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by Joseph K. Leach
Sounds like an English Professor. Hardly! He was a career United States Marine Officer, who earned two Congressional Medals of Honor. But he was also a bit of a maverick and an enigma who made enemies in high places. I'll put forward what facts I know and let you be the judge.
He was born in Pennsylvania on July 30th,1881,and was raised a Quaker. Though small in stature, Butler was a leader of kids his age in school. He did'nt show any leanimg toward a military career until the Spanish American War broke out with the sinking of the U.S. battleship Maine in Havana Harbor on Feb.16th,1898.
Butler tried to enlist in the army immediatly but was turned down because he was only 16. He then had his father (a US Congressman) get him an appointment as a Navy Apprentice. He went to Washington DC, took a competitive exam for prospective officers, and aced it. He also lied about his age (he said 18) and was then commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Soon afterwards this short, skinny, stoop shouldered teenager found himself being shipped to Cuba after the barest of training.
Butler's career was started, and what a career it was. Here was a most un-military looking man that would become a brilliant officer, serve our Country all over the world, and rise to the hghest rank available at the time. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The war ended before he saw any combat and Butler was shipped back to the States. It wasn't long though before he tasted combat. He was sent to the Philippines as a lst Lieutenant. He saw some skirmishes and then was sent to China in June of 1900 to relieve the Foriegn Legations in Peking that were under seige by a group of Chinese Nationalists called the "Boxers." This name was derived from a mocking translation of the movement's Chinese name, Yihe Quan, or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists". This group wanted to rid China of all foriegn influences.
Smedley landed with a force of Marines at Taku, China and was in a battle right away. They were ambushed and had to pull back. When he realized a wounded man was left behind, Butler and five others fought their way back to the man and carried him out of harms way. Then they carried this man 18 miles through hostile territory to a hospital. The four enlisted men in this group got the Medal of Honor. Smedley and the other officer got breveted to Captain (Officers were not eligible for the MOH in those days)
After this, he was leading a Company of Marines in an attack on the walled city of Tientsin, and again carried a wounded man to safety. He himself had been shot in the leg doing this. He refused aid until other wounded men were taken care of, and even then only submitted to a bandage and rejoined his men in the attack. Despite his leg wound, a fever, and an absessed tooth, Smedley exposed himself to enemy fire and dragged a British soldier back to safety. He was even struck by a bullet that glanced off one of his tunic buttons. The British army wanted to give him a medal, but he had to refuse it, due to regulations forbidding a U.S soldier from getting medals from a foreign service.
In his weakened condition, Butler was shipped back to the States with Typhoid Fever in 1900. Here he was, a Marine captain, a bona fide hero of a tough military campaign and he was yet to see his 20th birthday.
18 months later he was shipped to the Island of Culebra, off Puerto Rico. It was here he was to have his first brush with the higher ups. His men were ordered to fortify the 400 foot hills on this island. In the heat it was back-breaking work. Any water and supplies had to be shipped in. They were then ordered to dig a canal from the ocean to the lagoon in the middle of the island. This work in the horrible heat started to affect the men, and they started dropping with exhaustion and fever.
Concerned for his men, Smedley wrote to the Navy, but received no help. When his father found out about the conditions he used his influence in Washington to rectify the conditions and the Navy was reprimanded.
Smedley never forgave the Navy Brass for the way they treated his Marines. In 1903 Smedley was sent to Honduras with the Marines to protect American interests from rebels. After this he was put in garrison in the States and got married in 1905 (Bay Head, NJ) This same year he was sent again to the Philippines and again had a run-in with the Navy.
Working on gun emplacements in the hills surrounding Subic Bay, the men found themselves out of supplies. Every day they saw a supply boat pass within hailing distance and they tried to contact it The boat never acknowledged them. Finally, Smedley took a native boat and some Marines and headed for the supply camp. It was a harrowing trip through a violent storm, but they made it after 5 hours. They then commandeered a tug, filled it with supplies and went back to their base enduring another storm. The navy was furious and sent Butler home with a "nervous breakdown", and gave him 9 months to recuperate.
In September,1908, he was tested and adjudged all right to re-enter the Corps. A month later he was promoted to Major. In December, 1909 he was sent to Panama as Commander of the 3rd.Marine Battalion as protection for the men building the canal. He was also sent at various times from Panama to Nicaragua, in 1909, 1910, and 1912 to protect American interests against bandits and revolutionaries.
When the canal was finished Butler was sent to Mexico. There was a lot of anti Americanism going on there and American interests and citizens were in danger. He first went to Mexico City dressed in civvies to look over the situation. He later landed with the Marines at Vera Cruz and won the Medal of Honor for bravery under fire. He brushed off any praise of himself, considering it was his job to do it,and refused the medal. He refused to accept it until a few years later when he was ordered to accept it, and he did. His was the attitude that he only did what any Marine would have done in his place.
Sounds like an English Professor. Hardly! He was a career United States Marine Officer, who earned two Congressional Medals of Honor. But he was also a bit of a maverick and an enigma who made enemies in high places. I'll put forward what facts I know and let you be the judge.
He was born in Pennsylvania on July 30th,1881,and was raised a Quaker. Though small in stature, Butler was a leader of kids his age in school. He did'nt show any leanimg toward a military career until the Spanish American War broke out with the sinking of the U.S. battleship Maine in Havana Harbor on Feb.16th,1898.
Butler tried to enlist in the army immediatly but was turned down because he was only 16. He then had his father (a US Congressman) get him an appointment as a Navy Apprentice. He went to Washington DC, took a competitive exam for prospective officers, and aced it. He also lied about his age (he said 18) and was then commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Soon afterwards this short, skinny, stoop shouldered teenager found himself being shipped to Cuba after the barest of training.
Butler's career was started, and what a career it was. Here was a most un-military looking man that would become a brilliant officer, serve our Country all over the world, and rise to the hghest rank available at the time. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The war ended before he saw any combat and Butler was shipped back to the States. It wasn't long though before he tasted combat. He was sent to the Philippines as a lst Lieutenant. He saw some skirmishes and then was sent to China in June of 1900 to relieve the Foriegn Legations in Peking that were under seige by a group of Chinese Nationalists called the "Boxers." This name was derived from a mocking translation of the movement's Chinese name, Yihe Quan, or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists". This group wanted to rid China of all foriegn influences.
Smedley landed with a force of Marines at Taku, China and was in a battle right away. They were ambushed and had to pull back. When he realized a wounded man was left behind, Butler and five others fought their way back to the man and carried him out of harms way. Then they carried this man 18 miles through hostile territory to a hospital. The four enlisted men in this group got the Medal of Honor. Smedley and the other officer got breveted to Captain (Officers were not eligible for the MOH in those days)
After this, he was leading a Company of Marines in an attack on the walled city of Tientsin, and again carried a wounded man to safety. He himself had been shot in the leg doing this. He refused aid until other wounded men were taken care of, and even then only submitted to a bandage and rejoined his men in the attack. Despite his leg wound, a fever, and an absessed tooth, Smedley exposed himself to enemy fire and dragged a British soldier back to safety. He was even struck by a bullet that glanced off one of his tunic buttons. The British army wanted to give him a medal, but he had to refuse it, due to regulations forbidding a U.S soldier from getting medals from a foreign service.
In his weakened condition, Butler was shipped back to the States with Typhoid Fever in 1900. Here he was, a Marine captain, a bona fide hero of a tough military campaign and he was yet to see his 20th birthday.
18 months later he was shipped to the Island of Culebra, off Puerto Rico. It was here he was to have his first brush with the higher ups. His men were ordered to fortify the 400 foot hills on this island. In the heat it was back-breaking work. Any water and supplies had to be shipped in. They were then ordered to dig a canal from the ocean to the lagoon in the middle of the island. This work in the horrible heat started to affect the men, and they started dropping with exhaustion and fever.
Concerned for his men, Smedley wrote to the Navy, but received no help. When his father found out about the conditions he used his influence in Washington to rectify the conditions and the Navy was reprimanded.
Smedley never forgave the Navy Brass for the way they treated his Marines. In 1903 Smedley was sent to Honduras with the Marines to protect American interests from rebels. After this he was put in garrison in the States and got married in 1905 (Bay Head, NJ) This same year he was sent again to the Philippines and again had a run-in with the Navy.
Working on gun emplacements in the hills surrounding Subic Bay, the men found themselves out of supplies. Every day they saw a supply boat pass within hailing distance and they tried to contact it The boat never acknowledged them. Finally, Smedley took a native boat and some Marines and headed for the supply camp. It was a harrowing trip through a violent storm, but they made it after 5 hours. They then commandeered a tug, filled it with supplies and went back to their base enduring another storm. The navy was furious and sent Butler home with a "nervous breakdown", and gave him 9 months to recuperate.
In September,1908, he was tested and adjudged all right to re-enter the Corps. A month later he was promoted to Major. In December, 1909 he was sent to Panama as Commander of the 3rd.Marine Battalion as protection for the men building the canal. He was also sent at various times from Panama to Nicaragua, in 1909, 1910, and 1912 to protect American interests against bandits and revolutionaries.
When the canal was finished Butler was sent to Mexico. There was a lot of anti Americanism going on there and American interests and citizens were in danger. He first went to Mexico City dressed in civvies to look over the situation. He later landed with the Marines at Vera Cruz and won the Medal of Honor for bravery under fire. He brushed off any praise of himself, considering it was his job to do it,and refused the medal. He refused to accept it until a few years later when he was ordered to accept it, and he did. His was the attitude that he only did what any Marine would have done in his place.
