Designed as a reference work for those interested in the combat history of the U.S. Marine Corps, this book describes the engagements from the formation of the Continental Marines to the Corps' great exercise at the Battle of Okinawa. Organized chronologically, the individual skirmishes illustrate how each of the Marine Corps' engagements contributed to the formation and evolution of the United States. Persons and divisions of note are mentioned, including key players, commanders and medal recipients.

During World War I, the Second Division, American Expeditionary Force, saw more action and captured more ground and enemy combatants than any other division in that war, including the vaunted First Division. The 4th Marine Brigade, especially, earned a reputation as a steadfast unit of superb fighting men. This riveting volume follows those Marines through their service in France in 1917 and 1918, during the post-war occupation of Germany, and their arrival in New York City in August, 1919. Seven battalion-oriented chapters, along with one dedicated to the entire 4th Marine Brigade, recount the Brigade's role in some of the most intense battles of the war, including at Belleau Wood, Soissons, St. Mihiel, Blanc Mont, and the Meuse River. Descriptions of the Armistice, welcome home parades, and the brigade's disbandment at Quantico in August 1919 complete this comprehensive chronicle of one of the American military's most distinguished units.

Since the introduction of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, in which the United States vowed to prevent further European interference in the Western Hemisphere, the American military ever increasingly involved itself in the internal affairs of its Latin American neighbours. This book considers nearly 150 years of U.S. military intervention in Latin America, from naval patrols near turbulent Spanish colonies in the early 19th century, to the protection of U.S. interests during Caribbean rebellions at the turn of the 20th century, to later actions in Panama, Honduras, Cuba and Nicaragua. With short chronicles of U.S. involvement country by country - from Argentina to Uruguay - and appendices providing biographies of major military commanders, and lists of servicemen decorated, injured or killed during various campaigns, this work highlights the complicated history between the U.S. and its neighbours to the South.

In April 1917, the United States ended its nonintervention policy and entered World War I as an ""Associated Power"" to aid the Allies in their fight against the Central Powers. The American Expeditionary Force, fighting alongside French and British troops, provided vital manpower on the Western Front during the Aisne Offensive and participated in major actions in the Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensives that turned the tide late in the war. This volume offers the first comprehensive statistical history of the American Expeditionary Force, supplying fascinating details often omitted from narrative battle summaries. After an overview of each of the actions and battles in which the AEF participated, the book chronicles the day-to-day activities of every division. This work presents the most thorough examination of the American fighting forces that made Allied victory possible.

The Medal of Honor is considered the ultimate sign of courage and devotion above and beyond the call of duty. This reference book lists all United States Marines and their comrades of the United States Navy (corpsmen, doctors, and one chaplain who served Marines in combat) who were awarded the Medal of Honor from 1861 to the present. Such men as Sergeant Richard Binder, whose good command led to the planting of a flag on rebel fortifications at Fort Fisher in 1865, and Lance Corporal Kenneth L. Worley, who in 1968 sacrificed himself to save his comrades from a grenade in Vietnam are honored. A preface traces the evolution of the medal, its rewards, and its requirements. The list of 296 Marines and 21 Navy medical personnel is in alphabetical order within periods. Each entry includes biographical information, the actions that earned the award, and other relevant details. Appendices list the numbers of winners born in and accredited to each state or nation, a chronology of awards, and a breakdown of statistics showing the numbers of Marines killed earning the Medal of Honor in each war.

World War I found American soldiers overseas participating in unprecedented acts of bravery and valor. Faced with the need to recognize these outstanding deeds by soldiers of all ranks and creeds, the United States established the Silver Star citation, consisting of a small star which was placed on a Victory Medal Ribbon by the honored soldier. These citations were issued by each division as well as by the Armed Expeditionary Force. This sometimes resulted in duplicate honors for one feat of valor and contributed to the general lack of a consistent process for awarding such citations. Nevertheless, the Silver Star, along with more prestigious awards such as the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross, reflected the significant contributions U.S. soldiers made to the war effort. This volume contains a complete accounting of every member of the Fourth Marine Brigade who received an award of some kind during World War I. Beginning with an overview of the brigade's contributions to the war effort, the book lists each individual and the honors he received. Citations, which were generally written by a superior (usually an officer), read as originally written and consequently do not always provide an accurate representation of the heroic act. Prewar and postwar experience is noted when available. The award entry site - designated as Verdum, Belleau Wood, Soissons, St. Mihiel, Blanc Mont or Meuse Argonne - is also listed. Foreign honors such as the French Croix de Guerre, the Montenegrin Silver Medal of Valor and Italian War Cross are denoted when applicable. An appendix contains detailed information on the inauguration of the Silver Star citation.

In 1927, at the request of his superiors, John W. Thomason set out to chronicle the history of the U.S. Army 2nd Division, particularly during the bloody action of 1918. A proven writer with a solid military background through his service in the Marine Corps and two successful books under his belt, Thomason was a natural choice to write this important document. The project ran into trouble, however, when Thomason made unflattering discoveries regarding command decisions of both Army and Marine officers. His subsequent removal from the project (probably at his own request) left the document permanently incomplete. Here is Thomason's manuscript, faithfully reproduced. The work of editor George Clark is deliberately limited to matters of spelling and consistency, with Clark's comments (clearly set apart from Thomason's work) present only when necessary for clarification. Clark also includes a short biography of Thomason and a brief historical sketch of the 2nd Division to place the action within the framework of the war as a whole. Illustrations include Thomason's own maps and drawings originally intended to accompany the work.

This is a new release of the original 1936 edition.

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Hiram Iddings Bearss was a legendary U.S. Marine whose 20-year career showed outstanding service to the United States in a variety of historically significant locations and periods. His comrades included Smedley Butler, Frederick Fritz Wise, and David Porter, and he was admired by many others, including General Pershing. He was awarded every American medal of consequence (including the Medal of Honor for actions at the Sohoton Cliffs in 1901 and a Distinguished Service Cross for his command of the 102nd Infantry at Marcheville in 1918), as well as a host of important foreign decorations. This biography recounts his life and career, providing intimate details of crucial historical events. It also explores the psychology of a man whose uncompromising and sometimes destructive personality helped his many enemies block his advancement. Highly respected by others, he was known for believing a commander should never send his men where he himself would not go; he was a brave man dedicated to his beloved Corps with few reservations. An opening chapter covers Bearss' ancestry, birth in 1875, and youth in Indiana. The main text covers his actions in various Marine campaigns, from early service in the Philippines and the Caribbean to World War I action in France, where he served as part of the 4th Marine Brigade and commanded the 102nd Infantry and the 51st Brigade. The concluding chapters cover his retirement and 1938 death in an automobile collision. Appendices include lists of those who served under him, his awards, and relevant military reports.

From the mid-19th century to the early Cold War, the United States has a long history with China, and that interaction has not always been positive or productive. This brief history of foreign intervention in China, viewed through the experiences of the United States Marines, examines how the occupying powers dealt with a fellow sovereign nation. In many cases this involved the partition or outright absorption of Chinese territory through naked aggression. Clark contends that, considering the past two centuries, the Chinese have good reason to distrust all foreigners, and he urges the pursuit of a badly needed rapprochement.

This is, however, also the story of the evolution of the Marine Corps as a separate service. Although an occupying force, the Marines did make considerable efforts to earn the friendship of the Chinese people. Always on the brink of extinction due to budgetary cuts and the enmity of the army and navy, the Marines managed to perform an onerous and difficult duty in a foreign land. With a resurgent China constantly testing the United States, a fellow Pacific Rim nation, every policymaker should be well aware of the often difficult history that we share and the mistakes that have been made in the past.

The 4th Marine Brigade, with roughly 10,000 men, was the only large Marine unit to see major action in World War I. Dubbed "Devil Dogs" by the Germans, the 4th was part of the 2nd Division of the American Expeditionary Forces, nicknamed the "Race Horse Division" for its rapid and devastating pursuit of the enemy. The 4th Brigade fought at Verdun, Soissons, St. Mihiel, Blanc Mont, and the Meuse-Argonne, and its signature victory at Belleau Wood saved Paris from falling into German hands. It was also one of the major reasons that the 2nd Division advanced more miles, captured more territory, and amassed more casualties than any other in the war.
George Clark, a former Marine and expert on Marine Corps history, here draws upon memoirs, diaries, letters, and post-war interviews-most of which have not been seen since the war ended-to create a chorus of voices chronicling the 4th Brigade's experiences. Through the words of these Marines, Clark captures the rigors of training at Paris Island and Quantico, the ferocity of combat overseas, and the strange quietude of occupation. He reveals what it was like for these men to fight in trenches while knee-deep in mud, with rats playing over them as they slept; going days between meals, often surviving on what they could forage from dead German or French packs; and even wishing for a wound that would allow some time off far from the terrors of the front. He also illuminates the dread and despair of Marines who beat the odds during one blood bath, surviving when most of their comrades did not, only to find themselves flung into an even worse battle not long afterward.
One German soldier remarked that these "Americans are savages. They kill everything that moves," a caustic testament to the Marines' intensity and prowess. But that came at a cost: by war's end the 4th had suffered a severe casualty rate of 150 percent. Vividly reflecting the horrors of that "war to end all wars," Devil Dogs Chronicle pays tribute to the Marines whose bravery helped the Allies achieve victory in the first global conflict.

In telling the story of the extraordinary contributions of the U.S. Marines in World War I, this now-classic history examines the Corps' entire experience in France. Now available in paperback, the book is a valuable resource for data, especially details about each unit and how they functioned. Bolstered with information from official documents as well as published and unpublished memoirs, readers follow the Marines from their recruitment, through training and shipment overseas, to the horrors of trench warfare. The famous battle at Belleau Wood is fully examined, along with the lesser known campaigns at Blanc Mont and Meuse River, and the critical engagements at Verdun, Marbache, and St. Mihiel. Readers learn how the 4th Marine Brigade earned the nickname "Devil Dogs" and why their experiences helped forge the Corps' identity. It is a new addition to the Leatherneck Classics series.