Marine Corps Valor
From Police Actions in the Caribbean
1915 - 1932
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Americans did their best to remain neutral in a brewing world war in Europe in the early part of
the 1900s. Europe was an-ocean-away, and there was greater trouble nearby. All along the
southern border of the United States, from Mexico to the Gulf, and out into the Caribbean, unrest
in several smaller western nations were greater cause for concern. Following a bloody coup d'etat
in Mexico in 1913, American soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen participated in the Vera Cruz
campaign of 1914 that resulted in awards of 55 Medals of Honor.
The unrest continued throughout Central America and into the Caribbean countries of Haiti and
the Dominican Republic. Haiti owed great debts to European nations including France and
Germany, which were presently at war with each other. President Woodrow Wilson feared that
these facts might prompt the intervention of either or both European nations in the Western
hemisphere. Both France and Germany had threatened to collect their debts from Haiti by force
if necessary, and to deter foreign intervention, the United States Navy was tasked with patrolling
the Caribbean.
The actions of United States Marines over
the next two decades throughout Latin
America and the Caribbean might well be
viewed as the defense of the century-old
Monroe
Doctrine,
that
prohibited
European
nations
from
involving
themselves in the affairs of western nations.
The Republic of Haiti itself was a matter of
great concern, and had been for several
years. Freed from French rule in 1804, the
small island nation had been split in 1844
when the people of the eastern half of the
island declared independence from Haiti to
become the Dominican Republic. In the
years that followed, each small country
continued to be wracked by internal strife,
revolutions, and bloody coup d'etats.
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In 1914-15 alone, two successive Haitian Presidents were assassinated in a matter of months.
When the third, President Viulbrun Guillaume Sam was attacked and killed by an angry mob
after ordering the execution of his own political enemies, 2,500 United States Marines were
dispatched to restore order.
Under the command of Major Smedley Darlington Butler who had served in the Vera Cruz
Campaign the preceding year, the Marines trained local militia, built roads and railways, and
tried to restore order in Haiti. On September 18, 1915 the leading rebel bandit faction, called the
Cacos, fired on a Marine patrol. One month later a similar ambush was made on a patrol of
forty-four mounted Marines led by Captain William Upshur. Among Upshur's men was Sergeant
Major Dan Daly who had earned a Medal of Honor during the Boxer Rebellion. During the
valiant stand of that Marine Patrol, Daly became the first Marine to earn a second Medal of
Honor. Captain Upshur and one of his lieutenant's also received Medals of Honor.
Following these attacks, the Marine patrols became
more offensive in an effort to destroy the Cacos ability
to create war and terrorize the people of Haiti. By midNovember those guerillas who had not been killed or
captured, were driven back to Fort Riviere, where
Major Butler led three Marine companies in an assault
on November 17. During the action, Butler became the
second Marine to earn a second Medal of Honor. Two
other Marines also earned Medals of Honor that day.
Haiti continued to experience a limited turmoil for years, but the Marine presence helped to
stabilize much of the country. Not until four years later would a leader emerge to help Cacos
rebuild enough to mount a major campaign of terror. When that happened, two more Marines
earned Medals of Honor for capturing Charlemagne Peralte and again crushing the Cacos.
In between these two actions in Haiti, trouble was brewing on the east side of the island in the
Dominican Republic. Battles with similar rebel guerilla forces earned three Marines Medals of
Honor in the summer of fall of 1916.
In Central America Augusto Sandino
established his own anti-American rebel
force called the Sandinistas in efforts to
force United States troops out of the region.
On July 16, 1927 he attacked U.S. Marines
at Ocotal.
Several years of fighting
followed and there were numerous
engagements, including a bloody two-day
battle from January 6-8, 1928. Despite
continuing combat with the rebel
insurgents, 1Lt Christian Schilt repeatedly
flew his biplane into the village of Quilali to resupply the besieged Marines and rescue 18
wounded, earning a Medal of Honor.
Four years later during one of the last engagements before the U.S. Marines departed Nicaragua
on January 2, 1933, Marine Corporal Donald Truesdell earned the thirteenth and last Medal of
Honor in the Caribbean police actions of the U.S. Marines.
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MARINE CORPS VALOR
Medals of Honor in the Caribbean
.
Daniel Joseph Daly
Gunnery Sergeant, US Marine Corps
SECOND AWARD OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR
Born: November 11, 1873 at Glen Cove, NY
Entered Service: New York, NY
Date/Place of Action: October 24, 1915 - Fort Dipitie, Haiti
Unit: 15th Company, 2d Marine Regiment
Presentation: Unknown
Date of Death: April 27, 1937
Buried At: Cypress Hills National Cemetery - Brooklyn, NY
Edward Albert Ostermann
First Lieutenant, US Marine Corps
Born: November 23, 1882 at Columbus, OH
Entered Service: Ohio
Date/Place of Action: October 24, 1915 - Fort Dipitie, Haiti
Unit: 15th Company of Marines (Mounted)
Presentation: 1917
Date of Death: May 18, 1969
Buried At: Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA
William Peterkin Upshur
Captain, US Marine Corps
Born: October 28, 1881 at Richmond, VA
Entered Service: Virginia
Date/Place of Action: October 24, 1915 - Fort Dipitie, Haiti
Unit: 15th Company, 2d Marine Regiment
Presentation: Unknown
Date of Death: July 21, 1943
Buried At: US Naval Academy Cemetery - Annapolis, MD
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MARINE CORPS VALOR
Medals of Honor in the Caribbean
.
Smedley Darlington Butler
Major, US Marine Corps
SECOND AWARD OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR
Born: July 30, 1881 at West Chester, PA
Entered Service: Pennsylvania
Date/Place of Action: November 17, 1915 - Fort Riviere, Haiti
Unit: Commanding Officer of Marines and Seamen
Presentation: 1916
Date of Death: June 21, 1940
Buried At: Oakland Cemetery - West Chester, PA
Samuel Gross
Private, US Marine Corps
Born: May 09, 1891 at Philadelphia, PA
Entered Service: Pennsylvania
Date/Place of Action: November 17, 1915 - Fort Riviere, Haiti
Unit: 23d Company of Marines
Presentation: By Major General George Barnett, Commandant, U.S.M.C.
Date of Death: September 13, 1934
Buried At: Har-Nebo Jewish Cemetery - Philadelphia, PA
Ross Lindsey Iams
Sergeant, US Marine Corps
Born: May 05, 1881 at Graysville, PA
Entered Service: Pennsylvania
Date/Place of Action: November 17, 1915 - Fort Riviere, Haiti
Unit: 5th Company of Marines
Presentation: Unknown
Date of Death: March 29, 1952
Buried At: Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery - San Diego, CA
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MARINE CORPS VALOR
Medals of Honor in the Caribbean
.
Joseph Anthony Glowin
Corporal, US Marine Corps
Born: March 14, 1892 at Detroit, MI
Entered Service: Michigan
Date/Place of Action: July 03, 1916 - Guayacanas, Dominican Republic
Unit: U.S. Marine Corps
Presentation: G.O. 244 - November 02, 1916
Date of Death: August 23, 1952
Buried At: Mount Olivet Cemetery - Detroit, MI
Roswell Winans
First Sergeant, US Marine Corps
Born: December 09, 1887 at Brookville, IN
Entered Service: Washington
Date/Place of Action: July 03, 1916 - Guayacanas, Dominican Republic
Unit: U.S. Marine Corps
Presentation: G.O. 244 - November 02, 1916
Date of Death: April 07, 1968
Buried At: Cypress View Mausoleum - San Diego, CA
Ernest Calvin Williams
First Lieutenant, US Marine Corps
Born: August 02, 1887 at Broadwell, IL
Entered Service: Illinois
Date/Place of Action: November 29, 1916 - San Francisco de Macoris, Dom. Rep.
Unit: U.S. Marine Corps
Presentation: G.O. 289 - April 27, 1917
Date of Death: July 31, 1940
Buried At: Woodlawn Cemetery - Indianola, IL
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MARINE CORPS VALOR
Medals of Honor in the Caribbean
.
William Robert Button
Corporal, US Marine Corps
Born: December 03, 1895 at St. Louis, MO
Entered Service: St. Louis, MO
Date/Place of Action: October 31 & November 01, 1919 - Grande Riviere, Haiti
Unit: Gendarmerie d'Haiti
Presentation: Presented At In Washington, DC
By General John A. Lejeune on July 01, 1920
Date of Death: April 15, 1921
Buried At: Valhalla Cemetery - St. Louis, MO
Herman Henry Hanneken
Second Lieutenant, US Marine Corps
Born: June 23, 1893 at St. Louis, MO
Entered Service: St. Louis, MO
Date/Place of Action: October 31 & November 01, 1919 - Grande Riviere, Haiti
Unit: Gendarmerie d'Haiti
Presentation: Presented At In Washington, DC
By General John A. Lejeune on July 01, 1920
Date of Death: August 23, 1986
Buried At: Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery - San Diego, CA
.
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MARINE CORPS VALOR
Medals of Honor in the Caribbean
.
Christian Franklin Schilt
First Lieutenant, US Marine Corps
Born: March 18, 1895 at Richland County, IL
Entered Service: Illinois
Date/Place of Action: January 6 - 8, 1928 - Quilali, Nicaragua
Unit: Observation Squadron 7-M
Presentation: Unknown
Date of Death: January 08, 1987
Buried At: Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, VA
Donald Leroy Truesdell
aka: Donald Leroy Truesdale
Corporal, US Marine Corps
Born: August 08, 1906 at Lugoff, SC
Entered Service: South Carolina
Date/Place of Action: April 24, 1932 - Constancia, Coco River, Nicaragua
Unit: Commander of a Guiardia Nacional Patrol
Presentation: Presented At By Brigadier General Randolph C. Berkeley
Date of Death: September 21, 1993
Buried At: Unknown
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