FORTITUDINENEWSLETTER OF THE MARINE CORPS HISTORICAL PROGRAM

VOLUME XIV SUMMER 1984 NUMBER 1

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

PCN 10401220100

F 0 RTITUD INEMotto of the United States Marine Corps in the 1812 era.

Summer 1984

This quarterly newsletter of the Marine Corps historical program is published forthe Corps and friends of Marine Corps history in accordance with Department of theNavy Publications and Printing Regulations NAVEXOS P-35. Individuals and in-stitutions desiring Fortitudine on a complimentary basis are invited to apply to:History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps (Code HDS-1),Washington, D.C. 20380.

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

DIRECTORBGen Edwin H. Simmons, USMC (Ret)

HISTORICAL BRANCHCot John G. Miller, USMCDeputy Director for History

Mr. Henry I. Shaw,Jr.Chief Historian

Histories Section: LtCol Cyril V. Moyher, USMCR; Maj Frank M.Batha, Jr., USMC; Maj Edward F. Wells, USMC; Maj G. RossDunham, USMC; Mr.Jack Shulimson; Mr. Charles R. Smith; Dr. V.Keith Fleming, Jr.

Reference Section: Mr. DannyJ. Crawford; Mr. Robert V. Aquilina;Mrs. Ann A. Ferrante; Miss Lena M. Kaljot; Mrs. Regina Strother.

Ore/History Section: Mr. Benis M. Frank.

Archives: Mrs. Joyce E. Bonnett.

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

Mr. Charles A. WoodChief Curator

Artist-in-ResidenceLtCol Charles H. Waterhouse, USMCR

Marine Barracks, Special Projects: Mr. Richard A. Long. MaterialHistory: Mr. Kenneth L. Smith-Christmas. Exhibits: Mr. Carl M.DeVere, Sr.; Sgt RebeccaLynnJ. Mays, USMC; Mr. Benny L. Lenox,Sr. Art: Mr.John T. Dyer,Jr. Persona/Papers: Mr.). Michael Miller.Registrar: Mr. JohnH. McGarry Ill.

Museums Activities, QuanticoLtCol Rudy T. Schwanda, USMC

Officer.in.Charge

Administration: Capt David C. Uhley, USMC. Ordnance: Mr. An-thony W. Tommell. Restoration: Mr. Joseph E. Payton. Aviation:Mr. John C. Willever. Exhibits: Mr. Ronald). Perkins. Uniforms:Mrs. Nancy F. King. Security: Sgt Miguel Saninocencio, USMC

SUPPORT BRANCHLtCol Philip A. Forbes, USMCHead/Division Executive Officer

Administration: CWO2 J. C. Owens, USMC. Security: MSgt Ver-non D. Kittle, USMC. Library: Miss Evelyn A. Englander.

Publications Production: Mr. Robert E. Struder. Production: MissCatherine A. Stoll. Graphici: Mr. William S. Hill. Typesetting: PFCJames E. Rodriguez, USMC.

Editor, FortitudineMaj Edward F. Wells

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Director's Page: O'Bannon's Sword? 3Acquisitions 10The Santelmann Legacy 11People and Places 16Recent Books of Historical Interest 17Flight Lines: Goodyear PG-i Corsair 18World War II Chronology:June-August 1944 19Historical Foundation Activities 24

THE COVERJames R. "Jim" Butcher, a veteran of the Marine Corps Combat Art program in Viet-nam and an independent commercial artist, executed this colored pencil and pasteldrawing "Hrr'r Flight" which, with others of his works, is now on display at theMarine Corps Museum as part of the current special exhibit ". . . In Every Clime andPlace The drawing depicts three AV-8B Harrier aircraft flying over the NavalAir Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland.

Fort,tudine is produced in the Publications Production Section of the History and Museums Division.The text for Fomrudine is set in 10 point and 8 point Garamond typeface. Headlines are in 18 point or 24point Garamond. The newsletter is printed by offset lithography on 70-pound, matte-coated paper.

2

Volume XIV

HISTORYAND MUSEUMSDIVISION

No. 1

Director's Page

O'Bannon's Sword?

BGen Simmons

T HERE WAS A particular Stir at TheBasic School a few months ago. A

Dr. James Bannon of St. Louis was com-ing to a Mess Night and he was bringingwith him not one but three swords thathad belonged to Lt Presley N. O'Ban-non, who as the Hero of Derna, is asclose to being a patron saint as the stu-dent lieutenants are apt to find. To makethis last point abundantly clear, the cen-tral building of The Basic School, whichincludes the Officers Mess—now calledthe Officers' Field Ration Dining

Jean Leon Gerome (1 824-1904) painted"General Bonaparte in Cairo" about1863. (The Art Museum, PrincetonUniversity, Museum Purchase [The JohnMaclean and Gertrude Magie Fund]).

Facility — where the Mess Night was to beheld, is itself named O'Bannon Hall.

Now, as any student lieutenant wouldtell you, or if you have any service in theMarine Corps yourself you already know,it was O'Bannon, who along with a mid-shipman and six privares, gave backboneto a multinational force numbering fouror five hundred, counting camel driversand camp followers, raised in Egypt byU.S. Navy Agent William Eaton. Eaton'slittle army, you will recall, marchedacross 600 miles of Libyan desert with themission of reinstating Hamet Karamanli,who had been pushed out of his post asBey of Tripoli by his usurping brotherYusef.

Yusef had also killed another olderbrother. Our interference into whatmight otherwise have been a family mat-ter was precipitated in May 1801 whenYusef, greedy for his share of the favorsgiven Algiers and Tunis, cut down theflagpole in front of the U.S. Consulateand declared war on the United States.President Jefferson reciprocated by sen-ding a squadron to the Mediterranean,forerunner of today's Sixth Fleet, but notmuch was accomplished until CommoSamuel Barron took command inSeptember 1804. He brought with himWilliam Eaton, one-time captain in theU.S. Army, scholar of Arabic, andsomething of an eccentric.

O n 27 April 1805 Eaton assaultedthe walled city of Derna undercover of smoothbore naval gunfire fromthe 18-gun brig Argus (captained by theredoubtable Isaac Hull), along with thesloop Hornet, 10, and the schoonerNautilus, 12. O'Bannon and his Marineswere in the van of the attack. As reported

3

by Hull from his vantage point on thequarterdeck of the Argus:

At about a half after three wehad the satisfaction to see Lieut.O'Bannon, & Mr. Mann Midship-man of the Argus, with a few bravefellows with them, enter the fort,haul down the Enemys flag, andplant the American ensign on theWalls of the battery, and on turn-ing the guns of the battery uponthe town, they found the Enemyhad left them in great haste, asthey were found primed and load-ed at their hand.In two hours the city was taken.

Hamet, we are told, was so impressed byO'Bannon's derring-do that he gave hima bejeweled Mameluke scimitar. Thestory goes on that O'Bannon's exploits soimpressed his brother officers that in1826, LtColComdt Archibald Hendersonmade O'Bannon's Mameluke sword themodel of the Marine Corps officer'ssword adopted that year.

No wonder the lieutenants at TheBasic School were excited at the prospectof seeing O'Bannon's sword, the pro-genitor of the officer's sword they wereprivileged and required to buy while atQuantico! But was it really the O'Ban-non sword?

I remember the shock I received when

For substantial help in the exten-sive research underlying this piece Iam indebted to Mr. John H.McGarry III, Mr. Charles R. Smith,Mr. Kenneth L. Smith- Christmas,Capt Steven M. Berkowitz, and,most particularly, Mr. Richard A.Long. —EHS

in 1958 I first visited the WilkinsonSword showroom at 53 Pall Mall in Lon-don. I was delighted but surprised to seethe place virtually filled with U.S.Marine Corps swords and so remarked tothe clerk. He frostily informed me thatthese were not Marine swords but swordsof a pattern worn by virtually everygeneral offices in the British Army.

In more recent years I have had toanswer letters inquiring as to why

General Sir So-and-so in his portraithung in a Scottish castle or in a Canadianregimental mess was wearing a U.S.Marine officer's sword. In answeringthese letters I have learned a good dealmore about the ubiquitous Mamelukesword. And my letter-writers, if they hadsearched out the museums and galleriesmore diligently, might well have foundportraits of the Duke of Wellingtonhimself wearing a Mameluke-hiltedsword. He seems to have brought oneback from service in India when he wasstill Sir Arthur Wellesley. As a pair ofBritish authors, experts in such matters,put it: the Mameluke hilt was "an Orien-tal fashion which overspread Europe inthe Napoleonic period and extended toHussars, Lancers, and ultimately toGeneral Officers." In 1831, with the

blade straightened to make it a cut-and-thrust weapon, it was officially adoptedfor field marshals and generals, regula-tions which with modest change remainin effect to this day.

If, across the field at Waterloo Well-ington managed to pick up in his longglass the seated figure of Napoleon hemay also have seen a Mameluke saber. Ifirst became aware of this possibilitywhile admiring the equestrian portrait ofthe young Napoleon by David. This isthe portrait you see from time-to-time inadvertisements for Napoleon brandy.There is also a good copy in the Cabildoin New Orleans. I was intrigued to see onclose inspection that Wellington's arch-rival wore a curved-blade Mameluke. It isan easy guess that the sword was asouvenir of Napoleon's Egyptian cam-paign.

The Mamelukes, originally Turkishslave warriors (mamluk is literally "slave"in Arabic), had taken over the Egyptiansultanate from 1250 until 1517 and werestill a powerful military force whenNapoleon invaded Egypt in 1798. Theirreputation as fighters, and more par-ticularly their spectacular orientaluniforms, intrigued the French. ManyMamelukes, individually or by unit,were recruited or drafted into the French

army. Napoleon himself added aMameluke bodyguard to his personalsuite. Not only he, but many of his mar-shals—including it is said, Augereau,Lannes, Murat, and Ney—affected theMameluke sword. You can see them inthe sketches by Col John W. Thomason,Jr., who usually got such things right, inhis edition of the Adventures of GeneralMarbot (New York: Charles Scribner'sSons, 1935).

A ctually, swords of the Mameluketype were familiar to Europeansfrom the time of the First Crusade. Itscharacteristics, which can be traced backin the Middle East (rememberDamascus?) long before Christ, areessentially a radically curved scimitarblade, a simple crossguard, and a hiltwith a curved pommel. It was a lighthorseman's weapon intended forslashing. In straightening out the blade,the British, and also the U.S. Marines,ruined it as a fighting weapon.

Lt Israel Greene found this out in 1859when he took a party of 86 Marines fromMarine Barracks, Washington, toHarpers Ferry to help put down the in-surrection raised by John Brown.Greene, on signal from a cavalry lieu-tenant namedJ. E. B. Stuart, burst into

© by Charles Scribners Sons, 1935; © renewed by Leda 13. Thomaso,s,

1963; reproduced by permission of Charles Scribners Sons.'js" Gil/ray's propaganda cartoon etching "Mamlouk et Hussard Republicain" waspublished in London on 12 March 1799, seven months after the Mamelukesfrustrated the pursuit of Napoleon's cavalry with a rear guard action at El Salhiya inEgypt. At right, Co/John JV. Thomason, Jr., USMC depicted Napoleon's MarshalLannes with Mamelike sword in this drawing for Adventures of General Marbot.

4

the firehouse where Brown and his menhad forted-up, cut down on the oldman's neck with the edge of his swordand then had it bend double in a thrustthat caught on a leather strap.

The oldest regulation we have un-covered relating to Marine Corps officersswords is in the Uniform Orders pro-mulgated by Secretary of War JamesMcHenry in 1797: Marine officers weretold to "wear when full dressed, cockedhats with black cockades, and smallswords (yellow mounted), and when un-dressed such swords as may be hereafterfixed upon or ordered."

Why was the Secretary of War issuinguniform regulations to Marine officers?Because there was no Navy Departmentuntil 30 April 1798 and no Marine Corpsuntil 11 July 1798. These earlier Marineofficers were appointed to duty as part ofthe ship's company of specific ships. TheSecretary of War's authority over the em-bryonic Navy anticipated the creation ofa Secretary of Defense by some 150 years.

It wasn't until 1804 that Secretary ofthe Navy Robert Smith got around to

authorizing "yellow mounted sabres,with gilt scabbards" for Marine officers.This regulation, more or less repeated in1805, 1810, and 1821, was loose enoughto allow a Marine Corps officer to wearvirtually any sword he wished. Somewere already wearing swords with hilts ofthe Mameluke pattern.

Just why LtColComdt Henderson (theSecond Seminole War which wouldbring him brevet promotion to brigadiergeneral was still ten years in the future)decided in 1825 to adopt the Mameluke-

hilted sword is not clear. The elaborationon the O'Bannon legend that he andHenderson were boon companions andcomrades-in-arms, and that it wasHenderson's admiration of O'Bannon'sfeats at Derna that led him to choose theMameluke hilt, is inspirational buthighly unlikely. The two men seem tohave scarcely known each other. Hender-son did not enter the Corps until 4 June1806; O'Bannon resigned his commis-sion on 6 March 1807.

The Uniform Regulations of 26 April1825 prescribed the officer's sword asfollows:

All officers when on duty either infull or undress uniform, shall weara plain brass scabbard sword orsaber, with a Mameluke hilt ofwhite ivory and a gold tassel; ex-treme length of the sword threefeet, one inch only to serve as a cutor thrust — the hilt in length(which is included in the extremelength of the sword) four inchesand three-quarters, width of scab-bard, one inch and seven-eighths,width of blade one inch.The above is a good description of

Henderson's own sword and scabbardwhich we have on display in the MarineCorps Museum here at the Center. Theonly marked difference between it andtoday's swords is that the scabbard isbright yellow brass rather than chrome-plated or stainless steel.

Henderson repeated the order on 30January 1826 and directed that it be ef-fective on 1 May 1826 "or sooner if prac-ticable." The lieutenants at The BasicSchool today must also have their swords

5

by a prescribed date, usually set at threemonths after their company is formed.At Marine Corps Exchange catalogprices, today's swords cost $241.00 forone of German manufacture, or $214.30for one made in Spain. These pricescover just the sword and scabbard. Re-quired accouterments include a leatheror poromeric sword sling at $13.00, asword frog at $6.50, a web shoulder slingat $11.40, a sword knot at $17.50, and asword mourning knot for $1.65. Somelieutenants are fortunate enough to in-herit or receive a family or friend's sword.Others may choose to buy a "used"sword, which is not prohibited.

They wouldn't meet the "specs," but adealer's recent catalog lists several 19thcentury British officer's Mamelukeswords at prices ranging from $150.00 to$275.00. The same catalog shows anumber of Turkish and Persian "sham-shirs" at from $115.00 to $195.00. I wasintrigued by one at $135.00, identifiedas an "Indo-Persian Shamshir, c.1750-1800," which looks very like theone brought home from India by Well-ington.

Most fortunate of all is the student of-ficer in each Basic School class with thehighest overall grade point average. Hereceives the Lejeune Award, meant to bethe momentary possession of LtGen JohnA. Lejeune's sword. In actuality, he mostoften is handed his own sword (previous-ly purchased) and a check from theMarine Corps Association to replace itscost. The Lejeune sword is permanentlyon display at O'Bannon Hall, and win-ners' names are added to the list of otherhonor graduates who have so received it.

Nearly identical sabers of Master Commandant Isaac Hull(left) andMidshipman George lVashington Mann (right), ap-parently presented to them in January 1805 by the TurkishViceroy of Egypt, in Cairo. Both hilts are of brown bone. The

reverse quilon of Hull's saber has an engraved circular motifthat does not appear on Mann's. (Photographs courtesy of theMrs. Roger C. Elliot Collection and the Constitution Museumand of the U.S. Naval Academy Museum, respectively.)

In 1859, a new set of UniformRegulations dropped the Mameluke

sword and adopted the more business-like Army infantry officer's sword,M1850. (I would like to be able to saythis was the result of the lack of lethalitydemonstrated at Harpers Ferry, but theuniform board convened in January andit wasn't until October that Israel Greenewhacked away at poor old John Brown.)Among the faults found with the oldsword was that it tended to corrode whileat sea, the brass scabbard was easilydented, and the hilt had no knuckleguard.

The Civil War apparently did not pre-sent Marine officers with many oppor-tunities to slash and stab Confederateswith the Army sword, because in 1868 anumber of officers petitioned theSecretary of the Navy for a return to "thesword with brass scabbard, andMameluke hilt." BGenComdt JacobZeilin liked the Army sword and killedthe petition with an unfavorable for-warding endorsement.

In 1875 another uniform board wasconvened, this one presided over by ColCharles G. McCawley. It was heavily in-fluenced by British practice and adopteda uniform that was patterned closelyafter that of the Royal Horse Artillery.The same British Army uniform book

that the board had at hand also describ-ed the sword worn by British generalsand field marshals: "Ivory grip, gilt or-namented cross bar, Mameluke curvedblade with brass scabbard."

Zeilin, nearing 70 and with 45 yearsservice, was ready to retire and hadbrought McCawley to Washington to behis successor. He approved the board'srecommendations and in UniformRegulations 1875 the sword is describedas follows:

Ivory Mameluke grip, with gilt em-bossed stars on each side of thesame, set on a gilt circular platesunk flush with the ivory. Bladerounded on the back, with thewords "United States Marines" in ascroll on each side; length of bladefrom thirty-one to thirty-three in-ches. Scabbard of German-silver;gilt hilt, band, rings, and tip; thebands and tip to be embossed.The 1850 model Army sword is

perpetuated in the sword carried byMarine Corps noncommissioned officers,but that is a story in itself.

A fter its readoption in 1875 notmuch happened to the Mameluke-hilted officer's sword until World War II.Wartime commissioned officers had notbeen required to procure swords and on

6

15 October 1942 Secretary of the NavyFrank Knox abolished them as part ofthe uniform for "Navy, Coast Guard,and Marine Corps," stated reason, short-age of metals. The Secretary suggestedthat those who desired to do so mightturn their swords in for scrap. MarineCorps Letter of Instruction 609, dated 29October, promulgated the Secretary'sdirective to the Marine Corps. (There isno record of any Marine Corps officercontributing his sword to the scrapdrive.)

On 5 October 1945, just two monthsafter the end of the war against Japan,the Commandant, Gen Alexander A.Vandegrift, wrote the Secretary of theNavy, by then James Forrestal, an impas-sioned memorandum.

It is firmly believed that traditionsare the backbone of the esprit decorps of any first-class militaryorganization. It is further believedthat visible reminders of thesetraditions, such as the Mamelukesword from the shores of Tripoli• . . are a heritage not lightlythrown aside . . . . It is the desire ofthe Commandant of the MarineCorps to make the traditionalMameluke sword once again a re-quired part of a Marine officer'sequipment subsequent to 30 June

Drawings, obverse and reverse, accompanying Major JohnClarke '.c plan, for 'a sword of honor to be awarded by the

State of Virginia to Lt Presley N. O'Bannon, USMC, inrecognition for his services at the battle of Derna in Africa."

.1(

\i

1947, the exact date to be pro-mulgated by this office.Secretary Forrestal approved the

recommendation without comment on10 October and that same day GenVandegrift released Letter of Instruction1160 revoking LOl 609. He pressed for amandatory possession date of 30 June1947, but because of great demand(some 4,500 officers) and short supply hereluctantly extended the date to 30 June1948. By then Gen Clifton B. Cates wasCommandant and it was brought to hisattention that Lilley-Ames Company ofColumbus, Ohio, the one company inthe United States thought capable ofmaking the Marine Corps sword, had fil-ed for bankruptcy. ALMAR 25 went outon 26 April 1948 informing the Corpsthat the date was held in abeyance "untilsuch time as swords become available."

Summer 1949 came and the Perma-nent Marine Corps Uniform Board wasstill looking for a suitable sword andswordmaker. The objectives were a swordthat would retain the Mameluke hilt andcharacteristics and still be within a pricerange of about $50. It was now learnedthat Lilley-Ames had risen from the deadand promised to supply the sword com-plete with scabbard and slwg for from$45 to $50. A sample sword arrived inSeptember 1949. A mandatory posses-sion date of 31 December 1950 was setby Marine Corps Bulletin 128-49. Otherthan the sword made by Lilley-Ames,only a sword to be made by WilkinsonSword Company of London was approv-ed.

By summer of 1950 it was again ob-vious that swords would not be availablein sufficient quantity to meet the posses-sion date and Marine Corps Bulletin12 8-49 was modified to read "a date tobe announced." The Korean War hadbegun and the Uniform Board recom-mended that the date be withheld "pen-ding the outcome of the presentemergency." Gen Cates said no, get onwith it.

T he swords being made by Wilkinsonwere based on a 1914 pattern and aconsiderable exchange of correspondencebegan in September 1951 in an effort toagree on a pattern and the submission ofa standard sample. In a letter dated 9

Col John H. Magruder HI, USMCR,detailed the USMC officer's sword hilt inthis watercolor of a captain, c. 1834.

Gen Sir Francis Grenfell, KCB, was sir-dar of the Anglo-Egyptian Army in 1889when this "Spy" cartoon appeared inVanity Fair magazine. Suspended fromhis Sam Browne belt is the Britishgeneral officers' sword, model of 1831.

7

January 1952, Peter Randolph, ad-ministrative director of WilkinsonSword, reared back and informed theUniform Board:

Wilkinson experience of sword-making has been gained over twohundred years, for much of whichtime swords have been used as ameans of offence and defence; inother words; they have had tostand up to the hard task of actualbattle. Although these conditionsno longer prevail, Wilkinson stillstick to the age-old idea that asword is its owner's best friend, andshould not only be a work of artand good to look at, but also apractical strong weapon.The Wilkinson sample sword made to

the new specifications was approved on12 February 1953. (By then possesion ofthe sword was mandatory, but, embar-rassingly, I can't find the exact date inour otherwise voluminous files; perhapsa reader can provide the missing direc-tive.)

N ow, back to the three swords thatDr. Bannon brought to The BasicSchool Mess Night. They had come tohim, he told us, from another memberof the O'Bannon family. He very kindlyallowed us not only to examine theswords but also to show them to six ofthe country's leading experts in antiqueedged weapons.

The first sword, reportedly given toO'Bannon by Henderson while bothwere at Marine Barracks, Washington, isa private purchase officer's sword of the1810 to 1830 period. As such, it wouldnot fit into the narrow nine months ofoverlapped service of O'Bannon andHenderson.

The second sword, reportedly cap-tured by Capt Samuel Miller atBladensburg in August 1814 and subse-quently presented to O'Bannon, is anearly 19th century dragoon saber, butthere were no dragoons at Bladensburgand by 1814 O'Bannon had settled inwestern Kentucky.

The third sword, purportedly the be-jeweled Mameluke scimitar given O'Ban-non by the grateful Hamet Bey, came offworst of all in the eyes of the experts,who characterized it as something made

in the late Victorian period for theatricalpurposes or the tourist trade.

Rather interestingly there is no men-tion in any of our 19th century records ofHamet Bey giving a sword to O'Bannon.Hamet actually did not fare all that well.He had won at Derna but on 3 June apeace treaty was concluded at Tripoliwhich left his brother Yusef intact as Beyof Tripoli. Hamet was mollified with thepromise of a U.S. pension.

The first mention of Hamet givingO'Bannon a bejeweled sword seems to bein a lengthy article, "Kentucky OfficerFirst to Carry Stars and Stripes to Victoryin Foreign Country," by John PresleyCain in the 29 July 1917 edition of theLouisville Courier-Journal. In Cain's ver-sion, Consul General Tobias Lear,jealous of Eaton, accepts a shamefulpeace from Yusef, forcing Eaton to quitDerna. Hamet, faced by the impendingvengeance of his brother, is assisted inhis escape by O'Bannon and it is for thisthat he gives him the legendary sword.

If we examine the other variant of thelegend, that which says that O'Ban-

non received the sword in surrender fromthe Governor of Derna, there is anothersword, now at the Naval Academy

Museum, which has a much better claimto being genuine. The supporting storygoes like this:

After receiving the sword from thegovernor, O'Bannon passed it to hissecond-in-command, MidshipmanGeorge Washington Mann, and it has re-mained in the Mann family ever since. Itis a fine example of a Mamelukescimitar, with a very curved 32-inchblade and a bone hilt framed in silver.

Mann's life and career pairs off nicelywith that of O'Bannon. Mann was bornin Annapolis in 1783, coincident withthe end of Revolutionary War and thestay of Gen Washington at the inn onConduit Steet ossned by Mann's father,Col George Mann. (O'Bannon claimedto have been born, along with theUnited States, on 4 July 1776.) After twoyears at St. John's College (across theroad from the yet-unfounded U.S. NavalAcademy), Mann entered the Navy in1801 and was posted to the Mediterra-nean Squadron.

By 1804 Mann was serving in theArgus, whose Marine guard was com-manded by O'Bannon. O'Bannon was anative of Fauquier County, Virginia. Hehad come into the Marine Corps as a se-cond lieutenant inJanuary 1801 and had

had a previous Mediterranean tour in thefrigate Adams in 1802. The Argus tookNavy Agent Eaton to Alexandria, Egypt,at the end of November 1804. A smallparty consisting of O'Bannon, Mann,and seven Marines was detached fromthe ship to accompany Eaton. Theyfound Hamet several hundred miles upthe Nile living with a band ofMamelukes.

Mann went home on sick leave in 1805with an eye injury (possibly received atDerna) but returned to active duty in1807 to fight French pirates in theChesapeake Bay. He was promoted tolieutenant in 1809 and resigned in 1811.Just in recent years has the Mann family,still living in the Annapolis area, placedthe sword with the Naval Academy.

T here is no question but that this is agenuine Mameluke sword, but didMidn Mann receive it from O'Bannon atDerna? Despite the cherished family ac-count, the answer seems to be no. Sup-porting this challenge is the fact thatthere is a near-identical Mamelukescimitar in the Constitution Museum inCharlestown, Massachusetts that wasgiven to Master Commandant Isaac Hull,and we are almost certain how Hullreceived that sword: Eaton sent it to him.

Eaton describes the event in a letterwritten to Hull from Rosetta on 14January 1805, the day after he left Cairo.He says in it that the Viceroy of Egypt(remember that Egypt was a vassal stateof the Ottoman Empire at this time)Kourshek Ahmet Pasha had given him"a present of a superb Sabre which he in-tends for you worth $200, all theGentlemen with me received the samecompliment."

O'Bannon was one of "theGentlemen" with Eaton in Cairo and sowas Mann. All evidence then, other thanthe family memory, is that Mann receiv-ed his Mameluke sword in Cairo, notDerna. And so, most likely, O'Bannonmust have received such a sword fromthe Viceroy—in January 1805 notAugust 1805 and in anticipation of greatevents yet to come, not as a reward. Butwhat has happened to that sword, if itexists, is a mystery.

To further confuse things, O'Bannondid receive a sword for his exploits at

Curator of Special Projects Richard A. Long compares a copy of the miniature ofLieutenant of Marines Presley Nevile 0 'Bannon with a non-contemporary portraitfor 2dLt Nicholas Gay Berryman, Jr., USMC. 0 'Bannon 's State of Virginia presenta-tion sword and naval dirk are in the background. Lt Berryman is a great, great, great,great, great grandson ofJohn 0 'Bannon, a brother of Presley. His grandmother, Mrs.Stuart Gay Ber,yman, of Lexington, Ky., ü the owner of the original miniature.

8

Derna, but not from Hamet Bey or theViceroy of Egypt or even, in surrender,from the Governor of Derna. Eatonreturned in November 1805 to theUnited States by way of Norfolk,Virginia. He was feted at a public dinnerin Richmond and, as reported by theRichmond Enquirer, Lt O'Bannon andMidn Mann were toasted in absentia as'the heroes who first planted theAmerican Banners on the Walls of Der-na.

In December, John Love, a delegatefrom O'Bannon's Fauquier County,

proposed to the House of Delegates thatVirginia honor its native son with "ahandsome sword with such appropriatedevices thereon as they may think pro-per." Love's resolution sailed throughboth houses of the legislature and inJanuary the governor presented themeasure to the Council of State whichnamed a committee of three councilmento select an appropriate design. Some sixmonths later the proposal submitted byMaj John Clarke, superintendent of theVirginia Manufactury of Arms in Rich-mond, was accepted. It was an elaboratedesign, with, among other embellish-ments, the head of a bearded and tur-baned Muslim for a pommel and anengraving on the hilt of O'Bannon rais-ing the flag over Derna.

Maj Clarke seems to have finishednothing but the blade when, in 1809, hewas removed as superintendent of theManufactury of Arms. The commissionfor the hilt, scabbard, and belt passed toJohn M. Carter of Richmond. Carteragreed to a price of $40 which included$80 for the gold and silver to be used.Carter finished the sword in July 1810.

In April 1811, O'Bannon, who hadmoved to Kentucky in 1809, wrote toGovernor George W. Smith asking whenhe might expect to receive the State ofVirginia sword. The governor wrote backthat the sword was ready for delivery andO'Bannon answered that he would becoming east in the fall to receive it.Another year went by and it wasn't untilthe fall of 1812 that O'Bannon receivedthe sword, sent up from Richmond bystagecoach, in Alexandria.

O'Bannon had married Matilda Heardin Frederick County, Virginia, in 1809.

This ivory-grij.ped Marine Officer'sSword M1875 belonged to MajGenDavid D. Porter USMC, who was award-ed the Medal of Honor in 1901 for his ac-tions during the Philippine Insurrection.

It must have been a stormy marriage.They were divorced in 1826 and remar-ried in 1832. In 1843 Matilda was com-mitted to the Insane Asylum at Lex-ington. Documentary evidence is lackingas to whether they had children. Thereare shadowy allusions to a son named"Eaton" and another named "Presley N."In 1827, O'Bannon wrote cryptically to aformer Marine who had served underhim in North Africa, "I have but onechild This may have been adaughter, Elizabeth Ann, who seems tohave died of cholera in 1835. O'Bannonhimself died intestate on 12 September1850. At that time he was living with thefamily of John W. O'Bannon, a cousin,in Henry County, Kentucky. It is doublyunfortunate that he died without leavinga will. It might have resolved both thematters of descendants and the severalswords.

John Presley Cain, who wrote the 1917article in the Louisville Courier-

Journal, was a collateral descendant of

9

O'Bannon. One of the effects of hisnewspaper article was to arouse the at-tention of the Daughters of theAmerican Revolution. Cain's article hadrevealed the burial place of O'Bannon asa farm two miles north of Pleasureville,Henry County. With the permission ofhis descendants, the DAR arranged tohave the remains moved to the Bivouacof the Dead in the Frankfort Cemetery.

The reinterment was on 14 June 1920.A great-great-great-niece of O'Bannon,Miss Margaret Moseley of Kansas City,brought the State of Virginia sword tothe ceremony during which the un-sheathed sword and its scabbard werecrossed on top of the gravestone. Confus-ingly, however, a paper was read whichrepeated the legend of the Hamet Beysword.

In 1941, Mrs. Margaret Culver neeMosely donated the State of Virginia

sword to the Marine Corps Museum,then at Quantico. We now have thesword in the Marine Corps Museum inWashington. As finished by Carter it ismuch less ornate than the designoriginally proposed by Clarke. Numbersof accounts describe it as a "Mamelukesword." This has added to the confusionand is wrong. The sword as executed byClarke is a fairly conventional infantryofficer's sword with an eagle's headrather than a Turk's head for a pommel.(Eagles, both "republican" Americaneagles and "imperial" French eagles,were much in fashion.) A gold medallionon the hilt shows O'Bannon raising theflag over Derna. The blade is inscribed"Presented by the State of Virginia to herGallant Son Priestly N. O'Bannon." (Ihave seen three different spellings of"Presley" and three spellings of "O'Ban-non"; his tombstone has it as "Presley N.O'Banion.")

The panel on which the Virginia swordof honor is displayed is entitled, logicallyenough, "To the Shores of Tripoli." Im-mediately beneath the sword is a secondedged weapon, a naval dirk almost cer-tainly worn by O'Bannon in the Mediter-ranean [See Fortitudine, Winter 1984, p.7]. It also has an eagle's-head pommel,the hilt is ivory, and the straight blade is11 inches long. The silver throat of theleather sheath is engraved "P.N.O'B."

Acquisitions

T HE MARINE CORPS MUSEUM isproud to acknowledge recent ac-

quistions of a diverse group of materialsto its collections.

The aeronautica collection hasespecially benefitted from a number ofgenerous donors. Mr. and Mrs. LloydSontag of Englewood, Florida, presenteda wide range of aviation survival items,including signaling mirrors, fishing kits,compass match cases, and a sextant. Therapidly growing squadron insignia collec-tion received two additional patches andassociated items from St. Paul, Min-nesota resident, Mr. John L. O'Neill. Mr.Joseph Shakelford drove from Rich-mond, Virginia, to the AviationMuseum at Quantico to personallydeliver an engine and propeller for aOX-) Curtiss airplane. Col Lyle K. Lon-don, USMC (Ret), of Newport Beach,California, sent the museum aviationitems and Haitian souvenirs which hehad received from then-LtGen ThomasJ.Cushman, USMC.

T he oldest item received this quarterwas a Spanish-American Warheliograph donated by Mr. WallaceAnderson of Brainerd, Minnesota. Themost unusual piece of equipment receiv-ed was a theodolite (a device used tomeasure the movement of weatherballoons) presented by Maj John H.Robertus, USMC.

Mr. Paul R. Scott, residing in Bryan,Texas, forwarded the USMC athleticclothes he wore in the tropical heat ofVietnam.

Through the assistance of MajGen H.Lloyd Wilkerson, USMC (Ret), theMuseum has received the World War Icollection of uniforms, photographs, andpapers of former Marine Walter E. Furr.Furr served with the 84th Company, 6thMarines, 2nd Division of the A.E.F. Thislarge assortment of items was donated bythe Furr family.

The art collection received a set ofsketches by Col John W. Thomason, Jr.,USMC, done while a captain erving inthe American Legation in Peiping. Theywere donated by Mr. Roy W. Leard of

Santa Ana, California, who served underThomason at the time.

T he Vietnam Veteran's HistoricalAssociation presented an oil portraitof John Wayne to the Museum. Thepainting, done in honor of the actor'sassociation with and esteem for theMarine Corps, is currently displayed at

BGen Simmons escorted Mrs. Maureeno 'Hara B/air during her recent visit tothe Center. Mrs. B/air insured that theW/or/d War II memorabi/ia of the /ateCot Francis T. Farrell, USMCR, weredonated to the Marine Corps Museum.

Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro,California.

The most recent exhibit of theMuseum, ". . . Every Clime and Place

has also benefitted from manygenerous donors. SSgt Les L.. Amen,USMC, presented nine pieces depictingscenes of training at Quantico. Mr. JimButcher of Bel Air, Maryland, donated adetailed series of works which show theworkings of the Patuxent Naval Air TestStation.

T he Personal Papers Collectionremains the fastest-growing sectionof the Museum. Col Donald R. Gardner,USMC, recently presented papersassociated with Honorary Sub-InspectorSir Jacob Charles Vouza, GM, KBE. SirJacob, a native of Guadalcanal, was in-strumental in assisting Marines in theliberation of his homeland in 1942.

Other collections of books and paperswere presented by LtCol Marshall Salvag-gio, USMC (Ret), of La Mesa, California;Mr. Clem Russel of El Paso, Texas; andMr. Arthur Clifford of Bridgeport, Con-necticut. The personal papers and an oilportrait of the late Col Francis T. Farrell,USMCR, were presented from his estatethrough the courtesy of Mrs. MaureenO'Hara Blair, as arranged by LtCol HarryEdwards, USMC (Ret). —JHMcG

PFC W/a/ter E. Furr, USMC

10

The Santelmann Legacy

by MSgt Frank/in P. Byrne, Jr., USMCChief Librarian, U.S. Marine Band

W HEN ON 30 March 1984, LtColWilliam F. Santelmann, USMC(Ret), laid down his baton after conduc-ting the U.S. Marine Band at theAmerican Bandmasters Association con-vention in Tempe, Arizona, 97 years ofMarine Band history came to an end.

Following a standing ovation,backstage congratulations, and a brief

photo session, he was stricken with athird and fatal heart attack. In succumb-ing at the age of 82, LtCol Santelmannrealized his wish that, "When my timecomes, I would like it to be on stage afterconducting the Marine Band."

Forwhat was to be his last appearancehe chose music he had often conductedas director of the Band from 1940 until

1955. Semper Fidelis, the official marchof the U.S. Marine Corps, was written bya predecessor, John Philip Sousa. Thedramatic "Ride of the Valkyries," one ofRichard Wagner's most famous operaticexcerpts, held an even more specialsignificance. It had been transcribed forthe band by another former director, hisfather, William H. Santelmann. LtColSantelmann traced through these selec-tions his career and the Santelmann-Marine Band heritage. While Sousadominates early Marine Band history, tothe Santelmanns goes credit for develop-ing and sustaining the band's reputationin more recent times.

John Philip Sousa and William F.Santelmann's lives ran parallel in

many ways. Both men's fathers were sonsof European immigrants and members ofthe Marine Band; both Sousa andSantelmann were initially trained as con-cert violinists; and both men were musi-cians in the Marine Band before becom-ing its director.

William Henry Christian Santelmannwas born on 23 September 1863 at Of-fensen in the German state of Hanover,in a rural area that had been his family'shome for more than 200 years. A manorhouse in the village of Schepelse bears acarved inscription, which translates as"built in 1448 A.D. byJohann SebastianSantelmann." His grandfather, JohannSantelmann, was born in this house in1801 and subsequently married a youngwoman from Offensen, a hamlet threemiles away. Their marriage brought ason, Henry Santelmann, who marriedHenrietta Sohnemann, whose family wasof musical lineage for several genera-tions. Four children were born to them,one daughter and three sons, among

The Santelmanns, father and son, dressed for their parts as head of the Marine Bandin 1900 and 1940 respectively. Leader U7ihiam H. was not explicitly a commissionedofficer until he retired. Capt W7illiam F. was promoted to that rank on appointment.

11

whom William H. C. Santelmann wasthe youngest.

After introductory study and local or-chestra experience, the youngSantelmann began advanced training onthe violin and was learning the clarinetunder Professor Christian Vogelgesang.

By age 15 he had composed his firstpiece of music, entitled "BirthdayPolka," which he dedicated to his sister,Henrietta. The professor took a fatherlyinterest in William's studies and sug-gested that his talent for compositionwould be enhanced by the study of addi-tional instruments. He recommendedWilliam to Professor FriederichHohbohm, a retired military band musi-cian who played in the city opera house,where William began studies on tenorhorn (baritone) and string bass. Williamshowed such talent on string bass that hedecided to adopt it as his primary instru-ment in preference to the violin.

After three years of study with Pro-fessor Hohbohm, he passed the entranceexamination as a volunteer in the 134thInfantry Band in Leipzig. His musicalcareer had begun in earnest and he soondiscovered that he could learn a greatdeal from the other members of the60-piece band.

Military service was followed by threeyears in the Leipzig Conservatory and or-chestra work at Ridgeway Park, NewJersey. There he met his future wife and,

after a final six months of study at theLeipzig conservatory, he returned toPhiladelphia and was married to theformer Clara Becke.

During this summer with the or-chestra, he met Henry Ditson, a promi-nent Philadelphia band instrumentmanufacturer, who suggested that theU.S. Marine Band was the proper placefor him.

Santelmann had been offered a play-ing job in New York, but upon seeing anadvertisement in the Philadelphia In-quirer stating that the Marine Band waslooking for qualified musicians, he ap-plied to John Philip Sousa. He audition-ed for Sousa on violin, clarinet, andbaritone, and was accepted on all threeinstruments.

Santelmann enlisted on 24 September1887, drawing a private's pay of $13.00 amonth for his first eleven months' ser-vice. He went on the Band's first extend-ed concert tour under Sousa in 1891.These tours proved so popular that in1892 Sousa left the Marine Band to formhis own touring band, the "New MarineBand."

An excellent clarinetist, Santelmannremained with the Band under Sousa'ssuccessor, Francesco Fanciulli, until1895, when Santelmann joined theLafayette Theater Orchestra. Later, heformed his own orchestra. Subsequently,as music director of the Columbia

Theater Orchestra he composed popularmusic for successful shows and revues.

In late 1897 a new leader was neededfor the Marine Band and MajGenComdtCharles Heywood sought out William H.Santelmann, who was appointed on 3March 1898.

Santelmann wrote that "the Band wasnot in very good shape, either musicallyor morally, and it required tact and firm-ness . . . to get back the reputation it en-joyed before."

Within several months his work tookeffect and the Band was called upon toplay for the opening of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in Omaha,Nebraska. This was an inspiration to theBand and they returned to Washingtonanxious to begin rehearsals. Improvedmorale and performance and officialrecognition, followed as a matter ofcourse. Congressional action providedfor strength increase: one leader, one se-cond leader, and 60 musicians (doublethe previous size), at a salary increase ofalmost 200 percent. This created amusical organization capable of perform-ing the most sophisticated arrangementsand, with it, a new era began.

Santelmann, having "cleaned house"and upgraded the Band's membership,decided to organize a symphony or-chestra within the Band and he requiredall new members as well as all men withless than nine years' service to learn astringed instrument in addition to theirwind instrument.

Institutional recognition of the Band'sstatus within the Marine Corps wasreflected by the building of a concert hallat Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.,for use by the Band and orchestra. Com-pleted in 1906, Sousa Hall is still in usetoday.

President and Mrs. William McKinleyenjoyed the Band and Mrs. McKinley, anaccomplished pianist, often requestedthat the Band perform her favorite selec-tions.

By 1902 the orchestra was pet-formingregularly at the White House and hadbeen substituted for the Band at all in-door affairs. Foreign royalty was enter-tained at the White House by PresidentTheodore Roosevelt on 24 February 1902when he hosted Prince Henry of Prussia,brother of the German emperor. A

In accordance with longstanding tradition, the Marine Bandserenaded the Comman-dant on New Year's Day morning 1927. MajGenComdt John A. Lejeune, posed withBand members and their leader, Capt William H. Sante/mann, at the Barracks.

12

cavalry unit escorted the Prince while1,400 men lined Pennsylvania Avenuefrom the train station to the Presidentialmansion. Undoubtedly Lt Santelmannwas on parade. That day the last of his sixchildren, William Frederick HenrySantelmann, was born at the familyhome on First Street, S.E.

By 1908 W. H. Santelmann was givinghis six-year-old son violin lessons. Theyounger Santelmann remembered wellhis father's harsh discipline and in-sistence on perfect musical execution. Hewas also a regular visitor at Marine Bar-racks, attending rehearsals or concerts.

During this period the Marine Bandbecame one of the first musical organiza-tions to produce recordings. The Bandwas later to record for the ColumbiaPhonograph Company and, around1910, for Victor records.

The Band continued to grow inreputation and in 1916 President Wilsonapproved another increase in itsauthorized strength, adding five moremen for a total of 65, and the leader'sauthorized grade was designated as cap-tain. Records, however, show Santel-mann's status to have been that of anenlisted man with the pay andallowances of a captain.

In an effort to improve the Band'ssystem of record keeping, Santelmannmaintained a leader's ledger detailingthe organization's daily activities. Com-bined with logs of music performed,these have been valuable sources inresearching Band history.

Young William F. Santelmann con-tinued his studies on the violin, playingin the McKinley Manual Training HighSchool orchestra. He studied harmonywith Marine Bandsman Arthur Tregina,and appeared as guest soloist with theBand in 1920. On high school gradua-tion in 1921, he attended WashingtonCollege of Music, followed by the NewEngland Conservatory of Music inBoston. Over the next three years hereceived thorough training in violin,counterpoint composition, and all secon-dary musical subjects. He also met hisfuture wife, Margaret Randall ofMedina, Ohio.

The elder Santelmann continued to bethe driving force behind the Band, itsschedule becoming more and more

demanding. There were concerts Mon-day evening at Marine Barracks, Tuesdayand Thursday evenings at various parks,Wednesday evenings at the Capitol, Fri-day evenings at the Sylvan Theater onthe Washington Monument grounds,and Saturday afternoons at the WhiteHouse. These were scheduled in additionto dozens of other weekly performanceswhich kept the Band working in concertor rehearsing seven days a week.Moreover, a series of radio broadcasts wasbegun in 1922, when Capt Santelmannhad been leader for 24 years, longer thanany of his predecessors.

Studies at the New England Conser-vatory of Music were going well for W. F.Santelmann. Having substituted formembers of the Boston Symphony Or-chestra, he had planned to seek a posi-tion as violinist in the Cleveland Or-chestra.

Fate had different plans for youngSantelmann, however. The Marine Bandplayed a concert in Boston and his fatherwas invited to address the students at theConservatory, his son among them.Years later the younger Santelmannrecalled the overwhelming pride he feltat hearing his father's words. He had noidea that his father was capable of speak-ing so eloquently and without a trace ofhis German accent. This event movedhim so deeply that he wept openly fromhis seat as concertmaster of the studentorchestra.

Upon graduation, he returned toWashington for a brief vacation andwent by the local musicians' union to geta card. He was told that he would have topay a $50.00 fine for playing in thenonunionized Boston Symphony and inhis words, "I was too much of a Dutch-man to take anything like that. I decidedto get in the Marine Band."

Joining the Marine Band was not easy.On his first application, youngSantelmann was rejected by his fatherbecause he played only the violin and noband instrument.

After months of hard work he passedauditions on both violin and baritoneand enlisted on 5 September 1923 as a"Private attached to the Band," shortlyThereafter being promoted to Third ClassMusician. (Marine Band ranks at thetime were Third, Second, and First Class

13

Musicians and Principal Musician.) Heappeared as a soloist with the orchestraduring his first concert season, presen-ting a repertoire including the Brahms,Dvorak, and Tchaikovsky violin concerti,the Lab Symphonie Espagnole, and theMax Bruch Concerto in G Minor.

In March 1924 the Band presented a"gala invitation concert'' com-memorating the 25th anniversary of itsreorganization. The concert showcasedthe versatility of the Band with a com-bination orchestral program and bandconcert. William F. Santelmann wasfeatured as violin soloist in the BruchG-minor concerto, and other soloists in-cluded cellist Fritz Mueller, trombonistRobert E. Clark, and cornetist ArthurWhitcomb.

By the following year, W. F.Santelmañn had been named concert-master of the Marine Band orchestra, aremarkable achievement for a man withunder two years on board. Not only hadhe achieved the ultimate position as aviolinist, but in May 1925 he married hisbeloved Margaret.

Capt Santelmann had been leader ofthe Band for 28 years and he began toplan for retirement. His special status as

W7hen he retired in 1927, Capt W"i//iamH. Sante/mann passed the baton to hissuccessor, Principal Musician TaylorBranson, at a parade ground ceremony.

an enlisted man paid as a captain ledhim to petition Congress to commissionhim a major in the Marine Corps uponhis retirement. Capt Santelmann hadbeen solely responsible for the music per-formed for the President of the UnitedStates for 28 years and he enjoyed a per-sonal and visible relationship with everyPresident since McKinley.

The orchestral component of the Bandhad been his innovation and he trainedthem personally, drawing upon his ex-tensive experience as an orchestral musi-cian. He was the recipient of numeroushonors and awards including a doctor ofmusic degree conferred by GeorgeWashington University. He had earnedthe admiration and respect of themembers of the Band, distinguishedforeign dignitaries, music critics, and au-diences around the country.

On 1 May 1927 he was formally com-missioned a captain and placed on theretired list. A farewell concert under hisdirection was held on 27 April and hisson recalled walking on the stage thatday to discover that each music foldercontained two beautiful photographicportraits of his father, one for each man,personally inscribed to each member.His copy was inscribed: "To William F.H. Santelmann — Courage and Will,Perseverance and Skill are the leaves of

luck's clover—With much love fromWilliam H. Santelmann."

In a ceremony on the parade ground atMarine Barracks, Capt Santelmann pass-ed his baton to Taylor Branson, secondleader of the Band, who then became its20th Director.

John Philip Sousa had died on 6March 1932 and in December of thesame year William H. C. Santelmannpassed away at his home after an extend-ed illness. The Band played for thefuneral of their former director. His sonoften wished that his father had livedlong enough to see him become directorof the Band, but it was not to be foranother eight years.

During this time, Principal MusicianW. F. Santelmann continued his ex-cellent work as concertmaster and soloistwhen he was selected to succeed ArthurWhitcomb as second leader of the Bandin December 1935.

When, in January 1939, Taylor Bran-son was hospitalized for a serious illness,W. F. Santelmann would act as leader ofthe Band for the next 16 months.

Musical honors for the arrival of KingGeorge VI and Queen Elizabeth ofEngland were an important assignment.He sent to England for the official ver-sion of "God Save the King" and rehearsed the Band for weeks to achieve everynuance.

The Band was assembled atWashington's Union Station. WhenPresident Franklin D. Roosevelt, KingGeorge, and Queen Elizabeth appearedin the arched entrance, the Band sound-ed four ruffles and flourishes, then theBritish and American anthems. Thoughthe plaza was packed with thousands ofwell-wishers, no sound was heard for afull minute following the performance.That night, a leading British radio com-mentator remarked, "We don't know bywhat magic Leader Santelmann obtainedthe results he did, but never was theBritish anthem played in so stirring andinspirational a manner as it was today bythe Marine Band upon the arrival ofTheir Majesties in the Capital of theUnited States of America." This singleevent established Santelmann as a con-summate musician and the Marine Bandas our country's premier musicalorganization for state events.

The Band held a special "DreamHour" broadcast on 28 March whenBranson retired for health reasons. Bran-son made a brief speech to the Band andthen conducted and sang all three versesto the Marines' Hymn. He then passedthe baton to W. F. Santelmann asSantelmann's father had done to him.

White House work continued todominate the Band's schedule and it wasearly in his career as leader that theyounger Santelmann received his only"dressing down" by a President. Theband was to accompany a male quartetfrom St. Thomas' Episcopal Church forthe President's Thanksgiving Dayceremony. He had contacted the choir-master ahead of time to determine theproper tempo for the hymns and the per-formance seemed to go perfectly. ThenPresident Roosevelt called him over andsaid, "Young man, when are you goingto learn not to jazz hymns? Don't youknow you can't do that to sacred music?"He continued his tirade for nearly tenminutes and when he had finished heasked to meet each of the men in the or-chestra, and as they filed by he greetedeach one warmly.

In December 1942 Santelmann wascommissioned a captain and the follow-ing year saw the Band playing for thededication of the Jefferson Memorial.

W7hen Capt Taylor Branson retired in 1940, hepassed his director's baton to Wi/liamF. Sante/mann, at a ceremony attended by MajGenComdt Thomas Ho/comb.

14

This marked the first performance of hisfather's "Thomas Jefferson" march, com-posed when the plans for a memorial hadbeen proposed during his father's direc-torship. It had taken many years to com-plete the memorial but the Band wasfinally able to perform the march, underthe direction of a Santelmann.

During a wartime visit to the WhiteHouse the Band presented a special con-cert for Winston Churchill.

Capt Santelmann served as supervisorfor Marine Corps field bands worldwide.As the first Marine Band director to takeon this responsibility, it was his goal toimprove the quality and consistency ofmusic throughout the Marine Corps.One of his wartime accomplishments wasthe formation of a Women MarinesReserve Band at Camp Lejeune, NorthCarolina. The musical standards of to-day's field bands reflect his planning anddirection.

On 14 April 1945 the Marine Band ledthe funeral procession for PresidentRoosevelt, and on a later, happier occa-sion, there was a special broadcast for"V-E" Day.

Santelmann's superior and tirelesswork with the Band was recognized byhis promotion to major, the highest rankthen held by any Band director, inFebruary 1947.

The band provided music for Presi-dent Dwight D. Eisenhower's inaugura-tion in January 1953, as it had for suchceremonies since Thomas Jefferson'stime. The President also ordered LtColSantelmann and the Band to entertain ata party that celebrated both the Presi-dent's 38th wedding anniversary and areunion of his West Point classmates.

The guests gathered informally in theEast Room and an hour's songfest closedwith two Presidential selections: the Na-tional Anthem and, diplomatically, theMarines' Hymn.

By all accounts, the singing continuedwith Eisenhower, the old soldier, joiningthe rest in two hearty choruses of theMarines' Hymn. Suddenly neither thePresident nor any of his Army friendscould remember the third verse. It wasleft to LtCol Santelmann, standing alonein the middle of the room, to sing thelines ending:

If the Army or the NavyEver look on Heaven's scene,They will find the streets

are guarded byThe United States Marines

Amid a roar of laughter and applause,Eisenhower bowed and saluted the col-onel. LtCol Santelmann suggested onelast song, "The Anniversary Waltz," andthe President and the First Lady dancedaround the room.

LtCol Santelmann retired on 30 April1955 and Capt Albert Schoepper, secondleader of the Band and former violinsoloist, was appointed the new director.

Perhaps it was the pace of the WhiteHouse schedule or the never-endingresponsibilities he knew as director, butthe word "retirement" was simply not inLtCol Santelmann's vocabulary. For thenext 20 years, he sustained a demandingcountrywide schedule, appearing for 10consecutive summers with bands in Gun-nison, Colorado, and Winfield, Kansas.He enjoyed the work and those whoplayed under his direction or worked onstaff with him lauded his keen musicalinsight and special ability to get the mostfrom his players.

LtCol Santelmann suffered a stroke in1974 which forced him to drastically cur-tail his guest conducting. It was not toimmobilize him, however. As past presi-dent and honorary life member of theAmerican Bandmasters Association, heremained active in the band world, atconventions and by mail. He often at-tended Marine Band concerts and ap-peared as its guest conductor.

On the podium, the years would meltaway and he conducted with the vigor ofa man 40 years younger. Ever the con-summate professional, he remained abrilliant musician and teacher. Hiswealth of knowledge and experiencespanned Marine Band history and othergreat performers and conductors of thepast.

For Marine Bandsmen he was a directlink to our past and we hated to see himgo. rt is largely because of him that wehave this appreciation of our heritage.He brought it alive for us and we cannever thank him enough. Through him

15

we knew his father and dozens of otherfascinating personalities of the MarineBand.

He was laid to rest in his Marine Banddirector's uniform at Arlington NationalCemetery in the family plot, next to hisfather and mother. The entire MarineBand played for his funeral and as thecaisson moved through the rain to thegravesite, the Band played SemperFide/is in dirge tempo as had been donefor the funeral of John Philip Sousa.

For many years he had worn a ringgiven to him by Arthur Whitcomb,former solo cornetist and second leaderof the Band. He passed this ring on toCol John Bourgeois, current director ofthe Marine Band, with the wish that italways stay in the Band. The ring bearsthe inscription, "Semper Fidelis," themotto of the Corps and the title of thelast march he conducted.

We will never forget his words that, "Iwill always be, above all else, a MarineBandsman."

Semper Fi, Colonel Bill.

The close relationship between theW/hite House and "The President's Own"continued into the Eisenhower admini-stration when, in 1952, LtCol JVihiam F.Sante/mann was promoted to that rank.

PeopleandPlaces

MJLLE7T TO HEAD RESERVES

On 2 June 1984, Col Ralph DeLucia,Jr., USMCR, was honored at retirementceremonies conducted by Marine AircraftGroup 49, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, atWillow Grove, Pennsylvania. Commandof Mobilization Training Unit (History)DC-7 will pass to Col Allan R. Millett,USMCR.

Col DeLucia began his 30-year MarineCorps career in 1950. He served as a pla-toon commander with the 3d Battalion,5th Marines, in Korea. After his releasefrom active duty in 1955, he remainedaffiliated with the Marine Corps Reserve,serving in a number of aviationassignments. These included: air in-telligence officer of HMM-772; executiveofficer and later commanding officer ofMABS-43; and commanding officer ofMTU (Aviation).25. He had command-ed MTtJ DC-7 since 1982.

Col Millett was commissioned in 1959,first serving as a weapons platoon com-mander in the 2d Battalion, 2d Marines.As a member of the Marine CorpsReserve, he has commanded Company L,3d Battalion, 25th Marines; MTU-OH-4;and the 3d Battalion, 25th Marines. Heis a graduate of the Marine Corps Com-mand and Staff College, and completedthe jungle operations training course inPanama.

In civilian life, Dr. Millett is professorof history and director of the Program inInternational Security and Military Af-fairs at the Ohio State University. He haswritten four books in the military historyfield, including Semper Fidelis: TheHistory of the Marine Corps (Macmillan,1980). He is a member of the adjunctfaculty at the Marine Corps Commandand Staff College and an associatemember of the Advanced Amphibious

Gen Paul X. Kelley presented the NavyCommendation Medal to Capt DonnaJ.Neary, USMCR in his office on 10 May.Capt, now Maj-select, Neary is the artistof U.S. Marine Corps Uniforms 1983.

Study Group at Headquarters, U. S.Marine Corps.

MTU DC-7 is the only unit of its typein the Marine Corps Reserve. Unlikeother MTUs that are geographically bas-ed, this unit has members from coast tocoast, each of whom works on projectsassigned by the History and MuseumsDivision. These include unit histories;collections of personal papers; historicalpreservation projects; and other editorialor art work.

The primary function of the MTU,however, remains one of providing sup-port to the Fleet Marine Force in theevent of contingency operations ormobilization. Within the past year,members of the MTU have taken part inmajor training exercises in Norway andKorea, and another at TwentyninePalms, California. Another member wasrecalled to duty to write a historicalmonograph about Marine Corps opera-tions on Grenada.

A continuing goal of the MTU is tobroaden and deepen this involvement inFMF exercises and operations to thepoint where Reserve augmentation is re-quested as a matter of routine. Marineswith backgrounds in history-relatedfields or in Reserve administration areencouraged to apply for membershipthrough the Marine Corps HistoricalCenter, Building 58, Washington NavyYard, Washington, D.C. 20374.

16

HISTORIANS ELECT SHAW/

Mr. Henry I. ("Bud") Shaw,Jr., ChiefHistorian of the Marine Corps, waselected president of the Company ofMilitary Historians at its annual meetingat Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 4-6 May.

The Museums Branch was representedby the Deputy Director for Marine CorpsMuseums, Col F. Brooke Nihart, USMC(Ret), a former president of the Com-pany; the Curator of Ordnance, Mr. An-thony Wayne Tommell; the Registar,Mr. John H. McGarry III; and theCurator of Material History, Mr. Ken-neth L. Smith-Christmas.

FALKLANDS SKIPPER VISITS

Cdr Peter J. Mosse, RN, member ofthe British Naval Staff in Washingtonand late captain of HMS Ambuscadeduring the Falklands War of 1982, ad-dressed a Professional DevelopmentSeminar at the Center on 28 June. CdtMosse, a surface warfare officer, ap-peared under the auspices of the Centerfor Naval History before an interserviceaudience. He traced Ambuscade's ex-perience of modern naval war from apost deployment refit in the UnitedKingdom through successive short-noticemoves to Gibraltar, Ascension Island,and the Falklands to antisubmarine, an-tiair and naval gunfire support opera.tions against the Argentine enemy.

The Hon James H. Webb, Jr., AssistantSecDef for Reserve Affairs, spoke at theCenter on 20 June. Capt Webb, USMC(Ret), a decorated Vietnam veteran,lawyer, author, and journalist, discussedthe Vietnam War, his 1983 visit to BeirutMarines, and the Total Force concept.

Recent Books of Historical Interest

F rom the library of the Marine CorpsHistorical Center, recently publish-

ed books of professional interest toMarines.

Marine Badges and Insignias of theWorld. Burt L. Campbell. BlanfordPress. 192 pp., 1983.

Unit histories, uniform descriptions,badge and insignia illustrations of allMarines and Naval infantrymen of theworld. Country-by-country format.$16.95.

Enemy On Island. Issue in Doubt: TheCapture of Wake Island, December1941. Stan Cohen. Pictorial HistoriesPublishing Company. 105 pp, 1983.

A pictorial record of the battle ofWake Island, of the years its defendersspent in POW camps, and of the battle'slegacy. The author presents a com-prehensive collection of photographs onthe Wake Island story. $8.95.

Brown Side Out: Marine Corps SeaStories, Book I. Green Side Out: MarineCorps Sea Stories, Book II. Run InCircles: Marine Corps Sea Stories, Book111. Scream and Shout: Marine Corps SeaStories, Book IV, H. G. Duncan. GaylerPublishers. 4 volumes, 1980-1983.

Duncan's four volumes of MarineCorps sea stories in which he gives thereader the wit and wisdom of his manyyears with the Corps. $3.95 per volume(available from the Marine CorpsAssociation Bookservice).

War Maps: World War II, fromSeptember 1939 to August 1945; Air,Sea, and Land, Battle-by-Battle. SimonGoodenough. St. Martin's Press. 192pp., 1982.

Volume of maps, diagrams, and sup-porting text useful to the reader studyingthe Second World War. 232 full-colormaps of every major battle. $18.95.

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Peter Kilduff,Osprey Publishing Ltd. 198 pp., 1983.

Used by the U.S. Navy and MarineCorps during the Vietnam War, thisbook details the combat record, design,development, and operation of everyA-4 variant. $19.95.

The Warriors: The United StatesMarines. Karl C. Lippard. VietnamMarine Publications. 239 pp., 1983.

Lippard, himself a machine gun squadleader, writes for the squad leader of theMarine Corps, "long overlooked, seldompraised, few times decorated, and quick-ly forgotten." In his dedication to the50,000 Vietnam War veterans who died,he assets that almost half were squadleaders.

Battle for Hue: Tet 1968. Keith WilliamNolan. Presidio Press. 240 pp.' 1984.

Details the brutal, almost month-longfight for Hue, the Imperial City. Nolanwrote his book to show "what theAmerican grunt went through in Viet-nam." $14.75.

Phantom Over Vietnam: Fighter Pilot,

USMC. John Trotti. Presidio Press. 272pp., 1984.

A personal account by former MarineCorps F4 Phantom pilot John Trotti.Trotti flew over 600 missions during histwo tours of duty in Vietnam. $15.95.

Vietnam Under Communism,1975-1 982. Nguyen Van Canh. HooverInstitution Press. 312 pp., 1983.

Written from the perspective of aVietnamese actively engaged in thepolitical and intellectual life of his coun-try. A comprehensive account of thestructure and character of Vietnamesesociety under Communism. $34.95.

Empires in the Balance: Japanese andAllied Pacific Strategies to April 1942.H. P. Willmott. Naval Institute Press.487 pp., 1982.

A critical appraisal of the strategicpolicies of all countries involved in thewar in the Pacific. Covers political,economic, military, and naval activitythrough the first few months of WorldWar II. $24.95.

— EAE

Staff members of the Marine Corps Museum prepare a variety of captured PalestineLiberation Organization AK-47 assault rifles as supporting artifacts in the ". . . EveryClime and Place exhibit, Marine Corps artwork from 1974-1984. The weaponswere donated to the Museum by BGen James M. Mead, USMC. From left to ri,ght areExhibit Chief Carl M. De Vere Sr., Sgt RebeccaLynn J. Mays, USMC; Curator ofMaterial History Kenneth L. Smith-Christmas, and Registrar John H. McGarry III.

17

FLIGHT LINES

Goodyear FG-1 Corsair

A T THE BEGINNING of WorldWar lithe Goodyear Aircraft Cor-poration was manufacturing dirigiblesand semi-rigid airships. That activity waschanged by the wartime necessity to in-crease production of the Vought F4U- 1Corsair. In December 1941 the Akron,Ohio-based company was designated asan associate contractor of the Corsair,and by 25 February 1943 it had test

flown its first airplane. This was aremarkable accomplishment in thatwhile Vought and the BrewsterAeronautical Company, another contrac-tor of the Corsair, had their productionlines operating by the last part of 1941,Goodyear first had to build a plant.

The Goodyear version of the Corsairwas designated the FG- 1: F for aircrafttype (fighter); G for the manufacturer's

designation (Goodyear); and -1 to in-dicate aircraft configuration sequence(initial configuration). The FG-1 had allthe F4U-l's distinctive features: an in-verted gull wing, a 2,000 horsepowerPratt & Whitney air-cooled engine, anda huge 13-foot diameter Hamilton Stan-dard propeller. Self-sealing fuel tanksand armor protection gave it superiorcombat survivability. The major dif-ference between the FG- 1 and the F4U- 1was the lack of provisions for wingfolding in a large number of theGoodyear versions.

The Museum's FG- 1 (Bu. No. 13486) was donated by the Goodyear Aerospace Cor-poration. It is armed with six .50-caliber machine guns and 5-inch aerial rockets.

Ironically, although now known as oneof the finest carrier fighters of WorldWar II, the Marine Corps "inherited"more than its fair share of Corsairs earlyin the war because of less-than-satisfactory carrier trials conducted in1942. Major problems caused by theplane's poor forward visibility in the lan-ding attitude and a tendency to"bounce" because of rigid landing gearoleos cast doubt on the Corsair'ssuitability for carrier operations. Untilthese discrepancies were overcome theCorsair was primarily issued to landbasedunits.

18

A s a fighter the Corsair enjoyed an11: 1 ratio of "kills" to losses, butjust as memorable to Marines was itssuperb performance as a close air supportaircraft. Almost from the beginning Cor-sairs were modified to carry bombs andnapalm in support of Army and Marineground forces. From early field modifica-tions which enabled it to carry a single100-pound bomb, its capacity was in-creased so that soon bomb loads of 2,000pounds were not uncommon.

The FG-1 on display at Quantico isbureau number 13486, and its aircrafthistory card indicates service with MarineFighter Squadrons -921, -914, andHeadquarters Squadron, Marine AircraftGroup 92.—FMB

A standing feature aboutaviation holdings in the

Marine CorpsHistorical Program

Technical Data

Manufacturer:

Type:

For lightest loading condition shown in initial airplane characteristics and performance chart.

Accommodation:

Goodyear Aircraft Corporation, Akron, Ohio.

Carrier-based fighter.

Pilot only.

Power Plant:

Dimensions:

Weights:

Performance:

One 2,000-h.p. Pratt & Whitney R-2800-8.

Span, 41 ft.; Length, 33 ft. 4 in.

Empty, 8,873 lbs.; Gross, 11,149 lbs.

Armaments: *

Max speed, 395 m.p.h. at 23,000 ft.; Service ceiling,37,900 ft.; Range, 840 st. mi.; Climb, 2,380 ft. per mm.Six .50-cal. machine guns; Eight 5-in, high-velocity aerialrockets (HVAR5); Two 1,000-lb. bombs.

*Includes capabilities developed as modifications to the original model, and does not necessarilyreflect a simultaneous loading configuration.

World War II ChronologyJune-August 1944

Saipan

11-14 June. Task Force 58 bombarded Saipan, Tinian,Guam, Rota, and Pagan; Task Forces 52 and 53 joined the at-tack (14 June) on Saipan and Tinian.

15 June. Preceded by naval gunfire and carrier air support,the 2d and 4th Marine Divisions of the V Amphibious Corpsassaulted the west coast of the island near Charan Kanoa. The2d Marine Division landed to the north of Afetna Point, andthe 4th Marine Division to the south. Charan Kanoa was seizedby the 23d Marines. A beachhead 10,000 yards wide and about1,500 yards deep was established against heavy opposition.

Encountering house-to-house combat for the first time in thePacific theater, Marines advance past buildings set afire by ar-tillery preparatory fires in Garapan, Saipan 'r principal town.

Japanese counterattacks on the beachhead during the night of14-15 June failed. The 2d Marines; the 1st Battalion, 29thMarines; and the 24th Marines (2d and 4th Marine Divisionreserve) feinted a landing in the Tanapag Harbor area, beforejoining the main landing force later in the day.

16 June. The 8th Marines, 2d Marine Division, clearedAfetna Point, and the 4th Marine Division attacked inlandtoward the northernmost objective. The 27th Infantry Divisionbegan landing. A Japanese tank attack against the 4th MarineDivision's zone on the night of 16-17 June aborted.18 June. The 4th Battalion, 10th Marines, repulsed a

Japanese landing off Flores Point, north of Garapan. The 4thMarine Division severed the southern portion from the re-mainder of the island in compliance with a Northern Troopsand Landing Force operation order calling for an attack by alldivisions. The 165th Infantry captured Aslito Airfield and theridge southeast of the field.

19

19 June. The 27th Infantry Division approaching NafutanPoint on the east coast, reached Magicienne Bay. The 1st Bat-talion, 6th Marines, captured Hill 790.20 June. The 2d and 4th Marine Divisions completed their

pivoting movement to the north during which the 3d Bat-talion, 25th Marines, captured Hill 500. The 106th Infantrylanded as the Northern Troops and Landing Force reserve.21 June. MajGen Holland M. Smith directed the 27th In-

fantry Division (less one battalion and one• light tank platoon)to assemble northwest of Aslito Airfield in Northern Troopsand Landing Force reserve. One battalion was to continue thedivision's clean-up of Nafutan Point. The order was latermodified so that a regimental combat team (RCT 105) ratherthan a battalion would remain at Nafutan.22 June. Aslito airfield became operational, and the 19th

Army Fighter Squadron landed and assumed responsibility forthe combat air patrol. The 165th Infantry moved into the divi-sion assembly area northwest of the airfield.23 June. The 2d Battalion, 23d Marines, seized the peak ofHill 600.24 June. The 4th Marine Division attacked eastward onKagman Peninsula. MajGen Ralph Smith USA, commandingthe 27th Infantry Division was replaced by MajGen SanderfordJarman, USA, after the division failed to advance.25June. Mount Tapotchau, Saipan's key terrain feature, wascaptured by the 8th Marines, and Kagman Peninsula was seiz-ed by the 4th Marine Division. Island Command, an organiza-tion which would administer the island after its capture,assumed responsibility for the southern part of the island.25-26 June. A warning order directed the 4th Marine Divi-sion, which had passed into reserve, to move back into the lineson 27 June and take over the right of the V Amphibious Corps'front. The 25th Marines would remain at Hill 500 in reserve.The Japanese 317th Independent Infantry Battalion, 47th In-dependent Mixed Brigade, moved through the outposts of the2d Battalion, 105th Infantry and struck Aslito Airfield. The at-tacking force was repulsed, sustaining heavy losses.1-2 July. TheJapanese were observed withdrawing northwardon 1 July. Northern Troops and Landing Force swung to theTanapag area, northwest Saipan, and the 2d Marine Divisionmade its greatest forward surge since D-Day. The 2d Marinesbegan to move through Garapan.2July. Gen Saito, commanding allJapanese Army forces on

Saipan, issued a formal operation order for the withdrawal ofdefenses from the Garapan-Tapatchau-Kagman Peninsula lineto the Tanapag-Hill 221-Hill 112 line.3 July. The Northern Troops and Landing Force, advancing

northwest, reached the Tanapag Seaplane Base. The 2dMarines captured the town of Garapan, and the 3d Battalion,2d Marines, seized the commanding ground overlookingTanapag Harbor.3-4July. The 23d Marines captured Hills 721 and 767.4 July. The 1st Battalion, 105th Infantry secured Flores

Point. The 3d Battalion, 2d Marines, and the 6th Marines weredetached from the 2d Marine Division, and assigned as Nor-thern Troops and Landing Force reserve.

The Northern Troops and Landing Force attack northwest

20

was diverted to the northeast by an operation order whichdirected it to seize the northern part of the island, includingthe Marpi Point area.

6 July. The 4th Marine Division was ordered to expand tothe northeast, pinch out the 27th Infantry Division north ofMakunsha, and take over the entire frontage for the sweep toMarpi Point. The 27th Division was to mop-up the Tanapag-Makunsha-Narakiri Gulch area and cut off any Japanese retir-ing to the north. The 1st and 2d Battalions, 25th Marines, ad-vanced to the east and west slopes of Mt. Petosukara, and700-800 civilians passed through the 1st Battalion's lines to sur-render.6-7 July. The Japanese launched an all-out banzai attackalong Tanapag Plain, as well as the hills to the northeast. The105th Infantry located on the high ground overlookingHarakiri Gulch, and the 3d Battalion, 10th Marines, about 500yards southwest of Tanapag village were the hardest hit units.

7 July. The 1st Battalion, 165th Infantry, moved throughHarakiri Gulch, and reached the plateau overlooking thecoastal plain.

Northern Troops and Landing Force attached an additionalregiment, the 2d Marines, to the 4th Marine Division for thedrive northeast.

8 July. The 2d Marine Division passed through the 27th In-fantry Division's lines for the mop-up of Tanapag Plain, andthe 27th Infantry Division reverted to Northern Troops andLanding Force reserve. The 1st and 2d Battalions, 106th Infan-try, relieved the 105th Infantry, at Harakiri Gulch.

The 23d Marines reached the beach northeast of Makunshaafter crossing the western coastal plain of the island and seizingKaraberra Pass.

9 July. The 4th Marine Division reached Marpi Point, theextreme northeast tip of the island. All organized resistanceceased, and the Expeditionary Force Commander declared theisland secured.13 July. The 3d Battalion, 6th Marines, captured ManiagassaIsland in Tanapag Harbor.9 August. Aslito Airfield became operational for B-24s.

Guam

27 June-20 July. Carrier Task Force 58 began a series ofharassing raids on Guam concentrating its fire on Orote Penin-sula installations. Task Force 53 joined the bombardment forceon 8July.6 July. In preparation for the invasion of Guam, LtGen

Holland M. Smith, Commanding General, ExpeditionaryTroops, attached the 77th Infantry Division to the III Am-phibious Corps.14-2 1 July. Underwater demolition teams reconnoiteredassault beaches, made diversionary checks of 11 possible lan-ding points on the west coast, and cleared barriers from theassault areas.2lJuly. Southern Troops and Landing Force (III AmphibiousCorps), supported by land- and carrier-based Marine, Navy,and Army Air Forces planes and naval gunfire, made

simultaneous landings on the west coast of the island againstheavy opposition. The 3d Marine Division (Rein), commandedby MajGen Allen H. Turnage, assaulted the area betweenAdelup and Asan Points to the north, and the 1st ProvisionalMarine Brigade (Rein) landed to the south between AgatVillage and Bangi Point. Later, the 305th Regimental CombatTeam, 77th Infantry Division, went ashore and assembled inan area 400 yards inland from Gaan Point.

The Japanese counterattacked the beachhead and penetratedthe lines of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade on the night of2 1-22 July. As a result, the Japanese 38th Infantry (less the 3dBattalion) was destroyed as a fighting force. The brigadeemployed local reserves to restore its frontlines.22 July. The 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, reached the summitof Mt. Alifan.23 July. The 77th Infantry Division (less the 307th Infantry)continued landing to the south and relieved the 1st ProvisionalMarine Brigade in its southern sector. The 307th Infantry cameashore as III Amphibious Corps reserve the following day.24July. The Southern Landing Force had its beachhead firm-ly established, and theJapanese bottled up on Orote Penisula.The 77th Division had taken over most of the Force Beachheadline.25Ju1y. The 77th Division (less the 307th Infantry in III Am-phibious Corps reserve) was ordered to hold the ForceBeachhead Line while the 1st Provisional Marine Brigadeassaulted Orote Peninsula. The 3d Marine Division was in-structed to capture the high ground overlooking Mt. TenjoRoad.25-27 July. Japanese counterattacks by the 58th Naval GuardForce, Reinforced, and the 218th Regiment (less the 1st Bat-talion) against the 22d Marines' position on Orote Peninsulaand the 3d Marine Division's Asan beachhead were repulsedwith crippling losses to the Japanese.

A Marine flame tank, taking advantage of good going andfields offire, engages a Japanese occupied pill box on Saipan.In the middle distance, a Marine observes from "ringside".

21

26-29Ju1y. With air, naval gunfire, and artillery support, the4th and 22d Marines, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, securedOrote Peninsula (29 July) and the Marine Barracks, Guam, onthe peninsula. The 22d Marines (less the 3d Battalion) movedinto III Amphibious Corps reserve southeast of Agat, and the4th Marines and the 3d Battalion, 22d Marines, remained onOrote. The airfield on Orote was declared operational.27 July. Patrols from the 77th Reconnaissance Troop whichhad been guarding the Maanot Reservoir, were deployed southto determine Japanese strength in that part of the island.27-29 July. The 3d Marine Division with the 77th InfantryDivision captured the Force Beachhead line, the commandingground along Adelup-Alutom-Tenjo-Alifan-Futi Point,thereby gaining command of the center of the island, and per-mitting observation to the north. This ended Phase I of therecapture of the island.28 July. Elements of the 305th Infantry, 77th Division,reached the top of Mt. Tenjo without meeting opposition. The2d Battalion, 307th Infantry, assumed the defense of the hillmass.30 July. An operation order, issued by the CommandingGeneral, Southern Troops and Landing Force, directed that theisland be cut in half on the Agana-Famja-Pago Bay line, andthat the attack swing to the northeast. The 1st Marine Brigadewas ordered to take over the southern part of the ForceBeachhead Line to release the 77th Division for operations tothe north.31 July. The III Amphibious Corps launched its attack toseize the northern portion of the island. The 3d Marines, 3dMarine Division, captured Agana, the capital of Guam, andoccupied positions along the Agana-Pago Bay Road.2 August. The 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division, advancing

northward, captured Tiyan Airfield.3 August. The 4th Marines (less Companies A and F), 1st

Provisional Marine Brigade, moved toward Toto in the north ofthe island.3-4 August. The 77th Infantry Division captured the town ofBarrigada (3 August) with its important water supply andsecured the mountain north of the town the next day.3-6 August. The 3d Marine Division captured the Finegayanpositions, thus breaking the outer ring of the Mt. Santa Rosadefense.4 August. Planes from Marine Aircraft Group 21 landed on

the island as the first Marine aircraft to serve there in 13 years.5 August. MajGen Andrew D. Bruce, USA, Commanding

General, 77th Infantry Division, received orders from the IIIAmphibious Corps to capture Mt. Santa Rosa and the re-mainder of the island. The operation was to be a Corps effort,with the 77th Division making the main assault.7 August. The III Amphibious Corps launched its final at-

tack to capture the northern end of the island. The 77th Divi-sion seized Yigo and advanced toward Mt. Santa Rosa. The 3dMarine Division and the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade were inposition to drive northward.

VMF-225, based on Orote airfield, began flying combat mis-sions over the island.

The 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division, captured Mt.

With artillery impacting in the background, Marines wade infrom an LVT-4 during the latter stages of ship-to-shore move•ment on D-Day at Tinian. Coral heads restricted beach access.

Santa Rosa, and effective resistance ceased in the division'szone.9 August. The 3d Marine Division launched an attack to

capture the remainder of the island. The III Amphibious Corpsgained the northern beaches.

BGen Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr., commanding the 1st Provi-sional Marine Brigade, announced that all organized resistancehad ceased in the brigade zone.

Adm Chester W. Nimitz and Gen Alexander A. Vandegriftlanded at Orote Airfield, and inspected the front line units andinstallations, lop level conferences were held to discuss thefuture role of the island in the advance to Tokyo.10 August. MajGen Roy S. Geiger, commanding SouthernTroops and Landing Force, announced that all organizedresistance had ended, and mopping-up activities had begun.

The III Amphibious Corps issued an operation order outlin-ing the future activities of the units on Guam. The 77th Infan-try Division and the 3d Marine Division were directed toestablish a line across the island from Fadian Point to a pointnorthwest of Tumon Bay; emphasis then was to be placed onmopping-up remaining enemy resistance.11 August. The 306th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division, cap-tured the Mt. Mataguac command post. The topJapanese com-mander on the island, LtGen Hideyoshi Obata had committedsuicide.12 August. MajGen Roy S. Geiger, Commander of theSouthern Troops and Landing Force, left for Guadalcanal toassume control of the Palaus Landing. He was relieved by Ma-jGen Harry Schmidt.13 August. The command post of the III Amphibious Corpsclosed, and was later reopened on Guadalcanal. Headquartersdetachment of the V Amphibious Corps set up its commandposts near Agana, and took control of the remaining III Am-phibious Corps elements. Clean-up activities began under thenew command.

22

14 August. The V Amphibious Corps had established a linefrom Naton Beach to Sassayan Point above which the 3dMarine Division and the 77th Infantry Division maintainedone infantry regiment and one artillery battalion each formopping-up activities. The remainder of the 3d Marine Divi-sion was assigned to the east coast road between Pago and YligRivers and the 77th Infantry Division occupied the hills east ofAgat along the Harmon Road.15 August. Marine MajGen Henry L. Larsen, CommandingGeneral, Island Command, assumed control of the island.20 August. Task Force 53 was formally dissolved when RAdmLawrence F. Reifsnider, USN, senior officer present in the area,turned over his duties to the Deputy Commander, ForwardArea, Central Pacific, Commo W. R. Quigley.21-31 August. The 1st Provisional Marine Brigade departedthe island for Guadalcanal.23 August. Operational control of the 3d Marine Divisionpassed to Island Command, and the 1st and 3d Battalions,306th Infantry were assigned to the 3d Marine Division.26 August. The 1st and 3d Battalions, 306th Infantry,reverted from the 3d Marine Division to the 77th Infantry Divi-sion's control, and the mopping-up zones of both units cameunder the Marine division.

The last naval commander of the island's assault force, AdmRaymond A. Spruance, left the Marianas after transferringresponsibility for the Central Pacific to Adm William F.Halsey, Commander, Third Fleet.

lillian

10-11 July The Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, VAmphibious Corps, and Navy Underwater Demolition Teams5 and 7, reconnoitered the Tinian landing beaches.13 July. A Northern Troops and Landing Force operationorder called for the seizures of Mt. Maga and the ForceBeachhead Line, embracing Faibus San Hilo Point on the west,Hilo Point on the west, Mt. Lasso in the center, and AsigaPoint on the east.24 July. Preceded by artillery, ship, and air bombardment,

the 4th Marine Division landed on White Beaches against lightopposition, and secured a beachhead 2,900 yards at its widestpoint. The 2d Battalion, 24th Marines, reached the westernedge of Airfield No. 3, and cut the main road from Ushi Pointto the central and southern parts of the island.23 July. The 4th Marine Division repulsed an early morningcounterattack by the Japanese 1st Battalion, 135th Infantry,directed principally to the extreme right and left