VOLUME 35, NUMBER 3 2010 - United States Marine … Vol...VOLUME 35, NUMBER 3 2010 BULLETIN OF THE MARINE CORPS HISTORICAL PROGRAM Fortitudine,Vol. 35, No.3, 2010 3 From the Director

FORTITUDINEVOLUME 35, NUMBER 3 2010

BULLETIN OF THE MARINE CORPS HISTORICAL PROGRAM

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited.

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HISTORYDIVISION

PRESIDENTMARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY

MajGen Robert B. Neller, USMC

DIRECTORDr. Charles P. Neimeyer

DEPUTY DIRECTORPaul J. Weber

CHIEF HISTORIAN Charles D. Melson

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTCynthia M. Meyer

HISTORIES BRANCHCharles D. Melson (Branch Head);Charles R. Smith (Senior Historian);Dr. Fred H. Allison; Dr. Thomas M.Baughn; Dr. Nicholas J. Schlosser; A.Rob Taglianetti; Paul W. Westermeyer

HISTORICAL REFERENCE BRANCHRobert V. Aquilina (Branch Head);Annette D. Amerman; Shelia Phillips;Beth L. Crumley; Lena M. Kaljot;Kara R. Newcomer

FIELD HISTORY BRANCHCol Stephen E. Motsco; LtCol MichaelI. Moffett; LtCol Gregory C. McCarthy;CWO-4 Timothy S. McWilliams

EDITING AND DESIGN BRANCHKenneth H. Williams (Branch Head);James M. Caiella; Andrea L. Connell;Dr. Stephen E. Evans; W. StephenHill; Robert A. Kocher; Gregory A.Macheak; Vincent J. Martinez; WandaJ. Renfrow; Jeanette L. Riffe

Marine Corps History Division3078 Upshur Avenue

Quantico, Virginia 22134Telephone (703) 432-4877

http://[email protected]

Motto of the United States Marine Corps in the 1812 era

Historical Bulletin Vol. 35, No. 3 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About the Cover: Sgt Tolusciak is shown with hiscrew in front of a Breguet 14A, which he flew dur-ing his days as an aviator in the Polish Air Force.The Breguet 14 was a French-built, two-seatbiplane that could be used for reconnaissance orbombing and had machine guns, one of whichwas used by the observer behind the pilot. TheBreguet 14 was a highly successful biplane withapproximately 5,500 produced by the end of WorldWar I.

From the Director: National Museum Galleries and History PublicationsDr. Charles P. Neimeyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Core of the Corps: The White Eagle with an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor: FirstSergeant Peter P. TolusciakAnnette D. Amerman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

National Museum of the Marine Corps: On-the-Spot Field SketchesJoan C. Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

National Museum of the Marine Corps: The Early Years: Three NewGalleriesCharles G. Grow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

National Museum of the Marine Corps: John Philip Sousa: GentlemanSportsmanAlfred V. Houde Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Our Readers Write: Wake Island Defense and Pan Am Clippers . . . . . . .20In Memoriam: BGen Lawrence R. Seamon and Richard A. “Dick” LongAnnette D. Amerman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

First to Write: Marines Attack Baghdad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

This bulletin of the Marine Corps historical program is published for Marines, at the rate of onecopy for every nine on active duty, to provide education and training in the uses of military andMarine Corps history. Other interested readers may purchase single copies or four-issue sub-scriptions from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office. The appro-priate order form appears in this issue.

“We can only know who we are by being certain ofwho we have been.” Gen Leonard F. Chapman Jr.

24th Commandant of the Marine Corps

2 Fortitudine, Vol. 35, No.3, 2010

FORTITUDINEVOLUME 35, NUMBER 3 2010

BULLETIN OF THE MARINE C ORPS HISTORICAL PROGRAM

Fortitudine, Vol. 35, No.3, 2010 3

From the Director

Dr. Charles P. Neimeyer

National Museum Galleries andHistory Publications

The National Museum of the MarineCorps recently opened three new

galleries, which cover the earlier eras ofMarine Corps history from the foundingof the Corps in 1775 through World WarI. These new galleries capture the ethosof the Marines during the days ofsquare-rigging, cannon shot, and trenchwarfare.

One of the new galleries covers thetime around the American Revolutionand depicts continental Marines inaction. The gallery visualizes for visitorsthe essence of Marine life in the frigatenavy and the rebirth of the Marine Corpsfrom the Quasi-War with France upthrough the Civil War. I found the largenumber of original artifacts—inscribedpowder horns, boarding axes, flags, uni-forms, and 19th century weapons—tobe impressive.

Another new gallery shows the eracalled the “global expeditionary force.”This era traces the rise of the MarineCorps as a national expeditionary force,serving in every “clime and place” fromsuppressing seal poachers near theArctic Circle to engaging in “small wars”in Latin America and the Caribbean.Artifacts on display include Haitianvoodoo drums, a restored King ArmoredCar, and a .45-caliber pistol. During thisera, the “March King” John Philip Sousaserved as director of the Marine CorpsBand toward the end of the 19th centu-ry. Visitors may listen to a Sousa concertand inspect musical instruments used bythe band. John Philip Sousa was an avidtrapshooter, which is written about inthis issue.

The last gallery focuses exclusivelyon World War I. Visitors get a feel forwhat life in the trenches was like for theMarines. The section on Belleau Wood iswhere visitors watch the attackingMarines from the position of a Germanmachine gunner in the woods. Watchingthe video, the visitors see the Marinesbeing hit but still valiantly coming on

until they had secured their objective,which is the machine gunners’ location.The Belleau Wood display is so stirringthat this gallery alone makes a visit tothe museum worthwhile.

Just as the National Museum of theMarine Corps is expanding the horizonsof the ever increasing numbers of visi-tors, so too is the History Divisionmarching forward with publishing initia-tives that contribute to the mission ofMarine Corps University and providevalue to students and researchers alike.This value has been recognized bycounterinsurgency expert DavidKilcullen who recently wrote a laudato-ry review about the two volume oral his-tory on the Awakening in al-AnbarProvince. Kilcullen’s review is in thejournal, The American Interest, Autumn(September/October) 2010. The two vol-ume set (Al-Anbar Awakening: U.S.Marines and Counterinsurgency in Iraq2004–2009) continues to be one of ourmost sought after publications and isnow used as a desk reference by manysenior Marine Corps leaders. TheHistory Division recently published DetOne: U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. SpecialOperations Command Detachment,2003–2006, which is an account of thedevelopment of the first Marine Corpsforce organized for deployment with theMarine Corps Special OperationsCommand.

One of the History Division’s majorefforts is to create a number of histories,commemorating the 100th anniversaryof the founding of Marine Corps avia-tion. The lead project is an illustratedhistory of Marine Corps aviation. Inaddition to this book, two HistoryDivision historians are writing referencebooks about Marine Corps aviation. Amonograph on the development ofMarine Corps aviation assets during theNicaragua campaign, 1927–1933 is alsobeing produced. Besides the upcomingaviation books, the Division is working

on two more histories: The first is a his-tory on the initial engagement of theMarine Corps in Afghanistan, and thesecond is an official history of theMarine Corps in Operations DesertShield and Desert Storm.

Many of stories about Marines havenever been told not because those

Marines’ actions were considered unim-portant but because much of MarineCorps history has focused on the wellknown names or the big campaigns.Marine Corps history is also created,day-in-and-day-out, by Marines of everyrank doing his or her duty with theutmost dedication. As such, it is fitting torecognize the contributions of theselesser-known Marines by creating a newsection that highlights their achieve-ments. This new section of Fortitudine iscalled the Core of the Corps. The firststory is about a Polish-American citizenwho became a member of the PolishLegion during World War I. After servingwith distinction in the Polish Legion asan aviator and instructor, he went backto the U.S. where he eventually joinedthe Marine Corps as an aviator. Thoughhis career as a Marine Corps aviator wascut short by an accident, he did achievea personal record when he and otheraviation Marines completed the longestairplane flight in history at that time.Read “The White Eagle with an Eagle,Globe, and Anchor: First Sergeant PeterP. Tolusciak,” starting on page four.

History Division plans to publish aseries of books, commemorating the50th anniversary of the Vietnam War.History Division is looking for experi-enced writers who want to write a com-memorative history of approximately100 to 150 pages on a specific topicabout the Marine Corps in Vietnam.Colonel George Hofmann has recentlycompleted the first study in the series onthe activities of the Marine Corps inSoutheast Asia from 1961–1965. q1775q


Core of the Corps

The White Eagle with an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor:First Sergeant Peter P. Tolusciak

by Annette D. AmermanHistorian

University at the age of 15. Just daysafter his 16th birthday, Tolusciakreceived his parents’ permission toenlist in the “Blue Army” (Haller’sArmy), which was recruiting inPittsburgh. The Blue Army was theinformal name given to the Polish Armyunits formed in France during the laterstages of World War I. The army wascreated in June 1917 as part of thePolish units allied to the Triple Entente.The nickname stemmed from the sol-diers’ French blue uniforms and thename of the army’s commander,General Józef Haller de Hallenburg.After the war ended, the units weretransferred to Poland, where they tookpart in the Polish-Ukrainian War andthe Polish-Bolshevik War.

While records of his enlistment indi-cate that he was born in 1900, itappears that he may have altered hisage by a year in order to be qualified tofight in Europe. After four months train-ing at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, hewas shipped to France where he con-tinued his training and later wasassigned to an artillery battery. By the

war’s end, his unit was approachingMetz, near the German border.

Between 1918 and 1921, Poland hadto combat its neighbors as it

attempted to re-establish itself as acountry; Soviets and Ukrainians resent-ed the emerging Polish authority. After123 years of domination by theGermans, Russians, and Austrians, thePolish people were eager to reclaim allland that had been lost, and more, ifpossible. The Legions that had foughtproudly in France were transferred tothe resurrected nation and were quick-ly put into action against the aggressiveUkrainians. With his homeland’s statusstill in peril, Tolusciak opted to remainin Europe after the war’s end and toenter the Polish Air Force. He was sentto the French aviation school at Istres inFebruary 1919 and received further,more advanced aviation instruction atthe Avord School near Bourges. Uponcompletion of his training, Tolusciak

Tolusciak in his Marine Corps uniformafter enlisting. He is wearing hisFrench and Polish pilot badges.

Courtesy of Tomasz Kopanski

The Polish coat of arms consists of awhite eagle on a red shield. The eagleis wearing a crown. In Poland, thecoat of arms is usually called simplyWhite Eagle (Orzeł Biały), always cap-italized. This was the coat of arms thatwas used during the time of SgtTolusciak’s service in the Polish AirForce.

More than four million men andwomen have served in the

Marine Corps since 1775. There arethose whose names are foreveretched in the collective history of theCorps and the minds of everyMarine—Basilone, Dunham, Schilt,and O’Bannon to name a few.However, there are many hundreds,possibly thousands, whose service toCorps and country are less remem-bered, but who are as colorful,valiant, and worthy of remembrance.To highlight the names of thoseMarines whom time has seeminglyforgotten, Fortitudine is launching anew section called Core of theCorps. This section will once againbring to life the stories of Marineswho contributed much to the historyand legend of the Corps, therebyproving that they may be gone butare not forgotten. In this inauguralarticle we highlight the service ofFirst Sergeant Peter P. Tolusciak whocame to the Corps already possess-ing the warrior spirit and wanderlustinherent in many Marines.

Enlisted pilots in the Marine Corpscarved out a distinct and unique placein the history of naval aviation; in theearly years a college education andcommission were not required toobtain wings to fly. While many enlist-ed pilots in the Corps were mechanicsturned pilots—men who knew the air-craft from aileron to dzus fasteners—there were those who came to theCorps already possessing the skills ofan accomplished aviator with hundredsof hours of flight time. One such manwas Peter P. Tolusciak; his path to theMarine Corps was a lifetime of achieve-ments crowded into a few short years,and sadly his service to the Corps wasjust as abbreviated.

Born 16 October 1901 in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, Tolusciak entered thepreparatory school at Duquesne


was transferred to Poland, and fromNovember 1919 to February 1920, hepassed along his skills to student avia-tors.

As spring 1920 arrived, Tolusciakwas transferred to his first tactical avia-tion assignment with the 16Reconnaissance Squadron (16 EskadraWywiadowcza), which was stationed inKrakow and used the Breguet XIV (A2)aircraft from France. In March 1920,Captain Franciszek Rudnicki, squadroncommander, was ordered to dischargeall Americans from the squadron. Whilethe two Americans serving alongsideTolusciak, Pachulski and Zbibowski,dismissed themselves and returned tothe United States, Tolusciak, so dedicat-ed to his ancestral home, composed aletter to Captain Rudnicki requestingpermission to remain. “I cannot gohome at this moment, when theMotherland is being threatened. I cameto defend the Motherland, and willcarry out my task and the order givento me by my parents.” The Chief of thePolish Air Force approved his requestto remain.

The squadron left for the Kiev-fronton 11 April 1920 and arrived at its

operational airfield near Starokon-statynow on the 16th. Three days later,Sergeant Tolusciak and Sub-LieutenantLucjusz Moszczynski led the first com-bat mission in support of the 13thInfantry Division. Due to the lack ofammunition—particularly bombs—thesquadron could not operate fullyagainst the enemy. To compensate, thesquadron began adding wooden fins toartillery shells and found that the

makeshift bombs worked quite well.During the attacks on the Bolsheviklines near Czudow, seven bombs weredropped, destroying three railway carsand damaging a platform and steamlocomotive.

From 19 April to 10 June, Tolusciakparticipated in 14 separate actionsagainst the Bolsheviks, which includedbombing runs, photo reconnaissance,and strafing enemy positions. One par-ticularly noteworthy action, in whichTolusciak participated, was not in theair but on the ground. On 10 May 1920,the IIId Army ordered the squadron towithdraw from its positions in Kiev anddestroy any valuable materials that itcould not take. Tolusciak volunteeredto remain behind in order to explode

remaining bombs and destroy thehangars. He and eight other soldierscarried out the task during the night;they burned the hangars, filled the cis-tern with gasoline, and exploded twotrain-wagon’s worth of bombs. Theresulting explosion destroyed nearlythe entire train as well as a bridge thatwas above the railway. In the twoweeks it took to catch up with thesquadron, the group gathered morethan 100 stragglers and others who hadbeen left behind with Tolusciak, lead-ing the cobbled-together-army by hisaerial map. By the time they werereunited with the squadron they hadbeen declared missing but had man-aged to gather “16 machine guns,ammunition, supply of underwear andhorse carriage with [a] Ukrainian fromKiev. He paid back the Ukrainian forthe way by giving him part of theundergarments and shoes.”

With limited resupplies and opera-ble aircraft, Tolusciak found him-

self without an airplane to fly for the16th Squadron in June 1920 andrequested a transfer to the 3rdSquadron (a sister squadron) so hecould continue the fight. Even thoughin a new squadron, Tolusciak contin-ued his admirable flying—often volun-teering for the most dangerous assign-ments and returning the aircraft nearlyshot out from under him. On 19 July, a


Tolusciak and Polish friends in Spring 1920.

Sgt Tolusciak, standing next to the observer on his left and the plane’s riggers,poses in front of his Breguet No. 10.41; picture was taken toward the end of hisservice during the Polish-Bolshevik War in October 1920.



with a large number of Polish-Americans who had fought in WorldWar I and in the Polish-Bolshevik War.At the time of his departure for UnitedStates, Tolusciak had participated innearly 40 separate actions in Poland,accumulated more than 208 hours inthe air, was twice recommended forPoland’s highest military decoration,and was barely 19 years old.

Clearly not ready for civilian life andjust over a year after returning from

the battlefields of Europe, Tolusciakenlisted in the Marine Corps on 6 April1922 at Parris Island, South Carolina. InJune, after basic training, he was trans-ferred to Marine Barracks Quantico andwithin a matter of days participated insummer maneuvers in Gettysburg.While the entire East CoastExpeditionary Force departed Quanticoby barge on 1 June, Tolusciak, as partof the Barracks Medical Battalion, didnot depart until 18 June, arriving on the19th—ahead of those making themarch on foot. The Marines spent sev-eral days setting up camp, preparing for

severe storm passed over the squadronand damaged three aircraft. On 28 July,Tolusciak was assigned to the remain-ing serviceable Breguet aircraft to scouta massing cavalry army. His aircraft wasriddled by ground fire and seriouslydamaged, and he crashed whileattempting to land.

Tolusciak continued flying through-out the months of August and

September despite his crash in July. Ina span of five days late in September1920, he again performed extraordinaryfeats of flying. On 22 September,despite heavy fog, Tolusciak andSecond Lieutenant Sieczkowski wereon a reconnaissance sortie when theyengaged a Bolshevik observation bal-loon. They attempted to destroy theballoon but were unable due to thelack of incendiary ammunition. Threedays later, Tolusciak received the orderto carry out a detailed reconnaissancemission in the Grodno region (modern-day Hronda, Belarus). “Scorning death,he [Tolusciak] descended to the lowest-possible boundaries [altitudes], attackedenemy forces several times, successful-ly bombed the enemy forces, ignited afire, brought losses to the enemy, andgenerated stupendous panic. When hereturned, his airplane was damaged bybullets.”

His courageous and honorable ser-vice in the Polish Air Force did not gounnoticed. For his actions during thebattle for Kiev, April through June 1920,Tolusciak was recommended for theOrder of Virtuti Militari, Poland’s high-est military decoration. A second rec-ommendation for the same award was

submitted the following October forTolusciak’s actions in late September.The initial award recommendation forhis actions in spring 1920 was appar-ently lost. However, due to the perse-verance of his former commanding offi-cer (Captain Wiktor Komorowski) whohad pursued the first nomination afterthe American’s return to the UnitedStates, Tolusciak was awarded theOrder of Virtuti Military V Class on 27July 1922. Tolusciak is possibly the onlyMarine to have been nominated twiceand awarded once with Poland’s high-est military decoration.

The private moments of the braveAmerican are not detailed in therecords; however, what is known is thatthree days before he boarded an U.S.Army transport ship in Danzig(Gdansk), he married JeanneKaczynska at Lomza, Poland. On 18January 1921, the newlywed pilotboarded the SS President Grant for theUnited States, unfortunately, withouthis new bride—Jeanne had refused tojoin him. Nearly a month later, thetransport ship arrived in New York City

(Left to right) 1stLt Ford O. Rogers, 2dLt Horace D. Palmer, RAdm William A.Moffett, (Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics), 1stSgt Benjamin F. Belcher and SgtPeter P. Tolusciak pose after the completion of their long distance flight of 10,953miles.

Official USMC Photo

Courtesy of Annette Amerman

Marine Corps enlistment photo.


exercises, and training for field duty inadvance of the arrival of PresidentWarren G. Harding.

In full witness of President Harding,the Governors of Pennsylvania,

Virginia, and Maryland, assortedSenators and Congressmen, foreign dig-nitaries, the general public, and veter-ans of Gettysburg, more than 2,000Marines conducted a realistic reenact-ment of Pickett’s Charge on 1 July. ThePennsylvania State Police, who were incharge of the arrangements for thecrowd, estimated that more than100,000 spectators were present andthat there were nearly 10,000 automo-biles parked in the vicinity of the bat-tlefield. The force rested on the follow-ing day and repeated the demonstra-tion on 3 July. On the 4th of July, theMarines staged an attack using moderntechniques and equipment against theposition Pickett failed to take in 1863.Tolusciak’s company broke camp andbegan the return trip to Quantico onthe 6th.

The allure of flying was too much toresist for the former pilot and on 6August he requested a transfer to theMarine Aviation Detachment atQuantico stating that “I have had two(2) years experience, serving with thePolish Aerial Service during the worlds

D. Palmer, and Sergeant Peter Tolusciakcompleted, at that time, the longest air-plane flight in the history of Americanaviation—second in the world only tothe valiant British aviator, Sir Ross Smithof the Royal Air Force. The pair ofpilots and their mechanics/relief pilotsflew from Santo Domingo City,Dominican Republic, to San Franciscoand back over a three month, 10,953mile journey that began simply as aflight to St. Louis, Missouri, in order toobserve the Pulitzer Air Races. TheMarines quickly drew attention andturned their journey into a contest tocomplete the longest flight in Americanhistory.

The team was given two new DH-4Baircraft, shipped directly from the

Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia toHaiti where they were assembled. FirstSergeant Belcher flew the first airplaneto Santo Domingo City in mid-September 1923. After completing workon their own aircraft, Palmer andTolusciak flew across the island to meetup with Rogers and Belcher. With muchfanfare and high profile persons in thecrowd, the team took off from SantoDomingo City bound for Port-au-Princewhere they spent their first night. Thenext morning they anticipated a quickstop at Guantanamo Bay and then onto Havana, Cuba. However, upon land-ing on Hicaco Beach, GuantanamoBay, at 0905 in the morning, the weath-er soon caused trouble. Rogers noted inhis post-flight report that “the beach,

war, I have had two hundred and eighthours and twenty-five minutes of actu-al flying experience in combat as apilot.” His transfer was quickly grantedand a week later Tolusciak reported toObservation Squadron 3 (VO Squadron3) at Quantico, unfortunately, not as anaviator. Just a month and a half later,Tolusciak was transferred to VOSquadron 2 stationed in Port-au-Prince,Haiti—his last duty station.

In December 1923, First LieutenantFord O. Rogers, First Sergeant BenjaminF. Belcher, Second Lieutenant Horace

2dLt Palmer and Sgt Tolusciak prepare for take-off on their 10,953 mile flight.Official USMC Photo

Official USMC Photo

2dLt Palmer and Sgt Tolusciak are shown in the plane they used during theirrecord breaking flight.


owing to heavy rains, was partly underwater which made the take off veryslow. Palmer’s lower right wing strucka small tree just as he lifted off theground.” Despite this mishap and spo-radic heavy rains, the team landed inHavana in mid-afternoon. Rogers fur-ther reported that he “found upon land-ing that the entering edge and two ofthe false ribs of Lieutenant Palmer’slower right wing were badly smashedand fabric torn. He had carried a limbof the tree, about three feet long and aninch in diameter, hanging in his wingfrom Guantanimo [sic] to Havana.”

After making the necessary pleas-antries with the U.S. chargé d’af-

faires and the Commandant of CampColumbia, Rogers returned to the fieldat dark and found that Belcher andTolusciak had repaired the brokenwing. He explained in his report thatunanticipated requisitions were neededto make the plane air worthy again,noting that “we had dope and fabricwith us but lacked suitable material foran entering edge. A spare strut of aCuban Jennie had been used for thatpurpose. One of the Cuban aviationofficers discovered the appropriation ofhis spare parts too late to save the strutbut was placated by our assuring himthat we would bring him many spareparts on our return.”

Despite periodic bouts with rain andstorms, the team hopscotched their way

across the country and encountered nomajor mechanical problems beforearriving in St. Louis on 29 September1923. The team’s DH-4Bs were used bythe Navy Racing Team to practice thecourse. While in St. Louis, the AmericanLegion Headquarters at San Franciscorequested two Marine Corps planesattend their air meet held at the annualconvention, and the team took off forthe West Coast on 8 October. A weeklater they arrived at Crissy Field in SanFrancisco via Texas and Arizona.

After a short respite at the conven-tion, the team departed San Franciscobound for Reno, Nevada, on 22October, unfortunately, without theproper preparations. Rogers reportedthat the “weather in California hadbeen warm so did not think to provideourselves with gloves or even sweaters.Soon found our mistakes. Crossed the“hump” [Rocky Mountains] at 12,000feet and discovered what Arctic explor-ing in an undershirt is like.” The nextday, while waiting for the weather toclear in Reno, they purchased glovesand sweaters.

Over the course of the next fivedays, the team battled sleet, snow,

fog, clouds, and wind while makingshort stops in Salt Lake City, Utah, andRock Springs and Cheyenne, Wyoming.The weather began to clear as theRockies were left behind. As theyapproached the eastern states, the team

followed their original flight path inreverse. On 31 October, they landedagain at McCook Field (part of modern-day Wright-Patterson Air Force Base)and the airplanes were thoroughly scru-tinized by inspectors of the station.Rogers proudly reported that “theinspectors at this station gave ourplanes and motors a thorough lookingover and reported that they were in asgood condition as any planes that hadever been in there. This was especiallypleasing when the length of the flightwas considered along with the fact thatno mechanical work whatever hadbeen done on our planes.”

Athree week layover at Quantico forengine work delayed the team. As

December arrived, they finally were offthe ground again and heading back totheir home stations. For the first time,Palmer and Rogers were separatedwhen Rogers made a landing in SouthCarolina and Palmer continued onbound for Miami. However, uponRogers’s arrival in Miami, Palmer andTolusciak had not arrived. Before heleft the field, a telegram was deliveredto Rogers from Palmer stating that he(Palmer) was running low on fuel andmade a quick landing on the PalmBeach Country Club Golf Course and inso doing had badly damaged his plane.As Palmer’s mechanic and relief pilot,there is no doubt that Tolusciak wasintegral in repairing the plane onceagain. While the axel was bent, the pairmade it to Miami the next day, 3December, where the two mechanicstogether ingeniously straightened it “byputting an auto chain jack under thecenter of the bend and standing threemen on each wheel while the jack wasbeing taken up.”

The flight resumed on the 5th viaHavana, Santa Clara, and Guantanamoto Port-au-Prince and Santo DomingoCity—ending, finally, on 9 December.The two crews received numerous con-gratulatory messages from the MajorGeneral Commandant, John A. Lejeune,Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics,Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, andmany others of prominence. Bothmechanics were singled out with highpraise from Rogers in his final report tothe Major General Commandant. Hestated that Tolusciak was “an excellent

Courtesy of Annette Amerman

Tolusciak’s pilot card appointing him as a Naval Aviation Pilot.


pilot, a good mechanic and a cheerfuland tireless worker. From the start tothe finish of the trip his work and con-duct was exemplary. Owing to his age,(twenty three) and his former experi-ence as a pilot in the French [sic] Armyand an officer [sic] in the Polish Armyhe is valuable officer material for theMarine Corps.” Tolusciak was back withVO Squadron 2 in Port-au-Prince only afew weeks when he received notifica-tion that he had been formally desig-nated as a Naval Aviation Pilot. The 31December 1923 letter from the MajorGeneral Commandant stated thatTolusciak was “this day appointed aNaval Aviation Pilot and detailed toduty involving actual flying in aircraft,including airships, balloons and air-planes . . .”

Back at their respective assignedduty stations, the Marines of the

record-breaking flight went on withtheir tasks. Tolusciak, on 2 February1924, was aloft in airplane number 6151when a rubber hose connecting themain gasoline tank and carburetorbroke, allowing gasoline to run ontothe exhaust pipe igniting the fuel. Theflames, fanned by the propeller, quick-ly spread and caught the left wing onfire. With the gasoline supply exhaust-ed, Tolusciak began to lose control ofthe aircraft and attempted to land theungovernable aircraft; in so doing, thepropeller and tail of the fuselage weredamaged beyond repair. The subse-quent board of inquiry cleared theyoung pilot of any responsibility for thedamage and determined that he haddone everything within his power tosave the plane, his passenger, and theU.S. mail from destruction. Seeminglyinvincible, Tolusciak experienced lessunderstanding just a few weeks later on8 March 1924. Upon taxiing in airplanenumber 6191, he failed to come to acomplete stop after making a sharp turnto the right, lost control of the aircraft,and crashed into small trees and anative hut.

About the same time as the twomishaps, Tolusciak’s personal lifebegan to unravel. On 21 April 1924, hewrote his parents that he had receivedword from his wife Jeanne in Poland—via Captain Komorowski—that shewanted a divorce. His heartbreak is eas-

ily heard in his words to his parents, “.. . I will not beg anyone to live with meif she insists upon a divorce and wish-es to marry someone else . . . I cannotdo anything more than wish her happi-ness and health. It seems to me that Iam born to live alone and wanderaround this world . . .” On 7 May,Tolusciak requested an extension onhis overseas tour, which was to expirein July. After the requisite medicalexamination, his extension wasapproved, and he remained in Port-au-Prince. After several years as a Sergeant,Tolusciak received a promotion to FirstSergeant on 12 December 1924.

On 24 January 1925, Tolusciak andGunnery Sergeant Merle V. Slocum

started the morning by making repairsand testing the engine of DH-4B num-ber 6150, which ran suitably withoutincident. Tolusciak took the plane inthe air just after 1100 with Slocum inthe back seat. He made a turn to theleft and straightened out at an altitudeof about 150 feet; almost immediately,the engine seized up. Tolusciakattempted to make it back to the airfieldby attempting a “side slip” landing, butthe maneuver failed, and the airplaneburst into flames upon impact. BothMarines were killed instantly. The courtof inquiry was unable to determine theexact cause of the engine failure due tothe fire damage, yet they did not assignfault to Tolusciak. Just days after thecrash, Major General CommandantJohn A. Lejeune wrote Tolusciak’s par-ents stating that “First SergeantTolusciak’s record in the Marine Corpshas been an enviable one and his partin the record breaking flight of 10,953

miles . . . is deserving of the highestcommendation. He was an excellentpilot, a good mechanic and a cheerfuland tireless worker . . . he was honoredand respected by his comrades, all ofwhom mourn his untimely death . . .”

While reviewing Tolusciak’s servicerecords, it was discovered that in June1927, Major General Commandant JohnA. Lejeune recommended eight Marinesfor the newly created DistinguishedFlying Cross—including Tolusciak andthe rest of the “longest distance” flightteam of Rogers, Palmer, and Belcher.While none of these Marines were dec-orated with the medal, their feat wasstill a testament to their daring and skill.With eight years of his life in uniform,more than 265 hours of flying time, andhaving been awarded the Order of theVirtuti Militari, Tolusciak was certainly aMarine’s Marine. Considered for com-missioning both by the Poles and theMarine Corps, the 23 year old hadmuch left to accomplish when his lifewas abruptly snuffed out.

First Sergeant Tolusciak’s remainswere shipped to his parent’s home

in Pittsburgh, arriving on 13 February1925. Eight Marines from the RecruitingDistrict of Pittsburgh served as pallbear-ers and escorted the Marine to his fam-ily’s church for mass and then to hisfinal burial at New Light Cemetery(today St. Stanislaus Cemetery) in thehilly outskirts of Pittsburgh. Today, FirstSergeant Peter Patrick Tolusciak rests inthe peaceful family plot beside his par-ents, Bayzli and Teofila, and two of hisbrothers, both U.S. Army veterans ofWorld War II. Today, next to the slow-ly-sinking headstone of Peter Tolusciak,a miniature Marine Corps flag flies inhonor of one of the Core of the Corps.

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The author wishes to thank Ms.Katarzyna “Kasia” Tokarz and

Ms. Barbara “Basia” Serna for theirexcellent translation work; Dr. PiotrNykiel for his sleuthing skills; andDr. Tomasz Kopanski for his knowl-edge of Tolusciak’s service inPoland, his use of several pho-tographs, and his professional, cour-teous, and excellent assistance.

Photo by Annette Amerman

Peter P. Tolusciak’s grave in Pitts-burgh, Pennsylvania, is marked witha small Marine Corps flag.


The art collection of the NationalMuseum of the Marine Corps iscomprised of works which span

the history of the Corps. One of the less-er-known aspects of the collection is theon-the-spot field sketches created by ourcombat artists. These works form theheart of the 8,000 plus collection. Thedrawings and sketches allow the individ-ual to see the Marine Corps through theeyes of the artist. The works can berough and crudely drawn with powerfulstrokes of the pen or almost too delicateto touch and finely drawn on tissuepaper. Some of the artists then make briefnotes on their sketches naming theMarines in the drawing, their home-towns, the unit, or what was going on atthe time. Going through the collection ofon-the-spot field drawings is like sittingwith your grandfather and listening tohim paint through words his wartime andMarine experiences. Each drawing tells astory, some uplifting and amusing, andothers heartbreakingly sad.

In the collection we are fortunate tohave small drawings of individualMarines in the Pacific by Colonel DonaldDickson, some of these works are nomore than five inches high and are deli-cately drawn with great care. Going fur-ther back, we have quick pen and ink

drawings by Colonel John Thomason Jr.of Marines in World War I, Latin America,and China. Colonel Thomason sketchesare quick impressions of the momentwhich he could then later use for morefinished works. As with all combat artists,his works are from his direct experience.

In Vietnam, Sergeants Henry Casselliand Richard Yaco left an impressive bodyof work of over 300 drawings, watercol-ors, and sketches which capture Marinesin Vietnam. These works show theexhaustion experienced by Marines inthe heat, humidity, and after firefightsand patrols; they also show the treatmentof the wounded and the Vietnamese theMarines encountered. These combatartists weren’t bound by convention andused a variety of styles to gather theirimpressions, sometimes quick watercol-ors of almost abstract design while othersare finely detailed. Another combat artist,First Lieutenant Benjamin Long, used histalent to draw and sketch in the mannerof the old masters to capture the after-math of firefights and his view of battle.He also left simple notes of the numberof killed in action and wounded on thesketches he drew. What comes acrosswhen looking at these works is not onlythe amazing technique and individualityof each artist, but the inherent humanity

of men serving together in the field ofbattle. You see the weariness, caring,determination, and resignation that theartist has captured with pens and pencils.

Most recently in Iraq and Afghanistan,we are seeing in our field sketches therole of women as convoy drivers andpilots, serving alongside their male coun-terparts. In all conflicts, the on-the-spotfield sketches are an important elementto tell the story of the experiences ofMarines. They allow one to have aglimpse into the process of how a studiopainting evolves, what an individual artistsees with their mind and eyes, and whatis filtered out when they draw andsketch. The on-the-spot field sketches aretreasures, which allow many smaller sto-ries to unfold which then illuminate thelarger history they are a part of.

The combat art program is always onthe search for talented Marines who havethe ability to draw from life and want tojoin the ranks of Colonels Thomason andDickson, and Sergeants Casselli andYaco. So if you have solid artistic talent,please contact the art section of theNational Museum of the Marine Corpsand talk with one of our art curators. Wecan be found on the web at www.usmc-museum.org. We look forward to hearingfrom you. q1775q

National Museum of the Marine Corps

On-the-Spot Field Sketchesby Joan C. ThomasArt Curator

Col John Thomason Jr. Sgt Richard YacoSgt Henry Casselli 1stLt Ben Long


Col John Thomason Jr.


Sgt Richard Yaco


Sgt Henry Casselli


1stLt Ben Long


Col Donald Dickson


The National Museum of the MarineCorps (Museum) was conceived to

tell the Corps’ story from beginning tothe present. However, when theMuseum opened on 10 November2006, the historical galleries focusedon 35 years—World War II through theend of Vietnam. Two key variablesfueled this decision. First, the financescould not immediately support a com-plete Museum. Second, it wassupremely important to honor the liv-ing veterans. Three years of surveysand visitor feedback validated thisdecision. Today the Museum hosts500,000 guests each year, whichincludes hundreds of veteran’s groups,reunions, official ceremonies, retire-ments, promotions, education groups,and professional military educationgroups. The Museum has become theMarine House.

On 5 June 2010, the Museumunveiled three new galleries, whichcover the birth of the Corps throughthe end of World War I. The newgallery titles are (1) Defending theNew Republic (1775–1865), (2) AGlobal Expeditionary Force(1866–1916), and (3) Marines in WorldWar I (1917–1918). Collectively theyinclude 12,000 square feet and tell adynamic 144-year history with a richarray of 250 rare artifacts, 4 new dio-ramas, over 500 graphics, original artand painted murals, 12 figures castfrom Marines, 8 oral histories withsound effects and interactive audiovi-sual productions, 2,000 lights, and15,000 lines of programming code tocontrol everything 364 days per year.The Museum staff sometimes jokesthat it is easy to tell the Corps’ story,but squeezing it into the availablespace is the hard part.

The Museum’s mission statementcharges us to preserve and exhibitMarine Corps history in a manner thatis readily accessible to the public.Although this process sounds simple,the design, fabrication, and installationof exhibits is quite involved. First, we

determined a core statement: TheMarine Corps provides a vital contri-bution to the nation and the preserva-tion of freedom. This core statement issupported by nine primary messages,which were used to determine what toleave in or take out. Key among thesetenets are concepts such as Marinesare a global expeditionary force-in-readiness; every Marine is a rifleman;leadership from the front and innova-tion on the battlefield; our partnershipwith the Navy; our warrior ethos andmotto—Semper Fidelis. To personal-

ize the history, we use the first personperspective as often as possible,including quotes from people on theground and oral histories. In an effortto give this history a physical pres-ence, we include uniforms andweapons for visitors to hold andtouch, smells such as cordite, andactual footprints in the themed con-crete and on the ships’ decks.Additionally, many of the artifacts arelinked to individual Marines, and notjust to the legends of the Corps. Wewant the visitor to see things through


The Early Years: Three New Galleriesby Charles G. GrowDeputy Director

Photo by Eric Long

Entrance to the 1775–1865 Gallery


the eyes of Marines. Marine Lifeexhibits strive to motivate interest andempathy. The process involves highlyskilled curators, exhibition specialists,restoration specialists, historians,researchers, contractors, and the sup-port from the contracting office, NavyFacilities Command, and the FacilitiesBranch at Quantico.

The first of the new galleries coversthe years 1775–1865 and generally

feels small and simple when com-pared to any other gallery at theMuseum. The introductory tableau is alife-sized fighting top, manned by castfigures of two continental Marines anda boatswain mate engaged in combat.A very large early flag highlights por-tions of our constitution and the legis-lation that created the first two battal-ions of Marines. The first half of thegallery visually suggests the underdecks of a ship. Visitors can see a life-sized re-creation of Marine quarterswhere hammocks and gear are neatlystowed in cramped quarters. Artifactsinclude a boarding axe, a scrim-shawed powder horn, and swords anduniforms that belonged to Corps’ leg-ends including Presley O’Bannon,Archibald Henderson, and LeviTwiggs. Nowhere else will you beable to stand under a flag flown atChapultepec. The latter half of the

gallery focuses on the Corps duringthe American Civil War. A life-sizedtableau includes a cast figure ofCorporal Mackie, the Corps’ first recip-ient of the Medal of Honor. Artifactssuch as the flag and bugle carried byMarines at the first battle of Manassasare prominently displayed as areweapons used by Marines from boththe North and the South.

The entrance of the 1866–1916gallery is marked with a reproductionof the Tartar Wall upon which a

Marine and Chinese Boxer engage inmortal combat. An audiovisual pro-duction, projected on a large replicaof a ship from the Great White Fleet,helps to give the visitor a broadoverview of what the country and theCorps did during the AmericanReconstruction and the global indus-trial revolution. Examples of earlylanding guns remind us that gettingashore was a heavy and dangeroustask. Visitors walk through a life-sizedtent during the Philippine Insurrectionwhile a fire crackles just outside, cast-ing shadows of Marines engaged intimeless acts, such as swatting bugs,reading letters from home, cleaningweapons, and tending to sore, wetfeet. Overhead, sound effects drawattention to an early Marine Corps air-craft, the Curtiss A-2 Pusher, pilotedby a figure that was cast from a Marinepilot at HMX-1. A fully restored KingArmored Car, with the evidence of a.45-caliber armor test, is exhibited ona Pennsylvania roadway during testingin 1916. The gallery concludes with anexhibit that celebrates the MarineBand. Band artifacts, a flip book ofearly sheet music and a cast figurefrom today’s actual Drum Major, pro-vide lots of information about theband. A large re-creation of theproscenium at the old Crawford BandHall at the Marine Barracks at 8th andI Streets serves as a projection screenwhere, upon the visitor’s request, the

The Belleau Wood immersion film in the 1917–1918 GalleryPhoto by Eric Long

Photo by Eric Long

King Armored Car from the 1866–1916 Gallery


band leader introduces and plays oneof four marches.

The entrance of the World War Igallery is marked with cast figures ofan American Marine locked in hand-to-hand combat with an ImperialGerman. A young newspaper boyprovides the introduction to eventsthat led to World War I and suggeststhat you see the big fight for yourself.The next exhibit highlights tacticalinnovation on the battlefield atBelleau Wood where the visitor walksthrough a life-sized forest and entersthe immersion gallery from behindGerman lines. Special effects and ashort film provide a very emotionalexperience as the Marines overrun aGerman Maxim machine gun position.The film was shot in Bealeton,Virginia, and stars 43 Marines fromQuantico. Although originally plannedto include actors, seasoned young vet-erans quickly took charge and seized

the speaking parts in commandingfashion. The immersion space contin-ues as a Model-T truck delivers ammu-nition and retrieves a woundedMarine at the front. The figures wereall cast from actual Marines; in thiscase, art imitates life because thewounded Marine was actually wound-ed in Iraq, and the figure, administer-ing first aid, saved the real Marine’slife. The gallery includes informationabout other campaigns, weapons car-ried by the Americans and Germans,the development of aviation and logis-tics, and the first women Marines.

Overall these galleries involvedover four years of research, writ-

ing, design, fabrication, installation,artifact conservation, and restoration.Curators, exhibit specialists, restora-tion specialists, and others investedtens of thousands of hours to theeffort, but it was a small task com-

pared to the next and final phase ofthe Museum. What’s next you mightask? Phase 2 covers 1976 to present.We will squeeze over 40 years of his-tory into a gallery that will be roughlythe same size as the ones mentionedabove. The first part of Phase 2 isscheduled to open as early as 2014.We’ll apply the same basic processes,research, and effort to tell the Corps’more recent stories. We’ve been gath-ering comments and feedback, andconducting early conceptualizationmeetings. Our success will depend inpart on participation by Marines suchas you. While a flood of emails or let-ters would be counterproductive atthis point, we do intend to ask foryour assistance and input via the webat some point during the next year.Good museums are never done, andyours will only get better. To learnmore about the Museum visitwww.usmcmuseum.org. q1775q

Photo by Eric Long

Another view of the 1917–1918 Gallery


John Philip Sousa (1854–1932), likemany Americans of his generation,had a passion for shooting sports andwell-made firearms. Known as the“March King” and conductor of theUnited States Marine Corps Band from1880 to 1892, Sousa had many awardsand accolades bestowed upon him formusical accomplishments. What manydo not know, however, is that Sousawas also an accomplished trapshoot-er, sportsman, and conservationist.

Sousa was born in Washington DCand spent much of his youth at theWashington Navy Yard. It was herethat he acquired his passion for duckand quail shooting. First accompany-ing his father, who was a dedicatedbird-hunter, he pursued ducks alongthe Potomac and Anacostia Rivers andquail in Prince George’s County. Thispassion carried over into adulthoodwith Sousa partially owning two hunt-ing preserves: a 2,000-acre spreadoutside of Pinehurst, North Carolina,

His greatest achievement in trap-shooting, however, was when he wasinducted into the American Trap-shooting Association Hall of Fame.Located in Vandalia, Ohio, Sousa wasenshrined on 13 August 1985.

Sousa was also a very capablehorseman, and one equestrian

incident nearly ended his career. In1921, he was thrown from his favoritehorse, a high-spirited steed namedPatrician Charley. The resultingmishap caused him a cracked uppervertebra, and painful head and shoul-der injuries. Sousa was bedridden fornearly eight weeks, and doctorsfeared that he might never have useof his arms again. He recovered,although not completely, only regain-ing partial use of his left arm. Despitehis injury, he continued to be active inthe sport and his musical career untilhis death in 1932.

The National Museum of theMarine Corps is fortunate to hold twoof Sousa’s personal shotguns in itscollection. Both are L.C. Smith dou-ble-barrel guns manufactured by theHunter Arms Company of Fulton,New York. One is a highly engraved

and a 6,500-acre preserve in George-town, South Carolina.

Sousa’s greatest sporting passionwas competitive trapshooting. Takingit up seriously in 1906, he was dedi-cated to the sport and served it in anycapacity that his life as a musician andcomposer would allow. In 1911 whileon a world tour with his band, hewrote of his love of the democraticaspects of the sport: “Like love, trap-shooting levels all ranks.”

His attendance at any shoot was abig event, drawing large crowds

and generating headline publicity andfavorable press for the sport and itscontestants. While Sousa contendedthat he participated in the sport pure-ly for relaxation, he was also extreme-ly proud of his scores, winning orplacing in many events. At Pinehurstin 1919, Sousa was the mainstay ofthe Navy team in an Army versusNavy contest. His individual scorewas the highest among the three Navycompetitors. Another notable honorwas bestowed upon Sousa when, in1916, the Ithaca Gun Companynamed the highest quality shotgun inits line the “Sousa Grade.”


John Philip Sousa: Gentleman Sportsmanby Alfred V. Houde Jr.Curator of Ordnance

Sousa at the Grand NationalsPhoto courtesy of the American Trapshooting Hall of Fame

Photo by Kathy Reesey

L.C. Smith A2 grade shotgun


A2 grade 12-gauge with 32-inch bar-rels. Records of the Hunter ArmsCompany, held by the Cody FirearmsMuseum in Wyoming, include aledger, which indicates that Sousaspecially ordered this gun. HunterArms shipped him his gun, serialnumber 211,470, on 10 August 1909.Stocked in fancy grade Americanblack walnut, it was engraved by Mr.Albert Kraus, the company’s finestcraftsman. The second shotgunowned by the National Museum of theMarine Corps is a light and trim little20-gauge double-gun. Also manufac-

tured by Hunter Arms, this L.C. SmithFeatherweight Field Grade gun bearsserial number FW 66168E and waspurchased by Sousa in 1924.According to his grandson ThomasSousa, this gun was purchased so thatSousa could shoot one-handed withhis damaged left arm used for partialsupport.

In honor of John Philip Sousa, theNational Museum of the Marine Corpshas included many artifacts ownedand used by Sousa the musician andSousa the sportsman in a new gallery.Find them in the Winning the Hearts

and Minds of Americans exhibit in thegallery titled A Global ExpeditionaryForce, 1866–1916. This gallery is oneof three that opened in June 2010,which tell the story of the MarineCorps from 1775 through World War I.

In Sousa’s own words, “A horse, adog, a gun, a girl and music on theside. That is my idea of heaven.”These are fitting words from a gentle-man, sportsman, and great Americanremembered as much for his contri-butions to the shooting sports as forhis music. q1775q

The following is an email that theeditor received, regarding CharlesD. Melson’s story (“Wake IslandDefense”) in the 35:2 issue ofFortitudine. The email has beentruncated to fit in the space.

Sir:I believe Chief Historian Melson

errs in his short piece on the defenseof Wake when he suggests the PanAmerican clipper flew search patrolson behalf of the garrison there. At thetime of the Japanese attack on PearlHarbor, Pan American Airways hadseven clippers in the Pacific.

Philippine Clipper (NC14715) aMartin M-130, was about 20 minutesout of Wake Island enoute to Guamwhen she was recalled by PanAmerican’s Wake station manager,John B. Cooke at the request ofCommander Cunningham, Officer-in-Charge of Naval Activities on theisland. Soon after Philippine Clipperlanded back in the lagoon and taxiedto the Pan Am ramp on Peale Island,Cunningham asked Captain John H.Hamilton, the clipper’s commander,if he would be willing to undertake ascouting mission on behalf of theisland’s defenders. Hamilton agreed,but first the clipper needed to shedmore than a ton of high priority airfreight-spare parts for the P-40B’s of

Waldo Raugust who was driving anambulance and passenger Herman P.Hevenor, an analyst for the Bureau ofthe Budget, who had only been onWake for one day, and who appar-ently either did not hear the recallsignal or moved too slowly. Botheventually spent the war in JapanesePOW camps. Of the unfortunate Mr.Hevenor, Colonel Devereaux com-mented: “It struck me as a ratherdrastic lesson in the wisdom of punc-tuality.”

It took Captain Hamilton two triesto get the overloaded clipper off thewater but he got her up and headedback toward Midway which hereached about midnight. There herefueled and continued on toHonolulu where all of the non-crewmembers disembarked. PhilippineClipper then proceeded to SanFrancisco, arriving on December 11,1941. So, many adventures for PanAm on the “Day of Infamy,” but noscouting flights. Within a week, all ofthe PAA clippers had been purchasedby the War and Navy Departments ata handsome profit to the companywhich then continued to crew and flythem ostensibly as civilian aircraft butunder military orders.

Semperi Fi,Bob Mattingly

the First American Volunteer Groupin China and Burma-travelling underthe care of Army Air CorpsLieutenant Albert J. “Ajax” Baumler.Once the cargo, three passengers,and mail had been taken off,Philippine Clipper was refueled andarrangements were made for a 1300take-off and rendevouz with a sec-tion of VMF-211 Wildcats. This flightdid not take place. Shortly beforenoon the Japanese made their firstattack on Wake.

Pan Am’s contingent on the islandconsisted of 66 employees, 38 ofwhom were Guamanian Chammoroswho worked in the hotel and ran thelaundry. A total of nine Pan Am per-sonnel were killed in the firstairstrike and several more werewounded including two members ofthe clipper crew. Although thePhilippine Clipper was hit 16 times,nothing vital was damaged and sheremained airworthy. As soon as theattack was over, Cooke and Hamiltonagreed with Cunningham that, if pos-sible, the Pan Am employees shouldbe evacuated. A recall signal wassounded and by 1330, the airplanewas packed solid with what wasbelieved to be Caucasian Pan Ampersonnel, passengers and crew: 35people in all. The Chammoros wereleft behind as was Pan Am mechanic

Our Readers Write

Wake Island Defense and Pan Am Clippers


Brigadier General Lawrence RogerSeamon passed away on 7 June

2010. A veteran of the Merchant Marinein World War II and the Marine Corps inthe Korea and Vietnam Wars, Seamonwas 83 years old at the time of his death.

Born in New York City on 27 April1927, Seamon graduated from Wood-mere High School in Woodmere, NewYork, in 1945 before entering theUniversity of Bridgeport (Connecticut).He graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor ofArts degree in Psychology. Seamonenlisted in the Marine Corps in May1951 and was commissioned a secondlieutenant upon completion of theOfficer Candidate Course in Septemberof that year. After completing The BasicSchool, he was assigned to the 22dReplacement Draft (Air) at CampPendleton, which was preparing totransfer to Korea.

Seamon’s first assignment was as aplatoon leader with Company C, 1stBattalion, 5th Marines, and later as a tac-tical air observer with Marine Observa-tion Squadron 6. For his actions duringthe battle of Bunker Hill in July–October1952, Seamon was awarded the BronzeStar with Combat V. He was also

wounded on three separate occasionsduring his service in Korea.

Upon returning from Korea, he wasassigned to the Schools DemonstrationTroops, and during this time, served astechnical advisor for the movie AKorean Story. After completing theSupply Officers Course in January 1955,Seamon served as the Supply Officerwith Marine Aircraft Group 31 and 3dService Battalion before being namedthe latter’s battalion commanding offi-cer. After serving at Marine CorpsSupply Center Albany, Georgia, and atRecruiting Station, Albany, New York,Seamon was assigned to HeadquartersMarine Corps Supply Department in July1968.

Seamon was transferred to 3d ForceService Regiment in Vietnam inSeptember 1968 and the next monthwas transferred to Headquarters FleetMarine Force Pacific in Hawaii to serveas assistant supply officer. After threeyears, Seamon was reassigned to the 1stMarine Division at Camp Pendleton,California, where he served until 1975.In July 1975, Seamon was named com-manding officer of 3d Force ServiceSupport Group in Okinawa and waspromoted to brigadier general duringhis tenure.

On 1 July 1977, Seamon wasassigned as Director, Materiel Division,Installations and Logistics Department,Headquarters Marine Corps. Assigned tohis last duty assignment on 1 July 1979,Seamon took command of the DefenseFuel Supply Center in Alexandria,Virginia. He served in this capacity untilhis retirement on 1 July 1981.

Brigadier General Seamon’s medalsand decorations include theDistinguished Service Medal, BronzeStar Medal with Combat V, Air Medal,Navy Commendation Medal withCombat V and gold star in lieu of sec-ond award, Purple Heart with two goldstars, Presidential Unit Citation, NavyUnit Commendation, Meritorious Unit

Commendation with one bronze star,World War II Victory Medal, NationalDefense Service Medal with one bronzestar, Korean Service Medal with threebronze stars, Vietnam Service Medalwith one bronze star, Sea ServiceDeployment Ribbon, Korean Presiden-tial Unit Citation, Republic of VietnamMeritorious Unit Citation (GallantryCross color), United Nations ServiceMedal, and the Republic of VietnamCampaign Medal.

Richard A. “Dick” Long The MarineCorps History Division was saddened tolearn of the passing of our friend andformer colleague Richard A. “Dick” Longon 12 May 2010. A veteran of the U.S.Navy in World War II and the U.S. Armyduring the Korean War, Dick served as acivil service historian on Okinawa withthe Air Force before joining the MarineCorps historical program in 1958.

During his more than 40 years of ser-vice with the Marine Corps, Dick waslargely responsible for researching TheCommandant’s House and the MarineBarracks at 8th and I in Washington DC.He also conducted research on historicsites at Marine Corps propertiesthroughout the world, including activeand deactivated Marine barracks, andassociated memorials and monuments.

Historians of the Marine Corps todayowe much of the foundational work on

In Memoriam

Brigadier General Lawrence R. Seamonand Richard A. “Dick” Long

by Annette D. AmermanHistorian

BGen Lawrence R. Seamon

Richard A. Long


prominent early Marines to Dick Long. Agreat deal of his work was concentratedon the genealogical and biographicalhistory of the early Commandants,among them Anthony Gale. He also wasinstrumental in the acquisition ofnumerous personal papers collections,portraits, and personal artifacts of 19thand 20th century Marines, which arenow held by the National Museum ofthe Marine Corps and Quantico’s GrayResearch Center.

Dick authored numerous articles andproduced the extensive biographicalappendix included in the History

Division’s Bicentennial of the AmericanRevolution volume, Marines in theRevolution, published in 1975. In addi-tion, his research also enabled theNational Museum’s artist-in-residence,Colonel Charles Waterhouse, to create aseries of historical paintings, amongthem “Marines in the Revolution,”“Marines in the Frigate Navy,” and“Marines in California.”

Later in his career, Dick assumed theposition of Head Oral Historian with thedivision and gathered many key histori-cal interviews during his tenure, mostnotably with the Marine survivors of the

Battle of Corregidor and other WorldWar II Marine prisoners of war. As aresult of these efforts he was made anhonorary member of the 4th MarineDivision. Dick retired from the MarineCorps in 1999 after more than 50 yearsof service to his country as a member ofits Armed Forces and as a civilian histo-rian. He was a living repository ofMarine Corps information and his pass-ing is felt deeply by all who knew him.His son Tim, daughter Terry, son-in-lawStuart, and two granddaughters survivehim; his wife Gladys predeceased him.

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First to Write

Marines Attack Baghdad

Starting with the invasion of Kuwaitin 1990, the Marines have been

involved in the twenty years of con-flict which has embroiled the UnitedStates and Iraq. In the spring of 2003the United States invaded Iraq in orderto overthrow the regime of SaddamHussein and the Baathist Party.Designated Operation Iraqi Freedomthis remains one of the most contro-versial conflicts in American history.

For the Marine Corps, OperationIraqi Freedom represents an expan-sion of its ability to project powerfrom the sea, as the I MarineExpeditionary Force operated furtherthan ever before from the sea in ahighly mobile desert environment. InApril, as U.S. forces surroundedBaghdad, Marines drove to the centerof the city and conducted, on live tele-vision, one of the more memorableacts of the war. That story is related inthe selection below.

This excerpt is from ColonelNicholas E. Reynolds’ book, U.S.Marines in Iraq, 2003: Basrah,Baghdad and Beyond, pp. 100–102,which can be downloaded in a PDFversion from the History Division’swebsite under Publications <http://www.history.usmc.mil>.

Into Baghdad

By 1800Z on 8 April, I MEF was plan-ning to conduct “armed reconnaissancein force into Baghdad” on the next day,

and division reported that it was con-templating specific “offensive opera-tions within Baghdad iot [in order to]complete the removal of the Regime.”This was quite a change from the daybefore, when the focus had been oncrossing the Diyala. Finally, early on 9April, the division received the go-ahead from General Conway to attackits targets. A few hours later, the fieldhistorian at force headquarters, MajorTheodore R. McKeldin III, noted that IMEF had been “cleared hot” by CFLCCfor the eastern part of the city. By thetime McKeldin penned this note late inthe morning, the regimental combatteams had started to move toward theobjectives that the division staff had socarefully selected. As one of the embed-ded reporters, Peter Baker of TheWashington Post, wrote, they were exe-cuting the plan for the day, which “wasto keep chipping away at . . . SaddamHussein’s power structure. The Marineswould stab into Baghdad and seize aparamilitary base, a secret police head-quarters and a presidential palace.”

No one was entirely sure what theday would bring. At the morning staffmeeting, General Conway commentedto his staff that he thought there wouldbe a “big fight” for Saddam’s palaces.Division had concluded that the threatfrom conventional forces had been“nearly eliminated,” that there would belittle by way of centrally controlled,organized resistance. But there werereports of irregular formations. The reg-

iments were ready to fight if they hadto. Soon many of the reports from thefront showed quite a different picture.Cable News Network was with 1stBattalion, 7th Marines, as it went intothe city, and Fox News was with 3dLight Armored ReconnaissanceBattalion to the northeast. Instead offighters, both battalions encounteredcrowds of jubilant Iraqis who welcomedtheir liberation. One of the armoredreconnaissance company commanders,Captain Brian B. Smalley, said later thatit was “like driving through Paris in1944.”

In his trailer at force headquarters,now at An Numaniyah, GeneralConway watched the dramatic televi-sion footage, some of it showing thepoor Shia neighborhood known asSaddam City (and later as Sadr City),which the Marines had originallybypassed. The images impressed him somuch that he decided to approve Mattis’request, which had apparently percolat-ed up from the regiments, simply toadvance in zone until they encounteredopposition. But his optimism wasguarded: “Our intent was to constrictthe city using various key objectives aslily pads to reduce the regime on theeast side. What we are seeing on TV ishappening in some Shia neighbor-hoods. We cannot make the mistake tosay that is happening all over Baghdad.We still have a military imperative toconduct operations to reduce . . .regime-related facilities.”



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Conway discussed the issue with hisArmy counterparts at a midday videoteleconference, and ultimately therewas broad agreement on “a plan for adecisive assault on the city” by theMarines and the Army. This was the endof the various plans for a methodicaladvance to seize particular objectives,let alone the plan for in-and-out raids.The division finally had a free hand inBaghdad.

The result was that RCT 7 happilyassaulted through its assigned area

of operations, moving from the south-east to the northwest on the north bankof the Tigris. The list of sites theysecured on that day was impressive—the Ministry of Intelligence; the Ministryof Oil; Uday Hussein’s offices, whichwere already burning when the Marinesarrived; the Iraqi air force headquarters,which had been destroyed; and theFedayeen headquarters, which was list-ed as “rubbled.” At the end of the day,the division’s plans were just as ambi-tious as its accomplishments: “to havemade [the Marine] presence known inall of [our] city zones by morningtomorrow [and] over the next few days. . . allowing the local populace . . . toreturn to some sense of normal life.”

Among the sites in the 7th Marinesarea of operations was Firdos Square indowntown Baghdad. It was dominatedby a six-meter-high statue of SaddamHussein with his right arm raised in aheroic gesture. The 3d Battalion, 4thMarines, rolled into the square late inthe day on 9 April. A crowd quickly

gathered. Given the proximity of thelocal haven for journalists, the PalestineHotel, there seemed to be as many for-eign reporters as Iraqi citizens in thecrowd. An Army psychological opera-tions team attached to the Marinesarrived and announced over a loud-speaker in Arabic that the Marines haddecided the statue should come down.Millions around the world were able towatch the events in real time on CableNews Network and other television net-works. A Marine named CorporalEdward Chin, of Company B, 1st TankBattalion, climbed onto a derrick thatextended from his M88 tank retriever.He reached up and placed an Americanflag over Saddam’s face. Some of theIraqis said, “No, we want an Iraqi flag,”and, within one or two minutes, Chin

took the flag down and replaced it withan Iraqi flag. Next a stout rope was fit-ted around the statue, and then to acable on the tank retriever. When thetank retriever pulled, the statue camedown, slowly, as the metal bent andSaddam slipped off the pedestal. Thecrowd rushed forward, swarming overthe fallen statue. One group of Iraqisdragged its head to an unknown but nodoubt unpleasant fate.

There are a few arresting images inevery war, and the toppling of theSaddam statue was one of them for theIraq War. It was not exactly what thehigh command wanted. GeneralsTommy Franks and McKiernan, each athis own headquarters, had been watch-ing the scene unfold on television, andwhen the American flag went overSaddam’s face, Franks picked up thetelephone to call McKiernan, who didnot need to be told why his boss wascalling. Even before General Frankscould say anything, General McKiernansaid, “We are already on it.” As com-manders from General Franks toGeneral Mattis had told their troopsover and over again, this was not a warof American conquest, but of Iraqi lib-eration. The flag that mattered was notthe American flag; it was the Iraqi flag,flown alone, in sites no longer dominat-ed by statues and murals of SaddamHussein. Nevertheless, the Saddam stat-ue’s fall marked a turning point; the endof Phase III seemed to be in sight, eventhough there would still be some hardfighting. q1775q

Photo courtesy of the 1st Marine Division

Marines from 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, on their first patrol through a crowdedcommunity in Baghdad’s Saddam City, were greeted by thousands of apprehen-sive Iraqis who lined the streets.


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