John Twiggs Myers John Twiggs Myers ( January 29 , 1871 – April 17 , 1952 ) was a United States Marine Corps general who was most famous for his service as the American Legation Guard in Peking during the Boxer Rebellion . Early life . The son of Marion Twiggs and West Point graduate and U . S . Army Officer , later Confederate Quartermaster General Abraham Myers , J . T . Myers ( known as " Jack " or jokingly , " Handsome Jack , " to his friends ) was born on January 29 , 1871 , in Wiesbaden , Germany . He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1892 and was appointed an Assistant Engineer two years later . In March 1895 he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marines Corps . The city of Fort Myers , Florida was originally named for J . T . Myers ' father . Service in Asia . After studying at the Naval War College in Newport , Rhode Island , Myers was sent on active duty at the outbreak of the Spanish - American War . He led a detachment which participated in the capture of Guam from its Spanish garrison , and sailed with the USS Charleston ( C - 2 ) to the Philippines , then being attached to the USS Baltimore . During the Philippine – American War , he led several amphibious landings against Filipino rebels in 1899 , gaining recognition for his heroic conduct . He was promoted to Captain some time in 1899 . In May 1900 , Myers was sent to China aboard the cruiser USS Newark and put ashore with a detachment of 48 Marines ( including then Private Daniel Daly ) and 3 sailors to guard the US Legation in Peking , just as the Boxer Rebellion broke out . Myers ' Marines occupied a wall defending the Legations , arguably the most vulnerable part of the defensive position , and led an attack ( along with Russian and British troops ) took part in a ferocious battle on July 3 which dislodged the main Boxer position near the wall . Myers was wounded in the leg by a spear ; his attack was claimed by the British Consul , Sir Claude Maxwell MacDonald , as " one of the most successful operations of the siege , as it rendered our position on the wall , which had been precarious , comparatively strong . " As a result of his bravery in this action , he was brevetted Major and advanced four numbers in rank . In 1921 , Myers would also become one of only 20 living Marines to be awarded the USMC Brevet Medal when that decoration was created . Upon recovering from his wounds , he served as the Provost Marshal on American Samoa and was then transferred to the Marine Barracks at Bremerton , Washington . Later Services . Myers led the detachment of Marines which accompanied the USS " Brooklyn " to Tangier , Morocco during the Perdicaris incident in 1904 . After the incident was concluded , Myers held various other posts , both barracks commands and naval commands , including a time period commanding the Marine attachment of the Asiatic Fleet . He took part in expeditions to Santo Domingo ( 1912 ) and Cuba ( 1913 ) , and during World War I served as the counter - intelligence officer of the Atlantic Fleet . Myers was made Inspector General of the Department of the Pacific in 1921 , serving in that post for three years , and from 1925 - 1928 commanded the 1st Marine Brigade , stationed in Haiti . He served various other posts , including , briefly , commander of the Department of the Pacific , before retiring a Major General in 1934 ; after his retirement , in 1942 , he was given the rank of Lieutenant General . He relocated to Miami , Florida after his retirement and died in Coconut Grove April 17 , 1952 . At the time , he was the last living recipient of the Marine Corps Brevet Medal . Fictional portrayals . While not actually portrayed on film , Myers has inspired characters in several films . In the historical epic " 55 Days at Peking " , Charlton Heston portrayed Marine Major Matt Lewis , commanding the American Legation Guard in Peking during the Boxer Rebellion . In " The Wind and the Lion " , the fictional Captain Jerome ( played by Steve Kanaly ) took on Myers ' historical role , commanding the Marines dispatched to Tangier during the Perdicaris incident . Awards . General Myers ' medals and decorations included :