FORTITUDINENEWSLETTER OF THE MARINE CORPS HISTORICAL PROGRAMVOLUME VIII SPRING 1979 NUMBER 4

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for public release; distribution isunlimited.

PCN 10401220100

HISTORY ANDMUSEUMS

DIVISIONTelephone: (202) 433-3838, 433-3840, 433-3841

DIRECTORBGen Edwin H. Simmons, USMC (Ret)

HISTORICAL BRANCHCol John E. Greenwood, USMC

Deputy Director for History

Mr. Henry I. Shaw, Jr.Chief 1-listorion

Histories Section; LtCol Lane Rogers. USMC; LtColGary W. Parker, USMC; Cdr Herbert L. Bergsma,CHC, USN; Maj David N. Buckner, USMC; Mr. JackShulimson; Mr. Charles R. Smith; Dr. Russell J.Parkinson.

Reference Section. Mrs. Gabrielle M. Santelli; Mr.Danny J. Crawford.

Oral History Section: Mr. Benis M. Frank.

MUSEUMS BRANCHCol F. B. Nihart, USMC (Ret)Deputy Director for Museums

Mr. Jack B. HilliardChief Curator

Major Charles H. Waterhouse, USMCRArtist-in-Residence

Personal Papers: Mr. Charles A. Wood. MilitaryMusk: Mr. Judson E. Bennett, Jr. Marine Barracks,Special Projects: Mr. Richard A. Long. Art: Mr. JohnT. Dyer, Jr. Exhibits: Mr. Curl M. DeVere, Sr.Registrar: Mr. Kenneth L. Smith-Christmas.

Museums Activities, QuanticoCol Thomas M. D'Andrea, USMCR

Officer-in-Charge

MSgt Walter F. Gemeinhardt, USMC (Ret)NCOIC

Ordnance: Mr. Leo S. Champion. Aviation: Mr.Joseph E. Payton. Exhibits: Mrs. Sharon A. Rein-ckens. Security: Sgt Daniel J. Watts.

SUPPORT BRANCHLtCol Wayne V. Bjork, USMCHeadiDivision Executive Officer

Administrative: CWO Robert M. Skidmore, USMC.Security: GySgt Carl I. Butler, USMC. Archives: Mrs.Joyce E. Bonnett. Library; Miss Evelyn A. Englander.Still Photo Archives: GySgt William K. Judge, USMC.Motion Picture and Television Archives: Miss DorisG. Gordon.Publication Production: Mr. Douglas Johnston. Il-lustrator: SSgt Jerry L. Jokes, USMC. Typesetting:LCpI Paul W. Gibson, USMC; Miss Catherine A. Stoll.

Editor, FortitudineMaj David N. Buckner

FORTITUDINEMotto of the United States Marine Corps in the 1812 era.

Volume Vifi Spring 1979 No. 4

This quarterly newsletter of the Marine Corps historical program ispublished for the Corps and for friends of Marine Corps history in accor-dance with Department of the Navy Publications and Printing Regula-tions NAVEXOS P-3 5. Individuals and institutions desiring Fort itudineon a complimentary regular basis are invited to apply to: History andMuseums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps (Code HDS-1),Washington, D.C. 20380.

TABLE OF CONTENTSThe Director's Page 3

The Readers Always Write 4Oral History Report . 6

The Corps' First Medal of Honor Winner 7

Pentagon's Khe Sanh Display 9The Youngest Marine 10Charles Rinaldo Floyd: Maverick of the Old Corps 12"All in the Day's Work" 15

New Publications 16FDR's Machinegun Presented to the Museum 20InMemoriam 21

Events at the Center 22

This issue 's cover features a line drawing of the Commandant 's

quarters (original 1806 configuration) at Eighth and Eye done by SSgt

Jerry L. fakes, USMC, Illustrator, Publications Production Section, andthe signatures of all 26 Commandants of the United States MarineCorps.

Fortiludine is produced in the Publications Production Section of the History andMuseums Division. The text for Fortitudine is set in 10 point and 8 point Garamondtypeface. Headlines are in 18 point, 24 point, or 30 point Garamond. The newsletter isprinted on 100-pound, offset bond paper. Printing, by offset lithography, is by theDefense Printing Service.

2

TheDirector's

Page

The period of waiting is over and it has now beenannounced that the next Commandant will be GenRobert H. Barrow. It seems appropriate time,therefore, to reproduce the signatures of the first 26Commandants, as we have done on the cover, and totalk a bit about the research materials that we hold inthe Marine Corps Historical Center on the first 26.These holdings range from fairly thin to voluminous.Also, they are not in one single collection or loca-tion. To get at the total man, the researcher must goto each of our collections to see vhat it has to offer.

Reference Section is the broadest source. In itsbiographical files, there are files on each of the Com-mandants, one folder in the case of MajGen WilliamP. Biddle (1911-14) to nine folders for Gen LemuelC. Shepherd (1952-55).

The Library, in addition to the standard MarineCorps histories and biographical dictionaries, has anumber of full-fledged memoirs of former Comman-dants, including Soldier and Sailor, Too by MajGenGeorge Barnett (1914-20), Reminiscenses of aMarine by LtGen John A. Lejeune (1920-29), andOnce a Marine, the memoirs of Gen Alexander A.Vandegrift (1944-47). There is also anautobiography of the daughter of a Commandant,Patchwork Child, by Brooke Russell Astor, daughterof MajGen John H. Russell, Jr. (1934-36).

Special Projects, in the person of Mr. Richard A.Long, has a general biographical file, with a wealth ofgenealogical detail, on each of the Commandants.

The Personal Papers Collection has little except astray letter or so, either in the original or in facsimile,for the early Commandants but begins to be becomerich in primary source materials with Gen Barnett.These papers are stored in special acid-freemanuscript boxes. The largest collection is that ofGen Wallace M. Greene, Jr. (1964-67)—73manuscript boxes and 2 photo boxes. Ms. AnnHodgson, a student intern from Mary WashingtonCollege, is arranging—' 'arranging" means putting

3

BGen Simmons

the papers into orderly sequence—the GenVandegrift papers which fill 10 boxes. An equallylarge collection, that of Gen Thomas Holcomb(1936-43), is being arranged and cataloged by Dr.Gibson B. Smith of the National Archives. Dr.Smith, a recipient of one of our research grants, isworking concurrently on a biography of GenHolcomb. The Gen Barnett collection of four boxesis scheduled to be worked this summer by Maj Mer-rill L. Bartlett, a member of the history faculty at theU.S. Naval Academy.

The Oral History Collection contains interviewswith Gens Holcomb, Vandegrift, Cates, Shepherd,and Greene. Interviews are currently in progresswith Gen Leonard F. Chapman, Jr. (1968-71) andGen Louis H. Wilson (1975-79). There are alsomany, many illuminating references to all themodern Commandants, from the time of GenBarnett to the present, in the collection's other inter-views of distinguished Marines.

The Museums Branch has memorabilia (whichcan sometimes be as useful a source material asdocuments) of most, but not all, Commandants,ranging from the oldest artifact, Capt SamuelNicholas' original commission, signed by John Han-cock, President of the Continental Congress, on 28November 1775 down to a Japanese sword and flagtaken by Gen Wilson as a company commander onGuam where he won the Medal of Honor. Much ofthis memorabilia is on display in our Marine CorpsMuseum here in the Historical Center or elsewhere(as, for example, the display of Lejeune memorabiliarecently re-done for the lobby of Lejeune Hall atQuantico). Some of it is in storage.

To work with these collections, particularly theprimary sources and artifacts, can be almost amystical experience. The individual comes alive andhis personality emerges, and you coi' iway with abetter understanding and respect for these men whohave led the Marine Corps since its beginning.

The Readers Always Write

Dear General Simmons,As always, read your Fortitudine with interest.Rusty Rowell was a good friend of mine. During

his time as Head of Marine Corps Aviation he had apet F4B assigned to him at Anacostia. The old war-

rant gunner in charge of the plane had instructionsthat unless "Rusty" had plans to use it I could bor-row it. Made use of it for weekend cross country tripsseveral times.

Quite surprised to note one FB5 is still extant.Have a story here re those kites. I was Exec of VF6in 1926. Squadron was equipped with an odd lot,F6C-ls, FB1s, F6C-2s, and FB2s (landing gearspreader bar carrying hooks for fore and aft wires andtail hook), and several FB2 with hydraulic struts.Then in mid-1926 came the FB5s with the 500HPPackards.

Those kites delivered from the factory had WW IDH wheels. We had a hell of a time with wheels col-lapsing even when the planes were sitting in thehangar. But they were terrific in a dive. Severalsimulated attacks on battle ships off San Pedrq im-pressed the BB Admirals. RAdm Reeves, command-ing the Pacific, just had to take the FBs on the FleetCruise to the Caribbean in 1927.

We began training aboard Langley with manywheel failures. The plane was just a bit heavy and fastfor the Langley, but could be landed aboard OK.However, the FB5 had a tricky stall/spincharacteristic. When a plane stalled at low speed,especially with some power on as in a carrier ap-proach, it usually snapped almost inverted. The nosedropped into a fast spin and several hundred feet wereneeded to recover. This I did not like, and said so. Iwrote my father my usual newsy letter and remarkedthat if the FB5s went on the Langley fleet cruise I ex-pected we would loose a couple of pilots. Unknownto me, my father and Senator Jim Wadsworth (Chair-man, Military Affairs Committee) had playedbaseball together at Cornell. My father sent my letterto Wadsworth without consulting me and the stuff"hit the fan." Further training aboard Langley stop-ped! Reeves restricted me from flying ''fast'' air-craft—this action fizzled quickly. Other aircraft madethe cruise. In mid-1927 VF6 began to receive F2Bsand FB5s went into storage.

4

Either in '29 or '30, when I was with MadduxAirlines at Glendale, the word was passed to me thata Marine squadron had received the FB5s to qualifyon the Saratoga and Lexington. During qualificationtwo pilots were lost, spun in on approaches exactly asI feared might happen. Later heard the FB5s hadbeen re-assigned to a Marine squadron in China!

Where did you disinter that FB5?Regards,

Tommy TomlinsonCapt, USNR (Ret)

From the scant documentation that exists, we havelearned that our FB-5 last served with a Marinesquadron at North Island, Ca1fornia. During the ear-ly 1 930s, it was disposed of by the government. Fora number of years it passed among a group of civilianaviation enthusiasts and finally was obtained by theNational Air and Space Museum (NASM). A fewyears ago, the Marine Corps acquired the aircraftfrom NASM and just recently completed a ground-up restoration.

Dear Fort itudine:Your piece on commemorative names evokes thefollowing footnotes as to how most of Quantico'sbuildings got their names.

In 1948 or 1949, I was sent on TAD to Fort Sillfrom HQMC to attend the annual Field ArtilleryConference as HQMC representative. While there Iwas struck by the fine style in which the red-legs hadnamed all their school buildings and landmarks,which was in some contrast to our own backward-ness.

In 1949, I joined Quantico as an instructor whileGen Shepherd, one of our great traditionalists whomI knew well, was in command. When I could findtime, I wrote an official letter to Gen Shepherd poin-ting out that most of our academic buildings wereunnamed, that we had no policy, ought to have one,and should name our buildings.

Gen Shepherd's response was immediate andpredictable: he convened a board to name everythingwith me as a member, pretty junior, and several

older colonels (old as all colonels were in thosedays), all with quite definite ideas, many of whichdidn't coincide with mine.

The only existing names I recall were Breck-inridge Hall (then habitually misspelled, even on itsnameplate, as "Breckenridge' '—it took me a year tocorrect that) and the "Wailer Building," laterWaller Hall, may it rest in peace. The final slate of of-ficial names we produced, if memory serves, wereGeiger, Barrett, Harry Lee, plus the two foregoing,and a recommended Post policy directive on futurenames that Gen Shepherd approved. The onlyname I lost out on was Russell, which I wanted forthe Development Center. But the senior boardmember had an old grudge and said he would nevername anything for Russell but a box latrine.

In all this I must have acquired a certain reputa-tion because in subsequent years I was asked forrecommendations (all accepted) for the naming ofEllis, Lejeune, and Heywood Halls. I also wasdirected to compose the tablet inscriptions for Ellisand Lejeune, the former of which includes one typo,not mine fortunately.

On looking over the foregoing, I'm reminded thatI was also asked for a name for O'Bannon Hail, but Ihardly like to claim it (that was my suggestion llright) because it was so obvious that everybody elsethought of it too.

Liversedge Hall, a late bloomer, had the special re-quirement on it from on high that it be named for aneminent bachelor. A quick mental checkoff ofbachelors revealed many characters but none quiteup to the mark by posterity's standards. Then Ithought of my Basic School instructor, the late"White Horse Harry" (so named for his favoriteScotch, of which he was very fond) Liversedge, whosuccessfully passed muster.

None of these subsequent operations again involv-ed a board, I am happy to report.

Resp'yCareful Reader

Dear Editor:My old friend Careful Reader, referring to your

note on p. 23, Fall 78 Fortitudine, would like to addthat Col Douglas Drysdale, RM, was, besides Korean

5

War service with the lstMarDiv, the first officer ofhis corps to be assigned to Quantico as an instructor,about 1952 if C.R. remembers aright. This instruc-torship was engineered by Gen Shepherd.

RDH, Jr.

Dear Sir,We appreciate receiving Fortitudine regularly. It is

a high quality publication.Your division goals are ambitious and worthwhile.

We consider you are achievers and we are the for-tunate ones because of it.

Thanks again for Fortitudine.

Ed LeiserCurator

San Diego Aero Space Museum, Inc.

Commanding GeneralU.S. Marine CorpsWashington, D.C.

Dear Sir,I recently requested of your organization informa-

tion regarding U.S. Marine activity in theDominican Republic. Your History and MuseumsDivision responded with a fine document, Marines inthe Dominican Republic 1916-1 924.

I want to personally thank you and your organiza-tion as you were the only government agency that:

1. responded at allor

2. did not send a form letter referencing meelsewhere

or3. indicated any knowledge of what they did (or

have done in the past).I guess it remains true, if we really need to get

anything done we can "leave it to the Marines."

Thank you,Taxpayer

Oral History ReportTwo recent additions to the Marine Corps Oral

History Collection are the interview in depth withMajGen John R. Blandford, USMCR (Ret), and thetranscripts of three Vietnam-related recordingspresented by the Director, BGen Edwin H. Sim-mons.

In his interview, Gen Blandford, recalled his earlydays in the Corps and the fact that as a member of the6th Reserve Officers Course, he numbered the cur-rent Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen LouisH. Wilson, as one of his classmates. Followinggraduation in June 1942, he immediately wasassigned to the 1st Marine Division and participatedin the Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester operations.Although released from active duty in 1945, GenBlandford remained an active member of the Reserveuntil his retirement in July 1976. In civilian life heserved 25 years first as Counsel and then ChiefCounsel of the House Armed Services Committee.As he related in his interview, considerable legisla-tion affecting the Services as a whole was consideredby the Committee during these years and recom-mended for enactment by the Congress. Gen Bland-ford also recalled the dramatic debates which tookplace concerning the roles and missions of the Corpsduring the hearings which resulted in the NationalSecurity Act of 1947, and, later, Public Law 416.

The three items that Gen Simmons donated were,first, a recording of a press conference held on 12December 1965 at Da Nang by MajGen Lewis W.Walt, CG, III MAF, and MajGen Nguyen ChanhThi, CG, I Corps, following Operation HarvestMoon. Then-Col Simmons, G-3 of III MAF, alsobriefed the press at that time. The second recordingwas Col Simmons' HQMC debrief in July 1966following his tour in Vietnam as G-3, ifi MAF andCO, 9th Marines. The third item is a recording madeon 10 January 1971 of an orientation talk Gen Sim-mons, then ADC, 1st Marine Division, gave to new-ly joining officers regarding internal matters of con-cern to the division. All three of these recordingshave been transcribed.

Since the publication of the last issue of For-titudine, the Oral History Section has begun a seriesof new interviews that, when completed, will be im-portant accessions to the Collection. The head of theOral History Section and historians from theHistories Section conducted a second lengthy session

6

MajGen Blanford BGen Denig Sr.

with Gen Leonard F. Chapman, Jr., who was askedto reply to a number of prepared questions about hisrole as Commandant with respect to Marine Corpsoperations in Vietnam. Gen Chapman next will beinterviewed in depth about his total Marine Corpscareer. Similarly, the Director has begun a series ofinterviews with Gen Louis H. Wilson. It is con-templated that Gen Wilson's interview will be com-pleted before his retirement on 30 June.

In February, BGen Robert L. Denig, Jr., the son ofBGen Robert L. Denig, visited the Center. He hasbeen interviewing his father, a well-decorated WorldWar I Marine who retired on 30 June 1941 and wasrecalled to active duty the next day to become theMarine Corps' first Director of Public Information.He is credited with fathering the idea of the MarineCorps Combat Correspondent Program. Gen Denig,Sr. was interviewed about the program in 1967 byMr. Frank and Mr. Alvin M. Josephy, Jr., an earlycombat correspondent. Upon completion of the in-terviews with his father, Gen Denig, Jr., a NavalAcademy graduate, an old China hand, and a tank of-ficer in World War II, will begin a "do-it-yourself"interview for the Marine Corps Oral History Pro-gram.

With guidance from the Oral History Section,Reserve LtCol Ronald K. Price's MTh WA-2 ofSpokane, Washington, recently interviewed retiredReserve Col Neal Fosseen, former mayor of Spokaneand a prominent citizen of that city. When transcrib-ed, this interview will enter the collection. BMF

The Corps' First Medal of Honor WinnerIn February, the Commandant responded to a re-

quest from Col Melvin J. Sautter, commanding of-ficer of the Marine Corps Air Station at KaneoheBay and approved the naming of a BEQ at Kaneohein honor of Cpl John F. Mackie, the first of theMarine Corps' 291 Medal of Honor winners.

Mackie, a 25-year-old silversmith from NewYork, joined the Marine Corps in the early days ofthe Civil War. After enlisting in Brooklyn, he wasordered to the 19-gun frigate USS Savannah. A fewmonths later, on 1 April 1862, he reported aboardthe 6-gun ironclad USS Galena as a corporal in timeto participate in Gen George B. McClellan's Penin-sula Campaign. In Mgy the Galena was ordered tomove up the James River in support of McClellan'sadvance on Richmond.

By the early morning of 15 May, the Galena andMonitor along with several other Federal ironcladsand gunboats had reached Drewry's Bluff about 8miles below Richmond. There they encountered for-midable defenses. Fort Darling with its 10-inch Col-umbiad guns stood atop the bluff, and at least twobattalions of riflemen lined the river banks.

The battle that followed was distinctive not onlyfor the first Marine Medal of Honor, but also becauseit was a fight of Marines against Marines. A Con-federate Marine battalion commanded by Capt J.D.Simms was one of the units stationed on the banks ofthe James to protect Fort Darling. Thus the stagewas set with Marines on both sides. Action began at0730 and continued for nearly 4 hours. Shortly after1100, the Galena, battered by at least 28 majorcaliber hits which left 40 percent of her crew casu-alties, was forced to drift down stream and join theremainder of the fleet that had withdrawn earlier.

During the morning's action, Mackie commanded12 Marines assigned to the gun deck. Initially, theirmission was to engage snipers on the opposite bankaway from Fort Darling by firing. out gun ports.Mackie was a calm and collected leader under fire.After a 10-inch shell exploded directly on the gundeck and killed or wounded the crews of most of theafter guns, he had a chance to display his mettle.Acting on his own initiative, he had his men clearaway casualties and debris, and put the weapons backinto action. Mackie and his provisional gun crewswere then credited with destroying at least one of thefort's casements.

7

Several months seem to have elapsed before thisfine conduct was officially recognized. Sometime inthe fall, Capt John Rodgers, commanding officer ofthe Galena, called Mackie's performance to the at-tention of the Honorable Gideon Welles, Secretary ofthe Navy. Welles, in turn, wrote the Commandantpraising Mackie's gallant and meritorious service.

Back in December 1861, some 10 months earlier,the President had approved an act authorizing theSecretary of the Navy to have 200 Medals of Honorprepared "for presentation to such petty officers,seamen, landsmen, and Marines as shall mostdistinguish themselves by gallantry in action. . .

Aware of this act and appreciative of exceptionalservice by Marines, the Commandant, Col John Har-ris, wasted no time. He immediately wrote CaptRodgers on the Galena:

1 have this day received a communication from the honorableSecretary speaking very favorably of Corporal John Mackieand recommending him for gallant and meritorious conductwhile in battle on the 15th of May 1862 at Fort Darling.I am always glad and willing to reward gallant conduct if Ihave an opportunity so to do, but I am sorry that howeverwilling I may be to reward gallant conduct my means are verylimited. I can only promote him a Sergeant. You willtherefore promote him a Sergeant for gallant and distinguish-ed conduct while attacking Drury's Bluff, May 15th, 1862,to rank from the 1st of November. . .

I will endeavor to procure for Sergeant Mackie the NavalMedal of Honor for his gallantry.

Gun deck of the USS Galena, scene of Cpi Mackie 's bravery and coolness under fire.

On 3 April 1863, Secretary Welles signedGeneral Order No. 10, which announced theestablishment of the Medal of Honor awards and setforth procedures that would govern the award in thenaval service. This order, implementing the earliercongressional act, decreed that:

The medal shall only be awarded to those who shallhave evinced in battle some signal act of valor or devotion totheir country; and nothing save such conduct . . . shall beheld to establish a sufficient claim to it.

In another interesting provision it stated:To preserve pure this 'Medal of Honor, ''it is to be distinct-ly understood, that if any person on whom it shall have beenconferred be subsequently convicted of treason, cowardice,felony, or any infamous crime. . . his name shall forthwith beerased from the registry above mentioned by a General Orderfrom the Secretary of the Navy, who alone is to be the judgeof the circumstances demanding the expulsion.

With the procedures for awarding the Medal ofHonor finally established by General Order No. 10,the Commandant was able to carry out his pledge tosee Mackie properly rewarded. General Order No.17 appeared on 10 July 1863. It bestowed the Medalof Honor on 24 sailors and 2 Marines. Mackie wascited for his gallant conduct and services and signalacts of devotion to duty during the 15 May 1862 at-tack and Sgt Pinkerton R. Vaughn, the Corps' se-cond Medal of Honor winner, was recognized for hisservice during the loss of the USS Mississ:ppi inMarch 1863.

Several months before the appearance of GeneralOrder No. 17, Sgt Mackie had been transferred fromthe Galena to the Norfolk Navy Yard; then in June

8

1863 he joined the 9-gun screw sloop USS Seminoleas "orderly sergeant in charge." Thus GeneralOrder No. 17 had to be transmitted all the way tothe Western Gulf Blockading Squadron before itcould be delivered. Finally at 1000 on 11 October1863, when all hands mustered on the quarterdeckof the Seminole for a reading of the Articles of Warand the Regulations of the Navy, Sgt Mackie receiv-ed his Medal of Honor.

Mackie remained aboard the Seminole for the restof the war. On 24 August 1865, he was dischargedat Boston having completed 4 years and 4 months ofcontinuous service. Later he married, settled inPhiladelphia, and worked much of his life as a realestate broker. Extremely active in the G.A.R. andthe Farragut Association of Naval Veterans, he wasrightfully proud of his service, his record, and hisMedal of Honor.

Several years ago the staff of the Marine CorpsMuseum (primarily Mr. Richard A. Long) made aconcerted effort to locate Mackie's Medal of Honorin hopes of displaying it as the first ever awarded aMarine. The search was unsuccessful. Mackie diedin 1910, preceded in death by his only son; hiswidow died in 1918. Although his will specified thata book he owned about Medal of Honor winnersshould go to his niece, it made no mention of themedal itself. With no direct descendants, the trail ranout.

The search, however, did turn up some interestingcorrespondence and revealed some early ad-ministrative difficulties at Headquarters Marine

Corps. In March 1901, as an aftermath of theSpanish-American War, an act was passed providinga $100 gratuity for Medal of Honor winners.Mackie, thinking he might qualify under its provi-sions, applied for the bonus. He was informed by thePaymaster that Headquarters had no record of hisreceiving the Medal of Honor. Mackie's reactionwas prompt. He fired off two letters on the same dayto the Commandant, MajGen Charles Heywood; onewas official, the other personal. In the first he citedcomplete chapter and verse on his award. 1-le iden-tified who had recommended him, referred to ColCommandant Harris' letter to Capt Rodgers, quotedGeneral Order No. 17, and even mentioned threepublished books which described his actions. Heclosed with an elegant plea:

Now, Genral, will you not see that this error is correctedas an act of justice to your gallant men who served with youduring the Rebellion and so grandly sustained the honor ofthe Marine Corps in every perilous hour?In the personal letter, Mackie reminded MajGen

Heywood of their meeting aboard the USS Hartfordin July 1864 just before the Battle of Mobile Bay:

You were engaged at the time with Commodore Drayton,on spar-deck; I was wearing the Medal of Honor. You calledme over to where you were, and addressing CommodoreDrayton asked him if he ever saw one of those, referring tomy Medal of Honor. He said no, Sergeant, how did you get it.I then related briefly the story of the Battle at Fort Darling.

Commodore Drayton then said, Sergeant I would give astripe off my sleeves to get one of those in the same manner asyou got that.

The record was soon corrected, and Mackie wasequally prompt in thanking the Commandant for hishelp. His letter mentioned not a word about the$100 gratuity for which Civil War veterans had beenfound ineligible. The key prcblem had been cor-rected.

Sgt John F. Mackie was a loyal Marine and apatriotic citizen. It is well and fitting that our firstMedal of Honor winner should be commemoratedand remembered. DDH

Pentagon's Khe Sanh Display

As noted in the summer 1978 edition of For-titudine, the History and Museums Division's"First to Fight" exhibit opened in the Secretary ofthe Navy's executive corridor on 31 May last year.As the exhibit is to remain on display for a long time,periodic changes are being made primarily to the artwork and photographs. One unexpected change, ormore accurately, addition, was the sudden ap-pearance of the ration box display shown in thephotograph above. Attracted by the stirring ring ofthe quotation and frustrated by his inability to find itssource, MajGen Harold Chase, USMCR (Ret), cur-rently Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense(Reserve Affairs) arranged to have it made up by

9

OSD Graphics and mounted near the "First toFight" exhibit.

We share his feelings about the quote—in fact, theMuseum's Branch has featured it on the Vietnampanel in the time tunnel. Entitled ". . . the shelterednever know.", the panel contains this caption:

One of the more perceptive observations of the VietnamWar was found scrawled on a C-ration case at the conclusionof the battle for Khe Sanh. It read: "Life has a special flavor tothose who fight for it that the sheltered never know."

We also share Gen Chase's frustration. We stilldo not know the origin of the quote, and as carefulreaders will observe, we now are not certain whetherit should read ''sheltered" or ''protected'' Help!

The Youngest MarineMaj David N Buckner

Once upon a time there served in our Corps theyoungest Marine. Of this we may be certain. What isequally certain is that the Marine did not know hewas the youngest nor did the Corps.

The identity of this still-unnamed youngestMarine is the subject of frequent correspondencehere at the Historical Center. Most of the queries asto the age of the "youngest" Marine are fromparents, although former Marines themselves alsowrite. Our standard response is that it would be im-possible to determine the truly "youngest" Marineas his enlistment was, by its very nature, fraudulent.Men misrepresented their age; their official recordsare inaccurate. Most of these individuals were eitherdetected early in their service and discharged, inwhich case they do not really qualify as Marines, orthey served their tour undetected and were routinelydischarged. Few, if any, of the latter category everamended the record of their own volition. On rareoccasions a young Marine's true age is revealed asthe indirect fallout of a totally unrelated bit of officialinterest.

A prime example of this is the case of one PFCJacklyn H. Lucas, USMCR. His actual age becamewidely known because of the attention he received at-tendant to being awarded the Medal of Honor. He isstill the youngest American ever to receive his coun-try's highest decoration, being 17 years old at thetime. Even more unusual is the fact that he alreadyhad nearly 3 years in the Corps, having enlisted atthe age of 14.

On 6 August 1942, with the consent of hismother, 158-pound, 5-foot, 5½-inch Lucas enlistedin the Marine Corps Reserve and headed for ParrisIsland. After graduation he was assigned to MarineBarracks, Jacksonville, Florida and later to the 21stand 25th Replacement Battalions at Camp Lejeune.In November 1943 he arrived at Pearl Harbor,Hawaii where he joined the 6th Base Depot of the VAmphibious Corps. He was promoted to PFC inJanuary 1944.

So far Lucas had not managed to get any closer tothe action than where it had all begun. This state ofaffairs lasted for another year, but then, on 10January 1945, he told his friends he was leaving tojoin a combat unit, rolled his field uniform and boots,

10

PFC Jacklyn H. Lucas—i 7-year-old Medal ofHonor winner.

and walked out the gate. His AWOL charge grew toone of desertion and a reward was offered for his ap-prehension. He was reduced to private in absentia.

Meanwhile, Lucas had stowed away on an APAloading Out in the harbor. Helped by a cousin and hisfriends, the 16-year-old managed to escape apprehen-sion and wound up at Saipan. He stowed away oncemore, this time on the amphibious troop transportUSS Deuel (APA 160) which was carrying elementsof the 5th Marine Division to the Iwo Jima landing.On 8 February, D minus 11, he surrendered to the

CO of Troops clad in neat, clean dungarees. He wassoon transferred to Company C, 1st Battalion, 26thMarines and landed on D plus 1. The next day, as heand three other Marines were creeping along atwisted ravine, the Japanese suddenly began hurlinghand grenades. The Marines dove for two shallowfoxholes nearby and the grenades followed. Lucasthrew his body over a grenade that landed in his holeand then reached out and scooped another underhim.

The explosions blew him off the ground and hewas left for dead by his companions, but by somemiracle he lived. Severely wounded in his right arm,wrist, leg and thigh, as well as his chest, Lucas wasevacuated to the United States. In August 1945, themark of desertion was removed from his record andhe was discharged from the Marine Corps Reservefor reasons of disability on the 18th of the nextmonth. On 5 October 1945, President Harry S.Truman presented him with the Medal of Honorduring ceremonies at the White House.

Naturally, the "youngest Marine" queries wereceive deal with the modern Corps. There was anera, however, which ended only with the child laborlaws of the early 20th century, when boys routinelywere enlisted as drummers and musicians for dutyashore and afloat. The earliest such enlistment foundto date was executed on 1 February 1799, but it isalmost certain that the practice was followed 20years earlier during the Revolution.

The tender age of these Marines is hard to con-template today. John Phillip Sousa, for example, was13 years old when he joined the Marine Band; andSousa was a veritable greybeard compared to WilliamBrown who enlisted in 1829 at the age of six.

Actually "was enlisted" may be closer to thetruth. Instances of destitute parents getting rid of amouth to feed by shipping a young son off to the ser-vice were not uncommon. The standard "boy"enlistment was one which ran until the lad's 21stbirthday. There are records that indicate that manyyoungsters were considered unfit and dischargedbecause they either were not toilet trained or couldnot dress themselves, leading the authorities of thetime to believe they were underage.

As there are fraudulent enlistments today, we canbe certain they also were executed successfully in the19th century. Perhaps the all-time champion"youngest Marine" was a fine strapping lad—offour or five. Unidentified young Marine of the Civil War era.

11

Charles Rinaldo Floyd:Maverick of the Old Corps

Charles R. Smith

The Marine Corps Museum, in 1964, acquired anink and watercolor sketch of a Marine in uniform,dated May 1825, and signed by "C.F." Recentresearch into the sketch and artist, Charles RinaldoFloyd, has led Mr. Richard A. Long of the SpecialProjects Branch to a number of major collections ofFloyd family material which have not only il-

luminated the career of this flamboyant figure, butalso have provided insights into a little-documentedperiod of Marine Corps History.

The son of Gen John Floyd, an intrepid soldier andfriend of Andrew Jackson, Charles Floyd was born at"Fairfield" in Camden County, Georgia, onl4 Oc-tober 1797. His childhood was that reserved for asouthern gentlemen, the son of a great land and slaveholder: tutors and academies which stressed a

classical education and dancing school which taughtthe social graces. Like young men of his class, he wasalso schooled in fencing, the use of firearms, andabove all honor and martial etiquette.

At the age of 19 he entered West Point and beganwhat looked to be a promising military career, butAcademy life was not for him. After a year an orderwas issued to the effect that each cadet was to recordthe name of his parent or guardian. Floyd refused,considering the order an insult to his family honor.Called before the Commandant, he again refused,and was dismissed from the Academy for disobe-dience.

Passing through Washington on his return toGeorgia in the spring of 1818, he applied to theSecretary of the Navy for a commission in theMarine Corps, but was told there were no vacancies.Instead, he was restored as a cadet and given a3-month furlough by John C. Calhoun, thenSecretary of War. Not wishing to return to an in-stitution filled with "mean and pliant" men destined"to disgrace the nation at some future day," hewaited, and in September 1818 was appointed a se-cond lieutenant of Marines. His career as a Marineofficer, although short, was by no means tranquil.

12

Self-portrait of the feisty Floyd

Within months of entering the Corps, Lt Floydwas posted to the barracks at Philadelphia. There hecame under the command of LtCol John M. Gamble,hero of the War of 1812, and the only Marine Corpsofficer to be given command of a ship. From thebeginning the two officers clashed: "Gamble thinksme the most 'insubordinate and obstreperous andvindictive' officer in the service, and I speak of himin public as a liar, a fool and a cowardly scoundrel.He is not a soldier, but a complete fop, who thinksmore of his cravat ruffles than he does of honor ormilitary qualities.''

In May 1819, the battle between the two heated,and Gamble brought Floyd before a court-martial fordisrespect. The court found him guilty and suspend-ed him for 6 months with full pay. "Villains might

deprive me of a commission, but they will neverdeprive me of my military principles and habits,"Floyd wrote. "Nature intended me for a soldier, andsoldier I will be." Gamble, although furious, tried tomake amends, but Floyd was unreceptive, whichcaused Gamble greater upset.

Returning to the Washington barracks in order toaid a fellow officer ''against several of his enemies,"Lt Floyd again found himself embroiled in dispute,this time with Lt W. W. Whetcroft. Challenges wereexchanged, and the two officers met on a field atBladensburg where Floyd severely wounded Whet-croft. No longer welcome at Headquarters, Col Ar-chibald Henderson ordered Floyd to Boston in orderto avoid further difficulties.

The Charlestown barracks proved to be no better.In February 1820, he was brought before a civilcourt for caning a "plebian scoundrel," and foundnot guilty. In October, he was again brought before acourt-martial, this time for caning a Dr. Bates, thenaval storekeeper, who had called one of the barrackssentinels a "dam' ed Rascal." The court refused tohear his defense, because it was deemed too fierce forold Commodore Issaac Hull, and suspended himfrom duty for 12 months on full pay. Literally put onfurlough, Lt Floyd decided to visit Europe: "I wishto see the Old World in my youth," he wrote, "thebest time for observation and improvement."

As was the custom, Lt Floyd made the "GrandTour," visiting among other places, Carthage andConstantinople. While in Paris he witnessed a reviewof troops by Louis XVIII, who, Floyd wrote, "Icould easily have killed . . . with a rifle. The star hewore on his breast was the finest target that I haveever seen." At Waterloo, he picked up two skullscleft by the sword, grapeshot, and cap plates of theGarde Imperiale grenadiers (the latter two items nowin the collections of the Georgia Historical Society).In July 1821, he returned to duty at CharlestownMarine Barracks and found to his disgust that Dr.Bates had instituted a civil suit for damages. The casewas settled 2 months later when the court orderedFloyd to pay $85.00 instead of the $1,000.00demanded by Bates.

Traveling seemed to have had a quieting effect onEnlisted Marine of the early 1820s, obviously Floyd, for most of the next year was spent courting

displeased with something he sees. Perhaps Floyd's instead of caning Bostonians or quarreling with hisMarine is the one the lieutenant ''stabbed/or re/us- fellow officers. But marriage was a serious matter: ''Iing to obey an order." shall certainly not accumulate cares in this world by

13

taking a wife. An exchange of my habits and profes-sion for the inspired monotony of civil life may notbring me the happiness I seek. It requires at leastsome consideration." Consider he did, for anotheryear, but in May 1823 he married Sophia Powell of

Boston.

Soon after his marriage, Lt Floyd once againbecame involved in controversy. "I have stabbed asoldier for refusing to obey an order," he wrote hisfather. "He is not dangerously wounded. The pointof my dagger soon brought him to the standard ofsubordination." Although the Marine was placed inirons to be tried by court-martial, the incident wasnot closed. "Some pettifogging scoundrel under theshield of law, has instituted a civil prosecutionagainst me. . . . This is only for the purpose of extor-ting money." A warrant was issued, but before itcould be served Col Henderson had Floyd transferredto the Brooklyn barracks. The case was neverbrought to trial.

In November 1823, Floyd began 2 months leavewhich took him back to Georgia and Fairfield. He re-quested an extension in January because of personalmatters, but did not return to duty until June 1824.I-Es letter of explanation, mistakenly construed bythe Commandant to be one of resignation, was pass-ed to the Secretary of the Navy for action. Themisunderstanding was soon cleared up, and Floydwas ordered to Thompson's Island [Key West]. "Iwill not go to Key West to gratify the malice of anycowardly scoundrel who wears authority," he wrotehis father. "There are no troops at Thompson'sIsland, no pirates to fight, no employment for an of-ficer there of any description. This fool Henderson isabout getting into a difficulty which he has neithercourage nor talents to withstand."

On 16 August, Gen Lafayette arrived at NewYork, providing Lt Floyd a day's relief in his effort tohave his assignment revoked, In charge of the 66Marines on board the steamship Robert Fulton, heparticipated in the grand procession of welcomingcraft up the harbor to the city. Landing at the bat-tery, the Marines were requested to accompany thegeneral to City Hall, keeping "off the rabble, whichthe militia could not do." Forming a hollow squarearound Lafayette, the Marine bodyguard moved for-ward, and "it was with great difficulty," Floydreported, "I prevented the soldiers from using theirbayonets against the rabble, many of whom felt the

14

buts [sicJ of our muskets." The day, noted Floyd,"will be remembered long after it has faded into theocean of eternity."

At the end of the month, Col Henderson visitedthe Brooklyn barracks and informed Lt Floyd that hehad suspended the orders sending him to Key West;"What a weak, miserable animal! I had no doubt ofhis madness." Tired of fighting "ignorance" and"incompetence," he resolved to resign his commis-sion. "A man of refinement and lofty pride hasnumerous obstacles to oppose him in our service.Pride never willingly pays tribute even when due,and is always liable to collision with asses in power,who, without merit, expect homage from all undertheir command." On 1 December 1824, Lt CharlesRinaldo Floyd left the Marine Corps.

Returning to Georgia, Charles Floyd accepted anappointment as aide de camp to his father, who com-manded the 1st Division of the Georgia Militia. Thechange in scenery did not mollify his opinion of ColHenderson, whom he considered a person whowould "disgrace the dignity of revenge." He alsowould find an opportunity to continue his feud withLtCol Gamble.

On his way to Boston to visit his ailing wile, Floydstopped in New York on 12 August 1828. Early thefollowing morning he purchased a "nice wire whip"and went to Brooklyn. "Lieut [George W.] Walkermet me at Langdon's and we walked to a hotel nearthe Navy Yard, I waited there for Gamble, who wasobliged to pass by on his way to the Navy Yard. See-ing him approach, I went out and met him in thestreet. 'You are the man, Col Gamble,' said I, 'ThatI have greatly desired to meet.' He halted as I spoke,and I let him have it." Screaming "Murder!Murder!," according to Floyd, Gamble tried to de-fend himself with a brickbat, but was quickly knock-ed to the ground. "I seized him, and would have an-nihilated him," Floyd recorded, "had not the crowdinterposed." Floyd returned to his hotel, and thenext day continued on to Boston.

His honor and pride at last avenged, CharlesRinaldo Floyd went on to become a respected planterand a brigadier general in the Georgia Militia,assisting in the removal of the Creeks and Seminolesto indian Territory beyond the Mississippi, and win-fling the praise of Gen Winfield Scott. He died inMarch of 1845, at the age of 44.

e "ALL IN THE DAY'S WORK"

15

Drawn by Ch, Gatchell.

This cartoon from the June 1917 Marine Recruiter's Bulletin shows that, while the Essential Subjects Trainingsyllabus may have changed in the last 62 years, WW I Marines were plenty busy getting ready to go "overthere.

Quantico

New Publications

A long-awaited history of the Marine Corps Baseat Quantico has been published by the Marine CorpsHistory and Museums Division. Originally conceiv-ed as a bicentennial project in the Public Affairs Of-fice at Quantico in 1975, the project was launchedby LtCol Charles A. Fleming. Capt Robin L. Austin,his assistant, spent several months collecting infor-mation, photographs, and recollections of some ofthe area's long-time residents. After an initial editionof 50 copies was distributed, the History andMuseums Division accepted the manuscript forpublication in the regular history program so that thebook could be available to the thousands of personswho have "passed thru'' Quantico and associate atleast a part of their Marine Corps experience with thearea.

Capt Charles A. Braley ifi prepared an extensiveupdate of the final chapter, the photo archives of theMarine Corps were combed for additionalphotographs, and maps were revised. The Govern-ment Printing Office printed the book and the firstcopy was presented to MajGen John H. Miller, CG

Capt Braley (left) and Dr. Parkinson present Ma]-Gen Miller with the first copies of the Qua ntwohistory.

MCDEC, by Dr. Russell J. Parkinson, the book'seditor, and by Capt Braley on 6 April.

Quantico: Crossroads of the Corps is a history ofthe region, as well as of the Marine base. The firstsettlers in the area arrived at Aquia Creek in 1647and, by 1686, Scot immigrants were settling in thearea of Dumfries on Quantico Creek. During theAmerican Revolution the Virginia governor, loyal tothe King of England, raided the shore of the Potomacnear Quantico. During the Civil War the Con-federates built artillery positions on what is nowHospital Point, Ellis Hall, and the hill above themain gate, and blockaded the Potmac River whilethe Union Army of Gen McClellan watched fromthe Maryland shore.

The railroad crossed Quantico Creek in 1872 andthe Quantico Land Company was formed to developa beachfront community for tourists. The QuanticoCompany built a hotel on Rising Hill which wasrenamed Wailer Hall after the Marines took over. In1916, a shipyard established on land now occupiedby the Naval Hospital built wooden-hulled ships forservice on the Potomac and the Chesapeake, but thearea soon yielded to the World War I Marines.

As America entered the war, the Marine Corps

16

sought a suitable area for a major training base andthe developers of the Quantico Company were happyto sell their not-all-together-successful venture to theCorps, including most of the area now known asmainside. A large camp of temporary woodenbuildings was hastily constructed and the Marineshave been a part of Quantico ever since.

During the 1 920s BGen Smedley D. Butler com-manded at Quantico and ordered the construction ofthe stadium to provide a place for the football team toplay local colleges. Gen Butler also organized fieldmaneuvers, marching the Marines to nearby CivilWar battlefields such as the Wilderness and Get-tysburg where they staged historical reeactments aswell as practiced modern maneuvers.

During 1930s a major rebuilding program replac-ed most of the World War I wooden barracks withthe "letter" barracks on Barnett Avenue and addedthe brick facilities of the power plant, old com-missary, and warehouses. Turner Field was built byrerouting Chopowamsic Creek and dredging and fill-ing. The USS Henderson docked at the end ofPotomac Avenue and Marines sailing to or returningfrom Nicaragua and Haiti marched through thetown. Looking to the future, the Marine CorpsSchools began formalizing amphibious doctrine and,in 1934, published the Tentative Manual for Lan-ding Operations.

With American entry into WW II the GuadalcanalArea was acquired to give plenty of room for conduc-ting training maneuvers. Today, the area also housesthe FBI Training Academy, The Basic School, andWeapons Training Battalion. Recently 600 acreswere designated to be set aside as a new NationalCemetery.

Today Quantico continues to serve as the home ofthe Marine Corps Development and Education Com-mand, where tomorrow's history is still being writ-ten.

While Quantico has been a part of Marine Corpshistory for only 67 of the Corps' 203 years, morethan 90 percent of all the officers who ever served asMarines have received some part of their training oreducation at Quantico, and the SNCO Academy,Marine Corps Institute, and other training programshave been home, for a time, to many of the enlistedgrades. Quantico is a part of every Marine, and thisnew book will help preserve the tradition and historyof the Corps which was formed along the PotomacRiver. See page 24 for ordering and distribution in-formation.

Vietnam 1965

17

The second volume in the Vietnam historiesseries, US. Marines in Vietnam, 1965: The landingand the Buildup, co-authored by Mr. Jack Shulimsonand Maj Charles M. Johnson, USMC, has beenrecently published. This volume details the Marineactivities during 1965, the year the war escalatedand major American combat units were committedto the conflict. The narrative traces the landing ofthe nearly 5,000-man 9th Marine ExpeditionaryBrigade and its transformation into the Ill MarineAmphibious Force, which by the end of the yearnumbered over 38,000 Marines.

During 1965, the Marines established threeenclaves in South Vietnam's northernmost corpsarea, I Corps. The Marine mission expanded fromdefense of the Da Nang airbase to a so-called"balanced strategy'' involving base defense, offen-sive operations, and pacification. This volume con-tinues to treat the activities of Marine advisors to theSouth Vietnamese armed forces but in less detailthan its predecessor volume, U.S. Marines in Viet-nam, 1954-1964; The Advisory and CombatAssistance Era.

The new volume is based largely on fourpreviously-classified studies prepared by the Historyand Museums Division in the 1960s and early

1970s. The authors have not only revised the text ofthe studies, but have also incorporated new researchmaterial as it became available. They have consultedthe official records of the U.S. Marine Corps, therecords of other Services where appropriate, the OralHistory Collection of the History and MuseumsDivision, the division's extensive comment files onthe Vietnam War, and pertinent published primaryand secondary sources. Comment drafts of themanuscript were reviewed by more than 110 per-sons, most of whom were directly associated with theevents. Many of their observations have been incor-porated into the narrative.

The co-author, Mr. Jack Shulimson, is the seniorcivilian historian on the Vietnam Histories project.He ha been with the division since 1964 and hasworked on Vietnam studies since 1965. Mr. Shulim-son has his B.A. from the University of Buffalo, nowthe State University of New York at Buffalo, hisM.A. in history from the University of Michigan atAnn Arbor, and is a PhD candidate in AmericanStudies at the University of Maryland.

Maj (now LtCol) Charles M. Johnson was withthe History and Museums Division from September1972 until September 1973. He has a B.A. inHistory from the University of Minnesota and wascommissioned in the Marine Corps upon graduationin 1959. LtCoI Johnson served two tours in Viet-nam, first as Commanding Officer, Battery L, 4thBattalion, 11th Marines from May 1966 until May1967, and then from December 1970 until August1972 as public information officer in the Public In-formation Office, U.S. Military Assistance Com-mand, Vietnam. He is now Commanding Officer,Headquarters and Service Battalion, 1st Force Ser-vice Support Group at Camp Pendleton, California.

This is the Division's first major book to be com-pletely prepared for publication using our Com-pugraphic equipment and largely our own resources.Heavily illustrated, largely from photographs fromthe Marine Corps collection, the volume contains261 pages, including text, 18 maps, notes, six appen-dicies, and an index. See page 24 for ordering anddistribution information.

Squadron Histories

The Division has recently published a series ofMarine aircraft squadron histories which includesthose of HMM-161, VMA-223, VMFA-232,VMA-311, and VMFA-312. The histories werestarted several years ago as the aviation counterpartof the Marine regimental history series. At that timeit was envisioned that interested Marine squadronsand the History and Museums Division could"buddy-up"and produce histories of all Marinesquadrons. The Historical Center was to provide thereference and research materials needed plusguidance and supervision necessary, while thesquadrons were to provide the personnel. The pro-gram was well received by several squadrons but

18

eventually died because of lack of funding. The"buddy" system did bear some fruit in the form ofone squadron history, VMA-223.

The first squadron history off the press was that ofVMFA-3 12, written by Maj William J. Sambito, aformer historical writer with the Division. Thehistory is a narrative account of the famed Checker-board squadron. VMFA-312 first saw action inOkinawa during WW II, was involved in actionthroughout the Korean War, and was one of the firstMarine squadrons in Vietnam. During its history theCheckerboard markings have graced fighters fromthe gull-winged F4U Corsair to the droop-nosed F-4JPhantom.

The second history published, and so far the onlyone dealing with a helicopter squadron, was ofHMM- 161, written by Division historical writer,LtCol Gary W. Parker, a former member of thesquadron. HMM-161 was the first transporthelicopter squadron in the Marine Corps and helpedto develop tactics and procedures for Marinehelicopters in combat during the Korean War. Thesquadron also worked extensively on developing theconcept of vertical assault during the many traininglanding exercises held in Korea. HMM-161 helpedpave the way for future helicopter operations andproved that helicopters could survive in combat andeffectively carry out their mission.

The third squadron history published,VMA-223's, used the buddy system mentionedabove. It was written by lstLt Brett A. Jones, at thetime a member of the squadron. Initially known asthe Rainbow squadron, later changed to theBulldogs, VMA-223 boasted such WW II aces asJohn L. Smith with 19 enemy kills, and Marion E.Carl, with 18½. The history covers thechronological development and accomplishments ofVMA-223 from WW II to the present.

The fourth squadron history published, andanother authored by Maj Sambito, is of VMFA-232.The history of VMFA-232 is traced back to 1925,making the squadron one of the oldest in the MarineCorps. The history contains some excellentphotographs of old bi-wing aircraft, plus finereminiscences by LtGen Richard C. Mangrum,former Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps,and the first Marine aviator to hold the "GreyEagle" award as the earliest designated aviator on ac-tive duty in the Navy and Marine Corps. Thishistory outlines the battles fought during WW II andVietnam and tells the story of its pilots and crewmen.

The fifth squadron history, just recently publish-ed,is that of VMA-3 11, also authored by Maj Sam-bito. In it, VMA-3 11 is traced from its commission-ing in December 1942, through three wars andseveral organizational evolutions. During its historyVMA-311 made the transition from a fightingsquadron, flying propeller-driven planes, to a modernattack squadron equipped with high performance jetaircraft. The history is particularly well illustratedwith photographs from personal collections of in-dividuals associated with the squadron.

The Division regards the recently publishedsquadron histories as the beginning of a series whichwill eventually encompass every Marine squadron.

19

The series is designed to bring to light theachievements of individual squadrons and relatethem to the general development of Marine aviation.It is hoped that these brief histories will prompt othersquadrons and individuals to contribute their in-sights, remembrances, records, photographs, andother memorabilia so that the complete history ofMarine aviation may someday be written.

See page 24 for ordering and distribution informa-tion.

Guidebook & Oral History

The new illustrated guidebook to the MarineCorps Historical Center and the new Oral Historycatalog are now available free of charge upon request.The 30-page guidebook fully describes the physicallayout of the Center as well as the many researchholdings and collections to be found within. Informa-tion regarding hours, tours, lodging, the Museumstore, the Research Grant Fund, and the location ofthe Center is also provided.

The 41-page Oral History Collection catalog hasbeen revised and updated and lists the nearly 200transcribed and accessioned interviews with retireddistinguished Marines and others of importance tothe Marine Corps. Also provided are abstracts ofthese interviews. The abstracts, along with a 7-pageconceptual index, should serve as excellent guides forresearchers and historians. While most of the in-dividuals interviewed held high-level command andstaff billets during their careers, the collection alsocontains a number of interviews with former enlistedMarines, one of whom is a veteran of the Spanish-American War.

Individuals and institutions desiring copies ofeither the guidebook or Oral History catalog maywrite: Commandant of the Marine Corps

Code HDS- 1Headquarters Marine CorpsWashington, D.C. 20380

FDR's Machinegun Presentedto the Museum

On 16 March 1979, BGen James Roosevelt,USMCR (Ret), presented a German Model '08/15Maxim light machinegun to the Marine CorpsMuseum. The ceremony took place in front of theSgtMaj Dan Daly display on the Center'squarterdeck.

This particular weapon has great historicalsignificance for the Marine Corps as it was capturedby elements of the 5th Regiment on the night of10/il November 1918, when the 1st and 2d Bat-talions attacked German positions at Villemontry onthe east bank of the Meuse River. Led by Maj GeorgeHamilton, the Marines crossed the river on smallfootbridges while under intense enemy fire andassaulted the enemy trenches. Coincidentally, thedate was the 143d anniversary of the founding of theCorps.

After the Armistice, the Marines were assigned tooccupation duty along the Rhine. It was there, atNeuwied, that then-Assistant Secretary of the NavyFranklin D. Roosevelt visited the troops in Januaryof 1919. This was not Roosevelt's first encounterwith the Marines. He had visited them on several oc-casions during the war and, during one visit, hadauthorized enlisted Marines to wear the MarineCorps emblem on their uniforms in recognition oftheir gallant fight at Belleau Wood. MajGen John A.Lejeune presented the weapon to the AssistantSecretary as a token of appreciation for his con-tinuous support of the Marine Corps.

The machinegun was held by the Roosevelt familyuntil the establishment of the Franklin DelanoRoosevelt Library at Hyde Park, New York underthe National Archives' presidential library system.In fact, as Gen Roosevelt related during the presenta-tion ceremony, his father, who had maintained hiskeen interest in the Marine Corps, once remarkedthat "if the Marines run out of machineguns, I'lllend them the one they gave me."

MGySgt Wendell A. (Tex) Parks, USMC(Ret), discovered the existence of the machinegun inthe course of his duties as exhibit specialist for theFDR Library. Being closely associated with theMarine Corps historical program as a noted combatartist and as one of the driving forces behind the in-

20

augural art exhibit at the Historical Center, he im-mediately commenced to lay the groundwork for thetransfer of the weapon to the Marine CorpsMuseum.

After the formal governmental transfer had beeneffected between the FDR Library and the MarineCorps Museum, GySgt Robert L. Hoffman and SgtH. Torres, Jr., of the New York Public Affairs Of-fice, volunteered to transport the weapon from NewYork to Washington. This was not the first time thatGySgt Hoffman had come to the aid of the Museum.It was he who alerted the Museum to the where-abouts of the Dan Daly medals and who was in-strumental in securing their donation in 1978 (For-titudine, Summer 1978).

After its presentation, the machinegun was put onpermanent display in the Time Tunnel's World WarOne case.

The machinegun's çlonor, Gen Roosevelt, wascommissioned in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1936,and was assigned to active duty in 1940. During thewar he won a Navy Cross during the Makin Islandraid as XO of LtCol Evans F. Carlson's 2d MarineRaider Battalion. He later served as CO of the 4thRaider Battalion and on various Amphibious Force,Pacific Fleet staffs. He was advanced to brigadiergeneral by reason of his combat citation upon hisretirement on 1 October 1959.

BGen James Roosevelt poses with his father 's"personal" machinegun.

In MemoriamMajGen Omar T. Pfeif-

fer, USMC (Ret), died on 1March in Oceanside,California, and was buriedon 27 March in ArlingtonCemetery.

Born in 1895, he at-tended the University ofMinnesota and was com-missioned a second

lieutenant on 21 May 1917. Following his initialassignment to sea duty, Gen Pfeiffer was assigned tothe usual tours at Marine Corps posts and stationsand overseas where he performed his normal dutiesas well as considerable legal work.

Beginning with his assignment to the War PlansSection at Quantico in May 1937, and until heassumed command of Fleet Marine Force, WesternPacific in May 1947, Gen Pfeiffer served on highlevel staffs.

In April 1941, then-Col Pfeiffer became FleetMarine Officer and Assistant War Plans Officer onthe staff of the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet,Adm Husband E. Kimmel. Gen Pfeiffer rememberedthat Sunday morning at Pearl Harbor, when at:

about 11 o'clock, the last wave of bombers, which werehigh level, came over. A group of officers, some 5 to 7, werein the operations office of the staff looking through a louveredwindow at the . . . bombers. Admiral Kimmel was in thegroup. While we were so standing, there was a 'ping' as glasswas broken and when we turned we saw a dark mark on Ad-miral Kimmel's uniform above his heart. A tumbling bullethad come through and struck the admiral. My reaction wasthat that bullet, not only symbolically but actually, ter-minated his career and active life.

For his service on the CinCPac staff, Gen Pfeifferwas awarded the Bronze Star before his transfer toWashington and assignment as assistant to the headof the Pacific Section, War Plans Division, in the of-ficer of CNO. As the senior Marine on this staff, hehad immediate access to Adm Ernest J. King.

In February 1946 Gen Pfeiffer was detached fromWashington to become Fleet Marine Officer andrations Officer on the staff of the Commander,Seventh Fleet. The next year, in May, he assumedcommand of FMFWesPac. In October he returned tothe west coast and Camp Pendleton where he servedas Chief of Staff, Marine Barracks. Gen Pfeifferretired in April 1950 and advanced to the rank ofmajor general on the retired list for having been

21

decorated with a combat award.In summarizing his career, Gen Pfeiffer said:"...the truth is that, although I came into the Marine Corpswith the idea of serving a probationary period of two yearsand then going back to civil life and becoming a lawyer, I somuch enjoyed the life of the Marine Corps that I stayed. . . .1

was present at the White House and had personal contact andconversation with two presidents of the United States. I work-ed intimately with the highest naval, Marine and yes, Armyand Air Force commanders during World War II, and thatgives me a satisfaction nothing can diminish or tarnish. Onlyby being in the Marine Corps could I have accomplishedthis."

Former Marine SgtMaj Cecil B. Moore died inPhiladelphia on 15 February 1979. More than3,000 people attended the funeral service of this civilrights activist, lawyer, and city councilman, who wasamong the first black Marines to enlist in the Corpsin World War II.

BGen Edwin D. Partridge,USMCR (Ret) died 15January 1979 in Redding,California. He served as anenlisted Marine fromNovember 1918 toSeptember 1919. InFebruary 1934 he enlistedin the Marine CorpsReserve and, while serving

as a first sergeant, was commissioned a second lieu-tenant in August of the next year. As a major hewas called to active duty in 1940 and served as com-manding officer of two infantry battalions and as pro-vost marshal of Camp Pendleton before joining the7th Field Depot in December 1943. As XO of theredesignated 7th Service Regiment he participated inthe Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa operations. Atwar's end he served at Tsingtao, China until orderedto the United States in April 1946. Two monthslater he was released from active duty, but remainedactive in the reserves until he retired in 1958. Hisdecorations included the Legion of Merit Medal withCombat "V" for service in China and the BronzeStar Medal with Combat "V" and one Gold Star forSaipan-Tinian and Okinawa.

Eventsat theCenterMeetings

The American Military Institute, publisher ofMilitary Affairs, held its annual meeting at theCenter on 7 April 1979. More than 100 membersgathered in the Special Exhibit Gallery for the fullday's program, which included a morning seminaron the facilities and research collections of theCenter. This session was chaired by Mr. Frank withMrs. Santelli, Mr. Wood, and Mr. Shulimson asdiscussants; there was a lively and interesting ex-change of comments and questions with the AMImembers. The Board of Trustees of AMI, includingBGen Simmons and Mr. Shaw, met while theseminar was taking place.

Following the seminar, the AMI members dividedinto three tour groups led by Col Greenwood, Dr.Parkinson, and Mr. Shulimson and visited all theCenter's working areas in turn where othermembers of the staff explained their functions anddisplayed items from the various collections. Par-ticularly popular with all groups was Miss Stoll'sdemonstration of the capabilities of the computerizedtypesetters in the Publications Production Section.

After an excellent lunch at the Navy Yard's Of-ficers' Mess arranged by LtCol Rogers, the AMImembers returned to the Special Exhibit Gallery tohear two addresses, one by Mr. Frank Uhlig, SeniorEditor, U.S. Naval Institute, on "A Naval Strategyfor a Revolutionary World," and the other by GenRobert H. Barrow, Assistant Commandant of theMarine Corps, on "The Role of the Marine Corps ina Changing World." Following a question andanswer period with the speakers, the annual businessmeeting of AM! was held, presided over initially byDr. Harold D. Langley, secretary-treasurer, andthen by Gen Simmons, the newly elected president ofthe organization.

Following the meeting, the members walked anddrove the few blocks north up 8th Street to theMarine Barracks where a reception was held in theirhonor at the Commandant's House. Mrs. Wilsonand Gen Wilson warmly greeted their guests andmost graciously opened the entire house to their in-

22

spection. Several of the senior officers at Head-quarters, including LtGen Lawrence F. Snowden,LtGen Adolph G. Schwenk, and LtGen KennethMcLennen and their wives, were also on hand tomeet the AM! members.

The organizational meeting of the directors of theMarine Corps Historical Foundation was held at theHistorical Center on 21 March 1979. The Founda-tion was chartered as a nonprofit corporation in theDistrict of Columbia on 9 January 1979. Its foun-ding members, who also serve as its first directors,are: Gen Wallace M. Greene, Jr., USMC (Ret);MajGen Donald M. Weller, USMC (Ret); BGenJames F. Lawrence, USMC (Ret); BGen Edwin H.Simmons, USMC (Ret); Col Robert D. Heini, Jr.,USMC (Ret); Col F. B. Nihart, USMC (Ret); ColThomas M. D'Andrea, USMCR; Mr. Robert L.Sherrod; and Mr. Henry I. Shaw, Jr. All were pre-sent at the meeting except Gen Greene who was ill.

The directors approved bylaws for the Foundationand elected an honorary chairman and a chairman ofthe board as well as officers of the Foundation. GenGreene was elected honorary chairman and GenWeller, chairman. Gen Weller was also elected presi-dent, Gen Simmons, vice president, Mr. Gordon F.Heim, treasurer, and Mr. Shaw, secretary. GenLawrence was appointed counsel.

In accordance with the bylaws, three classes ofmembership were approved: Charter, Regular, andSustaining. The Board of Directors will approve newmembers. The basic membership dues are a one-timedonation of $100. Members will be welcomed fromthose who are seriously interested in furthering theimpact of the Marine Corps Historical Programthrough contributions and service in the operationsof the Foundation. Basically, the Foundation, as aprivate nonprofit organization, will act to support thework of the Marine Corps Historical Center in muchthe same manner that the Naval Historical Founda-tion supports the Naval Historical Center.

Persons interested in learning more about theFoundation, its objectives, and the possibilities ofmembership, should write to the Secretary,Marine Corps Historical Foundation, Building58, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.20374.

Professional Development

On 22 March, this years' second ProfessionalDevelopment Seminar was held in the Center'smultipurpose room with Mr. John Sen the guestspeaker. A senior analyst in the Defense IntelligenceAgency, Mr. Sen recently returned from a 17-dayvisit to China with the China Round Table, a societyfor international development. His illustrated talk onthe quality of life in China gave a good insight intothe the mainstream of China as he viewed it.

On 11 April, the third Professional DevelopmentSeminar of the year featured Dr. Gibson Bell (Sandy)Smith of the Modern Military Section, NationalArchives and Records Service. Dr. Smith gave an il-lustrated lecture on "Quantico and Her Neighbors;Controversy Over Land Use, 1933-1946."

Research

1Since the last issue of Fortitudine, 45 researchers

have availed themselves of the Center's facilities.As usual, the purpose of their research varied widelyand included personal, commercial, and governmen-tal reasons.

Researchers have come from the New YorkTimes, the National Air and Space Museum, Time-Life Books, Marine Corps Command and Staff Col-lege, the Naval Electronics System Command, theMarine Corps Institute, the Office of Air ForceHistory, the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. ArmyCenter of Military History, the National Archives,the University of Wisconsin, the Military Journal,and Mary Washington College.

Subjects researched included WW II aviation,NATO exercises, Gen Louis E. Woods, the MexicanWar, Marines and the OSS, Operation Homecom-ing, WW II ordnance, Gen Thomas Holcomb,medical support in Vietnam, integration of the Arm-ed Forces, VHF vehicular communication units, and1st MarDiv operations in Korea.

Acquisitions

During the last several months, the Marine CorpsMuseum has acquired a large number of donated ar-tifacts from many different sources. While space doesnot permit the listing of all of these gifts, we are,nonetheless, grateful to all of our generous donors.

23

Mrs. Margaret K. Hadley donated 23 original il-lustrations done by her late husband, QMSgt Alvan"Hap" Hadley, during WW I. His illustrationswere used in many early official and semiofficialMarine Corps publications.

One of the more noteworthy items donated was aMarine Corps balloon pilot's insignia circa 1922.This was worn by Sgt Joseph E. Frechette and wasdonated, along with other memorabilia, by hiswidow, Mrs. Beatrice Frechette.

Although the Marine Corps Museum usuallyenlarges its collection through donations, occasional-ly it is necessary to purchase a rare and valuable ar-tifact. One such purchase was a Continental MarineRevolutionary War waistcoat button which was ex-cavated several years ago in the New York area. Mr.Don Troiani, a noted military artist, made this ex-tremely rare item available from his personal collec-tion.

Mrs. Louise Shimp donated an extensive collectionof photographs and personal papers belonging to herfather, LtGen Alan Shapley. Soon after this donationwas received, Mr. Arnold Rothschild gave a pair ofGerman WW I fieldglasses to the Museum whichhad been captured in Belleau Wood. Mr. Rothschildalso loaned a photographic album to allow reproduc-tion of its numerous WW I photographs.

The first accession of the new year was a 1904named Good Conduct Medal which was given byLtCol Noel C. Gregory, USMCR (Ret). At the sametime, the Museum received several maps of theGuadalcanal campaign and a pair of M1892 enlistedMarine shoulder knots from Mr. Richard Lyons.Capt Donna J. Neary, USMCR, donated an excep-tional USMC marked keyed fife to the MilitaryMusic Collection. This is the only one of its kind inthe collection.

LCcIr Ray W. Stubbe's continued support of theMarine Corps Historical Program was again evi-denced by his donation of papers and photographsrelating to the Chaplain's Corps in Vietnam. In addi-tion, he gave the Museum a communion kit whichwas picked up on the beach at Iwo Jima after the bat-tle. Many chaplains have donated various itemsrecently which were incorporated in an Easter ex-hibit at Headquarters Marine Corps.

From Sweden, Mr. Peder Gustawson sent us yetanother item from his collection of publicity stillphotographs from motion pictures about the MarineCorps. Mr. Wayne V. Masterson also sent severalaerial views of the Legation Compound at Peking in

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVYHEADQUARTERS, U. S. MARINE CORPS

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20380

OFFICIAL BUSINESSPENALTY FOR PRIVATE Uft $300

POSTAGE AND FEES PAIDDEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

DOD.$17

THIRD CLASS MAIL

the 1930s along with several Marine detachmentmenus of the period.

Mrs. Rose Clausser, the widowed mother of aSilver Star recipient, donated her son's medals, per-sonal papers, and photographs. Her only son, PvtCarl A. Clausser, was killed in aition at Iwo Jimawhile serving with the 24th Marines.

Our collection of World War II artifacts wasaugmented by LtCol Thomas M. Forsyth, USMC(Ret), who donated his combat art and othermemorabilia; LtGen Merwin H. Silverthorn, USMC(Ret), who donated an original rubber invasion ter-rain map of Guam; and Go! Thomas A. Simpson,

USMCR (Ret), who donated an original Ka-Barknife. The Museum's plaster model of Felix DeWeldon's famous Iwo Jima statue will now have a 48star flag on it thanks to the generosity of former SSgtDonald K. Smith, who carried the miniature flagthrough the Tinian campaign.

Mrs. John J. Heney has graciously donated herlate husband's Sousa Band uniform. The Heneys hadpreviously arranged for the donation of another ofthese scarce uniforms.

At the moment, a large collection donated by ColCarl K. Mahakian, USMCR is being accessioned, in-cluding a rare WW I Marinette's overseas cap.

The histories announced in this edition are available for purchase from the Superintendent ofDocuments, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. All are soft cover.

Quantico: Crossroads of the Marine CorpsU S. Marines in Vietnam 1965A History of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161A History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312A History of Marine Attack Squadron 223A History of Marine Attack Squadron 311A History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

$3.25$5.00$2.40$1.50$1.80$2.75$1.50

008-055-00105-6008-055-00129-3008-055-00130-7008-055-00131-5008-055-00132-3008-055-001 33-1008-0 5 5-00134-0

Automatic distribution of all histories will be made Marine Corps-wide down to and including com-pany level.