical 

Section. For the next five years, McClellan once again globetrotted 

to Marine posts in Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Nicaragua. His 

historical skills were put to use while serving with the 2d Brigade in 

Nicaragua—he was assigned as the official photographer for Marine 

activities, as well as the officer-in-charge of the brigade’s Historical Section. For his service with the 2d Brigade, McClellan was 

awarded a letter of commendation by the brigade commander Major 

General Logan Feland: “Major McClellan distinguished himself by 

his zeal, discretion and activity in the performance of a difficult and 

very important duty. He contributed greatly to the successful work 

of the Brigade.”

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Maj McClellan working at his desk in Nicaragua in 1930.
xviii

2014 Foreword

In June 1931, McClellan returned to Headquarters Marine 

Corps and into the billet he inaugurated—officer-in-charge of the 

Historical Section. McClellan’s second term as officer-in-charge 

lasted just two years, as it was determined that his duties to research 

and write the complete history of the Corps were more important 

and required his full attention. Therefore, on 2 March 1933, McClellan turned the billet over to Captain Harry A. Ellsworth.

During this time, the roles and responsibilities of the Historical 

Section were defined and codified, likely with the help and input of 

McClellan, to include:

1. Maintain Historical Archives, which shall be the 

repository for all material of a historical nature 

(i.e., material from which administrative value has 

disappeared).

2. Prepare correspondence on historical matters.

3. Research and copy historical material pertaining 

to the Marine Corps from every source available, 

place copies of such information in the appropriate 

files of the section, and furnish one copy of such 

material to the officer preparing Marine Corps 

history.

4. Cooperate in every practicable way with the officer 

preparing Marine Corps history.

McClellan earned a reputation for being a tireless worker and 

was often sought to fill vacancies not only within the Corps but 

also within the Navy. In 1933, Admiral Ridley R. McLean requested McClellan to join the staff as Battleship Division Three Marine 

officer. However, as he was still required to research and write the 

history of the Corps, the request was denied by the Major General 

Commandant. The Office of Naval Records and Library’s director 

(precursor to today’s Naval History and Heritage Command), Captain Dudley W. Knox, often relied on McClellan’s research and historical knowledge, frequently done by McClellan while on leave. His 

work “. . . entailed a great deal of labor done under the most adverse 

circumstances and was performed not only with the greatest willingness but also efficiency on the part of Colonel McClellan and I feel 

deeply grateful to him as well as to you for permitting the work to 
xix

2014 Foreword

be done. Colonel McClellan’s special knowledge of naval historical 

matters enabled him to do the work better than practically any one 

else could have done.”

After several years of expeditionary duty in Haiti and the Philippines, McClellan returned to the United States in 1936 and soon 

thereafter retired after 29 years of service to the Corps. McClellan 

enjoyed a long life—dying in 1971 at the age of 90—at home in 

Philadelphia. His career may not have included action on the battlefield, but McClellan left a legacy that is unsurpassed by those who 

followed.

McClellan never fully completed his history of the Corps and 

only a few of the mimeographed volumes remain, yet the impact 

of his devotion remains in the published history of Marines in the 

First World War and the more than 100 articles published in Marine 

Corps Gazette and Leatherneck. During his time as a Marine Corps 

historian, McClellan established a high standard of detailed research 

and extensive writing, a collegial attitude with fellow service historians, and laid the groundwork for how the current Marine Corps 

History Division collects and writes the history of the Corps today.
xx

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This brief history has been prepared to acquaint both the personnel 

of the service and the public with the general facts concerning the 

United States Marine Corps in the First World War.

The work serves as partial compliance with the instructions contained in Marine Corps Orders No. 53 (Series 1919), directing that 

a history of the U.S. Marine Corps for the period of the World War 

be prepared, and as preliminary coverage of the definitive history of 

the United States Marine Corps during the First World War, which 

is in course of preparation.

The statistics and other information contained herein are as accurate as it is possible to obtain at the present date. Every effort 

has been made to avoid expressions of opinions and criticisms or of 

drawing conclusions of an important nature.
xxi

Letter of Transmission

NOVEMBER 26, 1919

From: Officer in Charge Historical Division, Adjutant and Inspector’s 

Department, United States Marine Corps.

To: The Major General Commandant.

Via: Officer in Charge, Adjutant and Inspector’s Department.

Subject: The United States Marine Corps in the World War.

1. There is transmitted herewith for your formal approval a concise 

history of the United States Marine Corps in the World War, including 

certain statistics, with the recommendation that it be published to the 

naval service.

EDWIN N. MCCLELLAN

[First endorsement]

ADJUTANT AND INSPECTOR’S DEPARTMENT,

HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS,

Washington, DC, November 6, 1919

From: The Acting Adjutant and Inspector.

To: The Major General Commandant.

1. Forwarded, approved.

H. C. HAINES

Approved:

GEORGE BARNETT,

Major General Commandant,

United States Marine Corps

Approved:

JOSEPHUS DANIELS,

Secretary of the Navy

1

CHAPTER I

IN GENERAL

When a state of war was declared to exist on 6 April 

1917, the United States Marine Corps was composed 

of 462 commissioned officers, 49 warrant officers, and 

13,214 enlisted men on active duty, [for] a total of 13,725 and, while 

the Corps was expanded to an actual strength, including reserves, 

of 75,101 officers and enlisted men, its high standard was never 

lowered. When these figures are compared with the approximate 

strength of 3,100 at the end of the Civil War, and of 4,800 at the end 

of the Spanish War, the growth of the Marine Corps is illustrated.

Despite the fact that, on the outbreak of war, 187 officers and 

4,546 enlisted men were on duty beyond the continental limits of 

the United States, and 49 officers, and 2,187 enlisted men were serving on board the cruising vessels of the Navy, only five weeks later, on 

14 June 1917, the 5th Regiment, consisting of 70 officers and 2,689 

enlisted men, approximately one-sixth of the enlisted strength of the 

Marine Corps, competently organized and ready for active service, 

sailed on the USS Henderson [AP 1], De Kalb [ID 3010], and Hancock [AP 3] from the United States, forming one-fifth of the first 

expedition of American troops for service in France.

This regiment was soon joined by the 6th Regiment and the 6th 

Machine Gun Battalion, and the 4th Brigade was organized, and 

as one of the two infantry brigades of the 2d Division of Regulars 

engaged in actual battle in no less than eight distinct operations in 

France, of which four were major operations.
2

Chapter I

The French Army* recognized the splendid work of the 5th and 

6th Regiments by citing them no less than three times in Army

orders for achievements in the Château-Thierry sector, in the AisneMarne (Soissons) offensive, and in the Meuse-Argonne (Champagne). The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was similarly cited for its 

work in the Château-Thierry sector and Aisne-Marne (Soissons) 

offensive. The 4th Brigade received a similar citation for its work 

in the Château-Thierry sector. Since two French Army citations 

are sufficient to make an organization eligible for the award of the 

French fourragère, the high standard of the Marine units is evident. 

Information was received in January 1920, that the War Department 

had accepted the award of the French fourragère in the colors of the 

ribbon of the Croix de Guerre for several [U.S.] Army organizations 

and the three units of the 4th Brigade.

Within one year after the outbreak of war, the Marine Corps 

placed about as many enlisted men in France as there were in the 

Marine Corps when war was declared.

During the month of June 1918, when the battle deaths around 

Hill 142, Bouresches, Belleau Wood, and Vaux, of Americans attached to the 2d Division amounted to 1,811 (of which at least 

1,062 were Marines) and the nonfatal casualties to 7,252 more (of 

which 3,615 were Marines), the legislative strength of the Marine 

Corps was but 1,323 officers and 30,000 enlisted men; the actual 

strength on 30 June 1918, including Reserves, was 1,424 officers and 

57,298 enlisted men, and of this total about 300 officers and 14,000 

enlisted men were in France.

These latter figures include those Marines who suffered casualties in the battles of June 1918.

Approximately 30,000 Marines were sent overseas to join the 

American Expeditionary Forces and 1,600 for naval duty ashore. 

During the war, a great many additional Marine detachments were 

detailed to guard the radio stations, naval magazines, ammunition 

depots, warehouses, cable stations and for other naval activities, and 

the detachments already established were largely augmented. No call 

* For clarity, the term “army” will be lowercased when referring to non-American 

forces except when used with formal unit names, such as the French Army, and 

uppercased when referring to the U.S. Army.
3

In General

was made for additional Marines for naval purposes that was not 

fully met, and this is of especial interest as the Marine Corps is essentially a part of the [U.S.] naval establishment, and its first duty 

is to fill all naval needs and requirements. It was believed to be essential that the Marine Corps should do its full part in this war, and 

for that reason it was absolutely necessary that the Marines should 

join the Army on the western front, taking care, however, that this 

should not at any time interfere in the slightest degree with the filling of all naval requirements.

The Marine Corps, while maintaining the 4th Brigade, a total 

of 258 officers and 8,211 enlisted men that fought in eight battle 

operations suffering approximately 12,000 casualties, placed and 

maintained the 5th Brigade of the same strength in France; supplied 

the commanding general of the 2d Division with many officers on 

his staff; furnished a considerable number of officers to command 

Army units of the 2d [Division] and other divisions, and for staff 

and detached duty throughout the American Expeditionary Forces; participated in the naval aviation activities in France and in the 

Azores; and during the period of the war, succeeded in performing 

in a highly satisfactory manner the naval duties required of it, including the maintenance of two brigades of prewar strength standing by to protect the Mexican oil fields, and as an advanced base 

force in Philadelphia, one in Cuba, one in Santo Domingo, and one 

in Haiti; administered and officered the Haitian Gendarmerie and 

Guardia Nacional Dominicana; as well as provid[ed] efficient Marine detachments for numerous naval vessels and maintain[ed] garrisons at the numerous Navy yards and naval stations in the United 

States and in the Virgin Islands, Guantanamo Bay (Cuba), Pearl 

Harbor (Hawaiian Islands), Guam, Cavite and Olongapo (P[hillipines]), Managua (Nicaragua), Peking (China), San Juan (P[uerto] 

R[ico]), London (England), Cardiff (Wales), Paris (France), and the 

Azores; and supplied many officers and enlisted men for special and 

detached duty at home and abroad.
4

CHAPTER II

STATUTORY AND ACTUAL STRENGTH

OF THE MARINE CORPS ON VARIOUS DATES

Statutory Strength

The act of Congress on 29 August 1916 increased the authorized strength of the Marine Corps from 344 officers 

and 9,921 enlisted men to 597 officers and 14,981 enlisted 

men, and the president was authorized in an emergency to further 

increase the Corps to 693 officers and 17,400 enlisted men, which 

he did by executive order on 26 March 1917.

On 6 April 1917, Congress declared “that a state of war exists 

between the United States and the Imperial German Government” 

and one and one-half months later, on 22 May 1917, temporarily increased the authorized strength to 1,197 commissioned officers, 126 

warrant officers, and 30,000 enlisted men. Finally, the act of 1 July 

1918 temporarily increased the Marine Corps to 3,017 commissioned officers, 324 warrant officers, and 75,500 enlisted men, which 

is the maximum strength ever authorized for the Marine Corps. Of 

this number, 17,400 were permanent and 57,650 temporary. In addition to the above, the act of 29 August 1916, which established the 

Marine Corps Reserve, permits the enrollment of Reserves without 

limit as to number and, on 6 April 1917, there were enrolled, subject 

to call to active duty, 3 Reserve commissioned officers, 24 national 

naval volunteer officers, 36 Reserve enlisted men, and 928 enlisted 

national naval volunteers. There were also available for recall to ac-
5

Statutory and Actual Strength 

tive duty 65 regular retired commissioned officers, 1 regular retired 

warrant officer, and 210 regular retired enlisted men.

Actual Strength of the Marine Corps

at the Beginning and End of the War

On 6 April 1917, the strength of the Marine Corps on active duty 

was as follows:

Regular commissioned officers:

Major General Commandant 1

Brigadier generals 7

Colonels 13

Lieutenant colonels 27

Majors 59

Captains 119

First lieutenants 87

Second lieutenants 106

Total regular officers 419

Regular commissioned retired officers:

On active duty 43

Regular warrant officers:

Marine gunners 20

Quartermaster clerks 20

Pay clerks 9

Total warrant officers 49

Total regular enlisted men 13,214

Total strength on active duty 13,725

On 11 November 1918, the strength of the Marine Corps on active 

duty was as follows:

Regular commissioned officers:

Major General Commandant 1

Major generals 2

Brigadier generals 13

Colonels 43

Lieutenant colonels 52

Majors 199
6

Chapter II

Captains 522

First lieutenants 436

Second lieutenants 413

Total regular officers 1,681

Commissioned retired officers:

On active duty 43

Reserve officers on active duty:

Majors 7

Captains 33

First lieutenants 63

Second lieutenants 360

Total Reserve officers 463

Total commissioned officers on active duty 2,187

Regular warrant officers:

Marine gunners 109

Quartermaster clerks 89

Pay clerks 56

Total 254

Reserve warrant officers:

Marine gunners 27

Quartermaster clerks 2

Pay clerks 4

Total 33

Total warrant officers on active duty 287

Total officers on active duty 2,474

Enlisted personnel:

Regular 63,714

Retired enlisted on active duty 15

Reserves on active duty 6,483

Female reservists on active duty 277

Total enlisted 70,489

Total strength on active duty 72,963
7

Statutory and Actual Strength 

On 11 December 1918, the Marine Corps attained its maximum 

strength on active duty, which was distributed as follows:

Regular commissioned officers 1,678

Retired officers on active duty 44

Reserve commissioned officers 452

Regular warrant officers 257

Reserve warrant officers 31

Regular enlisted 65,666

Reserve enlisted 6,704

Female reservists 269

Total 75,101

The maximum enlisted strength of the regular Marine Corps, 

not including Reserves, during the period between the outbreak of 

war and the date the armistice became operative was 63,714 on 9 

November 1918.
8

CHAPTER III

RECRUITING

APPLICANTS, REJECTIONS, ENLISTMENTS

ENLISTMENTS BY STATE

The recruiting service of the Corps was enlarged greatly during 

the war and it was so well organized and its method of procedure was so efficient that it was able to stand the enormous 

increase of the Corps. The real test of any organization comes when a 

very great increase is suddenly made and the recruiting service of the 

Marine Corps passed that test in a commendable manner.

On 8 August 1918, by executive order, volunteer enlistments in 

the Marine Corps and enrollments in the Reserve were stopped and, 

from that time until 1 October 1918, no men were enlisted in the 

Corps with the exception of those whose cases were pending when 

the executive order above mentioned was issued and some whose 

enlistments expired and were reenlisted. On 16 September 1918, the 

secretary of war approved the terms of a tentative plan proposed in 

an informal conference by representatives of the Navy Department, 

the Marine Corps, the General Staff, and the Provost Marshal General’s Office.

This plan, in part, provided that the Marine Corps was accorded 

the privilege of individual inductions to the amount of 5,000 men 

for the months of October, November, and December 1918, and 

January 1919, and 1,500 thereafter.
9

Recruiting, Applications, Rejections, Enlistments

As the plan above operated, the men were supplied from the 

selective draft, but the choice was given the Marine Corps of accepting or rejecting men according to the way they measured up 

to the Marine Corps’ standards. The inductees also had a choice in 

the matter, so they were really “voluntary inductees.” This plan was 

very favorable and permitted the Marine Corps to maintain its high 

standard of enlisted personnel.

Owing to the cessation of hostilities, there were but few inductions and none of the inductees ever reached France prior to the 

armistice becoming effective. Regular voluntary inductions into the 

Marine Corps (through [the] provost marshal general) commenced 

[on] 1 October 1918, and the last man was voluntarily inducted on 

13 December 1918. Inductions occurred as follows:

October 1918 2,787

November 1918 3,880

December 1918 421

Total 7,088

Owing to the signing of the armistice, no more requests were 

made to the provost marshal general for the induction of men after 

18 November 1918.

On 2 December 1918, the president, by proclamation, directed 

that voluntary enlistments of registrants into the Navy and Marine 

Corps would be permitted without notice to local boards, and the 

provisions of the selective service law became inoperative [in]sofar 

as the Marine Corps was concerned.

On 4 December 1918, recruiting on a very limited scale was resumed by order of the secretary of the Navy. On that date also, enrollments in the Marine Corps Reserve were stopped.
10

Chapter III

Applicants, Rejections, Enlistments, etc., Regular Marine 

Corps, not Including Reserves but Including Inductees,

April 1917 to November 1918

Date Applicants Rejected by 

commanding 

officer1

Rejected 

by medical 

officer2

Eloped Declined

oath

Enlistments Strength 

Marine 

Corps

1 APR 13,214

30 APR 14,607 41 11,673 10 19 2,864 15,813

31 MAY 15,498 74 10,039 40 50 5,295 20,932

30 JUN 15,905 47 11,935 16 34 4,073 24,772

31 JUL 11,778 21 8,183 22 44 3,508 27,045

31 AUG 6,275 37 4,006 7 4 2,221 29,861

30 SEP 4,846 29 3,996 5 5 811 30,322

31 OCT 4,335 33 3,661 5 1 635 30,576

30 NOV 5,577 14 4,942 2 2 617 30,855

31 DEC 6,788 22 5,305 4 5 1,452 32,016

31 JAN 5,472 29 3,981 5 3 1,454 33,184

28 FEB 5,915 31 5,772 4 3 105 33,045

31 MAR 5,037 18 4,734 2 4 279 33,093

30 APR 15,958 44 12,996 3 5 2,910 35,690

31 MAY 18,336 73 12,956 7 22 5,278 40,722

30 JUN 23,864 70 18,609 17 36 5,132 45,384

31 JUL 20,162 224 11,767 9 10 8,152 52,712

31 AUG 17,286 115 11,528 5 40 5,598 57,628

30 SEP 16,175 199 13,484 5 83 2,404 59,556

31 OCT 12,176 2 8,923 1 3,250 62,142

30 NOV 13,284 2 9,129 2 4,151 65,489

Total 239,274 1,125 177,619 168 373 60,189

1

 Rejections by commanding officer include minors whose parents refused consent, married men whose wives refused consent, and men with criminal records or 

who were otherwise undesirable.

2

 Rejections by medical officer include all rejections at recruiting office as well 

as those rejected by the medical officer at the recruit depot to which they were 

transferred.
11

Recruiting, Applications, Rejections, Enlistments

Enlistments by State

The following table shows the number of men enlisted in the Marine Corps, not including Reserves enrolled but including inductees, 

between 1 April 1917 and 11 November 1918. These figures do not 

include the 13,214 enlisted men already in the Marine Corps on 6 

April 1917:

Alabama 313

Arizona 210

Arkansas 290

California 2,527

Colorado 1,262

Connecticut 240

Delaware 72

District of Columbia 451

Florida 110

Georgia 674

Illinois 4,959

Idaho 508

Indiana 1,182

Iowa 607

Kansas 673

Louisiana 832

Maine 24

Massachusetts 1,957

Maryland 867

Michigan 2,115

Minnesota 2,581

Missouri 3,721

Mississippi 297

Montana 1,205

Nebraska 461

Nevada 86

New Jersey 1,251

New Hampshire 67

New Mexico 25

New York 6,782
12

Chapter III

North Carolina 488

North Dakota 225

Ohio 4,968

Oklahoma 384

Oregon 1,006

Pennsylvania 4,365

Rhode Island 64

South Carolina 66

South Dakota 145

Tennessee 1,418

Texas 2,205

Utah 898

Vermont 21

Virginia 617

Washington 1,767

West Virginia 598

Wisconsin 876

Wyoming 92

Total 57,144

Statistics that will show the exact number of officers and enlisted 

men from each state are being prepared.
13

CHAPTER IV

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION AND DISPOSITION

OF MARINES DURING WAR

During the period of the war, Marines served ashore and 

afloat all over the world. The following tables show where 

they were located at the outbreak of war and on the date 

the armistice became operative; also the naval vessels on which Marines were serving on both of these dates; and the geographical location of Marines during the war.

Location of Marines on 6 April 1917

and 11 November 1918

Location 6 April 1917 11 November 1918

Officers Men Total Officers Men Total

American 

Expeditionary 

Forces (AEF) 8571 23,698 24,555

Azores 11 188 199

China 8 268 276 11 271 282

Cuba 16 580 596 99 2,310 2,409

England (AEF)

See AEF 0

England

(not AEF) 2 69 71
14

Chapter IV

France (AEF)

See AEF 0

France

(not AEF) 146 1,030 1,176

Germany 

(AEF) See AEF

Guam 9 383 392 14 366 380

Haiti 62 622 684 60 825 885

Hawaiian 

Islands 3 137 140 10 466 476

Holland

(The Hague) 3 3

Nicaragua 3 111 114 5 118 123

Philippine 

Islands 7 272 279 12 582 594

Puerto Rico 

(San Juan) 1 77 78

Samoa 1 1

Santo Domingo 69 1,856 1,925 84 1,879 1,963

Sea duty 49 2,187 2,236 64 2,009 2,073

Spain (Madrid) 1 1

United States

[CONUS] 183 6,481 6,664 1,029 36,004 37,033

Virgin Islands 10 317 327 25 583 608

Total 419 13,214 13,633 2,431 70,479 73,910

1

 Including enlisted men commissioned in Europe.

Marines Serving Onboard Naval Vessels

Marine detachments served onboard all the overseas battleships and 

on the battleships of Battleship Force 2 throughout the war. The 

Marines of Battleship Force 1 of which the Minnesota was flagship 

were temporarily withdrawn in April 1918.

Marines were also onboard a great many of the cruisers that 

acted as escorts for the vessels transporting [U.S.] Army troops to 

Europe.
15

Geographical Location and Disposition

The following table* shows in detail those vessels that carried 

Marine detachments at the beginning of the war and on Armistice 

Day:

Ship 6 April 1917 11 November 1918

Officers Men Officers Men 

Atlantic Fleet 1 1

Pacific Fleet 1 1

Asiatic Fleet 1 1

Battleship Force 2

Battleship Force [1] 1

Cruiser Force 1

Division 6 1 1

Division 7 1

Division 8 1

Division 9 (6th Battle Squadron) 1

USS Alabama (BB 8) 1 40

USS Arizona (BB 39) 2 83 2 88

USS Arkansas (BB 33) 1 76 2 86

USS Brooklyn (CA 3) 2 69 2 98

USS Castine (PG 6) 20

USS Charleston (C 22) 2 62

USS Cincinnati (C 7) 1 40 1 41

USS Columbia (C 12) 19

USS Connecticut (BB 18) 3 65

USS Constellation (1854) 6 7

USS Delaware (BB 28) 1 65 2 70

USS Denver (C 14) 1 40

USS Des Moines (C 15) 38

USS Dolphin (PG 24) 15 20

USS Florida (BB 30) 1 66 2 63

USS Frederick (CA 8) 2 64

USS Galveston (C 17) 1 39 1 40

* Information was updated to accommodate for the current style of military ship 

designation.
16

Chapter IV

USS George Washington

(ID 3018)2 97

USS Helena (PG 9)1 301 25

USS Huntington (CA 5)2 61

USS Idaho (SP 545)2 19

USS Louisiana (BB 19)1 64

USS Machias (PG 5) 20

USS Mayflower (PY 1) 155

USS Michigan (BB 27)2 62

USS Minnesota (BB 22)2 68

USS Mississippi (BB 23)2 78

USS Montana (ACR 13)1 622 72

USS Nebraska (BB 14)1 68

USS Nevada (BB 36)1 772 79

USS New Hampshire (BB 25)1 67

USS New Jersey (BB 16)16

USS New Mexico (BB 40)2 68

USS New York (BB 34)1 772 20

USS North Carolina (ACR 12)2 65

USS North Dakota (BB 29)1 642 65

USS Oklahoma (BB 37)2 772 80

USS Olympia (C 6)1 40

USS Pennsylvania (BB 38)1 943 133

USS Pittsburgh (CA 4)2 752 105

USS Prairie (AD 5) 19

USS Pueblo (CA 7)1 692 15

USS Rhode Island (BB 17)1 64

USS Seattle (ACR 11)1 61

USS South Carolina (BB 26)2 65

USS South Dakota (ACR 9)2 59

USS St. Louis (C 20)2 62

USS Texas (BB 35)1 722 78

USS Utah (BB 31)2 622 72

USS Wilmington (PG 8)1 301 30
17

Geographical Location and Disposition

USS Wyoming (BB 32) 1 78 2 82

USS Yorktown (PG 1) 20

Total 49 2,187 64 2,009

In addition to the above-named vessels, Marines served on the 

USS Leviathan (SP 1326), Albany (CL 23), New Orleans (CL 22), 

Georgia (BB 15), Kansas (BB 21), Vermont (BB 20), San Diego (CA 

6), and Virginia (BB 13).

Geographical Location of Marines During the War

During the period of the war Marines were stationed at the following posts:

UNITED STATES

Navy yards and stations: Portsmouth, New Hampshire; 

Boston, [Massachusetts]; New York; Philadelphia, [Pennsylvania]; Annapolis, [Maryland]; Washington, DC; Norfolk, 

Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; Key West, Florida; 

Pensacola, Florida; New Orleans, [Louisiana]; Mare Island, 

California; Puget Sound, Washington; and North Island, 

California.

Naval magazines: Hingham, Massachusetts; Fort Lafayette, 

[New York]; Iona Island, New York; Lake Denmark, New 

Jersey; Fort Muffin, Pennsylvania; St. Julien’s Creek, Virginia; and Mare Island, California.

Naval ammunition depots: Dover, New Jersey, and New 

London, Connecticut.

Torpedo stations: Puget Sound, Washington, and Newport, 

Rhode Island.

Radio stations, etc.: Greenbury, Maryland; Point Isabel, 

Texas; Radio, Virginia; Key West, Florida; Chatham, Massachusetts; Portland, Maine; Rye Beach, Maine; Otter Cliffs, 

Maine; naval radio station, Wellfleet, Massachusetts; French 

Cable Co., Orleans, Massachusetts; Postal Telegraph and 

Cable Co., Rockport, Massachusetts; Commercial Telegraph 

& Cable Co., Boston; Marconi Wireless Co., Boston; Western Union Co., Boston; Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Sayville, 
18

Chapter IV

New York; New Brunswick, New Jersey; Belmar, New Jersey; 

Tuckerton, New Jersey; Beaufort, South Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina Annapolis, Maryland.; Washington, 

DC; San Diego, California; Chollas Heights, California; 

Point Arguello, California; Inglewood, California; East San 

Pedro, California; Eureka, California; Bolinas, California; 

Marshall, California; Farallon Islands, California; Marshfield, Oregon; Astoria, Oregon; Lents, Oregon; Tatoosh [Island], Washington; and North Head, Washington. 

Naval prisons: Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Parris Island, 

South Carolina; and Mare Island, California.

Naval hospitals: Boston; New York; Washington, DC; Norfolk, Virginia; Key West, Florida; and Fort Lyons, Colorado.

Coaling stations: La Playa, California, and Tiburon, California.

Receiving ship: Boston.

Other places: Headquarters, Washington, DC; Office of 

the Judge Advocate General; assistant paymasters’ offices at 

New York, Atlanta, Georgia, and San Francisco, California; 

depots of supplies at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, San Francisco, California, and Charleston, South Carolina; naval experimental station, New London, Connecticut; naval district 

base, New London, Connecticut; advanced base force, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; mobilization bureau, New York City; 

third naval district base, New York; New Navy Building 

guard, Washington, DC; naval mine station, Yorktown, Virginia; naval base, Hampton Roads, Virginia; Navy rifle range, 

Wakefield, Massachusetts; rifle range, Winthrop, Maryland; 

naval proving grounds, Indian Head, Maryland; Wissahickon Barracks, New Jersey; Navy fuel depot, Curtis, Maryland; 

Navy ordnance plant, Charleston, West Virginia; camp of 

instruction, bayonet team, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania; signal 

battalion, Paoli, Pennsylvania; staff office, San Francisco California; Marine Barracks Quantico, Virginia; Fort Crockett, 

Galveston, Texas; Gerstner Field, Lake Charles, Louisiana; 

naval air station, Cape May, New Jersey; naval air station, 

San Diego, California; naval school for mechanics, Great 
19

Geographical Location and Disposition

Lakes, Illinois; naval air station, Pensacola, Florida; Army 

training field, Mineola, Long Island, New York; Marine 

Corps School of Machine Gun Instruction at Utica, New 

York; and Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT], 

Boston, Massachusetts.

BEYOND CONTINENTAL LIMITS

OF UNITED STATES

American Expeditionary Forces: France, England, and 

Germany.

With naval service in Europe: Paris, France; Pauillac, France; 

London, England; Marine aerodromes between Calais and 

Dunkirk, France; Croix d’Hins, Gironde, France; naval base, 

Ponta Delgada, Azores Islands; and Cardiff, Wales.

Naval stations: Cavite, P[hilippine] I[slands]; Olongapo 

[City], P. I.; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; 

Virgin Islands; and Guam.

Occupation forces: Santo Domingo, Haiti.

Legation guards: Peking, China, and Managua, Nicaragua.

Couriers: Madrid, Spain; The Hague, Holland; Luxembourg; Jassy, Romania; Stockholm, Sweden; Copenhagen, 

Denmark; Christiania, Norway; Petrograd, Archangel, Murman Coast, Russia; Paris, France; London, England; Athens, 

Greece; and Rome, Italy.

Constabularies: Guardia Nacional Dominicana and Haitian gendarmerie.

Radio stations: Cavite, Philippines; San Juan, Puerto Rico; 

El Cayey, Puerto Rico; Haiti; and Croix d’Hins, Gironde, 

France.

Naval ammunition depot: Olongapo, P. I.

Naval magazine: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Depot of supplies: Cavite, Philippines.

Attachés: Paris, France; London, England; Yokohama, Japan; Petrograd [now Saint Petersburg], Russia; Stockholm, 

Sweden; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Christiania, Norway.
20

CHAPTER V

HOW OFFICERS WERE OBTAINED AND TRAINED

How Officers Were Obtained

The outbreak of war made it essential that the Corps should 

be filled as far as practicable with officers who had prior military experience and training, and immediate steps were taken to arrange for the designation and examination of Marine Corps 

warrant officers, noncommissioned officers, graduates of military colleges, and other civilians with military experience and training.

The appointment of officers subsequent to the declaration of war 

up to October 1917, both for the permanent service and for the temporary increase authorized for the duration of the war, were drawn 

from the following sources:

Graduates of the Naval Academy 6

Former officer of the Marine Corps 1

Former graduate of the Naval Academy 1

Warrant officers and paymaster’s clerks

of the Marine Corps 89

Meritorious noncommissioned officers

of the Marine Corps 122

Reserve officers and national naval volunteers 36

Graduates of military colleges 284

Other civilians with prior military or naval

experience or training 136

Other civilians passing the comprehensive

examination held 10 July 1917 86
21

How Officers Were Obtained and Trained

In order to expedite the training of the new officers, advantage 

was taken of the law providing for a Marine Corps Reserve, and successful candidates were immediately enrolled as second lieutenants 

in the Reserve and ordered to Marine Corps posts for instruction 

pending the issuance of their commissions in the Regular Service. 

Candidates designated for the examination held 10 July 1917 were 

authorized upon designation to enroll as privates in the Marine 

Corps Reserve, with the understanding that, upon the completion 

of their examination, they would be ordered to the [Marine Corps] 

Recruit Depot at Parris Island, South Carolina, for training pending 

the receipt of the report of the examining board. This policy was carried out, and the successful candidates were commissioned second 

lieutenants in the Marine Corps, while the unsuccessful candidates 

were given the option of continuing in the Service as enlisted men 

or of being discharged.

Owing to the unusually large number of young men of excellent education and fine attainments who had enlisted in the Marine Corps after the outbreak of war, it was decided that no further 

appointments of civilians to the rank of second lieutenant would 

be made during the continuance of the war, and that all vacancies 

occurring in that grade (not required for graduates of the Naval 

Academy) would be filled by the promotion of meritorious noncommissioned officers. This decision was promulgated to the Service 

in Marine Corps Orders No. 25 (Series 1917).

How Officers Were Trained

The officers appointed from civil life, as soon as enrolled, were ordered to the Marine barracks at Mare Island, California; San Diego, 

California; Parris Island, South Carolina; and [to] the Marine Corps 

rifle range, Winthrop, Maryland, for instruction, pending the completion of the buildings for their use at Marine Barracks Quantico. 

Early in July 1917, the buildings being in readiness, the newly appointed officers, about 345 in number, were assembled at Quantico, 

where an officers’ camp of instruction was held, and the course completed in October 1917.
22

Chapter V

In carrying out the policy of obtaining officers from the ranks, 

orders were issued to commanding officers of every post and station of the Marine Corps, both at home and abroad as well as those 

onboard ship, to the effect that all commissioned officers would be 

taken from the ranks and that the number of men to be designated 

from each post to attend the training camp would be a certain percentage of the number of men stationed at such post or station. Each 

commanding officer was ordered to convene a board of three officers 

to examine the qualifications of the men at his post and to report in 

the order of merit the names of the men considered qualified for entry to the officers’ training camp at Quantico. These reports were all 

forwarded to Headquarters, where a board was convened to examine 

them and to select, in accordance with their standing as reported by 

the various boards, the number of men who could be quartered and 

properly instructed at Quantico. It was found that about 600 was the 

limit that could be accommodated, and approximately this number 

was selected for the first camp, which was established at Quantico, 

Virginia, in April 1918.

The officers’ training camp was commanded by an officer of adequate rank. The students were divided into companies with a major 

in command as chief instructor and captains and lieutenants to assist 

him. The candidates were given a very rigid course of instruction and 

intensive training. Some of the studies pursued were: infantry drill 

regulations, manual of interior guard duty, bayonet training, bombing, minor tactics, military engineering, military topography, administration, military law, lectures on gas and on sea duty, and a practical 

course on the rifle range.

The training at these camps was most intensive and thoroughly 

competitive, so that a man’s position depended entirely upon himself. 

The material to draw from was so excellent that comparatively few 

of those who entered the camps failed to receive commissions and 

many of the young men commissioned, who were assigned to duty 

abroad, demonstrated that their selection was fully justified. Many 

officers also received special training in the schools of the Overseas 

Depot at Quantico.
23

How Officers Were Obtained and Trained

The majority of the members of the first officers’ training camp 

graduated in July 1918. Three hundred of this camp were commissioned on 15 July 1918, and 91 [were commissioned] on 15 August 

1918.

The same proportionate allowance that was made in the United 

States was also designated for the Marines serving in France, and 

similar means were instituted there to carry out the policy of selection of men for the training camp. As a result of the camp established over there, 164 second lieutenants were appointed from the 

4th Brigade in France.

The second officers’ training camp was opened at Quantico on 

20 August 1918; the enlisted men forming its personnel [were] selected in exactly the same manner as those attending the first camp 

and this procedure was also followed with regard to the Marines of 

the American Expeditionary Forces [AEF] in France. Of the 570 

men enrolled, 432 graduated from the second officers’ training camp 

[on] 16 December 1918, and 172 from the Army candidate school 

in France, who immediately upon graduating were enrolled as second lieutenants (provisional) in class 4, Marine Corps Reserve, and 

subsequently appointed temporary second lieutenants in the Marine 

Corps. An extension of three weeks to this course in America was 

necessitated by the epidemic of influenza.

There were 235 graduated in July 1919 from the third officers’ 

training camp, who were enrolled as second lieutenants (provisional) in class 4, Marine Corps Reserve, and immediately assigned to 

inactive duty.

There were also 48 graduates of the Army candidate school in 

France, who were enrolled as second lieutenants (provisional) in 

class 4, Marine Corps Reserve, and who were discharged or placed 

on inactive duty upon their return to the United States, with the 

exception of 4 [graduates] who were transferred to the temporary 

Service.

Sixty-nine officers graduated from the Marine Corps School of 

Machine Gun Instruction at Utica, New York. Information regarding the training of Marine officers for aviation duties will be found 

in chapter XXI.
24

Chapter V

Marine Sections, Student Army Training Corps

In the act approved [on] 31 August 1918, provision was made for 

a Student Army Training Corps, and [on] 12 September 1918, the 

secretary of war directed the provost marshal general to allot 1,500 

of the registrants authorized for induction into the Student Army 

Training Corps to the Marine sections under that organization. On 

23 September 1918, with the approval of the Navy Department, 

Marine Corps Headquarters designated the following institutions 

for the organization of Marine sections of the Student Army Training Corps and allotted quotas to each ranging from 100 to 190 [students]:

Leland Stanford Junior University 110

Georgia School of Technology 100

Harvard University 120

University of Minnesota 110

Cornell University 170

University of Washington 160

University of Texas 100

Yale University 100

University of Kansas 140

University of Wisconsin 190

Virginia Military Institute 100

University of North Carolina 100

A Marine officer was ordered to each of the designated institutions and charged with the duties of administration, instruction, and 

discipline of the Marine section with the assistance of a noncommissioned officer of the Marine Corps.

It was intended to transfer, from time to time, well-qualified students who were inducted into Marine sections of the Student Army 

Training Corps to aviation duty or to one of the two recruit camps, 

and in both cases men thus recommended, who proved themselves 

qualified to become officers, would be ultimately commissioned in 

either the Marine Corps Reserve Flying Corps or for general service 

in the Marine Corps. In either case, after finishing their course in 

the Student Army Training Corps, they would have been sent to a 
25

How Officers Were Obtained and Trained

recruit camp for the regular course of training because this would 

make it possible to imbue them with the necessary esprit de corps 

and indoctrinate them with the Marine Corps methods of procedure and training, both essential to the making of a Marine officer 

of the highest [caliber]. Owing to the end of active hostilities, there 

were no graduates from the Marine sections of the Student Army 

Training Corps at the different universities and colleges as they were 

ordered abandoned shortly after the armistice became operative.
26

CHAPTER VI

TRAINING ENLISTED MEN IN THE UNITED STATES 

AND EUROPE

United States

The Marine Corps system of training for enlisted personnel 

during the war was thorough and excellent in every respect 

and resulted in the turning out of men who proved themselves well fitted for the arduous duties of Marines.

For a short time after the outbreak of the war, temporary recruit 

depots were opened at the navy yards at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 

and Norfolk, Virginia, with a capacity of 2,500 at the former and 

500 at the latter. These were used until the regular recruit depots at 

Parris Island, South Carolina, and Mare Island, California, could 

accommodate the recruits. These two recruit depots were greatly enlarged both in size and scope to take care of the temporary increase 

in strength authorized for the war and were soon able to meet all 

demands made upon them.

At the beginning of the war, the course of recruit instruction 

at the [Marine Corps] Recruit Depot, Parris Island, was of eightweeks duration and, with but very few exceptions, every recruit 

passing through this depot received eight weeks [of ] instruction. At 

the Mare Island recruit depot, the recruits received 12 weeks [of ] 

training over 6–28 April 1917, 9 weeks [of training] from 29 April 

1917 to 21 June 1918, and 8 weeks [of training] from 22 June to 11 

November 1918.
27

Training Enlisted Men

The following table gives a list of the special schools at the Parris Island Recruit Depot and the number of graduates from each 

during the period between the outbreak of war and the date the 

armistice became operative:

Noncommissioned Officers School 2,144

Field Musics School 493

Radio School 143

Signal School 232

Band School 247

Clerical School 236

Pay School 78

Cooks and Bakers School 150

Total 3,723

The following table illustrates what was accomplished by the two 

recruit depots:

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

U.S. Marines practice marksmanship while going through recruit training at 

Marine Barracks Parris Island, South Carolina, during World War I.
28

Chapter VI

In training Maximum 

strength of 

post

Maximum 

number of 

recruits at 

one time

Total 

recruits 

handled

Maximum 

capacity Depot  6

April

1917

11

November

1918

Parris 

Island 835 4,104 16,601 13,286 46,202 13,069

Mare 

Island 358 1,143 2,799 2,470 11,901 3,000

Total 1,193 5,247 19,400 15,756 58,103 16,069

After leaving the recruit depots at Parris Island and Mare Island, 

advanced training was given [to] the men at Quantico. This training was most intensive and, as a result, all the organizations that 

were trained there attained a high state of efficiency. It was made 

to approximate as nearly as practicable the real service that the men 

would have in the American Expeditionary Forces in France. Officers who were engaged in this training showed great ingenuity and 

efficiency in their attempts to make the training approach as nearly 

as possible what the men would be subjected to in actual service. 

That they succeeded was shown by the work done by the Marines in 

France and other places.

The first troops arrived at the Marine Barracks Quantico on 18 

May 1917. The maximum enlisted strength was 9,849 on 12 September 1918. The maximum number of officers present at one time 

was 484 on 16 August 1918. The strength on 11 November 1918 

was 329 officers and 8,798 enlisted men. From May 1917 to 11 November 1918, approximately 1,000 officers and 40,000 enlisted men 

passed through Quantico.

In addition to giving the enlisted men general training at Quantico in preparation for overseas and other duty, the Overseas Depot 

was established on 19 May 1918 for the dual purpose of organizing 

and training units of the Marine Corps for service with the American Expeditionary Forces.

Prior to the organization of this depot, the 5th and 6th Regiments, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion, the Base Battalion of the 5th 

Regiment, and two replacement battalions had left the United States 

and had become part of the American Expeditionary Force.
29

Training Enlisted Men

The Overseas Depot consisted of an administrative staff and the 

various sections as follows: (a) The specialists’ schools for the technical training of the infantry and machine gun, and the coordination 

of these specialists’ arms; (b) the tactical department for the instruction and training of overseas units in new tactical principles; (c) the 

enlisted staff school for the training of first sergeants, mess sergeants, 

cooks, company clerks, armorers, etc. Two French and four Canadian 

officers, who had abundant experience with the fighting in Europe, 

were assigned as advisors to the commanding officer.

The basic independent unit of organization was the platoon, and 

the platoon therefore became the principal training unit. In the organization of this unit, the scheme followed was to assure to each a 

certain nucleus of enlisted instructors trained in the various specialties, in addition to the platoon commanders, who were qualified to 

carry on the instruction along approved lines within the unit. This 

nucleus was taken from the graduates of the specialists’ schools of 

the depot. When four such platoons had been formed, they were 

assembled into a company. The company headquarters, trained in the 

enlisted staff school, was added to the four platoons and the company 

organization was turned over to the company commander complete 

in all details. Battalions were likewise formed by the consolidation of 

companies. In every instance the platoon, company, and the battalion 

carried out a regular schedule of drills and instructions under the supervision of the depot, but all administrative details were left in the 

hands of the company and the battalion commanders. These training 

schedules were made up in the tactical department, approved by the 

commanding officer, and based on the most approved methods in 

effect at the time. In the cases of the formation of regimental organizations, of which there were two formed during the existence of 

the Overseas Depot, the battalions were turned over to the regimental commander upon being formed and, in this case, direct supervision by the depot ceased but all facilities on hand, such as material, 

officers acting in an advisory capacity, training areas, etc., directly 

attached to the depot were placed at the disposal of the regimental 

commanders who were at all times in active liaison with the depot.

About 85 percent of the troops forming the detachments arriving 

at the Overseas Depot for service in France had undergone not less 
30

Chapter VI

than 8 [-weeks] or more than 12-weeks training at the regular recruit depots of the Marine Corps. The preliminary training received 

at these recruit depots was such [that it] fit the men for general 

service throughout the Marine Corps and resulted in the men being 

well disciplined, considering the short time they had been in the 

Service. This facilitated the more advanced and specialized training 

they were to receive at the Overseas Depot. These detachments were 

composed entirely of qualified riflemen, having undergone during 

the recruit period a most thorough and comprehensive course in the 

use of the rifle. Upon the arrival of these detachments, they were 

organized as outlined above, and the commissioned personnel were 

assigned to the units from the officers’ school. The schedule and 

drills and instructions were provided [to] them and were carried out 

under the supervision of specially selected officers of the tactical department of the Overseas Depot, including the foreign officers. This 

training continued until the units departed for France. Training in 

open warfare was given precedence over that of trench warfare from 

the very beginning in the proportion of about four to one.

The following units were organized by the Overseas Depot: 3d, 

4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, [and] 11th Separate Battalions; 2d and 3d 

Machine Gun Battalions; 5th Brigade Machine Gun Battalion; 2d 

and 3d Separate Machine Gun Battalions; 11th and 13th Regiments; total, approximately, 16,000 officers and enlisted men. The 

7th and 8th Separate Battalions were organized and sent to France 

from Marine Barracks, Parris Island, South Carolina.

The following table shows the schools conducted by the Overseas Depot and the number of graduates:

Noncommissioned

officers

School Officers Privates Total

Officers 294 294

Bayonet 360 220 580

Bombing 200 150 350

Gas 180 180

Automatic Rifles 150 650 800

Scout Snipers 75 375 450
31

Training Enlisted Men

Machine Gun 120 145 295 560

Miners and Sappers 70 80 150

Enlisted Staff 105 300 405

Total 414 1,285 2,070 3,769

In addition to the training described above, 69 officers and 2,084 

enlisted men, a total of 2,153, graduated from the Marine Corps 

School of Machine Gun Instruction at Utica, New York.

Never before in the history of the Corps have better drilled and 

trained or more generally efficient men been turned out, ready for 

duty, upon completion of their training, and to this factor is largely 

due the splendid record made by the Marines during the war.

The work of the officers training the Marines was not spectacular, and they wear no war chevrons, nor decorations for bravery, perhaps, but they were, nevertheless, a vital factor in whatever success 

the Marine Corps met with in the great struggle.

Information [on the] training of enlisted men for aviation will 

be found in chapter XXI.

France

On 27 June 1917, the 1st Battalion of the 5th Regiment actually 

landed in France and, on 3 July 1917, the entire 5th Regiment was 

under canvas on French soil. From that date, every effort was made 

to train the men and officers. Elements of the 5th Regiment trained 

as a part of the 1st Division of Regulars from 15 July 1917 to September 1917 in the Gondrecourt Training Area. From September 

1917 [and] on, the training of the available units of the 4th Brigade 

as a unit of the 2d Division of Regulars was conducted in the Bourmont Training Area.

Until February 1918, the training of the Marines in France was 

handicapped by the fact that units of the brigade were engaged in 

duties along the line of communications (Services of Supply), one 

company and a battalion commander being absent in England until March 1918. It was not until the middle of February 1918 that 

the 4th Brigade (less the company in England) was conducting its 

training as a brigade with any degree of satisfaction. Owing to the 
32

Chapter VI

well-trained condition of the individual Marine, this [situation] did 

not vitally affect his professional ability as was so distinctly shown by 

his later accomplishments.

The 4th Brigade continued its training in the Bourmont Training Area until the middle of March 1918, when it entered the front 

line trenches in the Verdun sector.

The Marine replacements received little or no training in a training area in France as most of them were hurried into the fighting 

immediately upon arrival overseas.

To summarize, the average Marine who arrived in France received at least six-weeks training in the United States in a recruit

depot and a very short period at Quantico. This is a contrast to the 

six-months training received by the average enlisted man of the 

Army. After arrival in France, the Marines, except those of the original 4th Brigade, received practically no training in a training area 

since they joined the brigade almost immediately. The Marines comprising the 5th Brigade received no training in a regular training 

area in France.

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Marines receive instruction from French veterans on using hand grenades.
33

CHAPTER VII

ORGANIZATIONS AND REPLACEMENTS

SENT TO EUROPE

ORGANIZATION OF THE 4TH AND 5TH BRIGADES

The 4th Brigade

The 4th Brigade of United States Marines was composed of 

the 5th and 6th Regiments, and the 6th Machine Gun Battalion.

The companies forming the battalions were as follows:

5th Regiment

1st Battalion 2d Battalion 3d Battalion

17th (A) Company 18th (E) Company 16th (I) Company

49th (B) Company 43d (F) Company 20th (K) Company

66th (C) Company 51st (G) Company 45th (L) Company

67th (D) Company 55th (H) Company 47th (M) Company

8th Machine Gun Company

Supply Company

Headquarters Company

6th Regiment

1st Battalion 2d Battalion 3d Battalion

74th (A) Company 78th (E) Company 82d (I) Company

75th (B) Company 79th (F) Company 83d (K) Company
34

Chapter VII

76th (C) Company 80th (G) Company 84th (L) Company

95th (D) Company 96th (H) Company 97th (M) Company

73d Machine Gun Company

Supply Company

Headquarters Company

6th Machine Gun Battalion

15th (A) Company 77th (C) Company

23d (B) Company 81st (D) Company

From 27 June 1917 to the middle of September 1917, the 5th 

Regiment was a unit of the 1st Division of Regulars. Although the 

5th Regiment was the only organization of Marines in France at 

the time, the 4th Brigade was formed on 23 October 1917 when 

Colonel Charles A. Doyen cabled acceptance of his appointment as 

brigadier general. From 26 October 1917 to 8 August 1919, the 4th 

Brigade was a part of the 2d Division of Regulars, except [during] 

20–23 October 1918, when the brigade was provisionally at the disposal of the 9th French Army Corps, in the vicinity of Leffincourt 

[Ardennes, northern France]. On 8 August 1919, the brigade was 

transferred back to the naval service.

On 29 May 1917, in accordance with directions issued by the 

president, the secretary of the Navy directed the Major General 

Commandant “to organize a force of Marines to be known as the 

5th Regiment of Marines for service with the Army as a part of the 

first expedition to proceed to France in the near future.” The 5th 

Regiment was accordingly organized at the Navy Yard, Philadelphia, 

Pennsylvania, on 7 June 1917 with Colonel Charles A. Doyen in 

command and Major Harry R. Lay as adjutant.

General [ John J.] Pershing and his staff, accompanied by two 

Marine officers, preceded the first expedition to France, sailing late 

in May 1917 from the United States.

The final report of the American commander in chief includes 

the following:

The offer by the Navy Department of one regiment of Marines to be reorganized as Infantry was accepted by the Secretary of War, and it became temporarily a part of the First 

Division.
35

Organizations and Replacements

On 14 June 1917, the first expedition of American troops left 

the United States for France, and the 5th Regiment embarked on 

the naval transports Henderson and Hancock, and the auxiliary cruiser 

De Kalb (former Printz Eitel Friedrich), formed approximately onefifth of it. The fourth group, including the Hancock, did not sail until 

17 June 1917.

The orders received by the convoy commander on the day prior 

to sailing read in part: “A military expedition is to be embarked on 

the above-named transports, augmented by a regiment of Marines 

embarked in naval vessels, for transportation to a destination already 

communicated.”

The De Kalb was in group one, the Henderson in group two, and 

the Hancock in group four; all were part of the escort and not the 

convoy.

Rear Admiral Albert Gleaves, the convoy commander, flying his 

flag on the Seattle, personally commanded the first group, while Major General [William] L. Sibert [o]n the Tenedares was the senior 

Army officer embarked.

The passage of the four groups across the Atlantic was successfully accomplished without a single disaster or the loss of a life due 

to enemy causes.

At 2015 [on] 22 June 1917, the first group, including the De Kalb, 

was attacked by enemy submarines. The wake of a submarine was 

sighted crossing 50 yards ahead of the Seattle’s bow from starboard 

to port. A few seconds later, the De Kalb and Havana sighted torpedoes and opened fire. Two torpedoes passed close to the Havana,

and one passed ahead and one astern of the De Kalb. The second group 

encountered two submarines, the first at 1150 [on] 26 June 1918,

about 100 miles off the French coast and the second two hours later.

The De Kalb arrived at Saint-Nazaire, France, on 26 June 1917, 

the Henderson on 27 June 1917, and the Hancock on 2 July 1917. On 

27 June 1917, the commanding officer of the 5th Regiment reported 

to the commanding general, 1st Division, American Expeditionary 

Forces, and from that date the 5th Regiment was considered as being detached for service with the Army by direction of the president. 

Five hundred Negro stevedores had been brought from the United States by the Army to discharge ships, but [their numbers] were 
36

Chapter VII

found inadequate for the large number of ships concerned. The Marines relieved the situation somewhat by turning to and discharging 

their own vessels.

On 27 June 1917, the 1st Battalion, less the 15th Company 

which joined the battalion the following day, disembarked from the 

De Kalb and occupied quarters ashore. On this date, Lieutenant Colonel Logan Feland joined the 5th Regiment. On 27 June 1917, the 

2d and 3d Battalions went ashore from the Henderson for a practice 

march, and the following day the 1st Battalion erected tents for the 

regiment on a campsite a short distance outside of Saint-Nazaire. 

By 2000 [on] 3 July 1917, the entire 5th Regiment was ashore under 

canvas. On 15 July 1917, the 5th Regiment, less the 3d Battalion 

which remained behind to perform guard duty, and other detached 

units and officers proceeded to the Gondrecourt Training Area, and 

were stationed in Menaucourt and Naix.

On 1 August 1917, General Pershing inspected the battalions 

at the two towns where they were billeted. On 15 August 1917, the 

1st Division, including the 5th Regiment, was reviewed by its commanding general on a plateau 12 miles distant from the training 

area. On 19 August 1917, General Pershing and General [HenriPhilippe] Pétain, commander-in-chief of all the French forces, inspected the Marines, as a unit of the 1st Division. General Pétain 

congratulated the colonel of the regiment on the splendid appearance of its officers and men, as well as the cleanliness of the towns.

Every opportunity was taken advantage of to perfect the regiment for combat duty, but this work was handicapped by the fact 

that many units of the regiment were scattered along the line of 

communications performing duty of a necessary but of a nontraining nature. One company and one battalion commander left the regiment on 22 September 1917 for duty in England, and did not rejoin 

the regiment until 11 March 1918. Many other officers and men 

were placed on detached duty.

On 24–25 September 1917, that part of the 5th Regiment available for training arrived in the Bourmont Training Area and was 

stationed at Damblain and Breuvannes[-en-Bassigny]. The following letter, dated 10 November 1917, addressed by General Pershing 

to the Major General Commandant is both complimentary and ex-
37

Organizations and Replacements

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Logan Feland, pictured here as brigadier general, was initially the executive 

officer of the 5th Regiment. However, when the unit was thrown into the breach 

to stem the German advance at Château-Thierry, Feland was in the thick of the 

fighting. At Belleau Wood in June 1918, when the halt in the German advance 

was turned into a retreat, Feland was given command of all troops in the Wood.
38

Chapter VII

planatory as to why the Marines were used along the line of communications:

Your Marines having been under my command for nearly six 

months, I feel that I can give you a discriminating report as 

to their excellent standing with their brothers of the Army 

and their general good conduct. I take this opportunity, also, 

of giving you the reasons for distributing them along our line 

of communications which, besides being a compliment to 

their high state of discipline and excellent soldierly appearance, was the natural thing to do as the Marine regiment 

was an additional one in the division and not provided for 

in the way of transportation and fighting equipment in case 

the division should be pushed to the front. When, therefore, 

service of the rear troops and military and provost guards 

were needed at our base ports and in Paris it was the Marine 

regiment that had to be scattered, in an endeavor to keep the 

rest of the organized division intact.

I have been obliged to detach a number of your officers 

as assistant provost marshals in France and in England, all 

of which I take it you will agree with me was highly complimentary [sic] to both officers and men, and was so intended. 

I can assure you that as soon as our service of the rear troops 

arrive, including a large number of officers and men for the 

specific duties now being performed by your men, the Marines

will be brought back once more under your brigade commander and assigned to the duties which they so much desire 

in the [2]d Regular Division under General [Omar] Bundy.

It is a great pleasure to report on your fine representatives 

here in France.

Colonel Charles A. Doyen was in command of the 5th Regiment from the date of its organization on 7 June 1917 to 29 October 

1917; and Lieutenant Colonel Hiram I. Bearss from 30 October 

1917 to 31 December 1917. Colonel Wendell C. Neville, having 

arrived onboard the De Kalb at Saint-Nazaire, France, on 28 December 1917, reported to the 4th Brigade for duty on 1 January 

1918, and on that date assumed command of the 5th Regiment, 

continuing in command until July 1918.
39

Organizations and Replacements

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

LtCol Hiram I. Bearss arrived in France in August 1917 and, until the end 

of the war, he served in multiple units and commanded battalions, regiments, 

and brigades. Upon his arrival, Bearss commanded the Base Detachment, 5th 

Regiment, and then later commanded Base Section No. 2 (Headquarters at 

Bordeaux), 5th Regiment. Bearss temporarily commanded 3d Battalion, 9th 

Infantry, before he was detailed to duty at 2d Division Headquarters, then went 

on to be second in command of the 6th Regiment. As the war drew to a close, 

he commanded the 102d Infantry Regiment until his final assignment with the 

51st Infantry Brigade, 26th Division, through the end of the war.
40

Chapter VII

The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was organized at the Marine 

Barracks Quantico by order of the Major General Commandant on 

17 August 1917. The battalion was designated the 1st Machine Gun 

Battalion, but on 20 January 1918, after arrival in France, was renamed the 6th Machine Gun Battalion. On 14 December 1917, the 

battalion sailed from New York on the De Kalb, arriving at SaintNazaire, France, [on] 28 December 1917. On 3 January 1918, the 

battalion arrived at Damblain in the Bourmont Training Area and 

began training with headquarters at Germainvilliers. Major Edward 

B. Cole was in command of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion from 

the date of its organization until 10 June 1918, when he received a 

mortal wound.

On 4 August 1917, in accordance with directions issued by the 

president, the secretary of the Navy directed the Major General 

Commandant “to organize a force of Marines, to be known as the 

6th Regiment of Marines, for service with the Army in France,” and 

the regiment was organized as directed.

On 23 September 1917, the 1st Battalion of the 6th Regiment 

sailed on the Henderson from New York and landed at Saint-Nazaire, 

France, on 5 October 1917. On 17 October 1917, the 73d Machine 

Gun Company, Headquarters and Supply Companies, and Colonel 

Albertus W. Catlin, commanding officer of the 6th Regiment, with 

his staff, sailed from Philadelphia, on the De Kalb and from New 

York on 18 October 1917, arriving at Saint-Nazaire, France, on 1 

November 1917. On 31 October 1917, the 3d Battalion of the 6th 

Regiment sailed from New York onboard the Von Steuben and anchored at Brest, France, on 12 November 1917. On 24 January 1918, 

the 2d Battalion of the 6th Regiment sailed on the Henderson from 

New York and arrived at Saint-Nazaire, France, on 6 February 1918, 

and with the arrival of this last battalion, the entire 6th Regiment 

was in France.

On 23 October 1917, the 4th Brigade was organized, with [now] 

Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen in command. Brigadier General Doyen continued in command until 7 May 1918, when he published in General Orders No. 5, that he had relinquished command. 

Major Harry R. Lay was the first brigade adjutant and performed 

the duties of that office from 24 October 1917 to 9 August 1918, 
41

Organizations and Replacements

except during the period [from] 7 February to 9 May 1918, when 

Major Holland M. Smith was brigade adjutant.

On 26 October 1917, Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen, 

United States Marine Corps, assumed command of the 2d Division 

as its first commanding general and announced his staff in General 

Orders No. 1, with station at Bourmont, Haute-Marne, serving as 

such until relieved by Major General Omar Bundy, United States 

Army, who announced that he assumed command in General Orders No. 4 [on] 8 November 1917.

Like the 5th Regiment, the 6th Regiment spent several months 

performing the necessary but undesired duties along the line of communications. On 12 January 1918, Colonel Albertus W. Catlin established headquarters for the 6th Regiment at Blevaincourt in the 

Bourmont Training Area. The 3d Battalion arrived in this area on 12 

January 1918, the headquarters units the same date, the 1st Battalion 

during January 1918, and the 2d Battalion on 10 February 1918.

Therefore, on 10 February 1918, the 4th Brigade was in the 

Bourmont Training Area intact, with the exception of one company 

on duty in England, training industriously as an infantry brigade of 

the 2d Division. While the brigade had been organized on 23 October 1917, and had actually functioned as a brigade with elements of 

all three of its units present from 12 January 1918, it was not until 10 

February 1918 that the brigade organization was perfected.

The 5th Brigade

On 5 September 1918, the Major General Commandant directed

the post commander [at] Marine Barracks Quantico to organize brigade headquarters of the 5th Brigade, United States Marine Corps. 

This brigade was accordingly organized and was composed of the 

11th and 13th Regiments and the 5th Brigade Machine Gun Battalion. The companies of the 5th Brigade were designated by letters 

and not by numbers.

Brigadier General Eli K. Cole was designated as the brigade 

commander and, on 15 September 1918, he and the brigade staff 

sailed from Hoboken, New Jersey, onboard the [USS] Von Steuben 

[ID 3017], arriving at Brest, France, on 24 September 1918.
42

Chapter VII

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Eli K. Cole, pictured here as brigadier general, commanded Marine training 

recruits for war when he was assigned to Parris Island, South Carolina. He 

remained there until 1 September 1918, when he transferred to head the 5th 

Brigade for duty in France. Since his brigade was broken up to guard various 

depots and stations for Services of Supply, he was first assigned additional duty 

as an observer with the 2d Division and later detailed to command the 41st 

Division (1st Depot Division), U.S. Army. Subsequently, he headed the 1st 

Replacement Depot, American Expeditionary Forces, and the American Embarkation Center at Le Mans in addition to his duties as commanding general 

of the far-flung 5th Brigade. 
43

Organizations and Replacements

The 13th Regiment left the Overseas Depot at Quantico on Friday 13 September 1918, and on 15 September 1918, sailed from 

Hoboken, New Jersey, onboard the Henderson and Von Steuben, arriving at Brest, France, on 25 September 1918.

On 29 September 1918, 11th Regiment Headquarters and the 

1st Battalion sailed on the De Kalb from Philadelphia and arrived 

at Brest, France, on 13 October 1918. On 16 October 1918, the 2d 

and 3d Battalions of the 11th Regiment sailed from Brooklyn, New 

York, onboard the [USS] Agamemnon [ID 3004] and Von Steuben

and arrived at Brest, France, on 25 October 1918.

On 28 October 1918, the 5th Brigade Machine Gun Battalion 

sailed from south Brooklyn, onboard the Henderson and arrived at 

Brest, France, on 9 November 1918. With the arrival of this unit, the 

entire 5th Brigade was in France.

Aviation Units

On 21 January 1918, the 1st Marine Aeronautic Company arrived 

at Naval Base 13, Ponta Delgada, Azores. On 30 July 1918, the 1st 

Marine Aviation Force (less Squadron D) disembarked at Brest, 

France, and formed the Day Wing of the Northern Bombing Group. 

Squadron D joined the Day Wing in October 1918.

Marine Detachments for Naval Bases

On 21 January 1918 and on 20 July 1918, detachments for Naval 

Base 13 arrived at Ponta Delgada, Azores. On 30 September 1918, 

the detachment for Naval Base 29 arrived at Cardiff, Wales. On 29 

December 1918, the detachment for the naval forces in France, staff 

office, Paris, France, landed at Saint-Nazaire, France.
44

Chapter VII

Replacements for American Expeditionary Forces

The following table will show the names of the replacement organizations sent to the American Expeditionary Forces, dates of sailing 

and arrival, and names of vessels:

Name of

organization Date of embarkation Date of debarkation Vessel

5th Regiment 

Base Detachment 31 July 1917 22 August 1917 Henderson

12th and 26th 

Companies 

(disbanded in 

France)

8 December 1917 31 December 1917 De Kalb

1st Replacement 

Battalion 5 February 1918 25 February 1918 Von Steuben

2d Replacement 

Battalion 14 March 1918 27 March 1918 Henderson

3d Replacement 

Battalion 22 April 1918 __ May 1918 Henderson

Casual Company 22 April 1918 __ May 1918 Henderson

1st Machine Gun 

Replacement 

Battalion

26 May 1918 8 June 1918 Henderson

1st Casual 

Replacement 

Battalion

26 May 1918 8 June 1918 Henderson

2d Casual 

Replacement 

Battalion

30 June 1918 9 July 1918 Henderson

3d Separate 

Battalion 13 August 1918 26 August 1918 Henderson

4th Separate

Battalion 13 August 1918 26 August 1918 Henderson

5th Separate

Battalion 17 August 1918 27 August 1918 Von Steuben

6th Separate

Battalion 17 August 1918 27 August 1918 Von Steuben

1st Separate 

Machine Gun 

Battalion

21 August 1918 2 September 1918 De Kalb
45

Organizations and Replacements

7th Separate

Battalion 20 October 1918 3 November 1918 Pocahontas

8th Separate

Battalion 20 October 1918 3 November 1918 Pocahontas

9th Separate

Battalion 27 October 1918 9 November 1918 Henderson

In addition to the above, the 12th Replacement Battalion sailed 

from the United States onboard the Hancock in June 1919, arrived

in France in June 1919, and joined the American Expeditionary 

Forces.

Courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command

This graph shows the number of American transport ships that crisscrossed the 

Atlantic Ocean in support of the war effort.
46

Chapter VII

Number of Marines Sailing from the United States to Europe 

for Duty with the American Expeditionary Forces and for 

Shore Duty with the Naval Service

There were 834 officers, not including observers, and 30,481 enlisted 

men, or a total of 31,315 Marines, sent overseas for shore duty with 

the American Expeditionary Forces and naval service. The following 

tables give details:

For duty with the American Expeditionary Forces

Month of departure Officers Enlisted Total

May 1917 2* 2

June 1917 70 2,689 2,759

July 1917 29 1,054 1,083

September 1917 27 1,045 1,072

October 1917 45 1,536 1,581

December 1917 23 637 660

January 1918 31 1,031 1,062

February 1918 24 1,041 1,065

March 1918 23 1,034 1,057

April 1918 22 1,284 1,306

May 1918 24 1,565 1,589

June 1918 6 751 757

August 1918 32 4,362 4,394

September 1918 172 5,275 5,447

October 1918 132 5,809 5,941

Total 662 29,113 29,775

*

Accompanied Gen Pershing.
47

Organizations and Replacements

Sixty officers of the medical corps, 12 officers of the dental corps, 

500 enlisted men of the medical corps, and 11 chaplains of the Navy, 

not included in the above figures, were sent to France and served 

with the Marines in the American Expeditionary Forces.

In addition to the above, the 12th Replacement Battalion, consisting of 9 officers and 500 enlisted men, joined the American Expeditionary Forces in June 1919.

For duty with naval service ashore

Month of departure Officers Enlisted Total

December 1917 2 59 61

January 1918 13 172 185

June 1918 2 75 77

July 1918 107 654 761

August 1918 4 120 124

September 1918 44 288 332

Total 172 1,368 1,540
48

CHAPTER VIII

OPERATIONS IN GENERAL

While the battle operations of the 4th Brigade as an infantry brigade of the 2d Division of Regulars overshadowed 

all others taken part in by Marine Corps personnel, those 

operations were by no means the only ones participated in by officers 

and men of the Marine Corps.

The commanding general of the 2d Division, from early in August 1918 to the date of demobilization, and several officers on his 

staff were Marine officers. Officers of the Marine Corps were at various times attached to the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 6th, 26th, 32d, 35th, 19th, 

and 92d Divisions, and in some cases engaged in operations with 

them. Brigadier General John A. Lejeune assumed command of the 

64th Infantry Brigade of the 32d Division, then on the front line 

on the Swiss border in the Suarce sector, on 5 July 1918. He was in 

command of this brigade on 22 July 1918, when it was withdrawn 

from the above-mentioned sector and continued in command until 

25 July 1918, when he left to command the 4th Brigade. Between 

5–22 July 1918, Brigadier General Lejeune, in addition to the 64th 

Brigade, commanded three French infantry regiments. Colonel Robert H. Dunlap was in command of the 17th Field Artillery Regiment 

of the 2d Field Artillery Brigade, 2d Division, from 20 October 1918 

to February 1919. Colonel Hiram I. Bearss commanded the 102d 

Regiment of the 51st Infantry Brigade, 26th Division, in the SaintMihiel offensive. Colonel Frederick M. Wise commanded the 59th 

Regiment of the 8th Infantry Brigade, 4th Division, from 5 Septem-
49

Operations in General

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

LtCol Frederick M. Wise was ordered to duty with the AEF in France in June 

1917. By 1 April 1918, he was occupying a sector of front line trenches in command of the 2d Battalion, 5th Regiment. During June, he assisted in stopping 

the enemy drive on Paris, and then participated in the offensive at Bois de Belleau. In August 1918, Wise was ordered to report to the commander and chief 

of the 4th Division to assume command the 59th Infantry and took an active 

part in the Saint-Mihiel offensive and then marched the unit into Germany to 

participate in the occupation. Wise later commanded the 8th Brigade of the 4th 

Division.
50

Chapter VIII

ber 1918 to 4 January 1919, during which [time] he participated 

in the Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne major operations. From 

1 January 1919 to 9 February 1919, Colonel Wise commanded the 

8th Infantry Brigade of the 4th Division.

A few Marine officers and enlisted men engaged in Army aviation operations and suffered casualties. About 20 Marine officers 

were sent to France as observers and as such participated in operations with American, French, and British forces. Marine aviation 

personnel served in France as the Day Wing of the Northern Bombing Group of the Navy. Marine flyers served with [the] 217 and 

218 [Squadrons] (bombing squadrons); Royal Air Force of England; 

and with pursuit, observation, and bombing squadrons of the French 

Flying Corps. Quite a few casualties were suffered by the Marine 

aviation personnel.

The 1st Marine Aeronautic Company, Naval Base 13, Ponta 

Delgada, Azores, equipped for water flying only, performed patrol 

duty from January 1918 until 11 November 1918.

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Marines of the 3d Brigade stationed at Fort Crockett on Galveston Island, Texas, 

demonstrate their skills with semaphore by spelling out “Marines” with flags.
51

Operations in General

The Marine Aviation Section, Naval Air Station Miami, Florida, 

performed arduous patrol duties in the Florida Straits in connection 

with the Navy from July 1918 until the date the armistice went into 

effect.

Marine detachments served onboard all the American battleships attached to the British Grand Fleet and also on the American 

battleships based at Castletown Berehaven [and] Bantry Bay, Ireland. Marines also served onboard many of the cruisers that escorted 

the vessels transporting Army troops to Europe. They were also attached to many other naval vessels, such as the Brooklyn, Helena, and 

Wilmington, in Chinese and Siberian waters, at one time landing at 

Vladivostok [Russia] in conjunction with other naval forces; on the 

Galveston on the Murman Coast [Russia]; and on the Pittsburgh in 

South American waters. Marines were also on the San Diego when 

that vessel was sunk and [on] the Minnesota when that ship was 

damaged by German mines. Marines were in intimate contact with 

the Germans in Guam and Philadelphia in conjunction with the 

Navy in the first hours of the war.

One brigade of Marines was held in readiness in Texas for possible trouble in Mexico that might endanger the Allies’ oil supply. 
52

Chapter VIII

Another was scattered throughout the island of Cuba. Large detachments of Marines were stationed in the Azores and Virgin Islands in 

the nature of advanced base forces, while an advanced base force at 

Philadelphia was available at all times for naval needs. Marine forces 

were also stationed in Guam, Philippine Islands, Peking, Pearl Harbor, and Nicaragua and they assisted materially, under the limited 

conditions, in the war.

Active operations were conducted in Haiti and Santo Domingo 

against bandits during the period of the war by Marine forces, the 

Haitian Gendarmerie and the Guardia Nacional Dominicana, the 

two latter organizations being composed of natives and administered and officered by the Marine and Navy personnel. Casualties 

were suffered by Marines in the operations in Santo Domingo—4 

Marines killed, 13 wounded, and 1 officer wounded—between 6 

April 1917 and 11 November 1918.
53

CHAPTER IX

UNITS COMPOSING, AND THE COMMANDING 

GENERALS OF, THE 2D DIVISIONVERDUN OPERATIONS

The 2d Division of Regulars

The first unit that ultimately formed a part of the 2d Division 

arriving in France was the 5th Regiment, which landed in 

France with the first expedition of American troops in June 

1917. One Marine lieutenant colonel, who afterward was the first 

chief of staff of the 2d Division, and another Marine lieutenant colonel, who later commanded the 17th Field Artillery of the 2d Division, accompanied General Pershing and his staff when they sailed 

from the United States late in May 1917.

The 2d Division was composed of the following units:

3d Infantry Brigade:

9th Infantry

23d Infantry

5th Machine Gun Battalion

4th Infantry Brigade:

5th Regiment

6th Regiment

6th Machine Gun Battalion
54

Chapter IX 

2d Field Artillery Brigade:

12th Field Artillery

15th Field Artillery

17th Field Artillery

2d Trench Mortar Battery

Other troops:

2d Engineers

4th Machine Gun Battalion

1st Field Signal Battalion

2d Headquarters Train and Military Police

2d Ammunition Train

2d Engineer Train

2d Supply Train

2d Sanitary Train

On 26 October 1917, Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen, 

United States Marine Corps, assumed command of the 2d Division 

as its first commanding general and announced his staff in General Orders No. 1, with station at Bourmont, Haute-Marne, France. 

Lieutenant Colonel Logan Feland, United States Marine Corps, was 

the first chief of staff. On 8 November 1917, Major General Omar 

Bundy, United States Army, assumed command, published such fact 

in General Orders No. 4 [on] 8 November 1917, and was in command of it during the operations in the Verdun and Château-Thierry

sectors. Major General James G. Harbord, United States Army, 

commanded the division in the Aisne-Marne (Soissons) offensive 

in July 1918. Major General John A. Lejeune assumed command of 

the division on 28 July 1918, and retained command until its demobilization in August 1919. Many Marine officers occupied positions 

of importance and responsibility on the staff of the commanding 

general, 2d Division. A Marine officer commanded the 17th Field 

Artillery during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, and other Marine 

officers commanded battalions of the 9th Infantry and 15th Field 

Artillery for a time.
55

Units and Generals of the 2d Division-Verdun Operations

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Charles A. Doyen, pictured here as brigadier general was ordered to command 

the 5th Regiment in June 1917 for service with the U.S. Army in France. He was 

promoted to brigadier general in October 1917 and was quickly reassigned to 

4th Marine Brigade, 2d Division. On 7 May 1918, having been found physically 

incapacitated for active service, Gen Doyen was relieved of duty and ordered 

back to the United States.
56

Chapter IX 

Neither the Marine brigade nor any other element of the 2d Division was the first American unit to enter the front lines since the 

1st Division enjoyed that honor in October 1917, when it entered 

the line in the quiet Toul sector.

The 4th Brigade remained in the Bourmont Training Area, with 

headquarters at Damblain, until 14 March 1918, when it commenced 

movement into subsectors of the Verdun front, the first units of the 

brigade entering the front line during the night of 16–17 March 

1918, with headquarters at Toulon. On 1 April 1918, brigade headquarters was changed to Moscou. The brigade remained on the Verdun front until 14 May 1918, when it proceeded to an area around 

Vitry-le-François for open warfare training, with headquarters at 

Vanault-les-Dames. In the meantime, on 6 May 1918, Brigadier 

General James G. Harbord assumed command of the brigade, relieving Brigadier General Doyen who had been ordered to the United States on account of his physical condition. Brigadier General 

Doyen relinquished command of the brigade most unwillingly, and 

the reasons for his relief are best set forth in the words of the citation 

of a Navy Distinguished Service Medal posthumously awarded to 

him, reading as follows:

By reason of his abilities and personal efforts, he brought this 

brigade to the very high state of efficiency which enabled it to 

successfully resist the German Army in the Château-Thierry

sector and Belleau Woods. The strong efforts on his part for 

nearly a year undermined his health and necessitated his being invalided to the United States before having the opportunity to command the brigade in action, but his work was 

shown by the excellent service rendered by the brigade, not 

only at Belleau Woods, but during the entire campaign when 

they fought many battles.

General Pershing, in a letter to Brigadier General Doyen, stated 

in part:

Your service has been satisfactory and your command is considered as one of the best in France. I have nothing but praise 

for the service which you have rendered in this command.
57

Units and Generals of the 2d Division-Verdun Operations

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

U.S. Army officer James G. Harbord was serving as Gen John J. Pershing’s chief 

of staff when, in May 1918, he was assigned to command the 4th Brigade, 2d 

Division. Under his command, the unit helped make Château-Thierry and Belleau Wood household names in the United States. On 26 June 1918, Harbord 

was promoted to major general and, upon acceptance of that commission on 11 

July, he was assigned to command the 2d Division.
58

Chapter IX 

On 14 May 1918, the brigade left the area around Vitry-leFrançois as it was unsuitable and proceeded to an area around 

Gisors-Chaumont-en-Vexin, with headquarters at Bou-des-Bois. 

The brigade was in this area when sudden orders came to move to 

the Château-Thierry sector. On 27 May 1918, Brigadier General 

John A. Lejeune and Major Earl H. Ellis sailed from New York

onboard the Henderson and arrived at Brest, France, on 8 June 1918.
59

CHAPTER X

AISNE DEFENSIVE, HILL 142, BOURSCHES, 

AND BOIS DE LA BRIGADE DE MARINE IN THE 

CHÂTEAU-THIERRY SECTOR

I

n order to appreciate the importance of the early operations participated in by the Marine brigade as a unit of the 2d Division, 

it is necessary to remember that in 1918, prior to the middle of 

July, the offensive was in the hands of the Imperial German Staff, 

and that between 21 March 1918 and 15 July 1918, the Germans 

directed no less than five major offensives against the Allied lines 

in efforts to bring the war to a successful conclusion for the Central 

Powers. American troops assisted in breaking up every one of these 

drives, but the 2d Division, including the Marines, opposed only 

one, that in the Château-Thierry sector. It should also be noted that, 

on 28 March 1918, the American commander in chief placed all of 

the American forces at the disposal of Marshal [Ferdinand] Foch [of 

France], who had been agreed upon as commander in chief of the 

Allied Armies, to be used as he might decide.

The first offensive (Somme) of the Germans was stopped within 

a few miles of Amiens, and the second (Lys) overran Armentieres. 

In this second German offensive, which lasted from 9 to 27 April 

1918, and which has been designated by the Americans as a major 

operation, there were approximately 500 American troops engaged.

Then late in May 1918, with startling success, which brought a 

corresponding depression to the morale of the Allies, the Germans 

launched their third offensive, west of Rheims, crossed the Chemin 
60

Chapter X

des Dames, captured Soissons, and the last day of May found them 

marching in the direction of Paris down the Marne Valley. Again 

the American commander in chief placed every available man at the 

disposal of Marshal Foch. It was at this critical time, when the Allies 

were facing a grave crisis, that the 2d Division, including the Marine brigade, together with elements of the 3d and 28th Divisions, 

were thrown into the line and, in blocking the German advance in 

the Château-Thierry sector, rendered great assistance in stopping the 

most dangerous of the German drives.

The first report of the American commander in chief states that 

“the 3d Division, which had just come from its preliminary training 

area, was hurried to the Marne. Its motorized machine-gun battalion preceded the other units and successfully held the bridgehead 

at the Marne opposite Château-Thierry. The 2d Division, in reserve 

near Montdidier, was sent by motor trucks and other available transport to check the progress of the enemy toward Paris.”

The final report of the American commander in chief with reference to this third German offensive stated in part:

On reaching the Marne that river was used as a defensive 

flank and the German advance was directed toward Paris. During the first days of June something akin to a panic 

seized the city and it was estimated that 1,000,000 people 

left during the spring of 1918.

The Second Division, then in reserve northwest of Paris 

and preparing to relieve the First Division, was hastily diverted to the vicinity of Meaux on May 31, and, early on the 

morning of June 1, was deployed across the Château-Thierry-Paris road near Montreuil-aux-Lions in a gap in the 

French line, where it stopped the German advance on Paris.

Without minimizing in any way the splendid actions of the 26th 

Division at Seicheprey and Xivray[-et-Marvoisin] in April 1918, or 

the brilliant exploits of the 1st Division at Cantigny on 28 May 

1918, the fact remains that the 2d Division, including the Marine 

brigade, was the first American division to get a chance to play an 

important part on the western front, and how well it repelled this 

dangerous thrust of the Germans along the Paris-Metz highway is 

too well known to be dwelt upon at length in this brief history.
61

Aisne Defensive, Hill 142, Boursches, and Bois de la Brigade de Marine

The fighting of the 2d Division in the Château-Thierry sector 

was divided into two parts; one a magnificently stubborn defensive 

lasting a week and the other a vicious offensive. The defensive fighting of the 2d Division between 31 May and 5 June 1918 was part 

of the major operation called by the Americans the Aisne defensive. 

Without discussing at this time the tactical or strategic significance 

of the work of the 2d Division in the Aisne defensive, suffice to say 

that its psychological effect upon the morale of the Allies was tremendous and has been recognized in practically every writing worthy of consideration up to the present date.

The close of the Aisne defensive on 5 June 1918 found the line 

of the 2d Division well established at that point of the Marne salient 

nearest Paris, but not including Hill 142, Bois de Belleau, Bouresches, 

or Vaux, and the Germans were in possession of Château-Thierry

on the right of the 2d Division and continued to hold that town 

until about 17 July 1918.

On 6 June 1918, the 2d Division snatched the initiative from 

the Germans and started an offensive on its front that did not end 

until 1 July 1918. The Marine brigade captured Hill 142 and Bouresches on 6 June 1918 and, in the words of General Pershing, “sturdily held its ground against the enemy’s best guard divisions,” and 

completely cleared Bois de Belleau of the enemy on 26 June 1918, 

[as best described by] a major of Marines sending in his famous 

message: “Woods now U.S. Marine Corps’ entirely.” The American 

commander in chief in his first report calls this fighting “the battle 

of Belleau Wood” and states, “our men proved their superiority, and 

gained a strong tactical position with far greater loss to the enemy 

than to ourselves.” In his final reports, he states: “The enemy having 

been halted, the Second Division commenced a series of vigorous 

attacks on June 4, which resulted in the capture of Belleau Woods 

[on 26 June] after very severe fighting. The village of Bouresches was 

taken soon after [on 6 June] and on July 1 Vaux was captured. In 

these operations, the 2d Division met with most desperate resistance 

by Germany’s best troops.” On 1 July 1918, the 3d Brigade captured 

Vaux. The artillery, engineers, and the other elements of the 2d Division assisted materially in these successes, while the 7th Regiment
62

Chapter X

of the 3d Division was in Belleau Wood for a few days about the 

middle of June.

During these 31 days of constant fighting, the last 26 of which 

has been defined by general headquarters of the American Expeditionary Forces as a “local engagement,” the 2d Division suffered 

1,811 battle deaths (of which approximately 1,062 were Marines) 

and suffered additional casualties amounting to 7,252 (of which 

approximately 3,615 were Marines). It was that fighting and those 

9,063 casualties that first made the name Château-Thierry famous.

The achievements of the 4th Brigade in the Château-Thierry 

sector were twice recognized by the French. The first, which changed 

the name of the Bois de Belleau, was a beautiful tribute spontaneously made to the successes and to the losses of the 4th Brigade, 

and shows the deep effect that the retaking of Belleau Wood and 

other nearby positions from the Germans had on the feelings of the 

French and the morale of the Allies. Official maps were immediately 

modified to conform to the provisions of the order, the plan directeur used in later operations bearing the name “Bois de la Brigade 

de Marine.” The French also used this new name in their orders, as 

illustrated by an ordre général dated 9 August 1918, signed by the 

commanding general of the 6th French Army, reading in part as 

follows:

Avant la grande offensive du 18 Juillet, les troupes américaines 

faisant partie de la VIe Arrnée francaise se sont distinguées en 

enlevant á l’ennerni le Bois de la Brigade De Marine et le village 

de Vaux, en arretant son offensive sur la Marine et á Fossoy.
63

Aisne Defensive, Hill 142, Boursches, and Bois de la Brigade de Marine

The order changing the name of Bois de Belleau reads as follows:

VI° ARMEE, ETAT-MAJOR,

au Q. G. A., le 30 Juin 1918

6930/2.]

ORDRE

En raison de la brillante conduite de Ia 4éme Brigade de la 2éme 

D. U. S. qui a enlèvé de haute lutte Bouresches et le point d’appui important du Bois de Belleau, défendu avec acharnement par 

un adversaire nombreux, le général commandant la VI° Armee 

décide que dorénavant, dans tôutes les piéces officielles, le Bois de 

Belleau portera le nom de “Bois de la Brigade de Marine.”

Le Général de Division Degoutte,

Commandant la VI° Armee

(Signed) DEGOUTTE

A. M. le GÉNÉRAL CDT. la 4ME BRIGADE de MARINE

s/c. de M. le Général Cdt. la 2me D. U. S.

The second recognition by the French of the Marines’ work in 

the Château-Thierry sector were citations of the 4th Brigade, 5th 

and 6th Regiments, and the 6th Machine Gun Battalion, in French 

Army orders, that of the brigade, the others being identical, reading 

as follows:

Aprés approbation du général commandant en chef les forces expéditionnaires américaines en France, le général commandant en 

chef les armées francaises du nord et du nord-est, cite á l’Ordre de 

l’Armee:

“4° Brigade Americaine sous les ordres du Général de Brigade 

James G. Harbord, comprenant: Le 5e Regiment de Marine, sous les

ordres du Colonel Wendell C. Neville, le 6e régiment de Marine, 

sous les ordres du Colonel Albertus W. Catlin, le 6e Bataillion de 

mitrailleuses, sous les ordres du Commandant Edward B. Cole:

“A été jetée en pleine bataille, sur un front violemment attaqué par l’ennemi. S’est affirmée aussitôt comme une unité de 

tout premier order. Dés son entrée en ligne, a brisé, en liaison 

avec les troupes francaises, une violente attaque ennemie sur un 
64

Chapter X

point important de la position et entrepris ensuite á son compte 

une série d’opérations offensives. Au cours de ces opérations, grace 

au courage brillant, á la vigueur, á l’allant, á la ténacité de ses 

hommes qui ne se sont laissés rebuter ni par les fatigues, ni par les 

pertes; grace á l’activité et á l’energie de ses officiers; grace enfin 

á l’action personnelle de son chef, le Général I. Harbord, la 4e 

brigade a vu ses efforts couronnés de succés. En intime liaison l’un 

avec l’autre, ses deux régiments et son bataillon de mitrailleuses ont réalisé, après douze jours de lutte incessante (du 2 au 13 

Juin 1918) dans un terrain trés difficile, une progression variant 

entre 1,500 á 2,000 metres, sur un front de 4 kilométres, capturant un nombreux matériel, faisant plus de 500 prisonniers, 

infligeant á l’ennemi des pertes considérables et lui enlevant deux 

points d’appui de premiére importance—le village de Bouresches 

et le bois organisé de Belleau.”

Au Grand Quartier Généra1, le 22 octobre 1918

Le Général Commandant en Chef

Signé: PETAIN

(Ordre No. 10.805 “D.”)

In addition to the above-described instances, French civilian 

sentiment expressed itself in the following letter from the mayor of 

Meaux and [a] resolution from the assembled mayors of the Meaux 

District (Arrondissement). This letter and the resolutions were published on 10 July 1918 in General Orders No. 43 of the 2d Division 

“as indicating the appreciation of the efforts of the Second Division 

by the French inhabitants for our share in stemming the recent German advance in this sector.”

MEAUX, June 26, 1918

GENERAL: On behalf of all the Mayors of the Meaux District (Arrondissement), assembled yesterday in congress at the 

city hail, I have the honor to send you herewith a copy of the 

resolution they have taken in order to pay homage to the gallantry displayed by the troops under your command and to the 

effectiveness of the help they rendered us.

The civilian population of this part of the country will never 

forget that the beginning of this month of June, when their 
65

Aisne Defensive, Hill 142, Boursches, and Bois de la Brigade de Marine

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Pictured here as a lieutenant, Edward B. Cole was among the first contingent 

of Marines sent to France. Known for his heroism and bravery during the battle 

of Belleau Wood, Cole was recognized in a communiqué from France, “in the 

Bois de Belleau on 10 June 1918, displayed extraordinary heroism in organizing positions, rallying his men, and disposing of his guns, continuing to expose 

himself fearlessly until he fell . . .” He lost his right hand and received additional 

wounds in the upper arm and both thighs that caused his death eight days later 

on 18 June 1918.
66

Chapter X

homes were threatened by the invader, the Second American 

Division victoriously stepped forth and succeeded in saving 

them from impending danger.

I am personally happy to be able to convey to you this modest 

token of their thankfulness and I am, General,

Yours, respectfully,

(Signed) G. LUGOL,

Mayor of Meaux, Depute de Seine et Marne.

Voted in a Congress of the Mayors of Meaux District on the 

25th of June 1918

The mayors of the Meaux district, who were eyewitnesses to 

the generous and efficacious deeds of the American Army in 

stopping the enemy advance, send to this Army the heartfelt expression of their admiration and gratefulness.

(Signed) G. LUGOL,

President of the Committee

MEAUX, June 25, 1918

During the first attack on Belleau Wood on 6 June 1918, Colonel Albertus W. Catlin was severely wounded and was relieved in 

command of the 6th Regiment by Lieutenant Colonel Harry Lee, 

who continued in command until the regiment was demobilized in 

August 1919.

When Major Edward B. Cole was mortally wounded on 10 June 

1918, he was relieved in command of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion by Captain Harlan E. Major. On 11 June 1918, Captain Major 

was relieved by Captain George H. Osterhout, who retained command until relieved by Major Littleton W. T. Waller Jr. on 21 June 

1918.

During the fighting in the Château-Thierry sector, the headquarters of the 4th Brigade was successively at Montreuil-aux-Lions, (in 

an automobile for one-half hour on the way to the front lines), Issonge farmhouse, and La Loge farmhouse. After being relieved by 

elements of the 26th Division during the night of 5–6 July 1918, 

the brigade moved to an area in rear of the lines and occupied what 

was known as the line of defense or Army line, with headquarters at 

Nanteuil-sur-Marne. The brigade remained there until 16 July 1918.
67

Aisne Defensive, Hill 142, Boursches, and Bois de la Brigade de Marine

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Pictured here as a brigadier general, Albertus W. Catlin was in charge of the 

Marine training camp at Quantico, Virginia, when war broke out. In October 

1917, he was sent to France as commanding officer of the 6th Regiment. Catlin’s 

regiment saw action on the front lines from the Paris-Metz highway through 

Lucy-le-Bocage to Hill 142. On 6 June 1918, with his regiment attacking Bois 

de Belleau, he was wounded in the chest by a sniper. His citation states that 

Catlin was thrown into the thick of battle “on a front then under violent enemy 

attack.” It adds: “Commanded his regiment with precision and judgment, which 

bore fruit in the operation up to 6 June 1918, inclusive; then in directing in Belleau Wood, where he was wounded by a bullet which went through his shoulder 

and lung.”
68

Chapter X

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Pictured here as a brigadier general, Harry Lee joined Marine Barracks Quantico for duty with the 6th Regiment in August 1917, arriving with it in France in 

February 1918. He participated in battles in the Château-Thierry sector as second 

in command of the 6th Regiment until 6 June, when he took command of the 

regiment after Col Catlin was wounded in action. Under his command, the regiment participated with distinction in the Aisne-Marne offensive (Soissons), the 

Marbache sector, the Saint-Mihiel offensive, Blanc-Mont Ridge, the Champagne 

sector, the Meuse-Argonne offensive (Argonne Forest), and in the march of the 

Allies to the Rhine.
69

Aisne Defensive, Hill 142, Boursches, and Bois de la Brigade de Marine

During the time the above-described, fighting was going on,

the Germans were frustrated in their fourth 1918 drive (NoyonMontdidier defensive) between 9 and 15 June 1918, and of course 

being busy in the vicinity of Bois de Belleau, the Marines had no 

opportunity [to] engag[e] in it.

Having been blocked in the Marne salient, the Germans attacked 

for the fifth time in 1918 on 15 July and as events turned out it was 

the last, for from the time of its failure they were on the defensive. 

The Allied troops including many Americans held this attack, called 

by the Americans the Champagne-Marne defensive, which was on 

a large scale, and the grand initiative passed from the Germans to 

the Allies on 18 July 1918, when Marshal Foch launched his initial 

major offensive, termed by the Americans the Aisne-Marne. In this 

magnificent and gigantic operation, the Marine brigade and other 

elements of the 2d Division played leading parts in the vicinity of 

Soissons. General headquarters, American Expeditionary Forces, on 

28 May 1919, credited the 2d Division units with participation in 

the major operation of Champagne-Marne defensive, but on 2 June 

1919 rescinded this credit.
70

CHAPTER XI

THE AISNE-MARNE OFFENSIVE (SOISSONS)

On 11 July 1918, Brigadier General James G. Harbord, commanding general of the Marine brigade, received notification of his appointment as a major general, and two days 

later left on five days’ leave of absence. As Colonel Neville had been 

evacuated to a base hospital after leaving the Château-Thierry sector, 

Lieutenant Colonel Harry Lee assumed temporary command of the 

brigade. Major General Harbord and Colonel Neville both returned 

in time to enter the Aisne-Marne offensive, the former in command 

of the 2d Division and the latter in command of the 4th Brigade.

Of the six Allied offensives taking place in 1918 on the western front, designated by the Americans as major operations, the 

4th Brigade, with the other units of the 2d Division, participated in 

three, the first being the vast offensive known as the Aisne-Marne, 

in which the Marine brigade entered the line near Soissons.

On 17 July 1918, the 1st Moroccan Division and the 1st and 2d 

Divisions of American Regulars were hurriedly and secretly concentrated by terribly fatiguing forced night marches over roads jammed 

with troops, artillery, and tanks, through rain and mud in the Bois de 

Retz near Soissons. Headquarters of the 4th Brigade was established 

at Vivieres. The getting to the “jump-off ” on time for this operation 

will always share in Marine Corps history with the glorious victory 

that followed.

Early on the morning of 18 July 1918, Marshal Foch threw 

these three picked divisions at the unsuspecting Germans with over-
71

The Aisne-Marne Offensive (Soissons)

whelming success, and again on the following day. The American 

commander in chief in his first report stated:

The place of honor in the thrust toward Soissons on July 

18 was given to our First and Second Divisions in company 

with chosen French divisions. Without the usual brief warning of a preliminary bombardment, the massed French and 

American artillery, firing by the map, laid down its rolling 

barrage at dawn while the infantry began its charge. The tactical handling of our troops under these trying conditions 

was excellent throughout the action. * * * The Second Division took Beaurepaire Farm and Vierzy in a very rapid advance, and reached a position in front of Tigny at the end of 

its second day.

In his final report, he stated:

General Pétain’s initial plan for the counterattack involved 

the entire western face of the Marne salient. The First and 

Second American Divisions, with the First French Moroccan Division between them, were employed as the spearhead 

of the main attack, driving directly eastward, through the 

most sensitive portion of the German lines to the heights 

south of Soissons. The advance began on July 18, without 

the usual brief warning of a preliminary bombardment, and 

these three divisions at a single bound broke through the 

enemy’s infantry defenses and overran his artillery, cutting or 

interrupting the German communications leading into the 

salient. A general withdrawal from the Marne was immediately begun by the enemy, who still fought stubbornly to 

prevent disaster.

The Second Division advanced 8 kilometers in the first 

26 hours and, by the end of the second day, was facing Tigny, 

having captured 3,000 prisoners and 66 field guns. It was 

relieved the night of the 19th by a French division. The result 

of this counteroffensive was of decisive importance. Due to 

the magnificent dash and power displayed on the field of 

Soissons by our First and Second Divisions, the tide of war 

was definitely turned in favor of the Allies.
72

Chapter XI

Major General James G. Harbord, commanding the 2d Division 

in this operation, describes the two days’ fighting of his division in 

these words:

It is with keen pride that the division commander transmits 

to the command the congratulations and affectionate personal greetings of General Pershing, who visited the division 

headquarters last night. His praise of the gallant work of the 

division on the 18th and 19th is echoed by the French high 

command, the Third Corps commander, American Expeditionary Forces, and in a telegram from the former division 

commander. In spite of two sleepless nights, long marches 

through rain and mud, and the discomforts of hunger and 

thirst, the division attacked side by side with the gallant First 

Moroccan Division and maintained itself with credit. You 

advanced over 6 miles, captured over 3,000 prisoners, 11 

batteries of artillery, over 100 machine guns, minnenwerfers [mine launchers], and supplies. The Second Division has 

sustained the best traditions of the Regular Army and the 

Marine Corps. The story of your achievements will be told in 

millions of homes in all Allied lands tonight.

This was one of the greatest strategic successes of Marshal Foch 

and that, the part played by the Marines was appreciated by the 

French, is illustrated by the 5th and 6th Regiments and the 6th Machine Gun Battalion being cited in French Army orders. The citations of the 6th Regiment (that of the 5th Regiment being similar) 

and that of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion are quoted below:

Aprés approbation du général commandant en chef les forces expéditionnaires Américaines en France, le général commandant en chef les 

armées Françaises du nord et du nord-est, cite á l’Ordre de l’Armée:

“Le 6e Regiment de Marine Americaine, sous les ordres du 

Lieutenant-Colonel Lee,

“Engages á l’improviste dans l’offensive du 18 juillet 1918, en 

pleine nuit, dans un terrain inconnu et trés difficile, ont déployé pendant deux jours, sans se laisser arrêter par les fatigues et les difficultés 

du ravitaillement en vivres et en eau, une ardeur et une ténacité 

remarquables, refoulant l’ennemi sur 11 kilométres de profondeur, 

capturant 2,700 prisonniers, 12 canons et plusieurs centaines de mitrailleuses.”
73

The Aisne-Marne Offensive (Soissons)

Au Grand Quartier Général, le 25 Octobre 1918

(Ordre No. 10.886 “D.”)

Le Général Commandant en Chef

Signé: PETAIN

Aprés approbation du général commandant en chef les forces expéditionnaires Américaines en France, le maréchal de France, commandant en chef les Armées Françaises de l’est cite á l’Ordre de l’Armée:

“Le 6e Bataillon de Mitrailleuses U.S. Marine, sous les ordres du 

Commandant L. W. T. Waller.

“Quoique trés fatigué par un long trajet en camion et une marche 

de nuit sur des routes difficiles, ce bataillon s’est précipité á l’attaque 

le 18 juillet 1918, prés de Vierzy et a puissamment contribué á consolider et á maintenir la position atteinte ce jour-lá.

“Dans la matinée du 19 juillet, il s’est vaillamment porté en 

avant, en terrain découvert, sous un violent feu d’artillerie et de mitrailleuses, soutenant résolument l’attaque lancée contre les positions 

renforcées de l’ennemi.

“Ayant á faire face á une forte résistance ennemie et á des contre-attaques continelles, a fait preuve du plus beau courage en consolidant rapidement et en tenant résolument l’importante position 

conquises par l’infanterie ce jour-lá.”

Au Grand Quartier Général, le 4 Mars 1919

(Ordre No. 13.978 “D.”)

Le Maréchal,

Commandant en Chef les Armées Françaises de 

l’Est.

PETAIN

Following the advance of the first day, brigade headquarters was 

moved forward to a cave in Vierzy.

Colonel Logan Feland was in command of the 5th Regiment 

during the Aisne-Marne offensive near Soissons and continued in 

command of it with the exception of two days in July 1918 (when 

Brigadier General Lejeune commanded the 4th Brigade and Colonel Neville the 5th Regiment) until 21 March 1919, when he was 

relieved by Colonel Harold C. Snyder, who retained command until 

the date of demobilization.
74

Chapter XI

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Pictured here as a captain, Harold C. Snyder took command of the 2d Replacement Battalion at Quantico in February 1918 and went overseas with the battalion in March 1918. In France, Snyder saw service at Camp Pontanezen, Brest; 

commanded the 10th Training Area, Prauthoy; and did duty as 2d Division 

liaison officer with the 89th and 32d Divisions. He also commanded the 5th 

Regiment from 21 March 1919 until his detachment from AEF in July 1919.
75

The Aisne-Marne Offensive (Soissons)

The 4th Brigade was relieved about midnight 19 July 1918, and 

after remaining in a reserve position until 22 July 1918, marched 

to an area farther in the rear, but still in a reserve position, [with] 

brigade headquarters being established at Tafflefontaine. After final 

relief from this active sector, the brigade was billeted 24–25 July 

1918 in an area around Nanteuil-le-Haudouin, [with] brigade headquarters being established at Nanteuil. The brigade remained in this 

area until 31 July 1918.

On 25 July 1918, Brigadier General John A. Lejeune arrived 

and assumed command of the 4th Brigade on 26 July 1918, [with] 

General Orders, No. 16, reading as follows:

I have this day assumed command of the Fourth Brigade,

U. S. Marines. To command this brigade is the highest honor 

that could come to any man. Its renown is imperishable and 

the skill, endurance, and valor of the officers and men have 

immortalized its name and that of the Marine Corps.

Brigadier General Lejeune retained command until 29 July 

1918, when he became commanding general of the 2d Division, relieving Major General Harbord, who left to assume command of 

the Services of Supply. Colonel Neville, on this latter date, resumed 

command of the 4th Brigade.
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Chapter XI

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Pictured here as a major general, John A. Lejeune assumed command of Marine 

Barracks, Quantico, at the outbreak of the war. In June 1918, he arrived at Brest, 

France. Upon reporting to the AEF commander, he was assigned to command a 

brigade of the 32d Division and later assumed command of 4th Brigade, 2d

Division, following their attack in the Soissons offensive. On 28 July 1918,

Lejeune assumed command of the 2d Division. He was the first Marine officer 

to hold a U.S. Army divisional command in combat.
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CHAPTER XII

MARBACHE SECTOR, NEAR PONT-À-MOUSSON

SAINT-MIHIEL OFFENSIVE

During the last two days of July 1918, the units of the brigade entrained for a 24-hour railroad journey, which took 

them to an area around Nancy, with headquarters at Villerslès-Nancy, where they remained resting and refitting until 9 August 

1918.

On 7 August 1918, information was received of the promotion 

of Brigadier General Lejeune to the grade of major general, and of 

Colonel Neville to the grade of brigadier general, both to date from 

1 July 1918.

Colonel Albertus W. Catlin arrived in the United States onboard the [USS] America [ID 3006] on 3 August 1918. Colonel 

Catlin, having been wounded on 6 June 1918 during the first attack 

on Bois de Belleau, was admitted to Hospital No. 2, Paris, France, 

on the next day; [he] was discharged on 22 July 1918, granted two 

months’ sick leave, and sailed for New York from Brest, France, on 

25 July 1918.

On 5 August 1918, movement of units of the brigade was started 

for the occupation of the Marbache subsector near Pont-a-Mousson

on the Moselle River. By 8 August 1918, the movement was completed, with headquarters established at Scarponne just across the 

Moselle River from Dieulouard. The sector was quiet and occupation uneventful except for an enemy raid that was successfully repulsed and prisoners captured.
78

Chapter XII

On 8 August 1918, Lieutenant Colonel Earl H. Ellis was appointed adjutant of the 4th Brigade, relieving Lieutenant Colonel 

Harry R. Lay, who had been detailed as inspector general of the 2d 

Division.

The relief from the Marbache sector was completed on 18 August 1918, and the brigade moved to an area about 20 kilometers 

southeast of Toni, [with] headquarters being established at Favières. 

Intensive training for the impending Saint-Mihiel offensive was indulged in here.

The brigade started to move from this area on the night of 2 

September 1918, and after a series of night marches, during which 

time headquarters were established at Pont-Saint-Vincent, Velaineen-Haye, and Bouvron, the brigade arrived just outside of Manonville, [with] headquarters being established in Manonville. From 12 

to 16 September 1918, the brigade was engaged in the Saint-Mihiel 

offensive in the vicinity of Remenauville, Thiaucourt, Xammes, and 

Jaulny as a unit of the 2d Division of the I Corps of the First Army. 

Headquarters during these operations were successively at 1 kilometer north of Lironville, Thiaucourt, and finally at Manonville on 16 

September 1918. On 20 September 1918, the brigade moved to an 

area south of Toni, with headquarters at Chaudenay. The brigade remained in this area until 25 September 1918, when it moved by rail 

to an area south of Châlons-sur-Marne, with headquarters at Sarry.
79

CHAPTER XIII

THE CHAMPAGNE

BATTLE OF BLANC MONT RIDGE

CAPTURE OF SAINT-ÉTIENNE

MARCH TO LEFFINCOURT

Marshal Foch, having asked for an American division to assist in breaking through the powerful German defenses in the Champagne, the 2d Division, including the Marine brigade, was temporarily placed at the disposal of the Fourth 

French Army under General [Henri] Gouraud from 27 September 

1918 to 10 October 1918. At first, it was directly subject to the orders of Marshal Pétain, but before the actual fighting began it was 

placed directly under the orders of General Gouraud. On 28 September 1918, the 4th Brigade moved by bus and [by] marching to 

the Souain-Suippes area, with brigade headquarters at Suippes.

On 1 October 1918, in an order of the 2d Division, the commanding general of the 2d Division encouraged his division with 

the following words:

1. The greatest battles in the world’s history are now being 

fought. The Allies are attacking successfully on all fronts. 

The valiant Belgian Army has surprised and defeated the 

enemy in Flanders; the English, who have been attacking 

the enemy without ceasing since August 8, have advanced 

beyond the Hindenburg Line, between Cambria and St. 
80

Chapter XIII

Quentin, capturing thousands of prisoners and hundreds 

of cannon; the heroic Allied Army of the Orient has decisively defeated the Bulgars; the British have captured over 

50,000 prisoners in Palestine and have inflicted a mortal 

blow on the Turk; and our own First Army and the Fourth 

French Army have already gained much success in the 

preliminary stages of their attack between the Meuse and 

Suippes Rivers.

2. Owing to its world-wide reputation for skill and valor, the 

Second Division was selected by the commander in chief 

of the Allied Armies as his special reserve, and has been 

held in readiness to strike a swift and powerful blow at the 

vital point of the enemy’s line. The hour to move forward 

has now come, and I am confident that our division will 

pierce the enemy’s line, and once more gloriously defeat 

the Hun.

The battle of Blanc Mont Ridge was one of the most powerful and effective blows struck under the direction of Marshal Foch 

against the retreating Germans, and its brilliantly successful conclusion was due in a great degree to the military genius of Major 

General John A. Lejeune of the Marines.

On 27 September 1918, Major General John A. Lejeune called 

on General Gouraud at the headquarters of the Fourth French 

Army, who explained the situation at the front to him. Facing a large 

relief map of the battlefield, General Gouraud placed his hand on 

the Blanc Mont Ridge and said: “General, this position is the key of 

all the German defenses of this sector, including the whole Rheims 

Massif. If this ridge can be taken, the Germans will be obliged to retreat along the whole front 30 kilometers to the river Aisne. Do you 

think your division could effect [sic] its capture?” Major General Lejeune responded that he felt certain the 2d Division could take the 

stronghold pointed out, whereupon he was informed that he would 

be ordered to make the attack within a few days and was directed to 

prepare a plan for the assault.

At this time, the 2d Division was directly subject to the orders 

of Marshal Pétain, but later in the day General Gouraud informed 

Major General Lejeune that, after an explanation of the circum-
81

Champagne, Blanc Mont Ridge, Saint-Étienne, Leffincourt

stances, Marshal Pétain had assigned the division to the Fourth 

French Army.

The general plan provided for an attack by the whole Fourth 

French Army between the Argonne and the Suippes River. On 1 

October 1918, the brigade with the rest of the 2d Division marched 

to the front line near Somme-Py on the night of 1–2 October 1918, 

and relieved elements of a French division. The brigade headquarters 

was located in the trenches about two kilometers south of SommePy. The relief was effected before daylight without incident.

The battle of Blanc Mont Ridge was fought and won by the 2d 

Division, as a unit of the Fourth French Army, between 3 and 9 

October 1918, over the desolated white chalky ground of the Champagne, which was scarred and shell pocked by years of artillery fire, 

marked with huge mine craters, gridironed with an intricate maze of 

deep trenches and concrete fortifications, and covered with tangled 

masses of wire.

The overwhelming success and the far-reaching effect of the 

2d Division’s part in these operations, the cleaning up of the Essen Hook, the capture of Blanc Mont Ridge, and the capture of 

Saint-Étienne, are well described in general terms in the following 

excerpts from official publications. That the plan was as brilliantly 

executed as it was daringly conceived is shown by this extract from 

an order of the 2d Division dated 11 November 1918, reading in 

part as follows:

In the Champagne district, October 2 to 10, it fought beside the Fourth French Army. On October 3, it seized Blanc 

Mont Ridge, the keystone of the arch of the main German 

position, advanced beyond the ridge and, although both 

flanks were unsupported, it held all its gains with the utmost 

tenacity, inflicting tremendous losses on the enemy. This 

victory freed Rheims and forced the entire German Army 

between that city and the Argonne Forest to retreat to the 

Aisne, a distance of 30 kilometers.

The amazing success of the attack and the vital effect of the capture of Blanc Mont Ridge and Saint-Étienne is described in the 

words of General Gouraud himself in a letter to Marshal Foch, reading in part as follows:
82

Chapter XIII

Because of the brilliant part played by this “Grand Unit” 

in the offensive of the Fourth Army during the autumn of 

1918, I propose the Second American Division for a citation in “The Order of the Army” upon the following specific 

grounds:

The Second Infantry Division, United States, brilliantly 

commanded by General Lejeune * * * played a glorious part 

in the operations of the Fourth Army in the Champagne in 

October 1918. On the 3d of October, this division drove forward and seized in a single assault the strongly entrenched 

German positions between Blanc Mont and Medeah Ferme, 

and again pressing forward to the outskirts of Saint-Étienne-à-Arnes it made in the course of the day an advance of 

about 6 kilometers.

It captured several thousand prisoners, many cannon and 

machine guns, and a large quantity of other military matériel. This attack, combined with that of the French divisions 

on its left and right, resulted in the evacuation by the enemy 

of his positions on both sides of the river Suippe and his 

withdrawal from the Massif de Notre-Dame-des-Champs.

The further opinion of the French as to the results and effect 

of the 2d Division’s operations in Champagne is set forth in the 

following quoted extract from Information Bulletin No. 12 of the 

Fourth French Army dated 7 October 1918:

Up to October 4, at which date the present bulletin is written, the Fourth Army has pushed its advance up to objectives of the very highest importance. A splendid American 

division, full of dash and ardor, the Second Division, United 

States, placed at the disposition of the Twenty-first Corps 

on October 3, made itself master of Massif du Blanc Mont, 

which dominates the valley of the Arnes and gives us excellent outlook on the valley of the Suippe in rear of the region 

of Monts. This conquest rapidly brought about the downfall 

of Notre-Dame-des-Champs and the Grand Bois de Saint 

Souplet.

The American commander in chief in his first report describes 

the battle of Blanc Mont in the following words:
83

Champagne, Blanc Mont Ridge, Saint-Étienne, Leffincourt

The Second Division conquered the complicated defense 

works on their front against a persistent defense worthy 

of the grimmest period of trench warfare and attacked the 

strongly held wooded hill of Blanc Mont, which they captured in a second assault, sweeping over it with consummate 

dash and skill. This division then repulsed strong counterattacks before the village and cemetery of St. Etienne and took 

the town, forcing the Germans to fall back from before Rheims and yield positions they had held since September 1914.

In his final report, the American commander in chief remarked 

as follows:

The Second Division completed its advance on this front by 

the assault of the wooded heights of Mont Blanc, the key 

point of the German position, which was captured with consummate dash and skill. The division here repulsed violent 

counterattacks and then carried our lines into the village of 

St. Etienne, thus forcing the Germans to fall back before 

Rheims and yield positions which they had held since September 1914.

The citation of the 5th Regiment (the citation of the 6th Regiment being identical) reads as follows:

Aprés approbation du général commandant en chef les forces expéditionnaires Americaines en France, le maréchal de France, 

commandant en chef les armées françaises de l’est, cite à l’Ordre 

de 1’Armée:

“Le 5ème Regiment de Marine Americain, sous les ordres du 

Colonel Logan Feland:

“A pris une part glorieuse aux opérations engagées par la 

4ème Armée en Champagne, en Octobre 1918. Le 3 Octobre 

1918, a participé à l’attaque des positions allemandes fortement 

retranchées entre le Blanc-Mont et la Ferme Medeah, et, poussant de l’avant jusqu’aux abords de Saint-Etienne à Ames, a 

réalisé une avance de 6 kilométres. A fait plusieurs milliers de 

prisonniers, capturé des canons, des mitrailleuses et un important matériel de guerre. Cette attaque, combinée avec celle des Divisions Françaises, a eu pour conséquence l’évacuation des deux 

rives de la Suippe et du Massif de Notre-Dame-des-Champs.”
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Chapter XIII

Au Grand Quartier Général, le 21 Mars 1919

Le Maréchal, Commandant en Chef les Arrnées 

Françaises de l’Est

Signe: PÉTAN

(Ordre No. 14.712 “D.”)

On 10 October 1918, having been relieved from the line in the 

Blanc Mont sector, the brigade took station in the Suippes-SommeSuippes-Nantivet area and the adjacent camps with headquarters at 

Suippes, being assigned as Fourth French Army reserve. The brigade 

remained in this area resting and refitting until 14 October 1918, 

when, in accordance with orders, it marched to the Vadenay-Bouy-laVeuve-Dampierre area, north of Châlons-sur-Marne, with headquarters at Bouy. While here, orders were received placing the 4th Brigade 

provisionally at the disposal of the IX French Army Corps to hold a 

sector in the region [of] Attigny-Voncq-Aisne River.

Accordingly, on 20 October 1918, the brigade was temporarily

detached from the 2d Division and marched to the area SommeSuippes-Suippes-Nantivet, with headquarters at Suippes. On 21 

October 1918, in obedience to orders, the Marines hiked to the vicinity of Leffincourt, where brigade headquarters was established. 

While about to take over the assigned sector, the 4th Brigade received orders to rejoin the 2d Division, which was preparing to enter 

the Meuse-Argonne offensive. After a hard march, these orders were 

obeyed and brigade headquarters established at Montpellier on 23 

October 1918. On 24 October 1918, Major Matthew H. Kingman 

relieved Major Littleton W. T. Waller Jr. in command of the 6th 

Machine Gun Battalion, Major Waller joining the 2d Division staff 

as division machine gun officer.
85

Champagne, Blanc Mont Ridge, Saint-Étienne, Leffincourt

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Maj Matthew H. Kingman commanded 6th Machine Gun Battalion in the 

Verdun sector. Kingman was wounded by machine-gun fire in the fighting at 

Château-Thierry, but recovered to participate in the Aisne-Marne, Saint-Mihiel, 

and Meuse-Argonne offensives, concluding with the march to the Rhine.
86

Chapter XIII

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Pictured here as a brigadier general, Littleton W. T. Waller Jr. sailed to France in 

December 1917 as commander of the 1st Machine Gun Battalion, which had 

been redesignated to the 6th Machine Gun Battalion. Transferred for a short 

time to the 3d Division, he returned to the 2d Division to become the division 

machine gun officer where he fought in five major operations, during which his 

battalion was cited for its part in the Belleau Wood and Soissons offensives.
87

CHAPTER XIV

THE MEUSE-ARGONNE OFFENSIVE

CROSSING THE MEUSE RIVER

On 25 October 1918, the brigade moved to the Les Islettes 

area with brigade headquarters at Camp Cabaud. On the 

evening of 26 October 1918, it arrived in the area south 

of Exermont and bivouacked in the woods there that night with 

brigade headquarters at Exermont. The brigade remained in bivouac 

in this area until the night of 30–31 October 1918, when it moved 

forward into line to participate in the immense Meuse-Argonne offensive, which had started on 26 September 1918, the 2d Division 

being assigned as a unit of the V Corps.

Relieving elements of the 42d Division, just south of Landres-etSaint-Georges, the Marine brigade early on the morning of 1 November 1918, jumped-off, following a terrific barrage, for its final 

operation of the war, the conclusion of which at 1100 on the morning of 11 November 1918, found the Marines firmly established on 

the heights of the far bank of the Meuse River after an advance of 

30 kilometers.

The splendid work of the 2d Division, including the Marines, is 

described in official reports, and excerpts from some are given below. 

In recommending that the 2d Division be cited in General 

Headquarters Orders for its excellent work in the attack of 1–11 

November 1918, the commanding general, First Army, wrote on 16 

January 1919, in part, as follows:
88

Chapter XIV

4. In the First Army attack of November 1, 1918, the Second Division was selected and so placed in the battle line 

that its known ability might be used to overcome the critical part of the enemy’s defense. The salient feature of the 

plan of attack was to drive a wedge through Landres-etSt. Georges to the vicinity of Fosse. It was realized that if 

the foregoing could be accomplished, the backbone of the 

hostile resistance west of the Meuse would be broken and 

the enemy would have to retreat to the east of the Meuse. 

Success in this plan would immediately loosen the flanks 

of the First Army. The Second Division was selected to 

carry out this main blow.

5. The Second Division accomplished the results desired 

in every particular on the first day of the attack, not only 

clearing the hostile defenses of Landres-et-St. Georges and the Bois de Hazios but continuing its advance to 

the vicinity of Fosse, i.e., about 9 kilometers. This decisive 

blow broke the enemy’s defense and opened the way for 

the rapid advance of the Army.

With reference to the first day’s attack, the commanding general, V Army Corps, wrote officially on 2 November 1918, in part, as 

follows:

The division’s brilliant advance of more than 9 kilometers, 

destroying the last stronghold on the Hindenburg Line, capturing the Freya Stellung, and going more than 9 kilometers 

against not only the permanent but the relieving forces in 

their front, may justly be regarded as one of the most remarkable achievements made by any troops in this war. For 

the first time, perhaps, in our experience the losses inflicted 

by your division upon the enemy in the offensive greatly exceeded the casualties of the division. The reports indicate, 

moreover, that in a single day the division has captured more 

artillery and machine guns than usually falls to the lot of a 

command during several days of hard fighting. These results 

must be attributed to the great dash and speed of the troops, 

and to the irresistible force with which they struck and overcame the enemy.
89

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Crossing the Meuse River

The following citation in [the] V Army Corps General Orders 

No. 26, dated 20 November 1918, gives a further description of these 

operations:

The Second Division, in line at the launching of the attack, 

broke through the strong enemy resistance, and, leading the 

advance, drove forward in a fast and determined pursuit of 

the enemy, who, despite new divisions hastily thrown in, was 

driven back everywhere on its front. This division drove the 

enemy across the Meuse, and under heavy fire and against 

stubborn resistance, built bridges and established itself on 

the heights. The cessation of hostilities found this division 

holding strong positions across the Meuse and ready for a 

continuation of the advance.

An order of the 2d Division dated 5 November 1918 [and] reading, in part, as follows, tells what occurred subsequent to the first 

day’s attack:

During the night of November 2–3, the Second Division 

moved forward overcoming the resistance of the enemy’s advanced elements and, at 6 a.m., it attacked and seized the 

enemy’s line of defense on the ridge southeast of Vaux-enDieulet.

Late in the afternoon, the enemy, having reorganized his 

line on the border of Belval Forest, was again attacked and 

defeated. After nightfall and in a heavy rain, the advanced 

elements of the division pressed forward through the forest, 

and occupied a position on the heights south of Beaumont, 

8 kilometers in advance of the divisions on our right and left.

During the night of November 4–5, the division again 

pressed forward, occupied Beaumont and Létanne and threw 

the enemy on its front across the Meuse.

An order of the 2d Division, dated 12 November 1918, describing the historic crossing of the Meuse River on the night before the 

armistice became operative, reads as follows:

1. On the night of November 10, heroic deeds were done by 

heroic men. In the face of a heavy artillery and withering 

machine-gun fire, the Second Engineers threw two foot 

bridges across the Meuse and the first and second battal-
90

Chapter XIV

ions of the Fifth Marines crossed resolutely and unflinchingly to the east bank and carried out their mission.

2. In the last battle of the war, as in all others in which this 

division has participated, it enforced its will on the enemy.

The commanding general of the V Army Corps has this to say 

about the crossing of the Meuse by the Marines, who were assisted 

by the artillery, engineers, and other troops of the 2d Division:

Especially I desire to commend the division for the crowning 

feat of its advance in crossing the Meuse River in [the] face 

of heavy concentrated enemy machine-gun fire, and in driving the enemy’s troops before it, and in firmly establishing 

itself upon the heights covering the desired bridgehead. This 

feat will stand among the most memorable of the campaign.

With reference to the crossing of the Meuse River, the American commander in chief reported as follows:

On the night of November 10, the Fifth Corps forced a crossing of the Meuse against heavy enemy resistance between 

Mouzon and Pouilly, and advanced to the Inor-Mouzon 

road with two battalions holding the high ground northwest 

of Inor.

The general success achieved by the 2d Division in the MeuseArgonne offensive is well described by the words of the order citing 

Major General John A. Lejeune of the Marines for an Army Distinguished Service Medal, reading in part as follows:

In the Meuse-Argonne offensive, his division was directed 

with such sound military judgment and ability that it broke 

and held, by the vigor and rapidity of execution of its attack, 

enemy lines which had hitherto been considered impregnable.

During this fighting, the headquarters of the 4th Brigade was 

successively established at Exermont, one-half kilometer north of 

Exermont, Sommerance, Bayonville-et-Chennery, Fosse, BelvalBois-des-Dames, and Beaumont.

The following self-explanatory memorandum was sent out by 

the commanding general of the 4th Brigade:
91

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Crossing the Meuse River

HEADQUARTERS 4TH BRIGADE,

MARINES, AMERICAN E. F.,

11th November ’18—8.40 a. m.

PEACE MEMORANDUM No. 1

The following telephone message received from Surprise

1 at 8:35 a. m. this morning forwarded for compliance.

8:40 a. m. message from 5th Corps; Armistice signed 

and takes effect at 11 this morning. Accurate map showing 

locations of front line elements, including patrols and detachments, will be sent to these Headquarters without delay.

On “the eleventh hour, the eleventh day of the eleventh month, 

of the year 1918,” Brigadier General Wendell C. Neville, commanding general of the 4th Brigade, published the following tribute to the 

officers and men of the 4th Brigade:

Upon this, the most momentous hour in the history of the 

World War, the undersigned wishes to express to his command his sincere appreciation of their unfailing devotion to 

duty and their heroic and courageous action during the recent operations.

The time, when the results of our efforts during the past year 

are shown, is here. The hour has arrived when the convulsion, 

which has shaken the foundations of the civilized world, has 

ceased. The enemy is defeated and the principles of freedom 

and democracy have triumphed over barbarism and autocracy.

We may all feel justly proud of the extent of our participation, which has forced the enemy to a cessation of hostilities. 

It is fitting, at this time, to think of those of our comrades 

who have fallen on the field of honor and rejoice in the fact 

that they did not give their lives in vain.

Your display of fortitude, determination, courage, and 

your ability to fight has, upon more than one occasion, been a 

determining factor in making history, and your work has had 

a direct bearing upon the remarkable chain of events which 

have this day culminated in such a satisfactory manner. 

Along the fronts of Verdun, the Marne, the Aisne, Lorraine, 

Champagne, and the Argonne, the units of the Fourth Brigade Marines have fought valiantly, bravely, and decisively.
92

Chapter XIV

They have nobly sustained the sacred traditions and have 

added glorious pages to the already illustrious history of the 

United States Marine Corps. It is a record of which you may 

all be proud.
93

CHAPTER XV

MARCH TO THE RHINE

ARMY OF OCCUPATION

SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS OF THE 4TH BRIGADE

March to the Rhine

On 17 November 1918, the 2d Division commenced its march 

to the Rhine, passing through Belgium and Luxembourg. 

The German frontier was reached on 25 November 1918, 

crossed on 1 December 1918; [and] the Rhine reached [on] 10 December 1918, and crossed on 13 December 1918. During this march 

and up to the time the 4th Brigade settled down to its occupation 

duty in Germany, brigade headquarters were successively established 

at Margut, Bellefontaine, Anon, Useldange, Berg, Eppeldorf, Neuerburg, Waxweiler, Prüm, Büdesheim, Wiesbaum, Antweiler, [Bad] 

Neuenahr, Burgbrohl, Rheinbrohl, and Hönningen.

With the Army of Occupation

The duties of the 4th Brigade with the army of occupation in Germany were uneventful, the outstanding features being the establishment of a Rhine River patrol, manned and commanded by Marines; 

an extended visit, inspection, and review by the secretary of the Navy; 

and the operation of the 2d Division, including the Marines, made 

about the middle of June 1919, in which an advanced position was 
94

Chapter XV

taken as a part of the concentration of the Third Army immediately 

preceding the signing of the treaty of peace by the Germans.

Headquarters of the 4th Brigade during the greater part of the 

occupation of Germany was at Nieder Bieber, while during the last 

operation when the advanced position was taken, just prior to Germany signing the peace treaty, it was at Herschbach. On the date the 

treaty was signed, the 5th Regiment, with headquarters at Hatenfels, occupied the most advanced position ever occupied by Marines 

in Germany. Just before departing from Germany, [4th Brigade] 

headquarters was at Nieder Bieber and, with the exception of Brest, 

France, this was the last headquarters the brigade had in Europe.

Major Charles D. Barrett relieved Lieutenant Colonel Earl H. 

Ellis as brigade adjutant in April 1919, and held that position until 

the brigade was demobilized. Lieutenant Colonel Ellis was assigned 

to duty as second in command of the 5th Regiment. On 12 March 

1919, Colonel Logan Feland was temporarily appointed brigadier 

general to rank from 9 March 1919, and accepted appointment and 

executed oath on 17 March 1919. On 21 March 1919, Colonel Harold C. Snyder assumed command of the 5th Regiment, relieving 

Brigadier General Logan Feland, who, after acting as aide for the 

Courtesy of U.S. Army Signal Corps, National Archives

Capt Gaines Mosely, wearing the insignia of the Army of Occupation of 

Germany, gazes out over the Rhine River where Marines patrolled the Coblenz 

bridgehead after the war.
95

March To the Rhine, Army of Occupation, Summary of Operations

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Charles D. Barrett, pictured here as a major general, served in the foreign shore 

expeditionary service, following his arrival in France, which included detached 

duty with the U.S. Army in France from 25 September 1918. He participated in 

the Meuse-Argonne offensive and on an assignment to the staff of the commanding general. In spring 1919, he commanded 2d Battalion, 367th Infantry, at Le 

Mans, France. Barrett then detached in April and reported to the commanding 

general of 4th Brigade. He was also credited with the creation of the French Map 

Detachment.
96

Chapter XV

secretary of the Navy, arrived in the United States on the Von Steuben 

on 13 May 1919.

Just before the 2d Division left Germany, the commanding general of the army of occupation expressed his appreciation of the services of that division in a letter dated 2 July 1919, which is published 

in General Orders, 2d Division, No. 68, 5 July 1919:

As your magnificent division is about to leave his command, 

it is with a sense of gratitude for its splendid achievements 

while in the American Expeditionary Forces that the army 

commander expresses to you, and to your gallant officers and 

men his appreciation of your services.

After occupying a defensive sector between Verdun and 

St. Mihiel, you were placed in the line of battle and met, 

with stubborn resistance, the onslaughts of the enemy’s 

hordes near Château-Thierry. Your action at Belleau Woods 

and your attack upon and capture of Vaux must ever remain 

brilliant exploits in our military history.

At Soissons, side by side with a veteran French division, 

you proved to our Allies the fighting value of the Army of 

the United States, and at St. Mihiel, in the first great American offensive, your prowess in attack was irresistible.

When in October 1918, the Allied High Command desired to reinforce the French Army by American troops of 

great offensive worth, by real “shock troops,” you were loaned 

to General Gouraud’s Fourth French Army and, delivered 

your famous assault on Blanc Mont Ridge, releasing from 

German menace the historic city of Rheims.

In the closing phase of the Meuse-Argonne operations, 

certainly no troops contributed more to the enemy’s destruction

than your division. After taking Landres-et-St. Georges, 

Bayonnville-et-Chennery, and the Bois-de-la-Folie, you 

pierced the Bois-de-Belval, and by skillful night fighting and 

marching you cleared the enemy from the left bank of the 

Meuse and forced a crossing of the river.

Your brilliant exploits in battle are paralleled by the 

splendid example of soldierly bearing and discipline set by 

your officers and men while a part of the Army of Occupa-
97

March To the Rhine, Army of Occupation, Summary of Operations

tion. That spirit and dash which carried your men through 

the enemy’s defenses still predominated when the Army was 

recently concentrated, preparatory to a further advance into 

unoccupied Germany.

Officers and soldiers of the Second Division, your 

achievements and sacrifices have earned for you and for your 

fallen comrades the praise and gratitude of our Nation.

Summary of the Operations with the 4th Brigade

The 4th Brigade as a unit of the 2d Division participated in actual 

battle in France in the following sectors between the inclusive dates 

set down (as published in General Orders No. 37, 2d Division, 25 

April 1919):

• Toulon sector, Verdun: from 15 March to 13 May 1918.

• Aisne defensive in the Château-Thierry sector: from 31 

May to 5 June 1918.

• Château-Thierry sector (capture of Hill 142, Bouresches, 

Belleau Wood): from 6 June to 9 July 1918.

• Aisne-Marne (Soissons) offensive: from 18 July to 19 July 

1918.

• Marbache sector, near Pont-à-Mousson on the Moselle 

River: from 9 August to 16 August 1918.

• Saint-Mihiel offensive, in the vicinity of Thiaucourt, 

Xammes, and Jaulny: from 12 September to 16 September 

1918.

• Meuse-Argonne (Champagne), including the capture of 

Blanc Mont Ridge and Saint-Étienne: from 1 October to 

10 October 1918.

• Meuse-Argonne (including crossing of the Meuse River): 

from 1 November to 11 November 1918.

Silver Bands for Colors

Under the rulings of general headquarters, American Expeditionary 

Forces, the Marine Corps units serving with the 2d Division are 

entitled to silver bands on the staffs of their colors for battle participation in the above-mentioned engagements.
98

Chapter XV

Major Operations

General headquarters, American Expeditionary Forces, ruled that 

the 2d Division, including the 4th Brigade, participated in only four 

major operations: the Aisne defensive (31 May to 5 June 1918); the 

Aisne-Marne offensive (18–19 July 1918); the Saint-Mihiel offensive (12–16 September 1918); and the Meuse-Argonne offensive 

(1–10 October 1918 and 1–10 November 1918). The operations that 

resulted in the capture of Blanc Mont and Saint-Étienne were construed to be included in the Meuse-Argonne offensive despite the 

fact that the operations were a part of the operations of the Fourth 

French Army, far to the west of the western limit of the American 

Meuse-Argonne sector and further that the work of the 2d Division 

was continued by another American division. The operations that 

resulted in the capture of Hill 142, Bouresches, Bois de la Brigade 

de Marine, by the Marine brigade, assisted by artillery, engineers, 

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

MajGen Wendell C. Neville adorns the colors of the 4th Marine Brigade with 

the honors earned during the brigade’s service in World War I.
99

March To the Rhine, Army of Occupation, Summary of Operations

etc., of the 2d Division, and the capture of Vaux by the 3d Brigade, 

engineers and artillery of the 2d Division, were held to be local engagements rather than major operations. The 2d Division suffered 

about 9,000 casualties in the Château-Thierry sector. In addition to 

the above major operations, Marine Corps personnel, other than 

that of the 4th Brigade and 2d Division, participated in the Champagne-Marne defensive, the Oise-Aisne offensive, and the YpresLys offensive.
100

CHAPTER XVI

WITH THE NAVY ONBOARD THE BATTLESHIPS 

AND CRUISERS

With the British Grand Fleet

Division 9 of the Atlantic Fleet, composed of the New York

(flagship), Wyoming, Florida, and Delaware, was detailed for 

service with the British Grand Fleet, rendezvoused on 24 

November 1917 in Lynnhaven Roads, Chesapeake Bay, and sailed 

for its destination the following day.

The division took the northern passage and was 13 days en route, 

4 days of which were spent in holding its own against a 90-mile gale 

off the Newfoundland coast. On 7 December 1917, the American 

battleships anchored with the British Grand Fleet in Scapa Flow, 

Orkney Islands, after a rousing reception and, on 26 December, were 

designated the Sixth Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet.

From the time of its arrival until 29 November 1918, this squadron, with the addition of the Texas in February 1918, and the substitution of the Arkansas for the Delaware in July 1918, operated with 

the British Grand Fleet, basing most of the time in Scapa Flow and 

the remainder of the time in the Firth of Forth (Rosyth [Scotland]). 

The squadron took its regular turn at convoy duty, patrol duty, target 

practice, and fleet exercises with all the other squadrons of the British Grand Fleet. The squadron was at sea on an average of from 8 to 

10 days each month and followed the procedure of the Grand Fleet 

in all respects, even going so far as to shift to the British method of 

signaling.
101

With the Navy Onboard the Battleships and Cruisers

Major Nelson P. Vulte was division Marine officer of this division the entire time it was a unit of the British Grand Fleet. With 

reference to the operations of this division, the secretary of the Navy 

in his annual report made the following statements:

Assigned one of the two places of honor and importance 

in the battle line, this American division did its full share 

of the Grand Fleet’s work, including patrol search for the 

enemy, protection of convoys, mining, and other forces, and, 

most important of all, in the repeated attempts to engage the 

German High Seas Fleet, for which the ships of the Grand 

Fleet were kept in the highest state of efficiency and readiness. Our battleships were attacked six times by submarines. 

On one occasion, off the Norwegian coast, four torpedoes 

were fired at the Florida and two at the Delaware, and at another time three were fired at the New York. Not one of our 

vessels was hit, and the only damage done was to the New 

York, which while leading the division into Pentland Firth, 

was rammed by a submerged submarine. Two blades of her 

propeller were broken off, but officers and crew were convinced that the blows from the propeller sank the U-boat.

Surrender of the German High Seas Fleet

The American battleships occupied a prominent position in the 

north column of the Grand Fleet on the occasion of the surrender of 

the German High Seas Fleet on 21 November 1918 off the mouth 

of the Firth of Forth and assisted in escorting it into that port where 

the German vessels were searched and later dispatched under guard 

to Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands, for internment.

The American vessels did not accompany the surrendered German war vessels to Scapa, but were detached from the British Grand 

Fleet on 1 December 1918, and sailed from Rosyth for Portland 

(Weymouth [Dorset, England]). The day after the surrender of the 

German Fleet, the Nevada, which had been serving with Division 

6 of the Atlantic Fleet in Bantry Bay, Ireland, joined Division 9 at 

Rosyth and proceeded with it to Portland.
102

Chapter XVI

At Castletown Berehaven, Bantry Bay, Ireland

The annual report of the secretary of the Navy makes the following 

remarks concerning Division 6:

Division 6, composed of the Utah (flagship), Nevada, and 

Oklahoma, was based on Berehaven, Bantry Bay, Ireland, its 

principal duty being to protect our convoys from possible 

enemy raiders. This division made two trips into the [English] Channel, escorting convoys when enemy submarines 

were reported in the vicinity.

Major Leon W. Hoyt was the division Marine officer during its 

entire stay in European waters.

The Nevada joined the American battleships of Division 9 the 

day after the surrender of the German Fleet off Rosyth, near Edinburgh.

Escorting the President into Brest

Division 9 joined Division 6 at Portland Bill [southernmost point 

of Dorset] and both divisions left that port in time to assist the 

Pennsylvania in escorting President [Woodrow] Wilson, onboard 

the George Washington, into the harbor of Brest.

Welcomes Home by Naval Review

On 14 December 1918, our battleships sailed from Brest for the 

United States, arrived off Ambrose Lightship the afternoon of 

Christmas Day, and the next morning steamed into New York 

Harbor where they were accorded a great demonstration. The naval

review was followed by a land parade of all the returning officers, 

bluejackets, and Marines.

The Atlantic Fleet

Colonel ([later] Brigadier General) John T. Myers was the fleet Marine officer of the Atlantic Fleet from before the outbreak of the war 

to 23 August 1918, being relieved on that date by Colonel Frederic 

L. Bradman, who continued on that duty until after the armistice.
103

With the Navy Onboard the Battleships and Cruisers

Colonel John F. McGill was force Marine officer of the Battleship Force and later force Marine officer of Battleship Force Two 

until 14 August 1918, when he was relieved by Major Harold F. 

Wirgman, who continued as such until the force was suspended in 

September 1918.

Lieutenant Colonel James McE. Huey was force Marine officer of Battleship Force One from 3 September 1917 to 29 December 1917, when the Marines were temporarily withdrawn from the 

force. Major Richard H. Tebbs Jr. was force Marine officer of the 

Cruiser Force.

The Pacific Fleet

Colonel Richard M. Cutts was fleet Marine officer of the Pacific 

Fleet from 1 November 1916 to 14 October 1918; and Lieutenant 

Colonel Charles B. Taylor [held the position] from 15 October 1918 

until after the armistice.

The Asiatic Fleet

The Marines of the Brooklyn, flagship of the Asiatic Fleet, participated in the activities around Vladivostok, Siberia, in 1918. In 

June 1918, Vladivostok, and practically all of Siberia, was under the

control of the Bolsheviki [or Bolsheviks]. The Bolsheviki, assisted 

by German and Austrian prisoners of war, were resisting the advance of the Czechoslovaks, who were trying to reach Vladivostok 

in that city on 29 June 1918, there were approximately 12,000 wellorganized Czechoslovaks, only about 2,500 of whom were armed

or equipped. On the foregoing date, the Czechoslovaks in the city 

took it over from the Bolsheviki after a three-hour battle near its 

center and, on the afternoon of that day, Rear Admiral Austin M. 

Knight, commander-in-chief of the Asiatic Fleet, ordered a detachment of American Marines ashore to guard the American consulate 

and to act as part of an Allied force composed of British, Japanese, 

Chinese, and Czechoslovaks to patrol the city.

In July 1918, Marines from the Brooklyn acted as guards over 

German and Austrian prisoners of war on Russian Island, about five 

miles from Vladivostok, while Marines from the same vessel consti-
104

Chapter XVI

tuted part of an Allied military force of American and British Marines, Japanese and Chinese bluejackets, and Czechoslovak soldiers, 

which was organized to prevent a threatened strike and disorder 

among the workmen in the Russian navy yard at Vladivostok.

The Albany was at Vladivostok from 2 April 1919 until relieved 

by the New Orleans on 25 July 1919. Each of these ships, while they 

were anchored off Vladivostok, kept a small guard of Marines at the 

United States Naval Radio Station, Russian Island.

Colonel Carl Gamborg-Andresen was fleet Marine officer of 

the Asiatic Fleet from 25 August 1915 to 17 July 1917; Colonel 

Louis McC. Little [served] from 18 July 1917 to 25 April 1918; and 

Colonel Eli T. Fryer [served] from that date until after the armistice.
105

CHAPTER XVII

THE ACTIVITIES OF THE 5TH BRIGADE

The 5th Brigade

The units of the 5th Brigade were never together as a brigade 

in France or at any time an element of a division, and for that 

reason its commanding general was assigned additional duty 

in the American Expeditionary Forces.

Brigadier General Eli K. Cole, the first commanding general 

of the 5th Brigade, arrived in France on 24 September 1918 and 

proceeded to headquarters, 41st Division (1st Depot Division), 

Saint-Aignan, France, reporting there 1–4 October 1918; on 6 October 1918, he joined the 2d Division at Souain, France, as an observer and remained with the 2d Division until 26 October 1918, 

when he left to report at Saint-Aignan. On 28 October 1918, Brigadier General Cole arrived at Saint-Aignan and assumed command 

of the 41st Division (1st Depot Division). From 27 December 1918 

to 10 January 1919, he commanded the 1st Replacement Depot. 

From 12 January to 3 February 1919, he commanded the American 

Embarkation Center at Le Mans, France. From 23 February 1919 to 

4 March 1919, he commanded the Forwarding Camp at Le Mans, 

France. During 5–21 March 1919, Brigadier General Cole was occupied inspecting the units of the 5th Brigade. He left Tours, France, 

on 31 March, arrived at Brest the same day, [and] was detached from 

the American Expeditionary Forces on 31 March and sailed for the 

United States on the [RMS] Mauretania [1906], arriving at New 

York [on] 7 April 1919.
106

Chapter XVII

Brigadier General Smedley D. Butler relieved Brigadier General 

Cole as commanding general of the brigade on 9 April 1919 and 

retained command until it was demobilized in August 1919.

One of the most prominent and outstanding features of the 

American Expeditionary Forces was the administration of Camp 

Pontanezen at Brest, France, by Brigadier General Smedley D. Butler, United States Marine Corps, from 6 October 1918 to the latter 

part of July 1919. The words of the citation conferring upon him the 

Army Distinguished Service Medal describes in general terms the 

important work accomplished by Brigadier General Butler:

Smedley D. Butler, brigadier general, United States Marine Corps. For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished 

services. He has commanded with ability and energy Pontanezen Camp at Brest during the time in which it has developed into the largest embarkation camp in the world. 

Confronted with problems of extraordinary magnitude in 

supervising the reception, entertainment, and departure of 

the large numbers of officers and soldiers passing through 

this camp, he has solved all with conspicuous success, performing services of the highest character for the American 

Expeditionary Forces.

Brigadier General Butler returned to the United States in command of the 5th Brigade on the [USS] Siboney [AD 2999], arriving 

at Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 8 August 1919.

Major William C. Wise [ Jr.] was brigade adjutant from the date 

the brigade was organized to 25 September 1918; Major Charles D. 

Barrett relieved Major Wise and acted as adjutant until he went to 

the 4th Brigade to relieve Lieutenant Colonel Ellis; Major Calvin 

B. Matthews was brigade adjutant from 11 July 1919 to the date the 

brigade was demobilized.

The 11th Regiment

Colonel George Van Orden commanded the 11th Regiment during 

its entire existence. The 11th Regiment was split up, its several units 

being spread all over France. Units of this regiment performed duty 

at various times at the following places: Brest, Tours, Montierchaume
107

The Activities of the 5th Brigade

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

During World War I, then-Col Smedley D. Butler commanded the 13th Regiment until LtCol Douglas C. McDougal assumed command. For exceptionally 

meritorious service, he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal, 

the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, and the French Order of the Black 

Star.
108

Chapter XVII

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Col George Van Orden, seen wearing the patch of the 5th Brigade, commanded the 11th Regiment, 5th Marine Brigade, in France. He was decorated by the 

French government with the Order of the Black Star.
109

The Activities of the 5th Brigade

(Indre), Havre, Gievres (Loire-et-Cher), Marseilles, Toulon (Bouchesdu-Rhône), Miramas (Bouches-du-Rhône), Issoudun (Indre), La

Pallice, La Rochelle (Charente-Inférieur), Mehun (Cher), SaintAignan-Noyers, Romorantin (Loire-et-Cher), Marans, Nevers, Aigrefeuille, Barmant, Somme, Châteauroux (Indre), Camp Covington

(Camp Carret) near Marseilles, Paris (Headquarters Detachment, 

American Peace Commission).

The officers and men performed duties of various kinds, among 

such being: post commanders, post and assistant post adjutants, personnel adjutants, regulating officers, assistant to the depot engineer, 

receiving officers, entertainment officers, assistant post chaplain, police officers, prison officers, camp guards, dock guards, commanding 

officers of troops, police sergeants, inspectors of the guard, district 

fire marshals, post welfare officers, district athletic officers, assistant 

provost marshals, fire patrol officers, fire marshals, transportation 

guard service, guard duty over prisoners, quartermaster property 

guard, interpreters, etc.

The 13th Regiment

Colonel Smedley D. Butler commanded the 13th Regiment from 

the date of its organization until 19 November 1918, on which date 

Lieutenant Colonel Douglas C. McDougal assumed command and 

remained its commanding officer until it was demobilized.

Like the 11th Regiment, the units of this regiment performed 

duty in the various posts in the services of supply, among such places 

being Brest, Bordeaux, Saint-Nazaire, La Rochelle, La Pallice, Rochefort, Montoir, Bassens (Gironde), Sursol (Gironde), Casino-deLilas (Bordeaux), La Teste (Gironde), Beau Desert (Gironde), 

Nantes, Saint-Sulpice (Gironde), Savenay, St. Loubès (Gironde), 

Lormont, Carbon-Blanc, Grange Neuve, Genicart, Croix d’Hins, La 

Baule, Isle of Sainte-Anne (Nantes), Penhouet, [and] Usine Brûlée.

The officers and men performed duties of various kinds, among 

such being provost guard, hospital center guard, camp guard, railroad 

transportation officers, commanding dock guard, dock guard, unloading ships, erecting tents at Pontanezen Barracks, military police, 

warehouse guards, convoying of railroad trains, special guards for 

shipments of commissary supplies, assistants to camp commander at 
110

Chapter XVII

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Pictured here as a brigadier general, Douglas C. McDougal was assigned to 

Quantico in July 1918 for duty with the 13th Regiment and, in September of 

that year, sailed for France as second in command, where he remained through 

the end of the war.
111

The Activities of the 5th Brigade

Camp Pontanezen, prison guards, assisting thousands of convalescent and sick soldiers who disembarked from the Leviathan to get to 

Camp Pontanezen, inspector general’s department, base section No. 

1, stockade guard, traffic police, motor transportation convoy guard, 

dock guard secret service, segregation camp, and railway patrol.

The 5th Brigade Machine Gun Battalion

Major Ernest A. Perkins commanded the 5th Brigade Machine 

Gun Battalion from the date of its organization until 4 November 

1918; Captain Franklin A. Hart [commanded] from that date until 

12 November 1918; and from 12 November 1918 to date of demobilization Major Allen H. Turnage was the commanding officer. This 

battalion performed duty at Camp Pontanezen during its entire stay 

in France.

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

One of the most prominent accomplishments of 5th Brigade Marines was the 

administration of Camp Pontanezen, Brest, which stood as one of the largest 

embarkation camps in the world to that date. The camp was the point of reception, entertainment, and departure for large numbers of officers and men on 

their way back to the United States.
112

CHAPTER XVIII

CASUALTIES

During the period of the World War, the Marine Corps personnel suffered casualties in actual battle in France with the American Expeditionary Forces (2d Division and aviation); 

in aviation while operating as part of the naval service in France; 

and in the West Indies in operations against the bandits of Santo 

Domingo.

Marine Corps Casualties

Marine Corps deaths in the American Expeditionary Forces, as obtained from Marine Corps records on 14 January 1920, are divided 

as follows:

Character Officers Enlisted Total

Killed in action 45 1,420 1,465

Died of wounds received in action 30 961 991

Died of accident 3 24 27

Died of disease 14 255 269

Died of other causes 1 11 12

Total 93 2,671 2,764
113

Casualties

Photo courtesy of the Clifton B. Cates Collection, Marine Corps Archives

Marine casualties gather for a photograph during World War I.
114

Chapter XVIII

The following is a summary of the casualties sustained by the 

4th Brigade from 15 March to 11 November 1918, as published 

in General Orders, No. 66, 2d Division, American Expeditionary 

Forces, dated 2 July 1919:

Photo courtesy of the Clifton B. Cates Collection, Marine Corps Archives

U.S. Navy corpsmen served alongside the Marines in combat, in the 

trenches, and all throughout the war.
115

Casualties

Killed

Died of 

wounds

Missing

Wounded 

(severely)

Wounded 

(slightly)

Wounded 

(unknown)

Gassed

Total

Operations

Officers

Men

Officers

Men

Officers

Men

Officers

Men

Officers

Men

Officers

Men

Officers

Men

Officers

Men

 15 MarchToulon sector (Verdun)

–13 May 0 12 2 44 0 0 0 16 6 46 0 89 4 287 12 494

 31 MayChâteau-Thierry sector

Aisne defensive and

–9 July 25 724 9 304 0 33 3 322 20 656 46 2,123 9 436 112 4,598

 18Aisne-Marne offensive

–25 July 10 156 5 104 66 9 250 20 489 30 911 2 39 76 2,015

 9Marbache sector

–22 August 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 8 0 3 0 0 0 15

 12Saint-Mihiel offensive

–16 September 3 57 0 86 0 11 3 124 6 334 4 287 0 4 16 903

 1Meuse-Argonne (Champagne)

–10 October 9 320 8 155 0 31 23 380 43 862 6 480 6 141 95 2,369

 1Meuse-Argonne offensive

–11 November 8 189 1 59 0 20 7 222 20 467 6 206 3 55 45 1,218

TOTAL 55 1,459 25 753 0 161 45 1,316 115 2,862 92 4,099 24 962 356 11,612

Fourth Brigade casualties
116

Chapter XVIII

Aviation Casualties

The following table shows the casualties sustained by the Marine 

aviation forces between 6 April 1917 and 11 November 1918:

Character Officers Enlisted Total

Killed in action 2 0 2

Died of wounds 1 0 1

Died of accident 6 6 12

Died of disease 1 25 26

Died of other causes 1 0 1

Wounded in action 2 3 5

Total 13 34 47

Total Marine Corps Deaths

From 6 April 1917 to 10 September 1919, 131 officers and 3,489 

enlisted men died, [or] a total of 3,620 Marine Corps deaths from 

all causes.

Casualties in the Dominican Republic

During the period between 6 April 1917 and 11 November 1918,

1 officer was wounded in action, 4 enlisted men were killed in action, 

and 13 [were] wounded in action in the Dominican Republic in 

operations against bandits.

Lost on the Cyclops

Two Marines died when the [USS] Cyclops [AC 4] was lost at sea in 

March 1918.

Casualties of Naval Personnel

Of the 60 naval medical officers, 12 naval dental officers, and 500 

enlisted men of the Medical Corps of the Navy serving with the 

Marines in the American Expeditionary Force, 1 commissioned officer and 12 enlisted men were killed; 8 commissioned officers and 

101 enlisted men were wounded or gassed.
117

CHAPTER XIX

CITATIONS OF MARINE ORGANIZATIONS

DAYS IN FRANCE

ARTILLERY CAPTURED

PRISONERS CAPTURED

KILOMETERS ADVANCED

DECORATIONS AWARDED

Citations in French Army Orders

The French Army recognized the splendid work of the 5th 

and 6th Regiments by citing them three times in army orders

for achievements in the Château-Thierry sector, the AisneMarne, and the Meuse-Argonne (Champagne). The 6th Machine 

Gun Battalion was similarly cited for its work in the Château-Thierry

sector and the Aisne-Marne, and the 4th Brigade for its work in the 

Château-Thierry sector.

Information was received in January 1920 that the War Department had accepted the award of the French fourragère in the colors 

of the ribbon of the Croix de Guerre for several Army organizations 

and the three units of the 4th Brigade. Prior to this date, the only 

American organizations that had received permission to accept or 

wear the French fourragère were three sections of the ambulance 

service and one aero squadron, all of which were temporary organizations and have now been demobilized.
118

Chapter XIX

Days in France

A Marine Corps unit arrived in France with the first expedition of 

American troops. From 26 June 1917 to 11 November 1918, Marines were in Europe with the American Expeditionary Forces a total of 504 days, of which 66 days were in active sectors and 71 in 

quiet sectors.

Artillery Captured by 2d Division

The commanding general, 2d Division, under date of 30 December 

1918, reported to General Headquarters, American Expeditionary 

Forces, the following data with reference to artillery and machine 

guns captured:

Sector Heavy

artillery

Light

artillery

Trench

mortars

Machine

guns

Antitank

guns

Verdun 0 0 0 0 0

Château-Thierry 0 * 12 119 0

Soissons 9 66 2 200

Marbache 0 0 0 0 0

Saint-Mihiel 60 61 0 122 0

Blanc Mont 5 37 27 409 8

Meuse-Argonne 0 105** 17 500 0

Total 74 269 58 1,350 8

*A small number of light artillery was captured, but no count made.

**On account of the rapid advance, for a total of about 29 kilometers, during which 

time these guns in position and along the roads were overrun and left behind, it 

was impossible to make an accurate check of the them, and therefore the figures 

report guns both heavy and light. They were taken from reports of subordinate 

commanders made at the time. Rifles were not counted.

Prisoners Captured

The 2d Division captured 12,026 prisoners, which is 19.07 percent 

of the total prisoners captured by the entire American Expeditionary Forces.
119

Citations, France, Captured, Advanced, Decorations

Kilometers Advanced

The 2d Division advanced 60 kilometers against the enemy.

Decorations Awarded Marines

The following number of decorations was awarded [to] Marines during the war:

Medals of Honor (Army) 5

Distinguished Service Medals (Army) 8

Distinguished Service Crosses (Army) 363

Distinguished Service Order (British) 1

Croix de guerre (French) 1,237

Legion of Honor (French) 19

Médaille Militaire (French) 10

Belgian decorations 10

Chinese decorations 1

Italian decorations 9

Montenegrin decorations 4

Portuguese decorations 1

Total 1,668

The above number of Distinguished Service Crosses (Army) 

awarded includes 42 awarded to Navy Medical Corps personnel, 2 

to YMCA personnel, and 2 to French officers serving with Marines. 

The above number of Croix de Guerre (French) awarded includes 82 

awarded to Navy Medical Corps and Navy Dental Corps personnel 

and 3 to Navy chaplains serving with Marines. One Navy chaplain 

was awarded a Legion of Honor (French), but this is not included 

in the above.
120

CHAPTER XX

RIFLE PRACTICE

RIFLE AND PISTOL COMPETITIONS

Rifle Practice

I

n recent years, the Marine Corps has devoted a great deal of 

time and energy to rifle practice, believing that one of the first 

requirements of a soldier is to know how to shoot. During the 

period of the war, target practice was given special attention and, in 

1918, it was announced that no enlisted men would be sent overseas 

who had not qualified as marksman or better. This announcement 

created even greater interest than before in target practice among the 

enlisted personnel and gratifying results were obtained on all rifle 

ranges. The Marines that arrived in France were educated riflemen 

but, despite that fact, rifle ranges of some character were established 

and used in every spot of France and Germany where the Marines 

remained long enough to make it feasible and practicable to do so.

The percentage of marksmanship qualifications of the enlisted 

personnel of the Marine Corps on various dates in the American 

Expeditionary Forces and in the United States was as follows:

Place and date Percentage

Entire Marine Corps, 6 April 1917 48.0

Marines of AEF, 11 November 1918 68.1

Entire Marine Corps, 30 November 1918 67.1

Entire Marine Corps, 1 March 1918 66.0

Marines of AEF, 1 July 1919 81.6
121

Rifle Practice, Rifle and Pistol Competitions

The number of marksmanship qualifications of the last six years 

in the Marine Corps was as follows:

Classification 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919

Expert rifleman 596 883 1,287 1,709 6,019 7,851

Sharpshooter 2,749 2,536 1,984 2,373 8,933 10,642

Marksmen 757 1,471 2,594 6,011 14,826 21,918

Total qualified 4,102 4,890 5,865 10,093 29,778 40,411

Percentage 41.5 49.3 59.1 37.9 67 82.8

Rifle and Pistol Competitions

During the period of the war, the Marine Corps rifle teams, teams 

representing Marine Corps units, and teams partly composed of 

Marines engaged in seven important competitions.

(1) The National Rifle Association and the national matches 

held at Camp Perry, Ohio, in 1918. Marines won the following National Rifle Association matches: Members’ match, 

300-yard rapid-fire match, Wimbledon cup match, Marine 

Corps match, President’s match, and the grand aggregate; 

and took second place in the Leech cup match and the 200-

yard rapid-fire match. Of the national matches, Marines won 

the national team match and United States Service match; 

took 6th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 26th, 30th, 67th, 68th, 69th, and 

71st places in the national individual match; took 2d place 

in the national individual pistol match; and three Marines 

were among the first hundred of the individual pistol match 

in which there were 942 shooters entered.

(2) The National Rifle Association and the national 

matches held at Caldwell, New Jersey, in 1919. The members 

of the 1919 Marine Corps rifle team squad made a splendid 

showing in the rifle matches, outclassing their military and 

civilian competitors in almost every match held. The Marines 

won 13 matches out of the 16 in which they were entered;

civilian riflemen took 2 events; and the cavalry 1. Marines 

won the following matches: company team, enlisted men’s 
122

Chapter XX

team, member’s, Marine Corps cup, rapid fire, regimental 

team, veteran team, two-man team, president’s, grand aggregate, national individual, United Service, and the national 

team. Four Marines were on the American Expeditionary 

Forces team, which took second place.

(3) The 26th annual Sea Girt Interstate Tournament 

held at Sea Girt, New Jersey, in 1919. The Marines won 14 

of the 18 matches in which they were entered, winning the 

following matches: Hayes, Meany, Spencer, two-man team 

(New Jersey), Wingate, Libbey, all-corners expert, Cruikshank trophy, Rogers trophy, Sadler trophy, Dryden trophy, 

McAlpin trophy, Roe all-comers long range, and Sea Girt 

championship.

(4) The American Expeditionary Forces rifle, pistol, and 

musketry competition, held on the D’Avours Range at Le 

Mans, France, in May 1919. The first three places in the individual rifle competition were won by Marines; a Marine won 

the individual pistol match; the 5th Regiment stood first in 

the regimental standing, followed by the 13th, 6th, and 11th 

Regiments in 7th, 8th, and, 11th places in the order mentioned; a Marine won first place in the individual automatic 

rifle competition. The 2d Division led all other divisions.

(5) The Inter-Allied Games held on the D’Avours Range 

at Le Mans, France, in July 1919. The American Expeditionary Forces team, on which [there] were four Marines, defeated all nations. A Marine took second place in the individual 

rifle match.

(6) Third Army championship (Amarok shoot) held on 

the rifle range at Wehr, Germany, under the auspices of the 

3d Division in June 1919. The Marines and the 2d Division 

won most of the honors in this competition.

(7) A special Inter-Allied rifle competition for five-men 

teams on a 300-meter range near Paris, France. France won 

and America was second. Two Marines were on the American team.
123

CHAPTER XXI

AVIATION

Strength and Distribution

On 6 April 1917, the Marine section of naval aviation, consisting of 5 officers and 30 enlisted men, was stationed at 

Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, as part of the complement of that station. 

During April, May, and June 1917, the Marine aviation section 

was transferred to a combination land and water station for Marine 

fliers at Navy Yard, Philadelphia, and the training of personnel for 

land flying began. The official designation of this organization was 

the Marine Aeronautic Company. Training in observation balloons 

was done in addition to the heavier-than-air work.

On 12 October 1917, this Marine Aeronautic Company, then 

consisting of 34 officers and 330 enlisted men, was divided into the 

1st Aviation Squadron, consisting of 24 officers and 237 enlisted 

men, and the 1st Marine Aeronautic Company, consisting of 10 officers and 93 enlisted men. On 14 October 1917, the 1st Marine 

Aeronautic Company was transferred to Cape May, New Jersey, and 

took over the naval air station [there].

On 7 December 1917, the 1st Marine Aeronautic Company, then

consisting of 12 officers and 133 enlisted men, was ordered to Naval 

Base 13, Ponta Delgada, Azores, arriving there on 21 January 1918. 

This company was the first completely equipped American aviation 

unit to leave the United States for service in the war. This organization
124

Chapter XXI 

operated an antisubmarine patrol station of 10 [Curtiss] R-6 seaplanes, 2 [Curtiss] N-9 seaplanes, and later 6 [Curtiss] HS-2L flying boats until the station was ordered abandoned on 24 January 

1919, when it was ordered to return to the United States, arriving at 

the Marine flying field, Miami, Florida, [on] 15 March 1919. Major 

Francis T. Evans was in command from 9 January to 18 July 1918, 

and Major David L. S. Brewster [was in command] from 19 July 

1918 to 20 January 1919.

On 17 October 1917, the 1st Aviation Squadron was transferred 

from the Marine flying field, Navy Yard, Philadelphia, to the Army 

training field at Mineola, Long Island, where instruction and training were carried on in land flying. On 31 December 1917, this organization was transferred to Gerstner Field, Lake Charles, Louisiana, 

for advanced training.

In March 1918, the Marine flying field, Miami, Florida, was established and, on 31 March 1918, the 1st Aviation Squadron was 

transferred to that field from Lake Charles. Four Marine squadrons 

of land-fighting planes and a headquarters company were organized 

to operate under the Navy as the Day Wing of the Northern Bombing Group in northern France, which operated in the Dunkirk area 

[France] against German submarines and their bases [in Belgium] 

at Ostend, Zeebrugge, and Bruges.

On 13 July 1918, the 1st Marine Aviation Force, consisting of 

Squadrons A, B, C, and Headquarters Company, left Miami, and 

embarked onboard the De Kalb at New York City for France [on] 

18 July 1918. This organization consisted of 107 officers and 654 

enlisted men and, when Squadron D joined in October 1918, it 

consisted of 149 officers and 842 enlisted men. On 30 July 1918, 

the Day Wing disembarked at Brest, France, and proceeded to its 

aerodromes between Calais and Dunkirk, where they established 

camp and prepared the aerodromes for use. The personnel of the Day 

Wing were completely organized and ready for service two weeks 

after their arrival in France. Part of the planes and equipment of 

this organization arrived at Pauillac, France, before the organization 

reached France on 30 July 1918. On 28 September 1918, one plane 

was delivered to the Marine Day Wing. On 5 October 1918, Squadron D of the Day Wing, consisting of 42 officers and 188 enlisted 
125

Aviation

men, arrived at Le Franc aerodrome, completing the four squadrons 

of the Day Wing. During the month of October, additional planes 

were delivered to the Day Wing.

In order to prevent the personnel, who were completely trained 

and ready for action when they reached the front [on] 2 August 

1918, from getting badly out of practice, the commanding officer 

[of the] Day Wing requested permission from the British aviation 

forces in the vicinity to be allowed to assign certain Marine pilots to 

operate with their squadrons until the Marine planes were delivered. 

As many Marine pilots as could be accommodated were operating 

with British squadrons until the end of the war, and were highly 

complimented by the British officers. The Day Wing carried out 14 

independent raids far behind the enemy lines, did considerable damage, and brought back valuable information. The organization participated actively and creditably in both offensives on the Flanders 

front. It was learned after the armistice that one raid resulted in the 

death of 60 enemy officers and 300 enlisted men. A feat worthy of 

mention was performed by Marine Corps pilots. A French regiment 

was cut off by the enemy near Stadenburg. It was decided to attempt 

to feed them by [air]plane. Marine Corps pilots loaded up with food 

and flew low over this isolated regiment and successfully dropped 

2,600 pounds of food to them in the face of heavy fire from artillery, machine guns, and rifles. This process was continued for two 

days until the regiment was extricated. The number of enemy planes 

brought down by Marine pilots, bombs dropped, food dropped, and 

other facts of a statistical nature are given elsewhere. Three pilots 

were killed or died of wounds received in action, two of them being 

shot down over the enemy’s lines.

Major Alfred A. Cunningham commanded the Day Wing from 

the date of its organization to 7 December 1918, except the period 

1–7 August 1918, during which time Major Roy S. Geiger was in 

command.

While in Europe, the Marine fliers served with 217 and 218 

(bombing squadrons), Royal Air Force of England; and with pursuit, 

observation, and bombing squadrons of the French Flying Corps.

In February 1918, the Marine aviation section of 8 officers and 

40 enlisted men was organized and stationed at Naval Air Station 
126

Chapter XXI 

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Then-2dLt Alfred A. Cunningham was detailed to the Philadelphia Navy 

Yard in February 1917 to establish, equip, and command Aviation Company 

for a Marine Corps Advanced Base Force and quickly sent to France. After its 

arrival in France, the company was designated the Northern Bombing Group 

and, in the three months it was stationed in Europe, the group operated at Oye, 

Le Fresne, Saint-Pol in France, and at Hondschoote, Ghistelles, Varsenare, and 

Knesselare in Belgium. Despite shortages in planes, spares (planes and equipment), and tools, the company performed 43 raids with the British and French, 

as well as 14 independent raids and shot down 8 enemy aircraft. The group also 

dropped 52,000 pounds of bombs and provided 2,600 pounds of supplies for 

the food-dropping missions in which it participated.
127

Aviation

Miami. The personnel of this section was later increased and served 

at that station throughout the war, taking over the deep-sea scouting 

of that station. Captain Thomas R. Shearer was in command during 

the entire time.

Strength at Beginning and End of War

The strength of Marine aviation on 6 April 1917 and on 11 November 

1918 was as follows:

6 April 1917

Commissioned officers 4

Warrant officer 1

Enlisted men 30

Total 35

11 November 1918

Commissioned officers 250

Warrant officers 32

Enlisted men 2,180

Total 2,462

Stations

The following are the stations at which Marine aviators operated, 

showing whether they operated independently, with the Navy, or with 

the Army:

Independently Navy Army

Marine Flying Field, Marine Section, Roosevelt Field,

Miami, FL Naval Air Station, Mineola, NY

 Miami, FL

Balloon Company, Day Wing, Gerstner Field,

Quantico, VA Northern Bombing Group, Lake Charles, LA

 France
128

Chapter XXI 

Independently Navy Army

Naval Base No. 13, Naval Air Station, Army Balloon Schools,

Azores Pensacola, FL St. Louis, MO

 Omaha, NE

Marine Flying Field,

Philadelphia, PA

Naval Air Station,

Cape May, NJ

Planes Operated by Marines

The number of planes operated by Marine aviators at Pensacola on 

6 April 1917 was four, and the type [was] A. H. Curtiss. On 11 November 1918, the following planes were operated by the personnel 

of Marine Aviation:

Marine Flying Field, Miami

De Havilland 4s, Curtiss JNs, ThomasMorse Scouts, and M-1 defense planes 118

Naval Air Station Miami

HS-1-L, and HS-2-L flying boats,

and R-6 Curtiss seaplanes 24

Balloon Company, Quantico

N-9 and R-6 Seaplanes 3

Caquot and kite balloons 4

Naval Base No 13, Azores

R-6, N-9 seaplanes and HS-2-L

and HS-1-L flying boats 18

Northern Bombing Group, France

De Haviland 4s and 9s 177

At other times the following planes were operated by Marine 

pilots:

Philadelphia, PA

Curtiss JNs 6

Curtiss R-6s 2

Curtiss N-9s 2
129

Aviation

Roosevelt Field, Mineola

Army land planes 12

Gerstner Field, Lake Charles

Army land planes 12

Cape May Naval Air Station

R-6 and N-9 seaplanes 8

Total planes operated by Marine pilots 386

Training of Officers and Enlisted Men

During the war, the Marine Corps selected and trained its own

flyers and mechanics, and had its own aviation field and equipment. 

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT], Boston, enlisted Marines selected as promising flying material and given the 

rank of gunnery sergeant took a 10-week course in groundwork, and 

about 80 men a month were graduated. After ground graduation, 

they did their actual flying at the Marine Flying Field, Miami. This 

course embraced preliminary, acrobatic, and formation flying, bombing, gunnery, and reconnaissance work, including photographing.

Upon qualifying, they were commissioned as second lieutenants 

in the Marine Corps Reserve Flying Corps. Marine flying candidates were all enlisted Marines of superior physique, weighing from 

135 to 165 pounds, and with at least two years’ college or university 

study to their credit. The age limits were 19–39 years. Marine Corps 

mechanics, riggers, and armorers were trained at the Marine Corps 

section of the naval school for mechanics, Great Lakes Training Station, Chicago, Illinois, the course covering eight weeks, and at a similar school in aviation mechanics at San Diego, California.

In December 1917, 2 Marine officers and 10 enlisted men were 

sent to the Army balloon school at St. Louis, Missouri, and later to 

Omaha, Nebraska, for training.
130

Chapter XXI 

Aviation Statistics

Marine squadrons overseas in France 5

Total officers in France 165

Total enlisted men in France 895

Marine officers serving with Army Air Service, 

American Expeditionary Forces 6

Overseas, outside of France: Naval Base No. 13, 

Ponta Delgada, Azores

1 squadron, 12 

officers, 135 

enlisted men

Officers completely trained [and] ready for overseas 

aviation duty in the United States on 11 November 

1918

100

Enlisted men completely trained [and] ready for 

overseas aviation duty in the United States on 11 

November 1918

1,150

Number of squadrons and companies in United 

States on 11 November 1918 3

Total officers in United States on 11 November 

1918 100

Total enlisted men in United States 11 November 

1918 1,150

Total number of cadets under training (at all times) 225

Cadets completely trained (in all three branches) 

as bombers, chasse pilots, and seaplane fliers, total 

commissioned from 1 October 1918 to date

175

Raids participated in by Marine fliers serving with 

the British and French 43

Total number of bombing raids completely Marine 14

Total pounds of bombs dropped 52,000

Number of food raids 5

Pounds of food dropped 2,600

Number of enemy aircraft accounted for officially 12
131

Aviation

Return of Marine Aviators from Europe

Early in December 1918, the Day Wing received orders to return 

to the United States, and embarked on 6 December 1918 onboard 

the [USS] Mercury [ID 3012] at Saint-Nazaire, France, arriving at 

Newport News, Virginia, [on] 21 December 1918. The 1st Marine 

Aeronautic Company returned from the Azores in March 1919,

arriving at the Marine Flying Field, Miami, on 15 March 1919.
132

CHAPTER XXII

MARINE CORPS RESERVE

On 6 April 1917, the strength of the Marine Corps Reserve, 

all classes, was 36; the enlisted strength of the Naval Militia, Marine Corps Branch, of the various states was 928. 

On 1 April 1917, the Naval Militia, Marine Corps Branch, attained 

its highest strength [at] 1,046. There was no recruiting for the Naval Militia, Marine Corps Branch, after 1 April 1917 and, [as a] 

consequence, the enlisted personnel of that branch showed a steady 

decrease subsequent to that date, owing to discharges and rejections. 

On 1 July 1918, the Naval Militia, Marine Corps Branch, then 

the National Naval Volunteers, Marine Corps Branch, consolidated 

with the Marine Corps Reserve in pursuance with the provisions 

of an act of Congress approved 1 July 1918 and, [as a] consequence 

thereof became members of Class 2, Marine Corps Reserve. On 

16 November 1918, the Marine Corps Reserve attained its highest 

strength [at] 6,773.

Strength on 11 November 1918

The following table shows [the] strength of Marine Corps Reserve 

on active duty on 11 November 1918:

Majors 7

Captains 33

First lieutenants 63

Second lieutenants 360

Total commissioned officers 463
133

Marine Corps Reserve

Marine gunners 27

Quartermaster clerks 2

Pay clerks 4

Total warrant officers 33

Enlisted men 6,483

Female Reserves 277

Total enlisted personnel 6,760

Strength of the Marine Corps Reserve

Year Total men

(active)

Total men 

(inactive)

Women 

(active)

Women 

(inactive) Total

1917

1 April 35 35

1 May 424 424

1 June 885 885

1 July 1,096 1,096

1 August 1,167 1,167

1 September 1,186 1,186

1 October 1,210 1,210

1 November 1,202 1,202

1 December 1,341 1,341

1918

1 January 1,531 1,531

1 February 2,514 2,514

1 March 4,106 4,106

1 April 4,745 4,745
134

Chapter XXII

Year Total men

(active)

Total men 

(inactive)

Women 

(active)

Women 

(inactive) Total

1 May 4,780 4,780

1 June 4,950 4,950

1 July 5,211 5,211

1 August 6,378 6,378

1 September 6,453 31 6,484

1 October 6,402 145 6,547

1 November 6,467 240 6,707

1 December 6,440 42 269 6,751

1919

1 January 5,820 588 260 6,668

1 February 5,022 1,301 255 6,578

1 March 4,392 1,910 246 6,548

1 April 3,555 2,684 234 6,473

1 May 3,064 3,041 229 6,334

1 June 2,871 3,179 238 6,288

1 July 2,410 3,502 226 6,138

1 August 2,186 3,694 201 6,081

Note: Empty cells indicate that no data was available.
135

CHAPTER XXIII

RETURN OF MARINES FROM EUROPE

PARADES IN THE UNITED STATES

Return of 2d Division and 4th Brigade

A great many Marines returned from Europe gradually and 

in small detachments from the date the armistice became 

operative.

The commanding general of the 2d Division and his staff, headquarters of the 4th Brigade, the 5th Regiment, and the 2d Battalion 

of the 6th Regiment arrived in the United States onboard the George 

Washington on 3 August 1919; the remainder of the 6th Regiment 

arrived in the United States early in August 1919 onboard the [USS] 

Rijndam [ID 2505] and the [USS] Wilhelmina [ID 2168], the 6th 

Machine Gun Battalion arrived in the United States onboard the 

[USS] Santa Paula [ID 1590] on 5 August 1919.

Return of the 5th Brigade

The 5th Brigade Headquarters, the 13th Regiment (less Company B), and the 5th Brigade Machine Gun Battalion arrived in the 

United States onboard the Siboney on 8 August 1919. Company B 

of the 13th Regiment arrived on the [USS] Mercury [ID 3012] on 

12 August 1919. The 11th Regiment arrived in the United States 

onboard the [USS] Orizaba [ID 1536] on 9 August 1919. All the 

above Marine organizations and individuals were returned to the 

naval service soon after arrival in the United States.
136

Chapter XXIII

Composite Regiment, Third Army

The company of Marines and [the] battalion commander (major) 

and staff, forming a part of the Composite Regiment, Third Army, 

returned to the United States onboard the Leviathan on 8 September 1919, and were returned to the naval service in September 1919.

The colonel commanding the Composite Regiment in a letter 

dated 21 September 1919 commended the battalion commander 

and staff, the commanding officer of the company, and “the lieutenants for their loyalty and attention to details, and noncommissioned 

officers and men for their soldierly appearance, high standard of morale, and discipline,” concluding with these words:

The Composite Regiment paraded as escort to the general 

of the Army, in London, Paris, New York, and Washington, 

DC. The regiment has been favorably commended. This is 

entirely due to the loyalty, energy, and attention to duty of 

the officers and individual soldiers in the regiment; and in 

this, the Marine Corps representatives deserve a large share.

Schleswig-Holstein Battalion

With the return of the above Marine organizations, all Marines of 

the American Expeditionary Forces were out of Europe with the 

exception of a few individuals, and the 15th Separate Battalion, consisting of 26 officers and about 700 enlisted men, which was retained 

for duty in France for possible operations in connection with the 

Schleswig-Holstein plebiscite [vote].

This battalion, under command of Major Charles F. B. Price, was 

organized at Camp Pontanezen, Brest, in July 1919 from personnel 

of the 4th and 5th Brigades and the 12th Separate Battalion. The 

battalion designation was changed on 15 August from “Provisional 

Battalion, U.S. Marines,” to the “15th Separate Battalion.”

The battalion rendered honors to General Pershing on 1 September 1919, upon his departure from France at Brest and on the 

same day was inspected by Marshal Foch, who commended the battalion on its splendid appearance. Leaving Brest on the Mercury [on] 

3 September 1919, the battalion arrived six days later at Bordeaux 

to take part in the ceremony of laying a foundation for a monu-
137

Return of Marines from Europe, Parades in the United States

ment commemorating the entrance of the United States into the 

[First] World War at Pointe de Grave near Bordeaux, France. It then

returned to Brest and, in December, went onboard the [USS] Henderson [AP 1], then at that port. The Henderson, with the battalion 

onboard, sailed from Brest, arriving at Philadelphia on 23 December 

1919 after a 16-day trip. On 30 December 1919, the battalion arrived at Quantico.

Return of Aviation Units

Information regarding the return of Marine Corps aviation units 

from Europe will be found in chapter XXI.

Parades in the United States

On 8 August 1919, the 4th Brigade, as a part of the 2d Division, 

paraded in New York City. Major General John A. Lejeune, with 

many Marine officers on his staff, was in command. On 8 August 

1919, the 4th Brigade was transferred to the naval service upon its 

arrival at Quantico.

On 12 August 1919, the 4th Brigade, then a part of the naval 

service, was reviewed by the president of the United States in a parade at Washington, DC. Brigadier General Wendell C. Neville was 

in command.

A company of Marines and a battalion commander, as a part of 

the Third Army Composite Regiment, paraded in New York and in 

Washington, DC, as escort to General Pershing. The 1st Division 

also formed a part of these parades.
138

CHAPTER XXIV

DEMOBILIZATION

I

mmediately upon the armistice becoming operative on 11 November 1918, the question of demobilization became one of 

paramount importance. It was necessary that plans be at once 

put into effect, providing for the release from service at the earliest 

possible (date of duration-of-war men and reservists. While authority existed to hold such men for several months after the ratification 

of the peace treaty, the popular demand for the return and discharge 

of all who could be spared was only natural. Parents, relatives, and 

friends could see no necessity for the keeping of their loved ones in 

the Service after actual fighting ceased.

The problem before the Marine Corps was serious, as a [full-]

scale reduction at that time would have seriously crippled its efficiency. Therefore, on 20 November 1918, in Marine Corps Orders 

No. 56, orders were issued to the Service stating that it was the desire of headquarters to release those members of the Marine Corps 

Reserve and those men of the Regular Service, who enlisted for the 

duration of the war, who wished to complete their education, or who 

had urgent family and business interests demanding immediate and 

personal attention. Thus demobilization, to a limited extent, was begun nine days after the signing of the armistice.

On 1 May 1919, it became necessary, owing to the demands 

of the Service and the reduction of the enlisted personnel, to temporarily limit the privilege of discharge to men whose release was 

necessary for urgent financial dependency reasons.
139

Demobilization

Following the approval of the act of 11 July 1919, which provided sufficient funds to sustain the Corps only at an average enlisted 

strength of 27,400 men, with corresponding officers, Marine Corps 

Orders No. 42, 12 July 1919, was published, establishing demobilization centers and promulgating detailed instructions for the complete demobilization. Under this plan, duration-of-war men were 

discharged as rapidly as the exigencies of the Service permitted. 

Those men serving in the “tropics,” who were eligible for discharge 

and desired their release, were returned to the United States as rapidly as practicable, and orders were issued for their discharge and 

awaited them at the time of joining a Marine barracks, thus minimizing delay in allowing them to go home. By the latter part of 

December 1919, practically all of the duration-of-war personnel had 

been discharged.

In August 1919, the 4th and 5th Brigades, which had been serving with the Army in France, were returned to the Marine Barracks 

Quantico and the Naval Operating Base, Hampton Roads, Virginia, 

respectively, at which places the demobilization of these two organizations was effected. This undertaking was by far the largest and 

most important of its kind that had ever confronted the Marine 

Corps but, due to the coordination of the various departments interested and the far-reaching and clearly defined instructions issued 

in advance the demobilization of these units, was effected in a remarkably short time, being completed on 13 August 1919, and in a 

manner bringing satisfaction to the men discharged, and reflecting 

to the credit of the Corps. The success of these efforts is evidenced 

by the following statement of demobilization:

Discharged or transferred to inactive status:

4th Brigade, 6,677 enlisted men

5th Brigade, 6,671 enlisted men

In addition to the enlisted men released, there were also about 

200 officers of the two brigades who were either discharged or transferred to an inactive status. Due to the diligent cooperation of those 

concerned, the demobilization was carried out with a degree of success far beyond expectations.
140

Chapter XXIV

Marines Are Welcomed Home by the Navy

Acting Secretary Roosevelt, [on] 11 August 1919, sent to all ships 

and stations of the United States Navy the following special order:

The Fourth Brigade of the Marine Corps, consisting of the 

Fifth Regiment. Sixth Regiment, and the Sixth Machine 

Gun Battalion, and the Fifth Brigade of the Marine Corps, 

consisting of the Eleventh Regiment, Thirteenth Regiment, 

and Fifth Brigade Machine Gun Battalion, have returned 

from service in Europe and have reverted from the Army to 

their status in the United States Navy. At this time I wish, 

on behalf of the naval service, to welcome them back and 

express to the officers and men of these organizations the 

very deep appreciation of the Navy for their splendid services 

while with the Army during the war.

Beginning with the first expeditionary forces, which left 

the United States in June 1917, over 30,000 officers and men 

of the Marine Corps have been sent to France. The Fourth 

Brigade, as a part of the immortal Second Division, has been 

engaged in all of the principal operations of the war. Their 

record speaks for itself. The Fifth Brigade, going to France 

later, furnished many splendidly trained replacements for the 

Fourth Brigade and performed arduous tasks according to 

tradition.

The entire Navy welcomes them home.

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT,

Acting Secretary of the Navy
141

Demobilization

The Secretary of War Praises the 4th Brigade

WAR DEPARTMENT, August 12, 1919

Hon. JOSEPHUS DANIELS,

 Secretary of the Navy

MY DEAR MR. SECRETARY: In the process of demobilization, the Marine Brigade, which by the President’s order 

became a part of the American Expeditionary Forces and was 

thus a part of the forces under the control of the War Department and under the command of General Pershing, has now 

been returned to this country, detached from the Army, and 

restored to the control of the Navy Department.

I cannot permit this heroic force to terminate its association with the Army without expressing to you, and through you 

to the officers and men of the Marine Corps, the deep sentiment of the War Department and of the Army toward it. The 

whole history of the Brigade in France is one of conspicuous 

service; when it was finally incorporated into the Second Division of the American Army it had early an opportunity to give a 

heroic demonstration of the unconquerable tenacity and dauntless courage of American soldiers. From then on in successive, 

almost continuous, battles the Marine Brigade and the division 

of which it was a part fought sternly and successfully until victory was obtained for the Allied Armies. Throughout this long 

contest the Marines, both by their valor and their tragic losses, 

heroically sustained added an imperishable chapter to the history of America’s participation in the World War.

On behalf of the Army I congratulate the Navy Department, the Major General commanding the Marines, those who 

have been instrumental in the formation and training of this 

splendid organization, and the officers and men of the organization itself.

Cordially yours,

NEWTON D. BAKER
142

Chapter XXIV

In reply, Acting Secretary Roosevelt said:

NAVY DEPARTMENT, August 13, 1919

Hon. NEWTON D. BAKER,

 Secretary of War, Washington, DC

DEAR MR. SECRETARY: Your very cordial letter and the 

tribute it bore to the Fourth Brigade of Marines was received 

with pleasure and deepest appreciation. The heroism of the Marines and the Regulars in the famous Second Division and their 

sacrifices have endeared them to all Americans and it is with 

very pardonable pride that we welcome them back to the Navy.

The spirit of cordial cooperation between the Army and 

the Navy was never better manifested than in the participation 

of these Marines in the great battles in France under the command of General Pershing as a part of the United States Army, 

and shoulder-to-shoulder with units of the Regular Army. It 

is with extreme gratification that we can look back upon this 

unbroken cooperation between our two departments that started at the time the first Navy ship carried troops to France and 

continued uninterruptedly through to the end.

On behalf of Secretary Daniels, the Commandant of the 

Marine Corps, the officers and men of that organization, I wish 

to thank you for the sentiments expressed in your letter and 

convey to you our appreciation of the heroism of the officers 

and men of the Army who with the Marines made the Second 

Division one of the greatest lighting organizations the world 

has ever known.

It is very gratifying in our pride over the achievements of 

the Marines, to know that that pride is shared by the War Department and your warm approbation of their conduct as a part 

of the Army will be treasured by the Corps as well as by the 

individuals.

Sincerely yours,

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT,

Acting Secretary of the Navy
143

CHAPTER XXV

OFFICE OF THE MAJOR GENERAL COMMANDANT

ADJUTANT AND INSPECTOR’S DEPARTMENT

Major General Commandant George Barnett was the Major 

General Commandant of the United States Marine Corps 

during the entire period of the [First] World War. Originally appointed on 25 February 1914, he was reappointed on 25 February 1918 for a second term of four years.

On 29 September 1918, Major General Commandant George 

Barnett, accompanied by Brigadier General Charles L. McCawley, sailed from New York onboard the Leviathan, arriving at Brest, 

France, [on] 7 October 1918. The object of the visit of the Major 

General Commandant to France was an inspection of all the Marines serving with the American Expeditionary Forces, but he fell 

victim to the influenza epidemic, which prevented him from carrying out his plans. He departed from Paris [on] 7 December 1918, 

sailed from Brest [on] 9 December 1918 onboard the Leviathan, 

and arrived in the United States [on] 16 December 1918.

Brigadier General John A. Lejeune was the assistant to the

Major General Commandant from 14 December 1914 to 26 September 1917 when he was transferred to Quantico to command the

Marine barracks. Brigadier General Charles G. Long relieved Brigadier General Lejeune and has acted as assistant to the Major General Commandant from that date to the present.
144

Chapter XXV

Activities directly under the office of the Major General Commandant, such as personnel, target practice, and aviation, were

carried on efficiently during the war. The Planning Section was established on 24 December 1918.

Brigadier General Charles H. Lauchheimer was the adjutant 

and inspector of the United States Marine Corps, with station at 

Headquarters, during the [First] World War. He became seriously 

ill [and] was admitted to the hospital on 10 July 1919, where he died 

on 14 January 1920. Colonel Henry C. Haines assumed the duties 

of acting adjutant and inspector on 3 August 1919 and, upon the 

death of Brigadier General Lauchheimer, was appointed the adjutant and inspector. A great amount of additional work was caused by 

the large increases and by the war, but the personnel of the Adjutant 

and Inspector’s Department performed their duties with efficient 

satisfaction.
145

CHAPTER XXVI

PAYMASTER’S DEPARTMENT

Brigadier General George Richards was the paymaster of the 

United States Marine Corps, stationed at Headquarters, 

during the entire period of the war.

Strength and Distribution

The commissioned, warranted, appointed, and enlisted personnel of 

the Paymaster’s Department at the beginning of the war consisted 

of:

Permanent commissioned paymasters 6

Officers of the grade of captain detailed

for four years 3

Officers appointed as special disbursing

agents under Revised Statutes 3614 4

Permanent pay clerks 9

Civil force 3

Enlisted men 51

Total force 76

The above force was distributed as shown in the following table:
146

Chapter XXVI

Pay stations Personnel attached

U.S. offices

Number and 

rank of commissioned 

officers

Pay clerks

Quartermaster 

sergeants

Sergeants

Corporals

Privates

Total

Headquarters, 

Washington, DC

1 brigadier, 

1 lieutenant 

colonel, 1 

major, 1 first 

lieutenant

4

 3* 4 5 2 6 28

San Francisco, 

CA 1 major 1 1 2 1 1 7

New York, NY 1 captain 1 3 3 2 4 14

Outside U.S. 

offices

Peking, China 1 captain^ 1 2

Virgin Islands 1 captain^ 1 2

Port au Prince, 

Haiti

1 first

lieutenant 1 1 1 1 5

Cap Haitien, 

Haiti 1 captain^ 1 1 3

Santo Domingo, 

Dominican

Republic

1 captain 1 1 1 4

Santiago,

Dominican

Republic

1 captain 1 2 1 3 8

Managua,

Nicaragua

1 second 

lieutenant 1 2

Unassigned 1 1

Total 13 12 16 12 8 15 76

* Civil.

^Special disbursing agent.
147

Paymaster’s Department

The commissioned force of the paymaster’s department reached 

a maximum strength of 47 officers, including special disbursing 

agents, when the latest detail to the department from the line was 

made and, as then constituted, consisted of:

Permanently commissioned paymasters 5

Officers detailed from the prewar line 9

Temporary officers 

(Eight former pay clerks and four temporary line officers) 12

Officers of the Reserve force 16

Officers appointed as special disbursing agents 5

Permanent pay clerk 1

Temporary pay clerks 58

Pay clerks of the Reserve force 6

Enlisted men 501

Total 613

The above force, which was the maximum authorized complement of the paymaster’s department, was distributed as follows:

Pay stations Personnel attached

U.S. offices

Number and 

rank of commissioned 

officers

Pay clerks

Quartermaster 

sergeants

Sergeants

Corporals

Privates first class

Privates

Total

Headquarters, 

Washington, DC*

1 brigadier,

4 majors,

5 captains

22 27 37 55 22 67 240

New York, NY 

(established

May 1908)

2 majors,

1 captain 2 5 5 5 2 8 30

Philadelphia, PA 

(established

May 1917)

1 colonel,

1 captain 2 2 2 2 1 3 14

Quantico, VA 

(established

June 1917)

1 lieutenant 

colonel,

1 major,

2 captains

4 5 8 8 3 13 45
148

Chapter XXVI

Pay stations Personnel attached

U.S. offices

Number and 

rank of commissioned 

officers

Pay clerks

Quartermaster 

sergeants

Sergeants

Corporals

Privates first class

Privates

Total

Atlanta, GA 

(established

June 1917)

1 captain 3 3 3 4 2 6 22

San Francisco, 

CA (established 

March 1901)

1 captain 2 2 3 3 3 14

Outside U.S. offices

Expeditionary 

Forces, France

4 majors,

12 captains 20 34 34 31 9 39 183

7th Regiment, 

Cuba 1 captain 1 1 1 2 1 7

1st Regiment, 

Cuba 1 captain 1 1 1 2 1 7

San Domingo, 

Dominican

Republic

1 captain 1 1 2 2 1 8

Santiago,

Dominican

Republic

1 captain 1 1 1 2 1 7

Port au Prince, 

Haiti

1 special 

disbursing

agent

1 1 1 1 15

Cap Haitien, 

Haiti

1 special 

disbursing

agent

1 1 1 4

St. Thomas, Virgin 

Islands

1 special 

disbursing

agent

1 1 3

Managua,

Nicaragua

1 special 

disbursing

agent

1 2
149

Paymaster’s Department

Peking, China

1 special 

disbursing

agent

1 2

Attached to posts 

in the United 

States and

elsewhere

1 captain 4 15 20

Total 47 65 102 98 118 39 144 613

*Authorized complement but never filled. Maximum number of employed in paymaster’s 

office at any time was, subsequent to 6 April 1917, approximately 208 of all grades and ranks.

How War Increases Were Met

The enlargement of the paymaster’s department to meet war conditions at the beginning of the war, and until the enlisted strength was 

raised to 75,500, was effected in the following manner:

1. By the temporary appointment and advancement to the 

grade of captain, pursuant to act of 22 May 1919, of eight 

of the permanent pay clerks of the department.

2. By the temporary advancement of enlisted men of experience and long service under this department to the grade 

of pay clerk.

3. The new enlisted clerical personnel was partly obtained 

from enlisted men who had previously been employed as 

payroll clerks at shore stations and aboard ships of the Navy 

and from men enlisted and enrolled from civil life with 

clerical experience outside. The men obtained were detailed in the regularly established offices, and there formed 

into classes for instruction in their duties, [with] the commissioned officers and senior clerks being used as instructors for this purpose. In addition to the above, and to the 

end of creating a proper spirit and morale, and bringing 

about a better understanding throughout the department 

of its aims and purposes, a series of lectures by the paymaster and subordinate officers was delivered at Headquarters 

and afterward published and distributed to the entire personnel of the department. Later on, in order to meet the 

further increased demand for clerical assistance, a school 

for the instruction of men in paymaster’s department work 
150

Chapter XXVI

was established at the Marine Barracks Parris Island. This 

was, however, in addition to the system of instruction previously instituted in the permanently established offices. 

The school was of considerable value in that it aided in the 

selection and assignment of men (recruits) with previous 

clerical experience to duty in the paymaster’s department. 

The demand for clerks for both home and overseas service, 

however, was so great for some time before the close of the 

war that it was not possible at any time to keep the men 

under instruction in the school or in the offices for sufficient length of time to complete the prescribed course that 

had been laid out for them. As a consequence, many men 

had to be sent out with but a meager idea of the duties 

they were to perform. The clerical forces of the permanent 

offices, therefore, finally became so drained of experienced 

clerks and stenographers taken away to supply the demand 

for expeditionary and overseas forces that it became necessary to enlist or enroll women to perform these duties.

Money Expended

The amount of money expended for pay and allowances for each 

month from April 1917 to December 1918 follows:

Month Officers Enlisted Total

1917

April $ 143,698.37 $ 357,398.60 $ 501,094.97

May $ 176,742.19 $ 413,019.82 $ 589,762.01

June $ 201,977.79 $ 565,677.22 $ 767,655.01

July $ 220,884.23 $ 989,495.53 $ 1,210,379.76

August $ 280,038.19 $ 1,196,082.09 $ 1,476,120.28

September $ 269,160.66 $ 1,137,790.16 $ 1,406,950.82

October $ 332,859.49 $ 1,244,965.55 $ 1,577,825.04

November $ 378,458.48 $ 1,266,138.57 $ 1,644,597.05

December $ 350,098.46 $ 1,353,510.60 $ 1,703,609.06
151

Paymaster’s Department

1918

January $ 328,517.81 $ 1,322,724.98 $ 1,651,242.79

February $ 337,407.35 $ 1,441,099.32 $ 1,778,506.67

March $ 369,298.24 $ 1,321,933.64 $ 1,691,231.88

April $ 373,395.58 $ 1,313,210.75 $ 1,686,606.33

May $ 378,551.77 $ 1,815,309.63 $ 2,193,861.40

June $ 385,042.99 $ 1,856,344.35 $ 2,241,387.34

July $ 441,838.15 $ 2,124,134.76 $ 2,565,972.91

August $ 515,273.26 $ 2,436,318.86 $ 2,951,592.12

September $ 572,721.39 $ 2,322,089.79 $ 2,894,811.18

October $ 522,995.22 $ 2,503,312.62 $ 3,026,307.84

November $ 648,615.69 $ 2,597,542.71 $ 3,246,158.40

December $ 597,142.61 $ 2,545,932.41 $ 3,143,075.02

Total $ 7,824,717.92 $ 32,124,031.96 $ 39,948,747.88

Additional Duties During War

The duties of the paymaster’s department during the war were greatly enlarged and made more complicated and difficult: (1) By reason 

of the enactment of the War Risk Insurance Act of 6 October 1917. 

The work connected with family allotments and war risk insurance 

created by this act was of such magnitude as to require the establishment of a separate administrative section under a commissioned 

officer to handle the voluminous correspondence, keep the records, 

and make proper audit of these items in the accounts involved. It 

was also found necessary in order to facilitate the work of this section that a liaison group of clerks be kept in the War Risk Bureau. 

(2) By reason of the taking over of the payment of all Marine Corps 

allotments, as the deputy of the Navy allotment officer. (3) By reason 

of the necessity of having to pay many men on affidavits without 

proper records; service record books and other papers pertaining to 

their accounts having been lost or destroyed by operation of war or 

other accidental circumstances. (4) By reason of the large number 
152

Chapter XXVI

of wounded men, some of whom were scattered in various hospitals 

throughout France, and others of whom were returned to the United 

States without due notice to military authorities and sent to both 

naval, military, and civil hospitals at widely scattered points throughout the States. In but a few of these cases were there any records on 

which full and accurate payments could be made. Hence a system of 

emergency, or casual payments as they were called, was established 

both in France and in the United States.

The absence of records in these cases was not the worst feature, 

however, but the absence of any information as to the whereabouts 

of the men made it at first impossible to locate some of them and 

effect regular payments.

However, after the first few months’ experience with the handling of payments to the wounded, a system was devised by which 

most of those returning to the states were immediately reported and 

prompt payments were thereafter made. A similar system of emergency or casual payments to wounded men was adopted by the department in France, but wounded men in France were evacuated so 

frequently from one hospital to another that no system of reporting 

was practicable. Each hospital there had to be visited in person by a 

paymaster at least once a month and such wounded Marines as were 

found had to be paid on their own representations a sum sufficient 

to meet their immediate needs. Under such a system, some necessarily went without pay for some time, while others more fortunate 

in meeting a paymaster at frequent intervals received at times more 

money than was properly due them. (5) By reason of the enactment 

of 24 February 1919, providing a gratuity of $60 to all persons in the 

military and naval forces of the United States, who were discharged 

under honorable conditions at any time subsequent to 6 April 1917. 

This law necessitated the establishment at headquarters of a claims 

section, whose sole duty was to settle the 20,000 or 30,000 supplementary claims created by this act and the act of 28 February 1919, 

increasing the amount of travel allowance to 5 cents per mile to all 

enlisted men discharged subsequent to 11 November 1918.
153

Paymaster’s Department

New Pay Roll

In addition to the above, it became necessary to adopt a new pay 

roll suitable for preparation on the typewriter and so arranged as 

to make it adaptable for use as a combination pay and muster roll, 

should this be deemed necessary. This roll was prescribed and put 

into use in the midst of the war without much confusion, and it is 

understood resulted in a saving of much clerical labor to the organization commanders.

Office of the Chief Paymaster, U.S. Marines, France

In obedience to orders dated 2 October 1917, and in compliance 

with provisions of G. H. Q. General Orders No. 38(2), 17 September 1917, the “Office of the Chief Paymaster, U.S. Marines France,” 

was established in Paris, France, on 5 October 1917. Major Davis 

B. Wills was chief paymaster, U.S. Marines, France, from that date 

until the office was abolished in August 1919.
154

CHAPTER XXVII

QUARTERMASTER’S DEPARTMENT

Brigadier General Charles L. McCawley was the quartermaster of the United States Marine Corps, with station at Headquarters, during the entire war. Brigadier General McCawley, 

in company with the Major General Commandant, sailed from the 

United States onboard the Leviathan [on] 29 September 1918, arriving at Brest, France, [on] 7 October 1918. After an extended visit 

to the Marines as an observer, Brigadier General McCawley sailed 

from Brest onboard the De Kalb [on] 9 December 1918, arriving in 

the United States [on] 16 December 1918.

Upon the increase of the Marine Corps from 17,400 to 30,000 

and later to 75,500, it became necessary to increase the commissioned, warrant, and enlisted personnel of the Quartermaster’s Department in order that it might successfully meet the heavy demands 

made upon it by the war and by the large increase in strength.

The increase in the commissioned personnel was made largely by 

the promotion of experienced quartermaster clerks and quartermaster sergeants to commissioned rank, and the vacancies in the grade 

of quartermaster sergeant were filled, as far as possible, from selected 

enlisted men.

Later, a school for the instruction of quartermaster sergeants was 

organized at Marine Barracks Norfolk, and three classes were graduated therefrom.

It was necessary to make large increases in the personnel at 

Headquarters to handle the question of supply, transportation, con-
155

Quartermaster’s Department

struction, and finance. The table below shows the strength in the 

office of the quartermaster on 1 January 1917 and 30 June 1918:

Grade 1 January 1917 30 June 1918

Commissioned officers 4 9

Warrant officers 12

Special assistant 1

Technical engineer 1

Clerical force:

 Civilians 10 8

 Enlisted (Regular) 43 53

 Enlisted (Reserve) 111

Total 57 195

Additional Storehouses and Cooperation

with Government Agencies

Due to changes in the method of purchasing rations caused by 

existing conditions, it became necessary to establish commissary 

storehouses at San Francisco, Charleston, and Baltimore, at which 

to maintain reserve supply stores. The Baltimore storehouse was later moved to Philadelphia. At the beginning of the war, the Marine 

Corps had in its depots at Philadelphia, and [at] San Francisco, a 

small surplus stock, which had been accumulated from the regular 

appropriations, sufficient to outfit 8,500 men; consequently, when 

war was declared against Germany and the Corps was increased, 

first to 1,323 officers and 30,000 men (act 22 May 1917), and secondly to 3,341 officers and 75,500 men (act 1 July 1918), it was 

necessary to provide simultaneously clothing, equipage, food, and 
156

Chapter XXVII

shelter for these men. The question of shelter is discussed in the 

following pages. In connection with the purchase of these supplies, 

it must be remembered that the Army, Navy, and Allies were in the 

market for similar articles and, in order to determine supply and allocate demands, the president first appointed a Council of National 

Defense, which was later superseded by the War Industries Board. 

The Quartermaster’s Department had representatives in daily attendance at the various meetings of the committees of the Council of 

National Defense, and later the War Industries Board.

All of the above-mentioned supplies, as far as practicable, were 

purchased in the usual manner by the bid and tender plan, only 

those articles on which no bids were received or those controlled by 

the War Industries Board being allocated. There was installed in the 

office of the quartermaster a “follow-up” system, where record was 

made of all orders, contracts, purchase orders, and requests for transfer of supplies from other departments. The function of this section was to see that the supplies were delivered in accordance with 

contract obligations and trace delinquent deliveries. The section has 

proven its value, and satisfactory deliveries have been obtained with 

few exceptions. From these records, the quartermaster has available 

at all times the status of all outstanding orders as well as a concise 

record of completed contracts.

Cantonments

To furnish accommodations for the increased personnel, cantonments on a large scale were built at Quantico and Parris Island 

[South Carolina], and on a smaller scale at Mare Island [California]. 

This work was expeditiously handled and afforded suitable temporary accommodations during the war.

Depot of Supplies, Philadelphia

During the period of the war, the depot outfitted and equipped 36 

expeditionary units for service in France and the West Indies, and 

over 31 million pounds of various kinds of supplies were shipped 

on government bills of lading. The depot departments were so organized that it was only necessary to expand each division of the office 
157

Quartermaster’s Department

forces and increase the number of employees and machines in the 

manufacturing departments in order to meet the increased demands 

during the war. The personnel of the depot on 30 June 1919 was as 

follows: 13 commissioned officers, 7 warrant officers, 2 civilians, 102 

enlisted men of the Regular Service, 21 reservists, and 1,095 other 

employees of all classes, making a total personnel of 1,240.

Depot of Supplies, San Francisco, California

The activities of this depot were increased during the war by the 

greater number of recruits to be outfitted on the West Coast, and 

by the establishment of the subsistence branch of the depot at San 

Francisco. This depot has supplied all posts on the West Coast, and 

furnished the supplies for the troops in the Orient.

Depot of Supplies, Charleston, South Carolina

This depot was established soon after the declaration of war for the 

purpose of supplying all posts south of Norfolk, including the West 

Indies. The storage facilities consist of 7 warehouses and a total floor 

space of 124,778 square feet. A total of about 14,287 tons of stores 

were shipped from this depot during the fiscal year 1919, these stores 

being valued at approximately $12 million; during the same period, 

approximately 18,000 tons of stores were received at an estimated 

value of $15 million. Practically all shipments of supplies of every 

description for troops in the West Indies are made from this depot.

Expenditures

The expenditures of the Quartermaster’s Department for the fiscal 

years ending 30 June 1917, 1918, and 1919, were as shown below, 

exclusive of appropriations for public works under the Navy Department, from which figures the enormous increase in the activities 

and responsibilities of this department caused by the war and by the 

increase in strength is evident:
158

Chapter XXVII

Subhead 1917 1918 1919

Provisions $ 1,612,908.30 $ 6,725,893.05 $10,287,965.53

Clothing $ 2,173,501.59 $ 11,123,760.36 $ 20,275,456.01

Fuel $ 248,606.82 $ 590,120.91 $ 989,573.08

Military stores $ 1,520,289.39 $ 6,371,978.10 $ 13,952,476.49

Camps of instruction $ 31,871.04 $ 30,945.83 -

Transportation and 

recruiting $ 620,667.75 $ 1,514,657.77 $ 3,064,099.21

Repairs of barracks $ 216,715.56 $ 3,754,241.58 $ 5,883,065.69

Forage $ 75,018.94 $ 161,614.81 $ 163,132.90

Commutation of 

quarters $ 164,497.24 $ 402,402.51 $ 363,484.53

Contingent $ 983,984.91 $ 4,864,825.25 $ 8,674,269.61

Expenditures under 

appropriation “Reserve 

Supplies, USMC”

- - $ 2,510,527.44

Purchases under 

second deficiency act 

from United States 

Army

- - $ 772,540.00

Total maintenance 

Quartermasters

Department

$ 7,648,061.54 $ 35,540,440.17 $66,936,590.49 

- Figures not available.
159

APPENDIX I

MARINE CORPS DEATHS

Total Marine Corps Deaths

during the Period of the First World War

Character Officers Enlisted men Total

Killed in action 45 1,409 1,454

Died of wounds 33 974 1,007

Died of disease 25 676 269

Died of other causes 15 107 122

Total 118 3,166 3,284

Note: the revised casualty statistics above reflect recalculations following the period during 

which research for the monograph was completed.
160

APPENDIX II

BIOGRAPHIES OF SELECTED

MARINE CORPS LEADERS

Major General Charles D. Barrett

Charles Dodson Barrett was born on 16 August 1885 in Henderson, 

Kentucky. He later moved to Virginia, after which he was appointed 

a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 11 August 1909. On 

10 September 1909, Barrett was ordered to report to the Commandant of the Marine Corps at Headquarters for assignment to duty at 

Marine Officers’ School Port Royal, South Carolina, for instruction.

Barrett joined Marine Barracks Boston, Massachusetts, on 18 

January 1911. He detached on 23 May to report to the superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, to command 

Marine detachment of the USS Indiana (BB 1) and later detached 

29 August 1911 to the USS New Jersey (BB 16), which he joined on 

2 September 1911. Barrett landed with the detachment from the 

New Jersey at Vera Cruz, Mexico, on 22 April 1914 and participated 

in the capture of that city. He detached from the New Jersey on 13 

December 1914 to Marine Barracks Norfolk, Virginia.

Following expeditionary duty in Mexico and until the break out 

of World War I, he served at various posts in the United States and, 

in the fall of 1917, served as aide-de-camp to the Major General 

Commandant at Headquarters Marine Corps, after being promoted 

to captain on 12 April 1917. In addition to the foreign duty in Mexico in 1914, he participated in World War I overseas in France in 

1918–19 and later in 1921, while he served on foreign expeditionary 

duty in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was promoted to 

major on 2 May 1921.

Following his arrival in France, Barrett served in the foreign 

shore expeditionary service, including detached duty with the U.S. 

Army on 25 September 1918. He participated in the Meuse-Argonne offensive and assignment to the staff of the commanding 

general. In spring 1919, he was in command of the 2d Battalion, 
161

Appendix II

367th Infantry, at Le Mans, France, detaching in April and reported 

to the commanding general, 4th Brigade.

Upon returning to the United States, Barrett served in Washington, DC, with the American Battle Monuments Commission from 

1924 to 1927, and was a student at the École de Guerre in Paris 

from 1927 to 1929. He was on duty at Headquarters Marine Corps, 

Division of Operations and Training, from 1933 to 1935. Barrett 

served as a division Marine officer with the Fleet during 1935–36, 

and was on duty in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations from 

1937 to 1939. He commanded the 5th Marines, 1st Marine Brigade, 

from August 1939 to June 1940, when he was detached to duty as 

the director of Division of Plans and Policies, Headquarters Marine 

Corps, and later as Assistant to the Commandant of the Marine 

Corps.

On 29 May 1934, Barrett was promoted to lieutenant colonel 

and, on March 1937, was promoted to colonel. He was commissioned brigadier general on 10 January 1942, to rank from 8 December 1941. In March 1942, Barrett assumed command of the 3d 

Marine Brigade and served at a South Pacific post, returning to the 

Unites States in September 1942 to assume command of the 3d 

Marine Division. He was appointed major general on 26 August 

26 1942. Barrett died on 10 June 1963 at the U.S. Naval Hospital. 

He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military 

honors.
162

Appendix II

Brigadier General Hiram I. Bearss

Hiram Iddings Bearss was born on 13 April 1875 in Indiana. He 

was appointed a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps (for the 

war with Spain) on 27 May 1898, and was honorably discharged 

on 21 February 1899. On 26 May 1899, he was promoted to first 

lieutenant; promoted to captain on 23 July 1900; promoted to major 

on 16 May 1915; appointed a lieutenant colonel on 29 August 1916; 

and to colonel (temporary) on 1 July 1918.

Early in his career, Bearss served in the Philippine Islands from 

December 1899 to May 1902. During this period, he served with 

Major Littleton W. T. Waller’s battalion in Samar from October 

1901 to March 1902. Later, he served in Panama from December 1903 to March 1904; in Cuba from February to April 1913; in

Mexico from April to August 1914, during which period he participated in the occupation of Vera Cruz and the engagement incident 

that followed; and in Santo Domingo from June 1916 to May 1917.

During World War I, Bearss served with distinction in various 

capacities. He arrived in France on 20 August 1917 and was in command of the Base Detachment, 5th Regiment, until 7 September 

1917, and was commander of Base Section No. 2 (Headquarters at 

Bordeaux) from 8 September to 25 October 1917. He was then assigned command of the 5th Regiment, serving from 30 October 

1917 to 31 December 1917, and served as second in command of 

5th Regiment from 1 January 1918 to 26 February 1918, when he 

was temporarily assigned to command of a battalion of the 9th Infantry. He commanded the 3d Battalion, 9th Infantry, in the ToulonTroyon sector southeast of Verdun, France. He was detailed to duty 

at 2d Division Headquarters on 1 May 1918. During his tour of 

duty at Division Headquarters, he was assistant provost marshal and 

commanding officer of Headquarters Troops and APO 710. He was 

relieved from this duty on 13 June 1918 and assigned to the 6th 

Regiment as second in command.

On 24 August 1918, Bearss was reassigned to the 26th Division 

for duty as a regimental commander. He commanded the 102d Infantry Regiment from 26 August 1918 to 14 October 1918, from 25 

October 1918 to 8 November 1918, and from 24 November 1918 to 

7 December 1918. He commanded the 51st Infantry Brigade, 26th 
163

Appendix II

Division, from 15 to 24 October 1918 and from 9 to 23 November 

1918. His tour of service with the 26th Division included the Rupt 

sector (Lorraine), the Saint-Mihiel Operation, Troyon sector (Lorraine), and the Meuse-Argonne Operation. In the Saint-Mihiel Operation, he commanded the leading elements of the 51st Brigade in 

a bold and successful march southeast from the Rupt sector through 

Dommartin-la-Montagne, the Grande Tranchée de Calonne,

Vigneulles-lès-Hattonchâtel and established contact with the 1st

Division, which was advancing from the south, and thus completed 

the reduction of the Saint-Mihiel salient.

Bearss was placed on the retired list as a colonel on 22 November 1919 by reason of physical disability incident to his service, and 

was advanced to the rank of brigadier general on the retired list on 

16 January 1936 by reason of having been specially commended for 

heroism in combat in World War I. He died on 27 August 1938 and 

is buried in Ridgeview, Indiana.
164

Appendix II

Brigadier General David L. S. Brewster

David Lukins Shoemaker Brewster was born in Washington, DC, 

on 31 December 1887. Brewster was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in December 1910, after completing a 

preparatory course at the Army and Naval Academy in Washington, 

DC. He advanced to first lieutenant in September 1916, to captain 

in March 1917, to major in June 1922, to lieutenant colonel in June 

1935, to colonel in May 1940, and to brigadier general in April 1943.

On his first command assignment in 1917, he was in charge of 

Marine Barracks Pensacola, Florida. Qualified to pilot airplanes, dirigibles, and balloons, Brewster was designated a naval aviator in 

September 1917 and continued on Air Corps duty for the remainder of World War I. He was on duty with the 1st Marine Aeronautic 

Company, engaged in antisubmarine patrol off the Azores, and was 

presented an award of the Military Order of Aviz by the Portuguese 

government for action engaged in at that time.

In 1925, Brewster was an instructor in the Department of Tactics at Quantico, Virginia. This was preceded by service in Santo Domingo, followed by active participation in the Nicaraguan campaign. 

For “exceptional services rendered” in that action, he was presented 

the Medal of Merit by the president of the Republic of Nicaragua. 

Attached to the Commandant’s office from 1929 to 1934, he was 

assigned variously at Washington, DC, at Boston, and at Philadelphia. During the latter part of this period, he was a member of the 

Marine Examining Board.

With the 4th Marines in Shanghai in 1934, Brewster was commended highly by the commander-in-chief, Asiatic Fleet, for the 

“splendid” reputation enjoyed by members of the command there. 

After leaving Shanghai, he traveled extensively before assuming

executive duties with the 5th Marines, Headquarters, at Quantico. 

He became chief of staff and commanding officer of the 1st Marine Division. In September 1941, he was transferred to New River, 

North Carolina, as commanding officer, Barracks Detachment.

Early in 1943, Brewster was assigned to duty with the I Marine 

Amphibious Corps and remained in the Pacific until the latter part 

of 1944 after being awarded the Legion of Merit for his services as 

chief of staff of the Administrative Command during operations in 
Appendix II

165

the Marianas Islands. On his return from the Pacific, he reported to 

Quantico Naval Hospital and remained there until his transfer to 

Bethesda, Maryland.

During his many assignments with the Marine Corps, Brewster 

won distinction as an accomplished rifle and pistol marksman and 

participated on Marine and civilian teams. In 1932, he served as 

captain of the Marine Corps Rifle and Pistol Team, and in 1924, 

he traveled to the principal cities of France as adjutant of the International Rifle Team participating in competition. In 1935, he 

participated in the Asiatic Division Rifle and Pistol Competition 

at Peiping, China. He died at Bethesda Naval Hospital on 10 July 

1945 at the age of 57 after a protracted illness. Brewster was buried 

in Arlington National Cemetery.
166

Appendix II

Major General Smedley D. Butler

Smedley Darlington Butler was born on 30 July 1881. He was just a 

teen when, on 20 May 1898, he was appointed second lieutenant in 

the Marine Corps for the war with Spain. Following a brief period 

of instruction at Washington, DC, he served with the Marine Battalion, North Atlantic Squadron, until 11 February 1899, when he 

was ordered home and honorably discharged on 16 February 1899. 

He was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 8 

April 1899, promoted to captain on 23 July 1900, to major on 13 

May 1908, to lieutenant colonel on 1 August 1916, to colonel (temporary) on 1 July 1918, to brigadier general (temporary) on 7 October 1918, to colonel (permanent) on 9 March 1919, to brigadier 

general (permanent) on 4 June 1920, and to major general on 5 July 

1929. In April 1899, Butler was assigned to duty with the Marine 

Battalion at Manila, Philippine Islands. From 14 June to October 

1900, he served with distinction in China, and was promoted to 

captain by brevet for distinguished conduct and public service in the 

presence of the enemy near Tientsin, China. He was wounded in 

that battle on 13 July 1900.

In January 1901, Butler served at various posts within the continental limits of the United States and on several ships. He also 

served ashore in Puerto Rico and the Isthmus of Panama for short 

periods. In December 1909, he commanded the 3d Battalion, 1st 

Regiment, on the Isthmus of Panama. He was temporarily detached 

to command an expeditionary battalion organized for service in 

Nicaragua on 11 August 1912, where he participated in the bombardment, assault, and capture of Coyotepe during 12–31 October. 

He remained on duty in Nicaragua until November 1912, when he 

rejoined the Marines at Camp Elliott, Panama.

His first Medal of Honor was presented following action at 

Vera Cruz, Mexico, on 21–22 April 1914, where he commanded the

Marines who landed and occupied the city. Butler “was eminent and 

conspicuous in command of his Battalion. He exhibited courage 

and skill in leading his men through the action of the 22nd and in 

the final occupation of the city.” The following year, he was awarded a second Medal of Honor for bravery and forceful leadership as

commanding officer of detachments of Marines and seamen of the 
Appendix II

167

USS Connecticut in repulsing Caco resistance at Fort Rivière, Haiti, 

on 17 November 1915.

During World War I, he commanded the 13th Regiment and 

Camp Pontanezen, Brest, France. For exceptionally meritorious 

service, he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal, 

the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, and the French Order of 

the Black Star. When he returned to the United States in 1919, 

he became commanding general of the Marine Barracks Quantico, 

Virginia, and served in this capacity until January 1924, when he 

was granted leave of absence to accept the post of director of public 

safety for the City of Philadelphia. In February 1926, he returned 

to China for duty with the 3d Marine Brigade. From April to October 31, he again commanded at Marine Barracks Quantico. On 

1 October 1931, he was retired upon application after completion 

of 33 years of service in the Marine Corps. Butler died at the Naval

Hospital, Philadelphia, on 21 June 1940, following a four-week illness. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
168

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General Clifton B. Cates

Clifton Bledsoe Cates was born on 31 August 1893 in Tiptonville, 

Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1916 

with a bachelor’s degree in law. On 13 June 1917, as a second lieutenant in the Reserves, he reported for active duty at the Marine Barracks Port Royal, South Carolina, and sailed for France in January. 

As a lieutenant with the 6th Regiment in World War I, he fought 

in the Verdun defensive sector, at Bouresches and Belleau Wood in 

the Aisne defensive, at Soissons in the Aisne-Marne offensive, in the 

Marbache sector of the Saint-Mihiel offensive, and in Blanc Mont 

and Argonne-Forest engagements of the Meuse-Argonne offensive. 

He earned the Navy Cross, Army Distinguished Service Cross for 

heroism in the Bouresches and Belleau Wood fighting, in which he 

was both gassed and wounded. He earned the Silver Star Medal 

at Soissons, where he was wounded a second time, and an oak leaf 

cluster in lieu of a second Silver Star during Blanc Mont fighting.

After the occupation of Germany, Cates returned to the United 

States in September 1919, and he served in Washington, DC, as a 

White House aide and aide-de-camp to the Commandant of the 

Marine Corps. He then served in San Francisco as aide-de-camp to 

the commanding general, Department of the Pacific, from October 

1920 to June 1923. In March 1928, after serving on recruiting duty 

at Spokane, Washington, and Omaha, Nebraska, Cates was named 

to serve on the American Battle Monuments Commission in Washington. In May 1929, he was ordered to Shanghai, China, where he 

rejoined the 4th Marines. In 1932, he studied at the Army Industrial 

College and, after he completed his course in June 1933, Cates went 

to Quantico, where he served with the 7th Marines and completed the Senior Course at the Marine Corps Schools. In September 

1935, he was assigned to the War Plans Section of the Division of 

Operations and Training, Headquarters Marine Corps.

In August 1937, Cates sailed for Shanghai as a battalion commander with the 6th Marines until he rejoined the 4th Marines in 

March 1938. The following year, he was brought back to Washington for instruction at the Army War College. After the course was 

completed in June 1940, he reported to Philadelphia Navy Yard as 

director of the Marine Officers Basic School. In May 1942, Cates 
Appendix II

169

took command of the 1st Marines, which he led at Guadalcanal. 

After commanding the 1st Marines in the Guadalcanal-Tulagi landings and the capture and defense of Guadalcanal, he fought as commander of the 4th Marine Division in the Marianas operation, the 

Tinian campaign, and seizure of Iwo Jima. 

In 1943, Cates began his first tour of duty as Commandant of 

Marine Corps Schools at Quantico until June 1944. The following 

month, he took command of the 4th Marine Division in the Pacific 

theater until the end of the war. In December 1945, Cates became 

president of the Marine Corps Equipment Board at Quantico, until 

he was named commanding general of Marine Barracks Quantico. 

On 1 January 1948, he was advanced to the rank of general and 

sworn in as Commandant of the Marine Corps. General Cates died 

on 4 June 1970 at the U.S. Naval Hospital, Annapolis, Maryland, 

and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
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Brigadier General Albertus W. Catlin

Albertus Wright Catlin was born on 1 December 1868 in Rome, 

New York, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine 

Corps on 1 July 1892. After serving at various posts and stations 

in the United States and onboard Navy ships, Catlin saw action in 

the Spanish–American War as commanding officer of the Marine 

detachment aboard the USS Maine (ACR 1), when the ship was 

destroyed in Havana Harbor in February 1898.

While serving in Cuba in 1911, he commanded a battalion of 

the 1st Regiment at Guantanamo Bay. He then commanded the 3d 

Regiment at Vera Cruz, where he was awarded the Medal of Honor 

for bravery.

With the outbreak of World War I, Catlin was placed in charge 

of the Marine training camp at Quantico, Virginia. In October 1917, 

he was sent to France as commanding officer of the 6th Regiment. 

From 1 to 6 June 1918, Colonel Catlin’s 6th Regiment saw action 

on the front lines from Paris-Metz Road through Lucy-le-Bocage 

to Hill 142. On 6 June, with his regiment attacking Bois de Belleau, 

Catlin was wounded in the chest by a sniper and evacuated to a hospital the next day.

Catlin was also awarded two Croix de Guerre, one with palms 

and one with gilt star for gallantry in action against the enemy at 

Belleau Wood. He was also made an officer of the Legion of Honor 

for his services in the same sector.

His citation states that General Catlin was thrown into the 

thick of battle “on a front then under violent enemy attack.” It adds: 

“Commanded his regiment with precision and judgment, which 

bore fruit in the operation up to 6 June 1918, inclusive; then in directing in Belleau Wood, where he was wounded by a bullet which 

went through his shoulder and lung.”

Soon after his return from France, Catlin summarized his war 

experiences in a book called With the Help of God and a Few Marines.

Upon returning to the United States, Catlin served at Headquarters Marine Corps and was appointed brigadier general on 30 

August 1918. Following his tour at Headquarters, he was assigned to 

the Marine Barracks Quantico, and in November 1918, he sailed for 

Haiti where he assumed command of the 1st Brigade until Septem-
Appendix II

171

ber 1919. In December 1919, Brigadier General Catlin retired from 

the Marine Corps. As a result of his wound from the sniper attack, 

he was in ill health until his death in Culpeper, Virginia, on 31 May 

1933. Catlin was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
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Major Edward B. Cole

Edward Ball Cole was born on 23 September 1879 in Boston,

Massachusetts, and died on 18 June 1918 from wounds received in 

action at Belleau Wood. He was appointed a second lieutenant in 

the Marine Corps on 22 April 1904, where he was regarded as one 

of the leading machine-gun experts in the country. In service prior 

to his departure for France in World War I, he had duty in Cuba, the 

Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.

Under command of Cole, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion, as 

a part of the 4th Brigade, continued its training in the Bourmont 

Training Area until 15 March 1918, when it moved to a front line 

sector with the other elements of the 2d Division, southeast of 

Verdun sector on 14 May 1918, and proceeded to an area around 

Vitry-le-François for open warfare training. After finding this area 

unsuitable for this purpose, they moved to a training area around 

Gisors-Chaumont-en-Vexin, near 4th Brigade, when sudden orders 

came in on 31 May 1918 to move to the Château Thierry sector. The 

battalion entered the front line near Belleau Woods and was in the 

thick of the fight to such an extent that the battalion itself and the 

majority of its officers were decorated by the French government.

Cole was among the first contingent of Marines to go to France. 

In a communiqué from France, it is noted that he “in the Bois de 

Belleau on 10 June 1918, displayed extraordinary heroism in organizing positions, rallying his men, and disposing of his guns, continuing to expose himself fearlessly until he fell . . .” He lost his right 

hand and received wounds in the upper arm and both thighs from 

which he died eight days later on 18 June 1918.

Posthumous decorations and citations were conferred upon 

him, namely the Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, Légion d’Honneur, the Croix de Guerre with palm, Citation (General

Orders No. 40, 2d Division), and letter of commendation from the 

Commandant of the Marine Corps. He also earned the Mexican 

Campaign Medal for service in Vera Cruz, Mexico, in 1914.
Appendix II

173

Major General Eli K. Cole

Eli Kelley Cole was born on 1 September 1867 in New York City. 

He was appointed a naval cadet on 4 September 1883 and graduated 

from the U.S. Naval Academy on 8 June 1888. After completing the 

two-year period of sea duty then incumbent upon the graduates of 

Annapolis, Cole transferred to the U.S. Marine Corps as a second 

lieutenant on 1 July 1890. He was promoted to first lieutenant on 

19 July 1892; to captain on 6 June 1899; to major on 28 September 

1903; to lieutenant colonel on 13 May 1908; to colonel on 27 October 1914; to brigadier general on 29 August 1916; and to major 

general on 20 June 1925.

In the early part of 1908, Cole was detailed to study at the Army 

War College, Washington, DC. On 1 January 1909, Cole assumed 

command of the Marine Officers’ School, which had been redesignated as of that date from Marine Barracks Port Royal, South Carolina. His tenure at Port Royal was interrupted in December 1909 

by four months in command of the 2d Regiment on further expeditionary service in Panama. Returning to the United States in April 

1910, he resumed command at Port Royal in May and remained on 

station until April 1911 when he was ordered to duty at Headquarters Marine Corps.

In January 1915, Cole was assigned to command Marine Barracks Annapolis, Maryland, but six months later was detached to 

assume command of the 2d Regiment for duty in Haiti. In August 

of the same year, he relinquished this command in favor of the 1st 

Regiment and, in November 1916, he assumed command of the 1st 

Provisional Brigade, comprising all the Marine forces in Haiti. In 

1920, he was awarded the Navy Cross for his services in Haiti.

Returning to the United States in November 1917, Cole served 

at Headquarters until January 1918 when he was reassigned to Marine Barracks Parris Island, South Carolina. He remained there until 

1 September, when he transferred to head the 5th Brigade for duty 

in France. Cole arrived in France on 24 September 1918. Since his 

brigade was broken up to guard various depots and stations in the 

Services of Supply, AEF, he was first assigned the additional duty 

as observer with the 2d Division and later detailed to command the 

41st Division (1st Depot Division), U.S. Army, a post that he filled 
174

Appendix II

from 29 October to 26 December 1918. Subsequently, he headed 

the 1st Replacement Depot, AEF, and the American embarkation 

center at Le Mans in addition to his duties as commanding general 

of the far-flung 5th Brigade. He returned to the United States on 

31 March 1919.

The next Marine command assigned to Cole was a third tour 

at Parris Island, which he began in September 1919 and remained 

in until August 1924 except for two months between 20 December 

1923 and 29 February 1924 when acting as commanding general, 

Marine Corps Expeditionary Force, on maneuvers at Culebra, Puerto Rico. From August 1924 to June 1927, he assumed command 

of the Department of the Pacific until his death in San Francisco, 

California, on 4 July 1929. His remains were interred in a vault in 

Carmel, New York.
Appendix II

175

Lieutenant Colonel Alfred A. Cunningham

Alfred Austell Cunningham, the Marine Corps’ first aviator, was 

born on 8 March 1882 in Atlanta, Georgia. He accepted a commission as second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in January 1909 

when he was 27 years old. In 1911, Cunningham was stationed at 

Marine Barracks Philadelphia. On 16 May 1912, Cunningham was 

detached from duty at the Navy Yard, Philadelphia, and ordered to 

the aviation camp the Navy had set up at Annapolis to learn to fly. 

He reported on 22 May 1912, which is recognized as the birthday of 

Marine Corps aviation.

For the next 15 months, Cunningham’s assignments involved 

flying. From the camp at Annapolis, he was ordered to Hammondsport, New York, to consult with Burgess Company and Glenn

Curtiss about the Curtiss hydroplane. A few weeks later, he conferred with the Burgess Company and Mr. Curtiss concerning a 

new Navy airplane. On 27 April 1915, Cunningham was ordered to 

Pensacola for instruction in and assignment to aviation duty again. 

In February 1917, he was detailed to Navy Yard, Philadelphia, to establish, equip, and command Aviation Company for a Marine Corps 

advanced base force. The Northern Bombing Group was Cunningham’s idea, and he secured the authority to organize, equip the four 

squadrons, secure a field, erect necessary buildings, and obtain planes 

and equipment. He recruited and organized the entire project with 

the help of Lieutenants Bernard L. Smith, William M. McIlvain, 

Francis T. Evans Sr., and Roy S. Geiger.

On 12 July 1918, 72 landplanes, 176 officers, and 1,030 enlisted 

men sailed on the USS DeKalb from New York and arrived at Brest 

on 30 July 1918. After arriving in France, the unit was designated the 

Northern Bombing Group and, in the three months it was stationed 

in Europe, the group operated at Oye (Burgundy region), Le Fresne, 

Saint-Pol in France, and at Hondschoote, Ghistelles, Varsenare, and 

Knesselare, Belgium. Despite shortages in planes, spares, and tools, 

the group performed 43 raids with the British and French as well 

as 14 independent raids and shot down 8 enemy aircraft. The group 

also dropped 52,000 pounds of bombs and supplied 2,600 pounds of 

food for the food-dropping missions in which it participated. Two 

years later, Cunningham received the Navy Cross for his services 
176

Appendix II

with the Northern Bombing Group. When he returned to the United States, Cunningham became officer-in-charge of Marine aviation until 26 December 1920, when he was detailed to command the 

1st Air Squadron in Santo Domingo.

On 10 May 1935, he appeared before a naval retiring board at 

Marine Barracks Washington, DC, which found him to be incapacitated for active service. While on the retired list, he was appointed a lieutenant colonel with rank from 16 January 1936. On 27 

May 1939, he died in Sarasota, Florida, and was buried in Arlington

National Cemetery.
Appendix II

177

Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen

Charles Augustus Doyen was born in Concord, New Hampshire, 

on 3 September 1859. Doyen entered the Naval Academy as a cadet midshipman on 21 June 1876; was transferred to the Marine 

Corps and commissioned a second lieutenant on 1 July 1883; and 

then assigned to duty at Marine Barracks New York. Doyen served 

with the Marine detachments on the USS Galena (1880) and USS 

Tennessee (1865); was transferred to the Marine Barracks League 

Island, Pennsylvania, in 1886; and was later assigned to sea duty 

on the USS Adams (1874). He was promoted to first lieutenant in 

October 1899. In October 1890, he was ordered to Marine Barracks 

Mare Island, California. In spring 1898 during the Spanish War, he 

commanded the Marine Guard of the USS Saint Paul (SP 1643).

Doyen was promoted to captain on 16 August 1898 and to major 

on 26 March 1900. In May 1900, he was assigned to duty commanding the Marine Guard of the New York, and as fleet Marine officer 

of the North Atlantic Fleet. He participated in winter maneuvers in 

West Indian waters with a regiment of Marines onboard the Prairie

in 1902 and, in February 1904, he was detailed to command a battalion of Marines organized for service in the Philippines. He subsequently commanded the 2d Regiment and the 1st Brigade in the 

Philippine Islands. Doyen was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 

12 May 1905 and, in August 1906, he was ordered to duty at Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, DC.

Doyen was promoted to colonel on 27 January 1909 and, in 

spring 1911, he was given command of the 4th Expeditionary 

Regiment on the USS Buffalo (1893) and then transferred to the 

Pennsylvania from which he disembarked with his regiment and 

camped at Camp Thomas, North Island, San Diego, California. In 

August 1913, he was again ordered to command the 1st Brigade in 

the Philippines until April 1914, when he was ordered back to the 

United States. In July 1914, Doyen was assigned to command the 

5th Regiment, organized for service on the Hancock in Cuban and 

Santo Domingo waters. In January 1915, he was placed in command 

of Marine Barracks Washington, DC, until 5 June 1917, when he 

was ordered to command the 5th Regiment, which was detached for

service with the U.S. Army in France. Doyen sailed with his regi-
178

Appendix II

ment for France on the Hancock on 11 June 1917; transferred at sea 

to the Henderson; arrived at Saint-Nazaire on 27 June 1917; and reported to the commanding general of the American Expeditionary 

Forces for duty.

Doyen was promoted to brigadier general on 26 March 1917. He 

was relieved from command of the 5th Regiment and then assigned 

to the command of the 4th Marine Brigade on 24 October 1914. 

From 9 November 1917 to 7 December 1917, he was on detached 

duty commanding Base Section No. 1, Line of Communications, 

AEF. On 7 May 1918, having been found incapacitated for active 

service, General Doyen was relieved from duty and ordered to the 

United States, where he arrived on 22 May. On 21 June 1918, he was 

assigned to command Marine Barracks Quantico, where he died on 

6 October 1918 of Spanish influenza and was buried in Arlington 

National Cemetery.
Appendix II

179

Brigadier General Robert H. Dunlap

Robert Henry Dunlap was born in Washington, DC, on 22 December 1879. On 8 August 1898, at 18 years of age, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

He first tasted combat in 1899 during the Philippine Insurrection. The next year, he saw action in the Boxer Rebellion, where he 

fought with the international column in the Battle of Tientsin. After 

China, he returned to the Philippines, where he helped remove the 

insurrectionists from the island of Samar. In 1902, he returned home 

as a 23-year-old captain.

During the next 15 years, Dunlap served with numerous expeditions to foreign lands: served twice in Panama during the building 

of the Canal; served in Cuba with the Army of Cuban Pacification; 

commanded an artillery battalion during the occupation of Vera 

Cruz, Mexico; and commanded another artillery battalion in Haiti 

and Santo Domingo from 1915 to 1917.

Soon after the United States’ entry into World War I, Dunlap 

was appointed to General Pershing’s staff in England from May 

to July 1917. That summer, he was recalled to organize the Marine 

Corps’ new 10th Artillery Regiment and trained his new command 

at Quantico, while awaiting orders.

Then in February 1918, he was detailed to duty on Admiral 

Sims’ staff of the American Naval Command in London. After service with Sims’ staff, Dunlap reported to general headquarters, AEF, 

on 17 October 1918. However, two facts were clear: the end of the 

war was rapidly approaching and the Army’s position of no Marine 

artillery in France had not changed. Dunlap went to Pershing’s chief 

of artillery and requested a regiment of Army field artillery. After 

a certain amount of sparring, Dunlap was assigned as an observer 

to the 2d Division. Upon arrival on 30 October, Dunlap was given 

command of the 17th Field Artillery Regiment, an Army organization equipped with 155mm howitzers, which he commanded during 

the Meuse-Argonne offensive, the crossing of the Rhine River, and 

the subsequent occupation of Germany.

Upon returning home in 1919, he completed the course at the 

Army General Staff College and, in 1922, took command of the 

Marine detachment at Peking, China. Dunlap’s last combat tour was 
180

Appendix II

in Nicaragua, where he led the 11th Regiment in a bush war typical 

to those in Central America. He quieted the disaffected northern 

area of that country, for which he was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal and the Nicaraguan Presidential Medal of 

Merit.

After Nicaragua, he was promoted to brigadier general and, in 

1930, Dunlap was detailed to attend the École Supérieure de Guerre 

in France, where he sailed with his wife. While in France on 19 May 

1931, Dunlap and his wife visited an area where French peasants 

had fashioned hillside caves into small dwellings. The hillside gave 

way, sealing a French farmer’s wife in one of the caves. Dunlap, in 

an attempt to rescue her, was buried under an avalanche of rock 

and falling timbers. Twenty-four hours later, they were dug out. The 

woman was alive, but Dunlap had died as a result of covering her 

with his own body. He was interred in Arlington National Cemetery.
Appendix II

181

Colonel Francis T. Evans

Francis Thomas Evans Sr. was born in Delaware, Ohio, on 3 June 

1886 and attended the Ohio Wesleyan University. After spending 

three years in the Ohio National Guard, Evans was commissioned 

a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in January 1909. He was 

first ordered to the Marine Officers’ School, Port Royal, South Carolina. While a member of the student body, he was detached to duty 

with the 1st Regiment, Expeditionary Brigade, at the Canal Zone, 

Panama. He was then detached from the school, but remained with 

the brigade until April 1910, when he was transferred to Marine 

Barracks Mare Island, California. In September of that year, he was 

again detached to the rifle range at Fort Barry, California. He was 

ordered to the Hawaiian Islands in October 1912. Evans won his 

promotion to first lieutenant the following January, and the next 

month he was detached to Marine Barracks Naval Station Guam, 

where he remained until the early part of 1915.

Upon his return to the United States, Evans was sent to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, for flight training. He earned 

his wings in July 1915. In March 1917, after receiving his captain’s 

commission and after completing several tours of temporary duty 

in connection with aviation, the flyer was detached and sent to the 

naval base in Philadelphia. Evans’ second tour of foreign shore duty 

began in early 1918 when he sailed for the Azores to command the 

Marine Aeronautic Detachment there. In July of the same year, he 

assumed command of the Marine Aviation Detachment at Miami, 

Florida. A year later, he transferred to Quantico to command the 

Marine Aviation Detachment.

Evans joined the 1st Brigade in Haiti in 1921, shortly before 

being promoted to major. In 1923, he was detailed to the Field 

Officer’s School, Quantico. Upon completion of his studies, he assumed command of the 1st Battalion there. After participating in 

maneuvers in the Pacific, he was detached to the Naval Base San 

Diego, California, in 1925. In February of the following year, Evans 

was detached to Naval Air Station San Diego and, in the following 

April, was then detailed to temporary duty at Manila and Olongapo, 

Philippine Islands, and China.
182

Appendix II

In 1927, Evans attended the Army Service Tactical School, 

Langley Field, Virginia. Upon completion, he was sent to Haiti until 

he was again detached to the Naval Air Station San Diego in 1930. 

Two years later, he returned to Quantico and was appointed a lieutenant colonel. Evans retired from the Marine Corps on 1 July 1937 

but, when World War II began, he requested reassignment to active 

duty. He was ordered to command the Marine Barracks Norfolk 

Naval Base, Virginia, in October 1939, and remained in that capacity until February 1944. He was appointed to the rank of colonel 

while serving at Norfolk. In 1944, he was transferred to the Marine 

Corps Schools, Quantico, to become assistant president of the Marine Corps Equipment Board. He retired from the Marines in 1944. 

Francis T. Evans died on 14 March 1974 after six years of declining 

health. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Appendix II

183

Brigadier General Frank E. Evans

Frank Edgar Evans was born in Franklin, Pennsylvania, on 19 November 1876. He was a private in the Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers during the Spanish-American War. On 15 February 1900, he 

accepted commission as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. 

On 28 March 1901, he was promoted to first lieutenant. In the early 

years of his service, Evans was an active shooter. He was captain of 

the Marine Corps Rifle Team in 1904 and 1905. He retired as a 

captain on 28 February 1905, but was then ordered to active duty on 

27 July 1905. He was a distinguished marksman and was appointed adjutant of the American Palma Rifle Team in 1907 and of the 

American Olympic Rifle Team in 1908. On 13 April 1911, he was 

commissioned as a captain in the Marine Corps effective 28 February 1905. On 21 May 1917, he qualified for transfer to active list by 

the Marine Examining Board. He was commissioned a major on 26 

June 1917.

During World War I, Evans served in France with the 6th Regiment. While serving in France, he participated in the Aisne-Marne 

defensive (Château-Thierry) from 1 to 30 June 1918; in the Marbache sector (Pont-à-Mousson) from 7 to 16 August 1918; and in 

the Saint-Mihiel offensive from 12 to 16 September 1918. In recognition of his services in France, he was awarded the U.S. Army 

Certificate of Citation by the commander-in-chief of the American 

Expeditionary Force, General John J. Pershing. He also received the 

Navy Cross for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service 

as adjutant of the 6th Marine Regiment. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 4 March 1921 and then to the rank of colonel in 

24 December 1924.

At the conclusion of World War I, he pursued a course at the 

Army War College and at the Naval War College. In May 1927, 

he joined the Gendarmerie d’Haiti as Commandant of the Garde, 

and held the rank of major general until 31 March 1930, when he 

returned to the United States and assumed duties in the office of 

Chief of Naval Operations in the Navy Department.

On 1 December 1940, he retired from the Marine Corps. On 

25 November 1941, he died at the Naval Hospital, Pearl Harbor. He 

was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
184

Appendix II

Major General Logan Feland

Logan Feland was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on 11 August 

1869. During the war with Spain, he was captain of Company F, 

3d Kentucky Infantry. He was appointed directly to the rank of first 

lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 1 July 1899. Feland was then 

promoted to captain on 3 March 1903, to major on 29 August 1916, 

to lieutenant colonel on 26 March 1917, to colonel on 1 July 1918, 

to brigadier general on 9 March 1919, and to major general on 1 

October 1931.

As lieutenant and captain, he served with Marine detachments 

on the USS Oregon (BB 3), Massachusetts (BB 2), Indiana, Minnesota

(BB 22), and Montana. Prior to World War I, Feland had eight years 

of foreign duty service in Panama, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and 

in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but also service with the Army of Cuban 

Pacification, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in Culebra, 

Puerto Rico, and in Vera Cruz, Mexico. His home service included 

duty at Marine Barracks Washington, DC; League Island (Philadelphia); Annapolis, Maryland; Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island; Norfolk, Virginia; New York; New London, Connecticut; and Monroe, 

Virginia.

Feland was attached to the 5th Regiment for service in France in 

World War I and was among the first contingent of American forces that went overseas with General Pershing in May 1917. On his 

arrival in France, Feland was made executive officer of the 5th Regiment. When the unit, as part of the 4th Brigade, was thrown into 

the breach to stem the German advance at Château Thierry in May 

1918, Feland was in the thick of the fighting. At Belleau Woods in 

June 1918, when the halt in the German advance was turned into a 

retreat, Feland was given command of all troops in the Woods. After 

his promotion to colonel, Feland became commanding officer of the 

5th Regiment and, as such, led it in the battles of Soissons, Blanc 

Mont Ridge, and in the Argonne. For his outstanding exploits in the 

war, Feland was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the 

Distinguished Service Medals of both the Army and the Navy; officer’s rank in the Legion of Honor; the Croix de Guerre with bronze 

star, gold star, and four palms; and was cited in dispatches six times.
Appendix II

185

In May 1919, Feland was stationed at Headquarters Marine 

Corps until December, when he was detached to command the 

2d Brigade in Santo Domingo. The following fall, he again joined 

Headquarters in the capacity of director of the Division of Operations and Training for the next two years, after which he was assistant to the Major General Commandant for another two years. 

From November 1926 to February 1927, he was called from his 

command of the Marine Expeditionary Force at Quantico to head 

the eastern section of the U.S. Marine Mail Guard.

In April 1927, Feland took command of the 2d Brigade in Nicaragua. Four months later, he was transferred to the command of 

Marine Barracks Parris Island, South Carolina, which he held until 

1928. He returned to Nicaragua and assumed command of the brigade for a second time, until March 1929, when Feland was awarded 

another Distinguished Service Medal.

Feland was assigned as commanding general, Department of the 

Pacific, in July 1929. He was serving in that position when he was 

detached on 25 February 1933. Feland retired on 1 September 1933 

and died in Columbus, Ohio, in July 1936. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
186

Appendix II

Lieutenant General James G. Harbord

U.S. Army

James Guthrie Harbord was born in Bloomington, Illinois, on 21 

March 1866. He graduated from Kansas State Agricultural College 

in 1886. He enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private on 10 January 

1891. On 2 August 1891, he accepted commission as a second lieutenant in the cavalry. In 1893, he was ordered to Fort Leavenworth, 

Kansas, for Infantry and Cavalry School. He was promoted to first 

lieutenant on 1 July 1898. In 1903, Harbord served with the 11th 

Cavalry in the Philippines and was promoted to colonel and served 

as assistant chief of the Philippine Constabulary for 10 years. He 

was assigned to the 1st Cavalry at the Presidio of Monterey, California. He served with the regiment at that station and on the Mexican 

border until January 1915. At that time, he was promoted to major 

on 10 December 1914.

Harbord was on duty in San Francisco during the city’s exposition in 1915. In October of that year, he returned to the Presidio 

of Monterey, where he remained until October 1916. He was then 

detailed as a student at the Army War College, Washington, DC, 

from which he graduated in May 1917. The same month, he was 

promoted to lieutenant colonel. Harbord, while still a major, was 

among the officers General Pershing selected to take with him to 

France immediately after our entrance into the First World War. On 

5 August 1917, Harbord was appointed colonel (temporary) in the 

Regular Army and brigadier general in the National Army. With 

the latter rank, through the critical period of assembling, organizing, 

and training the American Army in France, he served as chief of 

staff of the AEF. He was relieved on 5 May 1918 and assigned to 

command the 4th Brigade, 2d Division.

Harbord commanded the Marines until 11 July 1918. Under 

his command, the unit helped make Château-Thierry and Belleau 

Wood household names in the United States. On 26 June, Harbord 

was promoted to major general in the National Army and, upon 

acceptance of that commission on 11 July, he was assigned to command the 2d Division. He took over command on 15 July, and three 

days later the unit entered the battle of Soissons, which according to 

some authorities was the real turning point in the war. His service on 
Appendix II

187

the front line came to an end on 26 July. After that, he was in charge 

of Services of Supply for the remainder of the period of hostilities, 

until 26 May 1919, when he again became chief of staff of the AEF. 

He held the post until August 1919, when he was designated by 

President Wilson as chief of the military mission to Armenia to 

report on the question of a mandate under the League of Nations. 

Upon completion of that duty in November 1919, he returned to the 

United States and was assigned to command Camp Travis, Texas. 

He commanded that post and that of the 2d Division until 8 June 

1921. Before he vacated his emergency commission as major general 

in 1920, he had already been promoted to the same grade in the 

Regular Army, so that he served continuously as a major general 

from the time of his appointment to his retirement.

Upon relief from command of the 2d Division in June 1921, 

Harbord was detailed as deputy chief of staff in Washington and 

served in that capacity until his retirement, at his own request, after 

more than 30 years’ service on 29 December 1922. He died on 21 

August 1947 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
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General Franklin A. Hart

Franklin Augustus Hart was born on 16 September 1894 in Cuthbert, Georgia, and is a native resident of Eufaula, Alabama. He attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute, graduating in the class of 

1915. On 6 April 1917, he was appointed a second lieutenant in the 

Marine Corps and, four months later, promoted to first lieutenant. 

After completing a course of instruction at the Marine Officers 

School, Norfolk, Virginia, he was ordered to sea duty as commanding officer of the Marine detachment aboard the USS Vermont. He 

was promoted to the rank of captain in October 1917.

In September 1918, he was transferred from sea duty and, in 

October, sailed for France as commanding officer of Company B, 

Machine Gun Battalion, 5th Brigade. He returned to the United 

States in July 1919 and was assigned to Marine Barracks Quantico, 

Virginia. Two months later, Hart was ordered to the Dominican Republic for duty with the Guardia Nacional Dominicana, as district 

commander of Santo Domingo City. In December 1919, he was 

assigned as commanding officer of 77th Machine Gun Company, 

2d Battalion, 5th Regiment, at Marine Barracks Quantico. In October 1920, he was transferred to Marine Barracks Washington DC, 

where he served as adjutant.

In June 1926, Hart took command of the Marine detachment 

aboard the USS Seattle. In January 1927, he assumed command 

of the detachment aboard the USS Rochester (CA 2), and later the 

USS Milwaukee (CL 5). The detachment served ashore with a landing force in Nicaragua for the next five months. From June 1927 

to July 1928, the general commanded the Marine detachment 

aboard the Rochester and he served six months of this tour ashore in

Nicaragua.

In August 1928, Hart was stationed at the Marine Barracks 

Norfolk, as executive officer, and Marine Barracks Quantico, as an 

instructor at the Officer Course, Marine Corps Schools. In August 

1930, he joined the Constabulary Detachment, Garde d’Haiti, Gonaives, Haiti, as a company commander and district commander. 

In May 1933, he was named assistant chief of staff, Garde d’Haiti, 

Headquarters, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Appendix II

189

He went to England in June 1941, where he was attached to 

the American embassy in London as assistant naval attaché. He assumed duties as special naval observer and additional duty on the 

staff of the chief for combined operations as an instructor in amphibious warfare, and was appointed to the rank of colonel in December 1941. He participated in the battle of Dieppe in July 1942, 

for which he was specially commended for outstanding conduct. 

Appointed brigadier general in August 1944, he served as assistant 

division commander of the 4th Marine Division until late 1945 and 

participated in the battle for Iwo Jima, earning a Bronze Star.

Hart was named commandant of the Marine Corps Schools at 

Quantico in July 1950, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant 

general in February 1951. He became commanding general, Fleet 

Marine Force, Pacific, in January 1952. He retired in August 1954 

after 37 years of Marine Corps service and advanced to the rank of 

general. Franklin Hart died at the U.S. Naval Medical Center in 

Bethesda on 22 June 1967. He was buried in Arlington National 

Cemetery.
190

Appendix II

General Thomas Holcomb

Thomas Holcomb was born on 5 August 1879 in New Castle, Delaware. He was appointed a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 

13 April 1900. From September 1902 to April 1903, he served with 

the North Atlantic Fleet. General Holcomb served in the Philippine 

Islands from April 1904 to November 1906.

Holcomb was on duty with the Marine Legation Guard, Peking, 

China, and studied the Chinese language for many years between 

1905 and 1914. He served as inspector of target practice in the Marine Corps from October 1914 to August 1917. He was promoted 

to major while serving in that capacity.

From August 1917 to January 1918, he commanded the 2d Battalion, 6th Regiment, at Marine Barracks Quantico, in preparation 

for overseas duty. From February 1918 to July of the next year, following his appointment to lieutenant colonel, he served with AEF 

in France. He commanded the 2d Battalion from August 1918 and 

served as second in command of the 6th Regiment, taking part in 

the Aisne defensive (Château-Thierry), the Aisne-Marne offensive 

(Soissons), the Marbache sector, the Saint-Mihiel offensive, the 

Meuse-Argonne offensive (Argonne Forest), and the march to the 

Rhine in Germany following the armistice.

In recognition of his distinguished service in France, Holcomb 

was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star with three oak leaf clusters, a Meritorious Service Citation by the commander-in-chief for 

AEF, the Purple Heart, and was three times cited in general orders 

of the 2d Division. The French government conferred on him the 

Cross of the Legion of Honour, and three times awarded him the 

Croix de Guerre with palm.

From September 1922 to June 1924, he commanded the Marine 

Barracks Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and on his return to the United 

States was ordered to the Command and General Staff School of 

the Army at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Upon completion of the 

course in June 1925, he was ordered to Headquarters Marine Corps 

(HQMC) for duty in the Division of Operations and Training, 

where he remained until June 1927.

He was promoted to colonel on 22 December 1928. From August 1927 to February 1930, Holcomb commanded the Marine de-
Appendix II

191

tachment, American Legation, Peiping, China. Holcomb attended 

the Naval War College Senior Course and then was ordered to the 

Army War College, graduating a year later.

From June 1932 to January 1935, prior to his appointment to 

brigadier general, he served in the Office of Naval Operations, Navy 

Department. He was promoted to brigadier general on 1 February 

1935. He served as commandant of the Marine Corps Schools at 

Quantico until November 1936, when he was ordered to HQMC 

to assume the office of the Major General Commandant on 1 December 1936.

With his advancement to lieutenant general on 20 January

1942, pursuant to an act of Congress, the Commandant became the 

highest-ranking officer ever to command the Marine Corps until 

that time. On 5 August 1943, when Holcomb reached the regular 

retirement age, the president announced that Holcomb would continue to serve as Commandant of the Marine Corps, in recognition 

of his outstanding service in that capacity.

After nearly 44 years as a Marine, Holcomb retired on 1 January 1944. Because he had been specially commended for his performance of duty in actual combat, he was advanced one rank on 

the retired list in accordance with a newly passed act of Congress. 

He thus became the first Marine ever to hold the rank of general. 

Holcomb died on 24 May 1965 in New Castle, Delaware, and was 

buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
192

Appendix II

Brigadier General Matthew H. Kingman

Matthew Henry Kingman was born on 1 March 1890 in Humeston, 

Iowa. Graduating from the Virginia Military Institute in 1913, he 

was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He 

served at sea onboard the USS Delaware from June 1915 to April 

1917 as a junior Marine officer and was transferred to the 6th Machine Gun Battalion in June 1917.

While in France, Kingman commanded a machine gun company in the Verdun sector. He was wounded by machine-gun fire in 

the fighting at Château-Thierry but recovered to participate in the 

Aisne-Marne, Saint-Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne offensives, concluding with the “March to the Rhine” as commander of a machine 

gun battalion.

Kingman spent time on recruiting duty from 1919 to 1921 and 

as an instructor for the Tactics Field Officers Course, Marine Corps 

Schools, in 1921 and 1922. He served in Haiti and Nicaragua and, in 

April 1940, was retired with the rank of colonel. In February 1942, 

he was assigned to active duty, becoming commanding officer at 

the San Diego training center. General Kingman’s military awards 

include the Silver Star with an oak leaf cluster; two 2d Division 

Citations; Purple Heart; Victory Medal with Aisne, Aisne-Marne, 

Saint-Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne and defensive sector clasps; Expeditionary Medal; 2d Nicaraguan Campaign Medal; Nicaraguan Medal of Merit and Diploma; French Croix de Guerre with gilt star; 

Croix de Guerre with palm; and the French fourragère.

Kingman died on 16 November 1946 from a cerebral hemorrhage at the U.S. Naval Medical Center in Bethesda and was buried 

in Arlington National Cemetery.
Appendix II

193

Major General Harry Lee

Harry Lee was born in Washington, DC, on 4 June 1872. He became a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 2 August 1898 

and was ordered to the USS Resolute (1894), and sailed for Havana, 

Cuba. He served until 9 February 1899, when he was honorably 

discharged.

He was then commissioned a first lieutenant in the Marine 

Corps on 17 April 1899 and was promoted to captain on 23 July 

1900, to major on 25 February 1914, to lieutenant colonel on 29 

August 1916, to colonel on 1 July 1918, to brigadier general (temporary) on 28 March 1920, to brigadier general (permanent) on 5 June 

1920, and to major general on 1 March 1934.

Between March 1904 and January 1907, Lee served in the Philippine Islands and, from 12 September 1905 to 11 April 1906, he 

commanded the Marine Guard, U.S. Legation, Peking, China. He 

served at various posts until 23 August 1912, when he sailed from 

Philadelphia on the Prairie as adjutant of the 1st Provisional Regiment for service in Panama. He served in Nicaragua from 5 September to 21 November 1912 and participated in the bombardment, 

assault, and capture of the fortifications of Coyotepe and Barranca. He also served for short periods in Haiti and Santo Domingo 

during 1914, 1915, and 1916.

On 1 August 1917, Lee joined Marine Barracks Quantico, for 

duty with the 6th Regiment, arriving with it in France on 8 February 1918. He was then detached to the U.S. Army for duty. He 

participated in the battles in the Château-Thierry sector from 1 June 

to 5 July 1918, as second in command of the 6th Regiment until 6 June and as its commanding officer after Colonel Catlin was 

wounded in action. Under his command, the regiment participated with distinction in the Aisne-Marne offensive (Soissons) from 

17 July to 21 July 1918; the Marbache sector from 7 to 16 August 

1918; the Saint-Mihiel offensive from 12 to 16 September 1918; 

the Blanc-Mont Ridge sector (Champagne) from 2 to 10 October 

1918; the Meuse-Argonne offensive (Argonne Forest) from 1 to 11 

November 1918; and in the march of the Allies to the Rhine. For his 

brilliant service in command of the 6th Regiment in France, he was 

decorated with the Army and Navy Distinguished Service Medals; 
194

Appendix II

the French Legion of Honor; the Croix de Guerre with two palms 

and gilt star; and was cited three times in general orders.

He commanded the 1st Regiment at the Marine Barracks Navy 

Yard, Philadelphia, from 25 September 1919 to 20 May 1920 and 

served at Quantico from 2 October 1920 to 23 July 1921. From 

August 1921 to 18 July 1924, General Lee served as brigade commander of the 2d Brigade in Santo Domingo and later as military 

governor of that country. From there, he was ordered to Marine Barracks Parris Island, South Carolina, as commanding general, which 

he performed until 12 August 1927 when he was detached to the 

Marine Barracks Quantico, for duty as executive officer. On 1 October 1929, he returned to Parris Island for a second tour as commanding general. On 1 March 1933, he assumed command of the 

Marine Barracks Quantico, Virginia, a post that he held until the 

time of his death on 13 May 1935. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Appendix II

195

Lieutenant General John A. Lejuene

John Archer Lejeune was born in Pointe Coupee, Louisiana, on 10 

January 1867. He graduated from Louisiana State University and 

then from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1888. He was commissioned 

as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 1 July 1890. On 31 

August 1890, Lejeune reported to the Marine Barracks New York. 

From 1 October 1891 to 28 July 1893, Lejeune served onboard the 

USS Bennington (PG 4) and was promoted to first lieutenant on 26 

February 1892.

On 2 August 1897, Lejeune assumed command of the Marine guard of the USS Cincinnati. He was promoted to captain on 

3 March 1899. On 22 November 1900, he reported to Pensacola, 

Florida. He was promoted to major on 3 March 1903. On 8 August 

1903, Lejeune was ordered to the USS Panther (1889) to command 

the Marine battalion. Arriving in the Philippines on 2 May 1907, 

Lejeune assumed command of Marine Barracks and Naval Prison, 

Navy Yard, Cavite, on 6 May 1907. He assumed command of the 

1st Brigade on 15 June 1908 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 13 May 1909. On 27 November 1913, he sailed with the 2d 

Advance Base Regiment to Vera Cruz, Mexico, and landed there 22 

April 1914, participating in the occupation of the city. He received 

his promotion to colonel on 25 February 1914. In December 1914, 

he became the assistant to the Major General Commandant of the 

Marine Corps. He was promoted to brigadier general on 29 August 

1916.

With the outbreak of World War I, Lejeune assumed command 

of the Marine Barracks Quantico. In June 1918, he arrived at Brest, 

France, and was promoted to major general on 1 July 1918. Upon 

reporting to the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, 

he was assigned to command a brigade of the 32d Division and later 

assumed command of the 4th Brigade of the 2d Division, following the division’s attack in the Soissons offensive. On 28 July 1918, 

Lejeune assumed command of the 2d Division. He was the first 

Marine officer to hold an Army divisional command in combat and, 

following the armistice, he led his division into Germany. During 

that war, Lejuene was recognized by the French Legion of Honor, 

and the Croix de Guerre was bestowed upon him. General John J. 
196

Appendix II

Pershing awarded him with the Distinguished Service Medal. The 

Navy Distinguished Service Medal was conferred upon him when 

he returned to the United States following the occupation of Germany.

In October 1919, he was appointed commanding general of

Marine Barracks Quantico. He was appointed as Major General Commandant of the Marine Corps on 1 July 1920. He left 

Washington several times for tours of inspection in Haiti, Santo

Domingo, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the West Coast, and elsewhere. On

10 November 1929, he retired to accept the position of superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute, serving there until his 

resignation in October 1937. On February 1942, he was advanced 

to the rank of lieutenant general on the Marine Corps retired list. 

Lejeune died on 20 November 1942 at the Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and was buried in Arlington National 

Cemetery.
Appendix II

197

Colonel James E. Mahoney

James Edward Mahoney was born in Peabody, Massachusetts, on 15 

December 1859. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy on 22 September 1876, graduating in 1881. After serving two years as a midshipman, he was appointed a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps 

on 1 July 1883. During his early years, he served on several vessels including the USS Marion (1839), Pensacola (1859), Tallapoosa

(1863), Charleston, and Vermont.

On 1 July 1890, he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. 

When the Spanish-American War broke out, he was assigned to 

the 1st Battalion of the North Atlantic Fleet under command of 

Lieutenant Colonel Robert W. Huntington and was a member of 

that battalion during the occupation of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and 

the engagement with Spanish forces that occurred during that period. As a result of his distinguished conduct and public service in 

the presence of the enemy at Guantanamo Bay, Mahoney was commended and later appointed a captain by brevet on 11 June 1895. 

On 3 March 1899, Mahoney was promoted to captain. In 1902, he 

was ordered to the Philippines Islands in command of a battalion of 

Marines and, in addition to his military duties, performed various 

civilian duties at Isabela. On 14 October 1903, he was promoted 

to the rank of major. In 1903, Mahoney commanded a battalion of 

Marines on expeditionary duty on the Isthmus of Panama. In 1904, 

he was detailed to command the Marine battalion at the Louisiana 

Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri (or the St. Louis World’s 

Fair). For his services at this exposition, he received a letter of commendation from the representative of the Navy Department.

On 1 April 1905, Mahoney was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1906, Mahoney was again detailed on expeditionary duty in command of Marines on the Isthmus of Panama. In 

1907–8, Mahoney was on duty in the Philippines Islands. On 27 

November 1909, he was promoted to the rank of colonel. Shortly 

afterward, he went on expeditionary duty in command of the 1st 

Regiment to Nicaragua. During 1912, he was on expeditionary duty 

in command of the 2d Regiment of the provisional brigade on shore 

at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In 1914, he went on expeditionary duty 

at Vera Cruz, Mexico, where he was first the brigade commander
198

Appendix II

and later commander of the 1st Regiment. He returned to the United States in November 1914 when Vera Cruz was evacuated by 

American forces.

On 12 December 1917, Mahoney was assigned to command 

the 3d Provisional Brigade in Cuba. Under his command, the brigade returned to the United States in 1918 and was encamped at 

Fort Crockett, Galveston, Texas, for the remainder of the war. On 

28 August 1916, Mahoney was promoted to the temporary rank of 

brigadier general. At his own request, he was placed on the retired 

list on 8 March 1919 with the permanent rank of colonel after more 

than 40 years of service. He died on 9 June 1926 at the U.S. Naval 

Medical Center in Bethesda and was buried in Arlington National 

Cemetery.
Appendix II

199

Major General Douglas C. McDougal

Douglas Cassel McDougal was born on 23 April 1876 in San Francisco, California. He was appointed second lieutenant on 12 March 

1900 and then promoted to first lieutenant on 14 October 1903, to 

captain on 23 January 1908, to major on 26 April 1917, to lieutenant 

colonel on 4 June 1920, to colonel on 1 October 1926, to brigadier 

general on 1 March 1934, and to major general on 1 October 1939.

As a lieutenant, McDougal served in the Philippine Islands, 

China, and Korea from 1900 to 1904. He participated in operations 

related to the Boxer Rebellion, and then commanded the Legation 

Guard at Seoul, Korea. From 1906 to 1909, he commanded the Marine detachment onboard the USS Colorado (ACR 7) and was then 

ordered to Headquarters Marine Corps, where he served until the 

early part of 1911. His principal duty while at Headquarters was as 

an instructor in rifle marksmanship.

In 1914, McDougal was detached for expeditionary service in 

Mexico, where he participated in the occupation of Vera Cruz in 

April 1914. In 1915 and 1916, he participated in field operations 

in Haiti, and also served in Santo Domingo in 1916. From August 

1917 to July 1918, he was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps 

as inspector of target practice. In July 1918, he was ordered to Quantico for duty with the 13th Regiment, and in September of that 

year sailed for France as second in command. After returning from 

Europe, he was in charge of ordnance material at the Depot of Supplies, Philadelphia, from September 1919 to January 1921.

From April 1921 to April 1925, McDougal served as chief of the 

Gendarmerie d’Haiti. In recognition of his services, the president of 

Haiti conferred upon him the Haitian Distinguished Service Medal. 

Following his return from Haiti and until February 1929, he was in 

charge of War Plans Section, Headquarters Marine Corps. Also in 

1926, he was appointed aide to the president of Haiti during the latter’s visit to Washington, and received the Haitian Medal of Honor 

and Merit for his contribution to the success of the mission.

From March 1929 to January 1931, McDougal was director-inchief of the Guardia Nacional de Nicaragua, and for his outstanding 

services was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the president of the United States and the Medal of Distinction and Medal 
200

Appendix II

of Merit by the president of Nicaragua. From May 1931 to April 

1934, McDougal served at Headquarters Marine Corps as director of operations and training and, from April 1934 to April 1935, 

as assistant to the Major General Commandant. In May 1935, he 

joined Marine Corps Base San Diego, as commanding general, and 

in September of the same year was assigned additional duty of commanding general and acted as the state administrator of the Works 

Progress Administration.

After completing his tour at Parris Island in the late summer of

1939, McDougal was recommended for retirement by reason of physical disability. He retired on 1 January 1940 with the rank of major

general. General McDougal died on 20 January 1964 and was buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California.
Appendix II

201

Major General Wendell C. Neville

Wendell Cushing Neville was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, on 12 

May 1870. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1890, 

and two years later he was commissioned a Marine Corps second 

lieutenant. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Neville 

was assigned to the 1st Marine Battalion, organized under Lieutenant Colonel Robert Huntington for service in Cuba. The battalion staged a daring attack under heavy gunfire at Guantanamo Bay, 

established a beachhead, and routed enemy forces in that area. For 

outstanding valor and leadership in that action, Neville was awarded 

the Brevet Medal—highest Marine Corps decoration at that time—

and brevet rank of captain.

Following his promotion to captain, Neville was assigned to a 

battalion of Marines ordered to China to relieve the hard pressed 

garrison at Peking during the Boxer Rebellion. He took part in 

four battles in that area and was again commended for his gallantry. 

Not long afterward, Neville was appointed military governor of the 

Basilan Province in the Philippines. Following that assignment, he 

served in Cuba, Nicaragua, Panama, and Hawaii. While in command of Marines landing at Vera Cruz, Mexico, on 21 April 1914, 

he displayed conspicuous gallantry and was awarded the Medal of 

Honor for his distinguished conduct.

On 1 January 1918, he was placed in command of the 5th Regiment in France, and in May Neville moved his regiment into action 

at Belleau Wood where Germany’s big drive was decisively halted. 

In July, Neville’s command was enlarged to include the 4th Marine 

Brigade, which he directed during the remaining days of the war and 

during its occupation service in Germany.

After service with the army of occupation in Germany, Neville 

and his brigade returned to the United States in July 1919. Promoted to major general in March 1920, he served as assistant to the 

Commandant of the Marine Corps and later became commanding 

general, Department of the Pacific with headquarters in San Francisco. He also commanded Marine Barracks Quantico, Virginia.
202

Appendix II

Neville succeeded Lejeune as Commandant of the Marine 

Corps on 5 March 1929; however, his sudden death on 8 July 1930 

in Edgewater Beach, Maryland, ended his service to the Corps. He 

was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Appendix II

203

Brigadier General George C. Reid

George Croghan Reid was born in Lorain, Ohio, on 9 December 

1876. He was appointed a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps 

for the war with Spain on 20 May 1898. He was appointed first lieutenant on April 8, 1899 and then promoted to the rank of captain on 

23 July 1900, to major on 16 January 1909, to lieutenant colonel on 

29 August 1916, to colonel on 4 June 1920, and to brigadier general 

at retirement on 1 September 1930.

Reid served on the Asiatic Squadron from May 1899 to May 

1902. This duty included service with the China Relief Expedition 

during the Boxer Rebellion from June 1900 to October 1900. He 

was a member of the relief forces that marched to rescue the legations besieged in Peking. He also performed duty in the Philippines 

Islands and with the Asiatic Fleet during this three-year period.

Returning from the Orient, Reid was stationed at various posts 

in the United States for the next few years. This service was interrupted by expeditionary duty on the Isthmus of Panama during the 

early part of 1904. In 1906, he returned to the Philippine Islands 

and remained there until 1912, when he again went on expeditionary duty to Nicaragua with the forces dispatched to protect American interests. During this service, he took part in the assault and 

capture of Coyotepe and Barranca on 19 November 1912, for which 

he received a letter of commendation for gallantry and conspicuous 

service in action.

Returning from this campaign, Reid again went on expeditionary duty to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and then returned to Philadelphia. He took part in the Culebra maneuvers of the Advance Base 

Brigade in January 1914. After that, he went to sea as division Marine officer of the Atlantic Fleet, remaining on this duty until May 

1916. While serving in this capacity, he landed with the Marines in 

Vera Cruz, Mexico, on 21 April 1914 and took part in the engagements that lead to the occupation of that city. For distinguished conduct in the face of the enemy, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

During World War I, Reid served at Quantico, Virginia, and 

at Galveston, Texas, with the 3d Brigade. From June 1919 to May 

1921, he was on duty with the 2d Provisional Brigade in the Domin-
204

Appendix II

ican Republic. During part of this service, he also performed duty as 

the commanding officer of the Guardia Nacional Dominicana.

In 1921, he took the course of instruction at the Naval War 

College at Newport, Rhode Island. From July 1922 to July 1924, 

he served as commanding officer at Marine Barracks New York. 

From 1924 to 1925, he was on duty at the Army War College in 

Washington, DC, graduating from that institution. In 1925, he was 

transferred to Guam, commanding the Marines at that station. He 

retired on 1 September 1930, and was advanced to brigadier general 

after being specially commended in combat. Reid died on 19 February 1961 in the hospital at Harlingen Air Force Base, Texas. He was 

buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Appendix II

205

Colonel Harold C. Snyder

Harold Courtland Snyder was born in Virginia on 10 May 1872. He 

accepted appointment as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 

1 July 1899. He was promoted to first lieutenant on 17 January 1901, 

to captain on 19 June 1903, to major on 16 March 1917, to lieutenant 

colonel on 19 November 1918, and to colonel on 17 July 1919.

After a six-month tour in the office of the secretary of the Navy, 

Snyder served at Marine Barracks Annapolis, studied at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and performed various 

duties at Headquarters until assigned as aide-de-camp to Brigadier 

General Commandant Heywood on 10 June 1901. He continued in 

this capacity, except for a period of detached service in the office of 

the secretary of the Navy until January 1902. After that, he alternated between the 1st Brigade in the Philippines and ships and stations 

in the United States and the Pacific until April 1911.

Snyder assumed command of the Marine Corps New York Recruiting District in August 1911. In September of the following 

year, he was transferred to the Marine Corps Publicity Bureau, New 

York, as officer-in-charge. This assignment was interrupted by his 

detachment in February 1913 to command Company H, 2d Regiment, 2d Provisional Brigade, for service in Cuba. Returning to the 

United States, he was detailed to the U.S. Army Service Schools, 

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Snyder was a student in the “School of 

the Line” for the academic year 1913–14. This period of instruction 

was followed by expeditionary duty in command of the 46th Company in Vera Cruz, Mexico, and Cape Haitian, Haiti. 

In January 1915, Snyder was placed in charge of the Marine 

Officers’ School at Norfolk, Virginia, and transferred with that organization when it moved to Quantico in July 1917. He remained in 

charge of the school until February 1918, when he took command of 

the 2d Replacement Battalion at Quantico. He went overseas with 

the battalion in March 1918. In France, Snyder saw service at Pontanezen Barracks, Brest; commanded the 10th Training Area, Prauthoy; and served as 2d Division liaison officer with the 89th and 32d 

Divisions. He also commanded the 5th Regiment from 21 March 

1919 until his detachment from AEF in July 1919.
206

Appendix II

Upon returning to the United States, Snyder served at Marine 

Barracks Quantico, and at Headquarters Marine Corps prior to

being assigned in July 1924 to the 1st Brigade in Haiti, where he 

commanded first the 8th and then the 2d Regiment. June 1926 

found Snyder back in the United States and in command of Marine 

Barracks Philadelphia, until April 1927, when he sailed from San 

Diego for China as commanding officer of 6th Regiment. He commanded this organization at Tientsin until August 1928.

Snyder embarked on his last active duty assignment as commanding officer of Marine Barracks Parris Island on 17 October 

1928. On 5 July 1929, he was detached from Parris Island to await 

retirement, which became effective on 6 November 1929. He died 

on 8 October 1933 at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Washington, DC, 

and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Appendix II

207

General Allen H. Turnage

Allen Hal Turnage was born on 3 January 1891 in Farmville, North 

Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before entering the Marine Corps as a second lieutenant in November 1913. 

In the early years of his career, he served in Haiti and with the famed 

5th Brigade in France during World War I. Turnage served as commanding officer of Machine Gun Battalion, 5th Marine Brigade. 

Following World War I, he was an instructor at the Marine Officers’ 

School, Quantico; served with the Gendarmerie d’Haiti from 1922 

to 1925; and completed the Field Officers’ Course at Quantico. Later, between two tours of duty at Headquarters Marine Corps, he 

was assigned sea duty on the staff of Battleship Divisions Four and 

Three.

In 1935, Turnage was appointed director of the Marine Officers’ 

Basic School at Philadelphia Navy Yard, following which he served 

with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, as battalion commander and 

regimental executive officer, respectively. Ordered overseas in 1939, 

he served as commanding officer of Marine forces in North China 

and as commanding officer of the Marine Detachment, American 

embassy, Peiping. He returned to Headquarters Marine Corps in 

April 1941 and was serving as director of the Division of Plans and 

Policies when World War II broke out.

In June 1942, he was ordered to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 

to take command of the base and its training center, which included 

organization and training of two regimental combat teams for the 

3d Marine Division. That October, he joined the newly formed 3d 

Marine Division as assistant division commander, becoming commanding general on Guadalcanal in September 1943. He then led 

the division in the landing at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, 

Papua New Guinea, in 1943 and in the recapture of Guam in 1944.

After two years with 3d Division, Turnage was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps in September 1944 as director of personnel 

and later as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. In May 

1946, his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, awarded 

him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. His final assignment 

was as commanding general of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific.
208

Appendix II

In addition to the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Service 

Medal, his personnel decorations include the Legion of Merit; the 

Presidential Unit Citation; the Navy Unit Commendation; the

Haitian Distinguished Service Medal; the Nicaraguan Medal of 

Distinction with Diploma; and the Dominican Order of Military 

Merit, class two with white insignia. General Turnage was the honorary life chairman of the 3d Marine Division Association. He died 

on 22 October 1971 at the U.S. Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, 

and he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Appendix II

209

Colonel George Van Orden

George Van Orden was born in Petoskey, Michigan, on 29 March 

1878. He was appointed a U.S. Naval Cadet on 19 May 1893 and 

was transferred to the Marine Corps on 1 July 1899.

Van Orden was promoted to captain effective on 2 March 1903. 

During his career, he served with many Marine detachments on several U.S. Navy ships at Cavite, Philippine Islands, at the turn of the 

century; the Navy Yard, Washington, DC, in 1903; the Canal Zone 

in 1910; Army School of the Line in 1912; the Army General Staff 

College in Washington, DC, in 1920; and a second trip to Haiti in 

1921.

Van Orden led a naval regiment comprised of Marines and sailors ashore at Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to protect American, French, 

and English interests there during World War I. He was promoted 

to major on 16 March 1917 and to lieutenant colonel on 26 April 

1917.

During World War I, Van Orden commanded the 11th Regiment of the 5th Marine Brigade in France. He was decorated by the 

French government with the Order of the Black Star.

He was promoted to colonel on 4 March 1921. Van Orden died 

in January 1957 at Philadelphia Naval Hospital and was buried in 

Arlington National Cemetery.
210

Appendix II

Major General Littleton W. T. Waller Jr.

Littleton Waller Tazewell Waller Jr. was born 18 September 1886 in 

Norfolk, Virginia, and he began his military career in October 1907, 

when he was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant. He was 

ordered in 1908 to report for duty in the Panama Canal Zone. From 

there he was transferred to the American Legation Guard, Peking, 

China, where he remained until he was ordered to Marine Barracks 

Norfolk in 1910.

Waller was promoted in 1911 to first lieutenant, and he served 

until 1914 at various shore posts in the United States and was active 

in Marine target practice work. In 1914, he participated in the capture of Vera Cruz, Mexico, as a member of the Marine brigade, command of which was assumed by his father in May of that year. After 

Vera Cruz, he began his first sea duty, taking command of the Marine 

detachment aboard the USS Michigan in 1915. He attained the rank 

of captain in 1916 and, a year later, the temporary rank of major in 

command of the 81st Company, 1st Machine Gun Battalion.

In December 1917, Waller sailed to France as commander of 

the battalion, which had been redesignated the 6th Machine Gun 

Battalion. Transferred for a short time to the 3d Division, he returned to 2d Division to become division machine gun officer and 

fought in five major operations, during which his battalion was cited 

for its part in the Belleau Wood and Soissons offensives. He received, among other decorations, the French Legion of Honor and 

the Croix de Guerre. He was twice praised in French Army orders 

for courage and devotion to duty in the face of overwhelming odds.

Waller returned to the United States from France in 1919 and 

remained an active figure in the field of target practice and rifle 

marksmanship. He saw much duty in connection with international 

and Olympic rifle and pistol teams. He received his Reserve lieutenant colonel rank in November 1934 and returned to active duty 

as officer in charge of Marine target practice at Headquarters Marine Corps in June 1941. He was appointed a colonel in January 

1942, and 13 months later became a brigadier general and director 

of personnel of the Marine Corps.
Appendix II

211

In September 1944, he was transferred to command of the Marine defenses on Johnston Atoll, Midway Island, and of naval bases 

in the Hawaiian Islands. He retired in 1946 after commanding the 

Marine garrison forces in the Pacific, and was promoted to major 

general having been commended in combat. He died on 14 April 

1967 after an illness at Abington Memorial Hospital in Willow 

Grove, Pennsylvania. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
212

Appendix II

Brigadier General Frederick M. Wise

Frederick May Wise was born in New York on 6 October 1877 and 

was appointed a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 1 July 

1899. He was promoted to first lieutenant on 23 July 1900, to captain on 3 March 1908, to major on 29 August 1916, to lieutenant 

colonel on 26 March 1917, and to temporary colonel on 1 February 

1918 during the war. He reverted to the rank of lieutenant colonel 

on 31 July 1919, but finally was promoted to colonel on 1 January 

1922.

Wise participated in the China Campaign in 1900 and saw service in the Philippines the following year. He was in Cuba in 1907, 

1908, and then again in 1912. In 1914, he was with the Marines at 

Vera Cruz, and a year later in Haiti. He also participated in the campaign in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in 1916.

Wise was ordered to duty with the American Expeditionary 

Force in France and sailed on 27 June 1917. By 1 April 1918, he occupied a sector of front line trenches in command of the 2d Battalion, 5th Regiment, which they held until 12 May. From 1 to 28 June 

1918, he assisted in stopping the enemy drive on Paris, and then 

participated in the offensive at Bois de Belleau. On 28 June 1918, he 

was ordered to the Army General Staff College at Langres, France, 

but at his own request was relieved and returned to duty with the 

2d Battalion, 5th Regiment, rejoining them on 19 July 1918. From 

20 to 25 July 1918, the battalion participated in the Aisne-Marne 

offensive.

On 19 August 1918, Wise was ordered to report to the commander and chief of the 4th Division to command the 59th U.S. 

Infantry. He reported for duty on 5 September 1918. From 14 to 

18 September, his command took an active part in the Saint-Mihiel 

offensive, and from 26 September to 19 October they were in the 

Toul sector. On 20 November 1918, the 59th Infantry commenced 

the march into Germany. From 1 to 31 December 1918, the regiment was en route and stationed at Eller on the Moselle River. From 

1 January to 9 February 1919, Wise commanded the 8th Brigade of 

the 4th Division.

On 24 January 1919, he was ordered home from France and arrived at Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, DC, on 4 March 
Appendix II

213

1919. On 1 May 1919, he was ordered to Haiti and arrived at Portau-Prince on 8 May 1919. On 19 July, Wise was appointed chief of 

the Gendarmerie d’Haiti, in which capacity he served until 26 February 1921. On 28 April 1920, he was awarded the Haitian Médaille 

Militaire.

At this time, Wise had seen much hard service and his health 

had been failing for some time. After leaving Haiti in 1921, he spent 

considerable time in various hospitals in the United States, though 

he held a number of important positions between those times. The 

Marine Retiring Board found him incapacitated for further active 

service on 21 September 1925, and he was retired as a colonel on 

19 January 1926. He was advanced to the rank of brigadier general 

on 16 January 1934. Wise died on 24 July 1940 at the U.S. Naval 

Hospital in Washington, DC, and was buried in Arlington National 

Cemetery.

215

A

Actual strength of Marine Corps, 1, 2,

5–7

Adjutant and Inspector’s Department 

(HQMC), xxi, 143–44

Advanced Base Force, 3, 18, 52, 126, 

175

See also Cunningham, Alfred A.

Aerodromes, 19, 124

Aero Squadrons, 117

Agamemnon (ID 3004), 43

Age limits, Marine aviators, 129

Aigrefeuille, France, 109

Aisne defensive, 59–69, 97–98, 115, 

168, 190

Aisne-Marne offensive (Soissons), 

70–76, 98, 115, 168, 190, 193, 

212

See also Harry, Lee

Aisne River, 84

Alabama (BB 8), 15

Albany (CL 23), 17, 104

Allotments, 151

Ambrose Lightship, 102

America (ID 3006), 77

American Embarkation Center, Le 

Mans, France, 42, 105, 174

See also Cole, Eli K.

American Expeditionary Forces 

(AEF), xi, xv, 2–3, 13, 19, 23, 

28, 35, 42, 44–47, 62, 69, 72, 

96–98, 105–6, 112, 114, 116, 

118, 120, 122, 130, 136, 141, 

143, 178, 183, 195, 212

American Peace Commission, Paris, 

France, 109

Amiens, France, 59

Annapolis, Maryland, 17–18, 160, 169, 

173, 175, 184, 205

Antitank guns, 118

Antweiler, 93

Archangel, Russia, 19

Arizona (BB 39), xv, 15

Arkansas (BB 33), 15, 100

Arnes, valley of the, France, 82

Armistice, 7, 9, 13, 15, 25, 27, 51, 89, 

91, 102–4, 125, 135, 138, 190, 

195

Army of occupation (Third Army, 

USA), 93–97, 201

Army, U.S.

Composite Regiment, Third Army 

(USA), 136–37

1st Division, 31, 34–36, 56, 60, 71, 

137, 163

2d Division, xi, 1–3, 31, 34, 39, 

41–42, 48, 53–57, 59–62, 64, 

69–72, 79–84, 86–90, 93, 

96–99, 105, 112, 114, 118–19, 

122, 135, 137, 140–42, 162, 

172–73, 179, 186–87, 190, 192, 

195, 205, 210

3d Division, 60, 62, 86, 122, 207, 

210

4th Division, 48–50, 212

6th Division, 48

26th Division, 39, 48, 60, 66, 

162–63

32d Division, 48, 74, 76, 195, 205

35th Division, 48

41st Division, 42, 105, 173

92d Division, 48

8th Infantry Brigade (USA), 48, 

50

15th Field Artillery (USA), 54

V (Fifth) Corps (USA), 87, 90

51st Infantry Brigade (USA), 39, 

48, 162–63

First Army (USA), 78, 80, 87–88

I (First) Corps (USA), 78

1st Depot Division (USA), 42, 

105, 173

1st Division (AEF), 31, 34–36, 56, 

60, 137, 163

1st Field Signal Battalion (USA), 

54

41st Division (AEF), 42, 105, 173

42d Division (AEF), 87

4th Division (AEF), 50, 212

4th Infantry Brigade (USA), 53

4th Machine Gun Battalion 

(USA), 54

9th Infantry, 39, 53–54, 162

92d Division (AEF), 48

102d Infantry (USA), 39, 48, 162

2d Ammunition Train, 54

INDEX
Index

216

2d Division (AEF), xi, 1–3, 31, 34, 

41–42, 48, 53–62, 64, 69–70, 

72, 74–82, 84, 86–87, 89–90, 

93, 96–99, 105, 112, 114, 

118–19, 122, 135, 137

2d Engineers (USA), 54

2d Engineer Train (USA), 54

2d Field Artillery Brigade (USA), 

48, 54

2d Headquarters Train and 

Military Police (USA), 54

2d Sanitary Train (USA), 54

2d Supply Train (USA), 54

2d Trench Mortar Battery (USA), 

54

17th Field Artillery (USA), 48, 

53–54, 179

64th Infantry Brigade (USA), 48

Services of Supply (USA), 31, 42, 

75, 109, 173, 187

Third Army (USA), 94, 136

III (Third) Corps (USA), 72

3d Division (AEF), 60, 62, 86, 

122, 207, 210

3d Infantry Brigade (USA), 53

3d Machine Gun Battalion 

(USA), 30

35th Division (AEF), 48

32d Division (AEF), 48, 74, 76, 

195, 205

12th Company, 44

12th Field Artillery (USA), 54

28th Division (USA), 60

26th Company, 44

26th Division (AEF), 39, 48, 60, 

66, 162–63

23d Infantry (USA), 53

Armentieres, France, 59

Artillery captured by 2d Division, 118

Astoria, Oregon, 18

Athens, Greece, 19

Atlanta, Georgia, 18, 148, 175

Attigny-Voncq, Aisne River region, 84

Automatic Rifle School, Overseas 

Depot, 30

Aviation, 3, 23–24, 43, 50–51, 112, 

116, 123–31, 137, 144, 175–76, 

181

Azores, 3, 13, 19, 43, 50, 52, 123, 128, 

130–31, 164, 181

B

Baker, Newton D., Secretary of War, 

141–42

Bakers School, Parris Island, South 

Carolina, 27

Balloons, 123, 128, 164

Band School, Parris Island, South 

Carolina, 27

Bantry Bay, Ireland, xvi, 51, 101–2

Barmant, France, 109

Barnett, George (MajGen, 

Commandant, USMC), xi, xv, 

xxi, 143

Barracks, Marine Corps

Annapolis, 173, 205

Boston, 160

Mare Island, 21, 177, 181

New York, 177, 195, 204

Norfolk, 154, 160, 182, 188, 210

Parris Island, 30, 149, 173, 185, 

192, 206

Pensacola, 164

Philadelphia, 175, 194, 206

Pontanezen, 109, 205

Port Royal, 168, 173

Quantico, xv, 18, 21, 28, 40–41, 

68, 76, 139, 167, 169–70, 178, 

188, 190, 193–96, 201, 206

repairs of, expenditures, 158

Washington, DC, 176–77, 184, 

188

Wissahickon, 18

Barrett, Charles D. (Maj, USMC), 

94–95, 106, 160–61

Base, U.S. Navy

No. 13, Azores, 128, 130

No. 29, Cardiff, Wales, 3, 19, 43

Bassens (Gironde), France, 109

Battleships, 14, 51, 100–2

Bayonet School, Overseas Depot, 30

Bayonville-et-Chennery, France, 90

Bearss, Hiram I. (Col, USMC), 38–39, 

48, 162–63

Beaufort, South Carolina, 18

Beau Desert (Gironde), France, 109

Beaumont, France, 89–90

Beaurepaire Farm, France, 71

Belgium, xvi, 93, 124, 126, 175

Belleau Wood, France, xi, 2, 37, 56–57, 

61–62, 65–67, 86, 96–97, 168, 

170, 172, 184, 186, 201, 210

See also Bois de Belleau

Bellefontaine, France, 93

Belmar, New Jersey, 18

Belval-Bois-des-Dames, France, 90

Belval Forest, France, 89

Berg, 93
Index

217

Blanc Mont Ridge, France, 68, 80–84, 

96–98, 118, 184, 193

Bois de Belleau, France, 49, 61–63, 65, 

67, 69, 77, 170, 172, 212

See also Belleau Wood

Bois de Belval, France, 96

Bois de la Brigade de Marine, France, 

62–63, 98

Bois de la Folie, France, 96

Bois de Retz, France, 70

Bolinas, California, 18

Bolsheviki, 103

Bombs, 125–26, 130, 175

Bombing School, Overseas Depot, 22, 

30

Bordeaux, France, 39, 109, 136–37, 

162

Boston, Massachusetts, 17–19, 129, 

160, 164, 172

Bou-des-Bois, France, 58

Bouresches, France, 2, 61, 63–64, 

97–98, 168 

Bourmont (Haute-Marne), France, 

41, 54

Bourmont Training Area, France, 

31–32, 36, 40–41, 56, 172

Bouvron, France, 78

Bouy, France, 84

Bradman, Frederic L. (Col, USMC), 

102

Brest, France, xv, 40–43, 58, 74, 76–77, 

94, 102, 105–6, 109, 111, 124, 

136–37, 143, 154, 167, 175, 

195, 205

Breuvannes, France, 36

Brewster, David L. S. (Maj, USMC), 

124, 164–65

Bridgeheads

Château-Thierry, France, 60

Meuse River, 80, 87–90, 96–97

British

Aviation Forces, 125

Distinguished Service Order, 119

Forces, 50

 6th Battle Squadron, British 

Grand Fleet, 15, 100

Grand Fleet, 51, 100–1

Brooklyn (CA 3), 15, 51, 103

Büdesheim, 93

Bulgars, 80

Bundy, Omar (MajGen, USA), 38, 

41, 54

Burgbrohl, 93

Butler, Smedley D. (BGen, USMC), 

106–9, 166–67

C

Calais, France, 124

Caldwell, New Jersey, 124

Cambria, France, 79

Camp Cabaud, France, 87

Camp Carret, near Marseilles, France, 

109

Camp Covington, 109

Camp Perry, Ohio, 121

Camp Pontanezen, France, 74, 106–7, 

111, 136, 167

See Pontanezen Camp

Camps of instruction, 18, 21–22, 149, 

158

Canadian officers, 29

Cantigny, France, 60

Cantonments, 156 

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 17

Cape May, New Jersey, 18, 123, 

128–29

Cap Haitien, Haiti, 146, 148, 205

Carbon Blanc, France, 109

Cardiff, Wales, xvi, 3, 19, 43

Casino-de-Lilas (Bordeaux), France, 

109

Castine (PG 6), 15

Castletown Berehaven, Bantry Bay, 

Ireland, 51, 102 

Casual payments, 151–52

Casualties, 2–3, 50, 52, 62, 88, 99, 

112–16

Catlin, Albertus W. (BGen, USMC), 

40–41, 63, 66–68, 77, 170–71, 

193

Cavite, Philippine Islands, 3, 19, 195, 

209

Châlons-sur-Marne, France, 78, 84

Champagne, France, 2, 68, 79, 81–83, 

91, 97, 115, 117, 193

Champagne-Marne defensive, 69, 99

Chaplains, U.S. Navy, 47, 119

Charleston (C 22), 15, 197

Charleston, South Carolina, 17–18, 

155, 157

Charleston, West Virginia, Navy 

ordnance plant, 18

Chatham, Massachusetts, 17

Château-Thierry sector, France, xvi, 2, 

37, 54, 56–63, 66, 68, 70, 85, 

96–97, 99, 115, 117–18, 183, 

186, 190, 192–93
Index

218

Châteauroux, France, 109

Chaudenay, France, 78

Chemin-des-Dames, France, 59

Chesapeake Bay, 100 

Chief Paymaster, U.S. Marines, France, 

152–53

China, 3, 13, 19, 146, 148, 165–68, 

179–81, 190–91, 193, 199, 201, 

203, 206–7, 210, 212

Chollas Heights, California, 18

Christiania, Norway, 19

Cincinnati (C 7), 15, 195

Citations by French Army, 2, 63, 72, 

117, 119

Civil War, U.S., 1

Claims Section, Paymaster’s 

Department, 152

Clerical School, Parris Island, South 

Carolina, 27

Clothing, expenditures, 158

Cole, Edward B. (Maj, USMC), 40, 

63, 65–66, 172

Cole, Eli K. (BGen, USMC), 41–42, 

105–6, 173–74

Columbia (C 12), 15

Commander in Chief (AEF), 34, 

59–61, 80, 82–83, 90, 183, 190

Commercial Telegraph & Cable Co., 

Boston, Massachusetts, 17

Commissary storehouses, 155 

Commutation of quarters, 158

Company clerks, 29

Connecticut (BB 18), 15, 167

Constellation (1854), 15

Contingent expenditures, 158

Convoying railroad trains, 109 

Convoying troops across Atlantic, 45

Cooks, 27, 29

Cooks and Bakers School, Parris 

Island, South Carolina, 27

Copenhagen, Denmark, 19

Cornell University, 24

Council of National Defense, 156

Croix de Guerre (French), 2, 117, 

119, 170, 172, 184, 190, 192, 

194–95, 210

Croix d’Hins, France, 19, 109

Cruiser Force, 15, 103

Cuba, 3, 13, 19, 52, 148, 162, 170, 

172, 177, 179, 184, 190, 193, 

196–98, 201, 203, 205, 212

Cunningham, Alfred A. (Maj, 

USMC), 125–26, 175–76

Curtis, Maryland, 18

Cutts, Richard M. (Col, USMC), 103

Cyclops (AC 4), 116

Czechoslovaks, 103–4

D

d’Avours Range at Le Mans, France, 

122

Damblain, France, 36, 40, 56

Dampierre, France, 84

Daniels, Josephus (Secretary of the 

Navy), xvi, xxi, 141–42

Days in France; 4th Brigade (USMC), 

118

Deaths, 2, 62, 112, 116, 159

Decorations, 31, 119, 172, 208, 210

Degoutte, Jean (Gen, French Army), 

63

De Kalb (ID 3010), 1, 35, 38, 40, 

43–44, 124, 154

Delaware (BB 28), 15, 100–1, 192

Demobilization, 48, 54, 73, 11, 138–42

Denmark, 19

Dental Corps (USN), 47, 119

Denver (C 14)

Depots of supplies

Charleston, South Carolina, 18, 

155, 157

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 18, 

155–57

San Francisco, California, 18, 155, 

157

Des Moines (C 15), 15

Dieulouard, France, 77

Distinguished Service Crosses 

(American), 119, 168, 172, 184

Distinguished Service Medals 

(American), 56, 90, 106–7, 119, 

167, 180, 184–85, 193, 196

Distinguished Service Order (British), 

119

Divisions (AEF)

1st Division, 31, 34–36, 56, 60, 71, 

137, 163

2d Division, xi, 1–3, 31, 34, 39, 

41–42, 48, 53–57, 59–62, 64, 

69–72, 79–84, 86–90, 93, 

96–99, 105, 112, 114, 118–19, 

122, 135, 137, 140–42, 162, 

172–73, 179, 186–87, 190, 192, 

195, 205, 210

3d Division, 60, 62, 86, 122, 207, 

210

4th Division, 48–50, 212
Index

219

6th Division, 48

26th Division, 39, 48, 60, 66, 

162–63

32d Division, 48, 74, 76, 195, 205

35th Division, 48

41st Division, 42, 105, 173

92d Division, 48

See also Army, U.S.

Division machine gun officer, 84, 86, 

210

Dolphin (PG 24), 15

Dominican Republic, 116, 146, 148, 

160, 184, 188, 212

Dover, New Jersey, 17

Doyen, Charles A. (BGen, USMC), 

34, 38, 40–41, 54–56, 177–78

Dunkirk, France, 19, 124

Dunlap, Robert H. (Col, USMC), 48, 

179–80

Duration-of-war enlisted men, 138–39

E

East San Pedro, California, 18

Edinburgh, Scotland, xvi, 102

El Cayey, Puerto Rico, 19

Ellis, Earl H. (LtCol, USMC), 58, 78, 

94, 106

Emergency payments, 151–52

Enlistments, 8–11

Enlisted Staff School, Overseas Depot, 

29, 31

Enrollments in the Reserve, 4, 8–9

Epidemic of influenza, 23, 143

See influenza

Eppeldorf, Luxembourg, 93

Escorts, 14

Essen Hook (Blanc Mont), France, 81

Eureka, California, 18

Evans, Francis T. (Maj, USMC), 124, 

175, 181–82

Evans, Frank E. (BGen, USMC), 183

Exermont, France, 87, 90

Expenditures, 157–58

F

Feland, Logan (BGen, USMC), xvii, 

36–37, 54, 73, 83, 94, 184–85

Female reservists, 6–7, 133

Field Musics School, Parris Island, 

South Carolina, 27

Finances, 155

Firth of Forth, Scotland, 100–1

Flanders, Belgium, 79, 125

Florida (BB 30), 15, 100–1

Florida Straits, 51

Flying Corps

France, 50, 125

United States, 24, 129

See also aviation

Foch, Ferdinand Marshal (French 

Army), 59–60, 69–70, 72, 

79–81, 136

Forage, expenditures, 158

Fort Crockett, Galveston, Texas, 18, 

50, 198

Fort Lafayette, New York, 17

Fort Lyons, Colorado, 18

Fort Muffin, Pennsylvania, 17

Fosse, France, 88, 90

Fossoy, France, 62

Forwarding Camp, Le Mans, France, 

105

Fourragére, French, 2, 117, 192

Frederick (CA 8), 15

French

Citations, 2, 62, 72, 117

Decorations, 107–8, 117, 119, 

167, 190, 192, 194–95, 209–10

Flying Corps, 50, 125

Forces

 Fourth French Army, 79–82, 

84, 96, 98

 IX French Army Corps, 34

 Sixth French Army, 62

Officers serving with Marines, 29, 

32, 119

Orders, 63–64, 72, 84, 117, 210

Freya Stellung, 88

Fryer, Eli T. (Col, USMC), 104

Fuel, expenditures, 158

G

Galveston (C 17), 15, 51

Galveston, Texas, 18, 50, 198, 203

Gamborg-Andresen, Carl (Col, 

USMC), 104

Gas, 22, 30

Geiger, Roy S. (Maj, USMC), 125, 175

Gendarmerie, Haitian, 3, 19, 52, 183, 

199, 207, 213

Genicart, France, 109

George Washington (ID 3018), 16, 102, 

135

Georgia (BB 15), 17

Georgia School of Technology, 24
Index

220

Germainvilliers, France, 40

German High Seas Fleet, 101

Germany, xvi, 14, 19, 49, 61, 93–94, 

96–97, 120, 122, 155, 168, 179, 

190, 195–96, 201, 212

Gerstner Field, Lake Charles, 

Louisiana, 18, 124, 127, 129

Gievres (Loire-et-Cher), France, 109

Gisors-Chaumont-en-Vixen, Prance, 

58, 172

Gleaves, Albert (RAdm, USN), 35

Gondrecourt Training Area, 31, 36

Gouraud, Henri (Gen, French Army), 

79–81, 96

Grand Bois de Saint Souplet, France, 

82

Grand Fleet, British, 51, 100–1

Grange Neuve, France, 109

Great Lakes, Illinois, 129

Greece, 19

Greenbury, Maryland, 17

Guam, 3, 14, 19, 51–52, 181, 204, 207

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 3, 19, 170, 

184, 190, 197, 201, 203

Guardia Nacional Dominicana, 3, 19, 

52, 188, 199, 204

H

Haines, Henry C. (Col, USMC), xxi, 

144

Haiti, xix, 3, 14, 19, 52, 146, 148, 

167, 170, 173, 179, 181–83, 

188, 192–93, 196, 199, 205–9, 

212–13

Hampton Roads, Virginia, 18, 106, 

139

Hancock (AP 3), 1, 35, 45, 177–78

Harbord, James G. (MajGen, USA), 

54, 56–57, 63–64, 70, 72, 75, 

186–87

Hart, Franklin A. (Capt, USMC), 111, 

188–89

Harvard University, 24

Hatenfels, Germany, 94 

Haute-Marne, France, 41, 54

Havana, 35

Havre, France, 109

Hawaiian Islands, 3, 14, 181, 211

Headquarters Companies, U.S. Marine 

Corps

5th Regiment, 1, 28, 31, 33–39, 

41, 44, 49, 53, 55, 72–74, 83, 

94, 122, 135, 162, 177–78, 184, 

188, 201, 205, 212

6th Regiment, 1–2, 28, 33, 39–41, 

63, 66–68, 72, 83, 117, 135, 

162, 168, 170, 183, 190, 193, 

206

See also, Marine Corps, U.S.

Headquarters Detachment, Paris, 

France (USMC), 109

Headquarters, Washington, DC, 18, 

146–47

Helena (PG 9), 16, 51

Henderson (AP 1), 1, 35–36, 40, 43–45, 

58, 137, 178

Herschbach, Germany, 94

Hill 142, 2, 61, 67, 97–98, 170

Hindenburg Line, 79, 88 

Hingham, Massachusetts, 17

Historical Division, Marine Corps, 

xi, xxi

Holland, 14, 19

See also The Hague

Hospitals, 18, 151, 213

Hoyt, Leon W. (Maj, USMC), 120

Huey, James McE (LtCol, USMC), 

103

Huntington (CA 5), 16

I

Idaho (SP 545), 16

Indiana (BB 1), 160, 184

Indian Head, Maryland, 18

Inductions, 8–9

Influenza, 23, 143, 178

Inglewood, California, 18

Inor, France, 90

Inspector General’s Department 

(HQMC), 111

Inter-allied rifle championships, Le 

Mans, France, 122

Interpreters, 109

Iona Island, New York, 17

Ireland, 51, 101–2 

Isle of Ste. Anne (Nantes), France, 109

Issonge farmhouse, France, 66

Issoudun, France, 109

Italy, 19

J

Japan, 19 

Jassy, Romania, 19

Jaulny, France, 78, 97
Index

221

K

Kansas (BB 21), 17

Key West, Florida, 17–18

Killed in action, 112, 116, 159

Kilometers advanced, 119

Kingman, Matthew H. (Maj, USMC), 

84–85, 192

Knight, Austin M. (RAdm, USN), 103

L

La Baule, France, 109

La Loge farmhouse, France, 66

La Pallice, France, 109

La Playa, California, 18

La Rochelle, France, 109

La Teste (Gironde), France, 109

La Veuve, France, 84

Lake Charles, Louisiana, 18, 124, 127, 

129

Lake Denmark, New Jersey, 17

Landres-et-Saint-Georges, France, 

87–88, 96

Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, camp of 

instruction bayonet team, 18

Lauchheimer, Charles H. (BGen, 

USMC), 144

Lay, Harry R. (LtCol, USMC), 34, 

40, 78

Lee, Harry (Col, USMC), 66, 68, 70, 

72, 193–94

Le Franc aerodromes, France, 125

Le Mans, France, 42, 95, 105, 122, 

161, 174

Leffincourt, France, 34, 84

Legion of Honor (French), 119, 170, 

184, 194–95, 210

Lejeune, John A. (MajGen, USMC), 

48, 54, 58, 73, 75–77, 80, 82, 

90, 137, 143, 195–96, 202

Leland Stanford Junior University, 24

Lents, Oregon, 18

Les Islettes, France, 87

Létanne, France, 89

Leviathan (SP 1326), 17, 111, 136, 

143, 154

Line of communications, 31, 36, 38, 

41, 178

Lironville, France, 78

Little, Louis McC (Col, USMC), 104

London, England, xvi, 3, 19, 136, 179, 

189

Long, Charles G. (BGen, USMC), 

143

Lormont, France, 109

Lorraine, France, 91, 163

Lost and destroyed records, 151

Louisiana (BB 19), 16

Lugol, G. (Mayor of Meaux, France), 

66

Luxembourg, 19, 93

Lynnhaven Roads, Chesapeake Bay, 

100

Lys, Ypres-Lys offensive, 59, 99

M

Machias (PG 5), 16

Machine guns captured, 118

Machine Gun School, Overseas 

Depot, 29–31

Machine Gun School, Utica, New 

York, 19, 23, 31

Madrid, Spain, 14, 19

Maintenance of Quartermaster’s 

Department, cost of, 158

Major General, Commandant, 

USMC, xv, xviii, xxi, 5, 34, 36, 

40–41, 143–44, 154, 160, 185, 

191, 195–96, 200

Major, Harlan E. (Capt, USMC), 66

Major offensives, German, 59

Major operations, American, 1, 50, 70, 

86, 98–99, 210

Managua, Nicaragua, 3, 19, 146, 148

Manonville, France, 78

Marans, France, 109

Marbache sector, France, 68, 77–78, 

97, 115, 118, 168, 183, 190, 193

Marconi Wireless Co., Boston, 

Massachusetts, 17

Mare Island, California, 17–18, 21, 26, 

28, 156, 177, 181 

Margut, 93

Marine Aviation Section, Miami, 

Florida, 51, 123, 181 

Marine Corps Reserve, 2, 4, 6–11, 

20–23, 132–33, 138, 147, 155, 

158, 168, 210

Marine Corps Reserve Flying Corps, 

24, 129

Marine Corps, U.S.

Base Detachment, 5th Regiment, 

140

Day Wing, Northern Bombing 

Group, xi, 43, 50, 124–25, 127, 

131

1st Aviation Squadron, 123–24
Index

222

1st Battalion, 11th Regiment, 43

1st Battalion, 5th Regiment, 31, 

33, 36, 207

1st Battalion, 6th Regiment, 33, 

40–41

1st Casual Replacement Battalion, 

44

1st Machine Gun Replacement 

Battalion, 44

1st Marine Aeronautic Company, 

43, 50, 123, 131, 164, 181

1st Marine Aviation Force, 43, 

116, 124

1st Regiment, 148, 166, 170, 173, 

181, 194, 197–98

1st Replacement Battalion, 44

1st Replacement Depot, 42, 105, 

174

1st Separate Machine Gun 

Battalion, 44

2d Battalion, 5th Regiment, 33, 

49, 188, 212

2d Battalion, 6th Regiment, 33, 

40–41, 135, 190

2d Casual Replacement Battalion, 

44

2d Replacement Battalion, 44, 74, 

205

3d Battalion, 5th Regiment, 33, 

36, 39

3d Battalion, 6th Regiment, 33, 

40–41

3d Battalion, 11th Regiment, 43

3d Replacement Battalion, 44

3d Separate Battalion, 44

3d Separate Machine Gun 

Battalion, 30

4th Brigade

 Casualties, 3, 114–15

 Citations, 2, 62–63, 117, 119, 

141

 Demobilization, 135–37, 139

 Formed, 34

 Operations, 3, 48, 56, 70, 79, 

84, 93–99

 Organizations composing, 

33–34

 Organized, 1, 40

 Returned to United States, 

135–37

 Training, 23, 31–32, 41

4th Separate Battalion, 30, 44

5th Brigade, 3, 30, 32, 41–43, 

105–11, 135–36, 139, 173–74, 

188, 207

5th Brigade Machine Gun 

Battalion, 30, 41, 43, 53, 111, 

135, 140, 188, 207

5th Machine Gun Battalion, 53

5th Regiment, 1, 28, 31, 33–39, 

41, 44, 49, 53, 55, 72–74, 83, 

94, 122, 135, 162, 177–78, 184, 

188, 201, 205, 212

5th Separate Battalion, 44

6th Machine Gun Battalion, 140

6th Regiment, 140

6th Separate Battalion, 30, 44

7th Regiment, 61–62, 148

7th Separate Battalion, 45

8th Separate Battalion, 30, 45

9th Separate Battalion, xv, 45

10th Separate Battalion, 30

11th Regiment, 43, 106, 108–9, 

122, 135, 180, 209

11th Separate Battalion, 30

12th Replacement Battalion, 45, 

47

12th Separate Battalion, 136

13th Regiment, 30, 41, 43, 107, 

109–11, 122, 135, 167, 199

15th Separate Battalion, 13673d 

Machine Gun Company, 34, 40

Machine Gun Company, Marine 

Corps, 33–34, 40

 See also 8th Company, 5th 

Regiment, and 73d Company, 

6th Regiment

Northern Bombing Group, xi, 43, 

50, 124, 126–28, 175–76

Schleswig-Holstein Battalion, 

136–37

Supply Company, 5th Regiment, 

33

Supply Company, 6th Regiment, 

34

Marne, River, salient, Valley, 60–61, 

69, 71

Married men, rejections of, 10

Marseilles, France, 109

Marshall, California, 18

Marshfield, Oregon, 18

Massachusetts (BB 2), 184

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 

19, 129

Massif de Notre-Dame-des-Champs, 

France, 82–83
Index

223

Massif du Blanc Mont, France, 82

Matthews, Calvin B. (Maj, USMC), 

106

Mauretania (1906), 105

Mayflower (PY 1), 16

McCawley, Charles L. (BGen, 

USMC), 143, 154

McClellan, Edwin N. (Maj, USMC), 

ix, xi, xiii–xix, xxi

McDougal, Douglas C. (LtCol, 

USMC), 107, 109–10, 199–200

McGill, John F. (Col, USMC), 103

Meaux, France, 60, 64, 66

Médaille Militaire (French), 119, 213

Medals of honor (American), 119, 

166, 170, 201, 203

Medeah Ferme, France, 82–83 

Medical Corps of the Navy, 47, 116, 

119

Mehun, France, 109

Menaucourt, France, 36

Mercury (ID 3012), 131, 135–36

Mess sergeants, 29

Metz, France, 60, 67, 170

Meuse-Argonne, 50, 54, 68, 84–85, 87, 

90, 95–98, 115, 118, 160, 163, 

168, 179, 190, 192–93

Meuse-Argonne (Champagne), 2, 97, 

115, 117

Meuse River, 80, 87–90, 96–97

Mexico, 51, 160, 162, 166, 172, 179, 

184, 195, 197, 199, 201, 203, 

205, 210

Miami, Florida, 51, 124, 127–31, 181

Michigan (BB 27), 16, 210

Military colleges, graduates of, 20

Military police, 54, 109

Military stores, 158

Mineola, Long Island, New York, 19, 

124, 127, 129

Mines, 51

Mine craters, 81

Miners and Sappers School, Overseas 

Depot, 31

Minnesota (BB 22), xv, 14, 16, 51, 184

Minors, rejection of, 10

Miramas, France, 109

Missing, 115

Mississippi (BB 23), 16

Mobilization Bureau, 18

Money expended, 150–51 

Montana (ACR 13), 16, 184

Montdidier, France, 60, 69

Montierchaume (Indre), France, 106

Montoir, France, 109

Montreuil-aux-Lions, France, 60, 66

Monts, France, 82 

Morale of the Allies, 59, 61–62, 136, 

149

Moroccan Division, 70–72

Moscou (P. C.), France, 56

Moselle River, 77, 97, 212

Mouzon, France, 90

Myers, John T. (BGen, USMC), 102

Murman Coast, Russia, 19, 51

N

Naix, France, 36

Nancy, France, 77

Nantes, France, 109

Nanteuil-le-Haudouin, France, 75

Nanteuil-sur-Marne, France, 66

National Naval Volunteers, Marine 

Corps, 4, 20, 132

Naval Air Station

Cape May, New Jersey, 18, 123, 

128–29

Miami, Florida, 51, 125–28

Pensacola, Florida, 19, 123, 128, 

181

San Diego, California, 18, 181–82

Naval ammunition depots, 17, 19

Naval district base, New London, 

Connecticut, 18

Naval experimental station, New 

London, Connecticut, 18

Naval hospitals, 18

Naval Militia, Marine Corps, 132

Naval prisons, 18

Navy allotment officer, 151

Navy Department, 8, 24, 34, 141–42, 

157, 183, 191, 197

Navy Distinguished Service Medal, 

56, 107, 167, 180, 193, 196

Navy, U.S.

Asiatic Fleet, xiii, 15, 103–4, 164, 

203

Atlantic Fleet, 15, 100–3, 177, 

190, 197, 203

Battleship Force One, 14–15, 103

Battleship Force Two, 14–15, 103

Division 6, Atlantic Fleet, 15, 

101–2

Division 7, Atlantic Fleet, 15

Division 8, Atlantic Fleet, 15

Division 9, Atlantic Fleet, 15, 

100–2
Index

224

Pacific Fleet, 15, 103

Nebraska (BB 14), 16

Negro stevedores, 35

Nevada (BB 36), 16, 101–2

Nevers, France, 109

Neville, Wendell C. (BGen, USMC), 

38, 63, 70, 73, 75, 77, 91, 98, 

137, 201–2

New Brunswick, New Jersey, 18

Newfoundland, 100

New Hampshire (BB 25), 16

New Jersey (BB 16) 16, 160

New London, Connecticut, 17–18, 

184

New Mexico (BB 40), 16

New Orleans (CL 22), 17, 104

New pay roll, 152

Newport News, Virginia, 131 

Newport, Rhode Island, 17, 204–5

New York, 11, 17–19, 31, 40, 43, 58, 

77, 102, 105, 124, 136–37, 143, 

146–47

Nicaragua, xvii, 3, 14, 19, 52, 146, 

148, 164, 166, 180, 185, 188, 

192–93, 197, 199, 200–1, 203, 

208

Nieder Bieber, Germany, 94

Noncommissioned Officers School, 

Parris Island, South Carolina, 

27

Norfolk, Virginia, 17–18, 26, 154, 157, 

182, 184, 188, 205, 210

North Carolina (ACR 12), 16

North Dakota (BB 29), 16

North Head, Washington, 18

North Island, California, 17, 177

Norway, 19

Notre-Dame-des-Champs, France, 

82–83

Noyers, Saint-Aignan-Noyers, France, 

109

Noyon-Montdidier drive, France, 69

O

Observation squadrons, 50, 125

Observers, 46, 50

Office of the Chief Paymaster, United 

States Marines, France, 152–53

Office of the Judge Advocate General, 

18

Office of the Major General 

Commandant (USMC), 

143–44, 191

Officers’ school, 30, 160, 173, 181, 205, 

207

Officers’ training camps, 22–23

Oil supply of Allies, 51

Oise-Aisne offensive, 99

Oklahoma (BB 37), 16, 102

Olongapo, Philippine Islands, 3, 19, 

181

Olympia (C 6), 16

Operations, general, xv, xvii, 1, 3, 

48–52, 61–62, 64, 83, 97

See also Aisne-Marne, Belleau 

Wood, Blanc Mont Ridge, 

Champagne, Château-Thierry, 

Marbache, Meuse-Argonne, 

Saint-Étienne, Saint-Mihiel, 

Soissons, Verdun

Orizaba (ID 1536), 135

Orkney Islands, 100–1

Orleans, Massachusetts, French Cable 

Co., 17

Ostend, Belgium, xvi, 124

Osterhout, George H. (Capt, USMC), 

66

Otter Cliffs, Maine, 17

Overseas Depot, Marine Barracks 

Quantico, Virginia, 22, 28–30, 

43

P

Palestine, 80

Paoli, Pennsylvania, 18

Paris, France, 3, 19, 38, 43, 49, 60–61, 

77, 109, 122, 136, 143, 153, 

161, 170, 212

Paris-Metz Highway, France, 60, 67, 

170

Parris Island, South Carolina, 18, 

21, 26–28, 30, 42, 149, 156, 

173–74, 185, 194, 200, 206

Pauillac, France, 19, 124

Pay for personnel, expenditures, 

150–51

Paymaster, Chief, United States 

Marines, France, 152–53

Paymaster’s clerks, Marine Corps, 

145–53

Paymaster’s Department, 145–53

Payroll, new, 152

Pay School, Parris Island, South 

Carolina, 27

Peace memorandum No. 1, 91–92

Peace treaty, 94, 138
Index

225

Pearl Harbor, Hawaiian Islands, 3, 19, 

52, 183

Peking, China, xiii, 3, 19, 52, 146, 148, 

180, 190, 193, 201, 203, 210

Pennsylvania (BB 38), 16, 102, 177

Pensacola (1859), 197

Pensacola, Florida, 17, 19, 23, 128, 

164, 175, 181, 195

Pentland Firth, 101

Perkins, Ernest A. (Maj, USMC), 111

Pershing, John J. (Gen, USA), xv, 

34, 36, 46, 53, 56–57, 61, 72, 

136–37, 141–42, 179, 183–86, 

195

Petain, Henri-Philippe (French 

Army), 36, 64, 71, 73, 79–81

Petrograd, Russia, 19

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, xiii, 12, 

17–18, 26, 34, 177

Pistol matches, 121–22, 165, 210

Pittsburgh (CA 4), 16, 51

Plan directeur, 62

Planning section, 144

Plebiscite, 136

Pocahontas, 45

Point Arguello, California, 18

Pointe de Grave, France, 137

Point Isabel, Texas, 17

Police sergeants, 109

Ponta Delgada, Azores, 19, 43, 50, 

123, 130

Pont-à-Mousson, France, 77, 97, 183

Pontanezen Camp, Brest, France, 74 

106–7, 109, 111, 136, 167, 205

Pont-Saint-Vincent, France, 78

Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 146, 148, 188, 

209

Portland, England, 101

Portland, Maine, 17

Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 17–18

Portuguese decorations, 119, 164 

Pouilly, France, 90

Prairie (AD 5), 16, 177, 193

President of the United States, actions 

of, 4, 9, 34–35, 40, 102, 137, 

156, 187, 190

Price, Charles F. B. (Maj, USMC), 136

Printz Eitel Fredrich, 35

See also De Kalb

Prison

Guards, 111

Naval, 18, 195

Officers, 109

Prisoners, 64, 71– 72, 77, 80, 82–83, 

103, 118

Provisions, expenditures, 158

Provost guards, 38, 109

Provost Marshal General (USA), 8–9, 

24

Provost marshals, 38, 109, 162 

Prüm, Germany, 93

Public works, 157

Pueblo (CA 7), 16

Puerto Rico, 14, 19, 166, 172, 174, 

184, 196

Puget Sound, Washington, 17

Purchases under second deficiency act, 

from United States Army, 158

Q

Quantico, Virginia, xv, 22, 67, 127–28, 

147, 156, 164

Quarters, commutation of; 

expenditures, 158

Quartermaster’s Department, 154–58

R

Radio, Virginia, 17

Radio School, Parris Island, South 

Carolina, 27

Radio stations, etc., 2, 17, 19

Rations, expenditures, 155

Recruit Depots

Mare Island, California, 26, 28

Norfolk, Virginia, 26 

Parris Island, South Carolina, 21, 

26–28

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 26

Rejections of applicants at, 10

Training at, 32

Recruiting and transportation, 

expenditures, 158

Recruiting statistics, 8–12

Rejections of applicants for enlistment, 

10

Remenauville, France, 78

Repairs of barracks, expenditures, 158

Replacements, xv, 32, 44–45, 140

Reserve, Flying Corps, 24, 129

“Reserve supplies, USMC,” 

expenditures, 158

Retired officers, warrant officers, and 

enlisted men, 5–7

Return of Marines from Europe, 

135–37
Index

226

Rheims, France, 59, 81, 83, 96

Rheims Massif, France, 80

Rheinbrohl, Germany, 93

Rhine River Patrol (USMC), 93

Rhode Island, (BB 17), 16

Richards, George (BGen, USMC), 

145

Rifle competitions and practice, 

120–22, 165

Rifles captured, 118

Rochefort, France, 109

Rockport, Massachusetts, Postal 

Telegraph & Cable Co., 17

Rome, Italy, 19

Romorantin (Loire-et-Cher), France, 

109

Roosevelt Field, Mineola, Long Island, 

New York, 127, 129

Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Assistant 

Secretary of the Navy), 140, 

142

Rosyth, Scotland, 100–2

Russia, 19, 51

Russian Island, Siberia, 103–4

Rye Beach, Maine, 17

S

Saint-Aignan-Noyers, France, 105, 

109

Saint-Ètienne, France, 81–83, 97–98

Saint-Mihiel offensive, 48–50, 68, 78, 

85, 96–98, 115, 118, 163, 168, 

183, 190, 192–93, 212

Saint-Nazaire, France, 35–36, 38, 40, 

43, 109, 131, 178

Saint-Sulpice (Gironde), France, 109

Samoa, 14

San Diego (CA 6), 17, 51

San Diego, California, 18, 21, 129, 

177, 181–82, 192, 200, 206

San Francisco, California, 18, 146, 148, 

155, 157, 168, 186, 201

San Juan, Puerto Rico, 3, 14, 19, 184

Santa Paula (ID 1590), 135

Santiago, Dominican Republic, 146, 

148

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 

3, 14, 19, 52, 112, 146, 160, 

162, 164, 176–77, 179, 184–85, 

188, 193–94, 196, 199, 212

Sappers, 31

Sarry, France, 78

Savenay, France, 109

Sayville, New York, 17

Scapa F1ow, Orkney Islands, xvi, 

100–1

Scarponne, France, 77

Schools, U.S. Marine Corps

Army balloon, 128–29

Army candidates, 23

Automatic rifle, 30

Bakers, 27

Band, 27

Bayonet, 30

Bombing, 30

Clerical, 27

Cooks, 27

Enlisted staff, 29, 31

Field musics, 27

Gas, 30

Machine gun, 19, 23, 30–31

Mechanics, 129

Miners and sappers, 31

Noncommissioned officers, 27

Officers, 30, 160

Overseas depot, 22, 29

Pay, 27, 149

Quartermaster sergeants, 154

Radio, 27

Scout snipers 30

Signal, 27

Sea duty, 14, 22

Sea Girt, New Jersey, 122

Seattle (ACR 11), 16, 35, 188

Secretary of the Navy, xvi, xxi, 9, 34, 

40, 93, 96, 101–2, 140–42, 205

Secretary of War, 8, 24, 34, 141–42

Selective service law, 9

Shearer, Thomas R. (Capt, USMC), 

127

Siberia, 51, 103

Sibert, W. L. (MajGen, USA), 35

Siboney (AD 2999), 106, 135

Signal Battalion, Paoli, Pennsylvania, 

18

Signal School, 27

Silver bands for colors, 97

Slovaks, 103

Smith, Holland M. (Maj, USMC), 41

Snyder, Harold C. (Col, USMC), 

73–74, 94, 205–6

Soissons, France, xvi, 60, 69–71, 73, 96, 

118, 168, 184, 186

Somme, France, 59, 84, 109

Somme-Py, France, xvi, 81

Sommerance, France, 90

Souain, France, 105
Index

227

Souain-Suippes area, France, 79

South Carolina (BB 26), 16

South Dakota (ACR 9), 16

Spain, 14, 19, 162, 166, 184, 203

Spanish War, 1, 177

Special Assistant, Quartermaster’s 

Department (HQMC), 155

Special disbursing agents, 145–48

Stadenburg, Germany, 125

Staff School, enlisted and general, 29, 

191

States, enlistments by, 8–12

States, Naval Militia, Marine Corps, 

132

Statutory strength of Marine Corps, 

4–7

See also Strength of Marine Corps

St. Julien’s Creek, Virginia, 17

St. Loubès, France, 109

St. Louis (C 20), 16

Stockholm, Sweden, 19

Storehouses, 155–56

Stores, military expenditures, 155, 

157–58

St. Quentin, France, 8

Strength of Marine Corps, 1–2, 4–7, 

10, 26, 28, 123, 127, 132–33, 

139

Student Army Training Corps, 24–25

Suarce sector, France, 48

Submarines, 35, 101–2, 124

Suippes, France, 79, 84

Suippes River, France, 80–81

Suippes-Somme Suippes-Nantivet 

area, France, 84

Summary of operations, 97

Supplies, expenditures, 158

Surrender of the German High Seas 

Fleet, 101–4

Sursol (Gironde), France, 109

Swiss border, 48

T

Target practice, 100, 120, 144, 190, 

199, 210

Tatoosh, Washington, 18

Taylor, Charles B. (LtCol, USMC), 

103

Tebbs Jr., Richard H. (Maj, USMC), 

103

Technical engineer, Quartermaster’s 

Department, 155

Texas (BB 35), 16, 100

The Hague, Holland, 14, 19

Thiaucourt, France, 78, 97

Tiburon, California, 18

Tigny, France, 60, 71

Toul, France, 56, 212

Toulon, France, 56, 109

Toulon sector, France, 97, 115, 162

Tours, France, 105–6

Traffic police, 111

Training of enlisted men, 26–32

Training of officers, 20–25

Transportation and recruiting, 

expenditures, 158

Travel allowance, 152

Trench mortars, 118

Tuckerton, New Jersey, 18

Turnage, Allen H. (Maj, USMC), 111, 

207–8

U

U-boats, 101

See also Submarines

Universities

Cornell, 24

George Washington, xiii

Georgia School of Technology, 24

Harvard, 24

Kansas, 24

Leland Stanford Junior, 24

Louisiana State, 195

Minnesota, 24

North Carolina, 24, 207

Ohio Wesleyan, 181

Pennsylvania, xiii

Tennessee, 168

Texas, 24

Virginia Military Institute, 24

Washington, 24

Wisconsin, 24

Yale, 24

Usine Brûlée, France, 109

Utah (BB 31), 16, 102

Utica, New York, 19, 23, 31

V

Vadenay-Bouy-la-Veuve-Dampierre 

area, France, 84

Vanault-les-Dames, France, 56

Van Orden, George (Col, USMC), 

106, 108, 209

Vaux-en-Dieulet, France, 89

Vaux, France, 2, 61–62, 96, 99
Index

228

Velaine-en-Haye, France, 78

Verdun, France, xvi, 32, 54, 56, 85, 91, 

96–97, 115, 118, 162, 168, 172, 

192

Vermont (BB 20), 17, 188, 197

Vierzy, France, 71, 73

Virginia (BB 13), 17

Virgin Islands, 3, 14, 19, 52, 146, 148

Virginia Military Institute, 24, 192, 

196

Vitry-le-François, France, 56, 58, 172

Villers-lès-Nancy, France, 77

Vivieres, France, 70

Vladivostok, Siberia, 51, 103–4

Voncq, France, 84

Von Steuben (ID 3017), 40–41, 43–44, 

96

Vulte, Nelson P. (Maj, USMC), 101

W

Wakefield, Massachusetts, 18

Wales, 3, 19, 43

Waller Jr., Littleton W. T. (Maj, 

USMC), 66, 73, 84, 86, 162, 

210

Warehouses, 2, 109, 157

Wars

Civil, 1

Germany, declared against, 155

Spanish, 1, 170, 177, 183, 197, 

201

War Industries Board, 156

War Risk Bureau, 151

War Risk Insurance Act, 151

Washington, DC, 11, 17–18, 136–37, 

146–47

Waxweiler, Germany, 93

Wehr, Germany, 122

Wellfleet, Massachusetts, 17

West Indies, 112, 156–57

Western Union Co., Boston, 

Massachusetts, 17

Weymouth, England, 101

Wiesbaum, Germany, 93

Wilhelmina (ID 2168), 135

Wills, Davis B. (Maj, USMC), 153

Wilmington (PG 8), 16, 51

Winthrop, Maryland, 18, 21

Wirgman, Harold F. (Maj, USMC), 

103

Wise, Frederick M. (Col, USMC), 

48–50, 212–13

Wise Jr., William C. (Maj, USMC), 

106

Wissahickon Barracks, New Jersey, 18

Women, female reservists, 67, 133, 150

Wounded, 52, 66, 68, 77, 85, 115–16, 

151

Wyoming (BB 32), 17, 100

X

Xammes, France, 78, 97

Y

Yale University, 24

Yokohama, Japan, 19

Yorktown (PG 1), 17

Yorktown, Virginia, 18

Ypres-Lys offensive, 99

Z

Zeebruges, Belgium, xvi