The Marine Corps does not have a shortage of heroes. From 1898 to 1916, Marines served in combat in the War with Spain (1898), Samoa (1899), the Philippine Islands (1899-1902), China (1900), Nicaragua (1912), Mexico (1914), Haiti (1915), and Santo Domingo (now Dominican Republic) (1916). Fourteen Marine officers and 61 enlisted Marines received the Navy Medal of Honor for their distinguished conduct between 1898 and 1916. All 61 enlisted recipients are included in this book, as are the six officer recipients not included in ...
Read More
The Marine Corps does not have a shortage of heroes. From 1898 to 1916, Marines served in combat in the War with Spain (1898), Samoa (1899), the Philippine Islands (1899-1902), China (1900), Nicaragua (1912), Mexico (1914), Haiti (1915), and Santo Domingo (now Dominican Republic) (1916). Fourteen Marine officers and 61 enlisted Marines received the Navy Medal of Honor for their distinguished conduct between 1898 and 1916. All 61 enlisted recipients are included in this book, as are the six officer recipients not included in my first two books. These 67 Marines are the foundation of this book. They include Marine legends Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, who received two Navy Medals of Honor; and Sergeant Major John Quick, who was recommended three times for the Navy Medal of Honor and received one. They include lesser-known recipients who went on to distinguished careers, like Sergeant Major (later Captain) Michael Kearney, Sergeant Major (later Marine Gunner) Joseph Franklin, Sergeant Major (later Marine Gunner and Second Lieutenant) Henry Hulbert, Sergeant Major Michael McNally, Sergeant Major Frank Young, Sergeant Major Clarence Mathias, Sergeant Major (later Marine Gunner and Major) Ross Iams, and Sergeant Major (later Brigadier General) Roswell Winans. They also include many Marines who served one or two enlistments before returning to civil life.In addition to the 67 Navy Medal of Honor recipients, the book includes five Marine officers who received brevet promotions or advancements in rank when naval officers were ineligible for award of the Medal of Honor. It also includes 18 Marines who received commendatory letters from the Secretary of the Navy when the Navy Cross and Silver Star Medal did not exist. Three of them were retroactively awarded the Navy Cross, Silver Star Medal, or Navy and Marine Corps Medal. Finally, the book includes eleven notable Marines who were not formally recognized for their heroism. Some of these 101 Marines are mentioned in standard Marine history books for their heroic actions, but these are the first full stories of their military service. This volume "plows new ground" and adds a cornucopia of fascinating, intriguing, even unimaginable stories to the rich heritage of the Marine Corps.
Read Less
