Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-28
BELLEGARDE WITNESSED BUTLER
DECORATION, DECLARES MARINE
Col. F. No. Wise, Who Pre-
pared Citation, Surprised
Minister Has Forgotten"
Declares President Darta-
naive and Members of Cahi-
net Attended Ceremony.

Col. Frederick M. wise. U. S. Nj. C.,
retired, who prepared the citation given
Gen. Smedley Butler. by the Haitian
government for the capture Of Fort
Riviere, declared today that Minister
Bellegarde CT Haiti was present WREN
Butler was decorated for the feat by
the President Of Haiti. :,
Col. Wise. then chef dgendarnaar.e"
in. Haiti, expressed surprise that Minis
ter Bellegarde should have forgotten"
the ceremony, which. he said. was
attended not only by President Darta-
naive but by all members OF his cabinet
and by other high Haitian officials.
Mr.. Beflegarde at the time was minister
of education in the Haitian cabinet, Col.
Wise stated.
Gen. Butler and Gen. Lejeune were
down in Haiti on an inspection tour
when the ceremony took place, Col.
Wise, now Of Mclean, Va, asserted.
Prepared Citation.
'I was requested by the Haitian gov
eminent to prepare a citation Tor Gen.
Butler for use in awarding him medal
mihtaire. I was asked TO base the
citation ON Buffers outstanding achieve
ment while serving IN HAITI.
The capture of Fort Riviere was con-
sidered Smedley's greatest accomplish
ment, and I wrote the citation around
that act. Fort Riviere, headquarters OF
all the cacos bands in Northern Haiti
was supposed to be impregnaole. Its
capture has been described at length
| in the past few days, but what has not
been emphasized Is the nerve and en-
ergy that was required to go up INTO
that mountain faStnesS, when the drum
| wireless Of the Cacos was beating out
messages undecipherable to q white
man.
at was not the mere act Of taking
| the fort that won Smedley the mccall
H1tIitaire, but his nerve and stamina In
breaking up the revolution.
u am not surprised that my old
friend Bellegarde has never seen what
remains of Fort Riviere. for 1t Is In an
almost inaccessible location. have
seen it and / know what manner OF
determination and fortitude was neces-
sary to reach 1t and effect its capture.
Ordered 10 Aceept Medal.
Incidentally Col. Wise stated. that
Gen. Butler declined to accept the Con-
| for hts service at Vera Cruz. but that
Secretary Of the Navy DENLY ordered
| him to receive the medal and retain it.
''Smedley didn't think he was entitled
| to a congressional medal for what he
| did at Vera Cruz" Col. Wise said. The
Government dished out a bushel OF
medals at Vera Cruz. ,Smed'S second
| medal was for his work at Fort Riviere.
He had no qualms about accepting that
/ one" w. 81 -
Col. APPEAL Ie4therneck Of the
old school, ms cAmpaigned around the
world with Gen. Butler. They were
lieutenants together IN the Philippines.
They fought together in the Boxer up
rising in China. during which Wise
Fhelped carry Butler back Of the lines
twhen he was wounded. They cam
%paigned in Mexico, the West Indies
and France.
! Author Of Marine Story.
Col. wise Is author of "a Marine
Tells It to You" q colorful story OF
Marines at work and play In farming
quarters of the globe. His book has
| frequent references TO Buffers exploits
| in this country and abroad.
During the World War Col. Wise dis
tinguished himself rs . Marine COM
mander In the Argorine and was award
ed numerous decorations. He now
spends his time writing books and mag
azine articles on his farm IN Fairfax
| County.