Randolph Zane Randolph Talcott Zane ( August 12 , 1887 – October 24 , 1918 ) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps during World War I . He was awarded the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions while holding the town of Bouresches , France against an enemy force of superior numbers on the night of June 7 – 8 , 1918 . The United States Navy ' s is named in his honor . Military career . Early years . Randolph Zane was born on August 12 , 1887 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . He was appointed a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps on January 6 , 1909 and , a month later , reported for duty to the Headquarters , United States Marine Corps in Washington , D . C . After instruction at the Marine Officers ' School , Port Royal , South Carolina , Zane joined the Marine detachment on the battleship at Guantánamo Bay , Cuba , on December 27 , 1909 . Detached from " New Hampshire " in the summer of 1911 , Zane next served ashore at the Naval Prison , Portsmouth , New Hampshire , until December . Reporting to the Marine Barracks , Washington , D . C . , on Christmas Day 1911 , Zane became post quartermaster on January 1 , 1912 and held the post until February 15 , 1913 . Zane then saw temporary expeditionary service in early 1913 , sailing from Norfolk , Virginia , with Company " I " , 2nd Regiment , 2nd Provisional Brigade of Marines , on board auxiliary cruiser and disembarked at Guantanamo Bay on February 27 . Reembarked in " Prairie " exactly three months later , Zane returned to Washington on June 2 . After subsequent shore duty at the Marine Barracks at Puget Sound , Washington , and at Mare Island , California , and sea duty in the armored cruisers and , Zane joined the 4th Marine Regiment at San Diego , California , on December 29 , 1914 . He next served two more tours ashore — at Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , and at Quantico , Virginia , before he embarked in the transport on January 19 , 1918 , bound for France . World War I . In 1918 , with the United States having entered the fighting in World War I , now - Major Zane began his first tour of duty in Europe at the Bourmont , France training area , with the 6th Marine Regiment . He then went to the front lines , southeast of the famous battlefield at Verdun , where he remained from mid - March to mid - May . In command of the 79th Company , 2nd Battalion , 6th Marines , he moved with his unit to Vitry - le - François and then to Gisors - Chaumont - en - Vexin , where Zane and his companions received urgent orders sending them to the Château - Thierry sector . Major Zane participated in the fighting in the vicinity of Belleau Wood , when the untried Marines came up against the 461st Imperial German Infantry , a unit that Colonel Robert D . Heinl called " the largest single body of combat - seasoned regular troops which Marines had confronted since Bladensburg " ( 1814 ) . Zane took part in the second phase of the assault , when the 2nd Battalion 6th Marines and 3rd Battalion 6th Marines entered the wood , and remained in action through the entire period of fighting . Zane was wounded and shell shock ed on June 26 , 1918 . He never recovered from his injuries and died on October 24 , 1918 . He is buried at the Somme American Military Cemetery , Bony , France . Personal life . His widow , Barbara Stephens Zane ( daughter of California governor William D . Stephens ) . His daughter , Marjorie Zane christened the USS Zane . Namesake . The United States Navy ' s , a Clemson - class destroyer , was named in his honor .