Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-09
MARINES MOURN
LOSS OF NEVILLE
Death of Commandant Ends
One of Most Picturesque
Careers in Corps.


afioat who had followed him in many
hardfought battles today were mourn
ing the loss OF a beloved and respected
Neville, whose death late yesterday
from paralysis ended one of the most
picturesque careers In the corps
A veteran OF all the principal cam
paignS since the war with Spain Gen.
Neville rose TO the position of COM
mandant of the Marine Corps on
March S, 1929, by reason OF distin-
guiShed service that had won for him
among the enlisted men who served
with him the sobriquet of Follow Me
Neville" For number of months
the veterans strength had waned since
a stroke that confined him some time
ago to the Naval Hospital. He had re-
turned to duty. however, but last Thurs
day he departed for further recuper-
alton to the home of his daughter,
Mrs. John P. w. Vest, at Edgewater
Beach, Md. There he was stricken
again. Gen. Neville was so years old.
Immediately after announcement of
his death was made Acting Secretary
Jahncke of the Navy Department APP
pointed Brig. Gen. Ben H. Fuller act
ing commandment of the corps He had
served as assistant commandment under
Gen. Neville. Upon Gen. Neville'S
death Maj. Gen. Smedley d. Butler,
commandment at Quantico, became
ranking officer of the Marines.
The body OF Gen. Neville was brought
back to Washington early today and
will be buried with military honors in
Arlington National Cemetery Friday
afternoon at 2 o'clock. Brig. Gen. John
P Myers, u. S. M. c., is in charge of
arrangements for the funeral. There
will be short service at the command
ants house at 1890 o'clock for members
of the family, at which Chief Chaplain
Evans of the Navy will otf1ciate.
Few officers of the Marine Corps had
served so conSpicuOuSly in France dur
ing the World War or in other CAM
paigns as had Gen. Neville, who had
earned the Congressional Medal OF
spicuous gallantry and distinguished
services. A human commander, hiding
humor and sympathy under cloak OF
gruffneSS and stern discipline since the
day he received his first commission
~ years ago, Gen. Neville was known
and loved by Marines from Washing
ton to the farthest outposts of the
Pacific.
He was appointed commandant of
the corps to succeed Maj. Gen. John A.
Lejeune, under whom he had served
f. F. in France, q mixed division of
Marines, soldiers and Navy personnel.
He served first as commander of the
5th Regiment of Marines and later as
commander of the 4th Brigade of Ma
rines in this division, serving in all its
active fighting from Chateau Thierry
through the final stages OF the Meuse-
Argonne offensive.
Born in Portsmouth, Va, May IL.
oraA IA fN.er f1NA TI,,ff tod
States Naval Academy, Gen. Neville
chose q commission In the Marine Corps
to pursue an adventuresome career that
was climaxed by his notable services
In the World War.
Breveted Captain in 1898.
Gen. Neville first came into promi-
nent notice by being breveted a cap
tain for conspicuous conduct at the
battle of Guantanamo Bay, In 1893
He took part in the capture of Peiping
during the Boxer campaign and in 1914
at the engagement of Vera Cruz he
won the most coveted of all military
badges, the Medal of Honor.
The Vera Cruz campaign was just
another campaign" for the hard-flght-
ing, Sea-going Marine and hardly be-
fore he received the medal he was off
for China. Six months after Peipings
fall he was sent to the Philippines and
appointed military governor of the
Province OF Basilian. There he was a
king
THE first thing I had to do was to
marry every one in the district" he
was said to have told a friend. THE
first couple I married 0or dollar
Mex were grandparents.
After routine duty later in the
United States, Gen. Neville was made
feet Marine officer for the whole Pa
cific fleet.
Like other Marines, Gen. Neville did
his bit in Nicaragua and Panama and
occasional revolutions. But military
life for Gen. Neville was not always
picturesque. It was routine duty, IL
lumined by high spots.
Name Legend to Marines.
Hundreds OF stories are told of Gen.
Neville by officers and enlisted men
that illustrate his sense of humor and
deep human sympathy that hides under
hard boiled" crust. His name was
soon legend to the Marine recruits of
the 5th Regiment In the World War
days.
Besides the Medal of Honor, Gen.
Neville was awarded the Distinguished
Service Medals of the Army and Navy,
special Croix de Guerre for the Battle
of Mont Blanc and five other crosses
and was an officer of the French Legion
OF Honor.
He married Miss Frances Adelphia
Howell of Washington in 1898.
His wife died several years ago Mrs.
Vest, his daughter, was Gen. Neville's
only child. She is the wife of Lieut..
Vest Of the Navy.