The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Major General Wendell C. Neville - Jul. 5th, 2004

hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil ^

[SAMWolf]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
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FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

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Major General Wendell Cushing Neville
(1870 - 1930)

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Few Marines have seen more action in widely scattered parts of the world than the late Major General Wendell C. Neville, fourteenth Commandant of the Marine Corps in 1929 and 1930. The Virginian, who became a "soldier of the sea" chiefly because no one else in his district desired an appointment to Annapolis back in 1886, was one of the most decorated Marines in the history of the Corps.

Major General Wendell Cushing Neville

Outlining the military activities of General Neville is similar to reviewing major Marine Corps activities from 1898 through 1918. During that period, he spent 14 years on military assignments on foreign soil, was in the thick of a dozen military campaigns and expeditions, fought in 14 major engagements recorded as battles, and participated in numerous skirmishes recorded in history as minor incidents.

Major General Wendell Cushing Neville, 14th Commandant of the Marine Corps and Medal of Honor recipient, was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, on 12 May 1870. He entered the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in 1886 chiefly because no one else in his district desired an appointment to Annapolis that year. He received his diploma in 1890 and following a two-year cruise aboard a warship, as was the practice of the era, was commissioned a Marine Corps second lieutenant.


US Marine Corps, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 1898

At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Lt Neville was assigned to the 1st Marine Battalion, hurriedly organized under LtCol W.R. Huntington for service in Cuba. The battalion staged a daring attack under heavy gunfire at Guantanamo Bay, established a beachhead and routed enemy forces in that area. For outstanding valor and leadership in that action, Lt Neville was awarded the Brevet Medal, highest Marine Corps decoration at that time, and was promoted to the brevet rank of captain.

Promoted to the permanent rank of captain a few months after the war, he was assigned to a battalion of Marines ordered to China to relieve the hard-pressed garrison at Peking during the Boxer Rebellion. He took part in four battles in that area and was again commended for his gallantry.


The Marine Guard of the USS Texas, circa 1896, commanded by 1st Lieutenant W.C. Neville, who later commanded the 4th Brigade of Marines in France during World War I, and, from 1929-30, was Major General Commandant of the Marine Corps.
Courtesy of Colonel Wendell Neville Vest USMC (Ret)

In the Philippine Islands not long afterwards, he was appointed military governor of Basilin Province. Following that assignment he served in Cuba, Nicaragua, Panama and Hawaii. While in command of Marines landing at Vera Cruz, Mexico, on 21 April 1914, he displayed conspicuous gallantry. In that operation, LtCol Neville was awarded the Medal of Honor for his distinguished conduct.

Prior to his embarkation for France in 1917, Col Neville returned to China where he was chosen to command the combined Allied guard at Peking.


Marines of Vera Cruz. Left to right: Captain F.H. Delano, Sergeant-Major John H. Quick, Lieutenant W.C. Neville, Colonel J.A. Lejeune, and Major S.D. Butler.
U.S. Marine Corps, Marine Corps University Archives.

On 1 January 1918, he was placed in command of the 5th Marine Regiment in France and in May moved his regiment into action at Belleau Wood where Germany’s big drive was decisively halted. In July, BGen Neville’s command was enlarged to include the 4th Marine Brigade, which he directed during the remaining days of the war and during its occupation service in Germany.

After service with the Army of Occupation in Germany, BGen Neville and his brigade returned to the United States in July 1919. Promoted to major general in March 1920, he served as assistant to the Commandant of the Marine Corps and later became Commanding General, Department of the Pacific with headquarters in San Francisco. He also commanded the Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia.


At Belleau Wood

Major General Neville succeeded MajGen Lejeune as Commandant of the Marine Corps on 5 March 1929. MajGen Neville’s sudden death on 8 July 1930 at Edgewater Beach, Maryland, while in office as Major General Commandant, closed one of the most brilliant military careers of his day - a career of faithful service that extended through many important chapters of Marine Corps history; Guantanamo Bay, the Siege of Peking, Tientsin, the Philippine Insurrection, Panama, Vera Cruz, Belleau Wood, Soissons, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, the Rhine and Coblenz. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.



During the 38 years he spent as a U. S. Marine, he saw action in Cuba, Mexico, China, the Philippines, Nicaragua, and France. MajGen Neville received the Medal of Honor, Brevet Medal, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Cross of the Legion of Honor, five Croix de Guerre with three stars and two palms, five citation and eight campaign and expeditionary awards.

[Professional Engineer]

Thanks Sam, you just helped me check off another of the 10,423 items I want to learn more about.

[snippy_about_it]

I'd be glad to.

[snippy_about_it]

Science, Music, and Culture wannabe.

Afternoon alfa, Science and music are okay, I never was much on culture though. Cuss like a sailor. ;-)

[snippy_about_it]

Morning CJ. Sorry I missed you last night.

[Professional Engineer]

ROFL You hid the root beer with the flag! Sneaky

[snippy_about_it]

I thought we'd enjoy our root beer on the deck this afternoon. ;-)

[snippy_about_it]

SAMWolf (Never judge a man by his taglines.)

But...but...your taglines are soooo you!

[Soaring Feather]

Hiya, snippy!!

[Soaring Feather]

Great Flag-o-gram today!

[PAR35]

1954 B-52A bomber made its maiden flight(BUFF)

The 1950s were the golden age of aircraft design. At least 4 types in current use are based on designs from that era - B-52, C-130, KC-135, and P-3.

[alfa6]

At the risk of embarassing my self, I don't think you got the little joke in my morning bumperooni post.

Need a hint, see PE's Flag-O-Gram for today.

BTW, today could be a notable one for me. I actually posted an article. You might find it interesting if you have not ween it. Coincidently it to has something to do with my little joke as well.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1165613/posts

Y'all have a nice day , ya heah. I gotta log some blanket drill, one more night shift to go, then back on days for two weeks.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[alfa6]

You pould also throw in the F-4 Phantom as well. Even though the US is not using it, the Phantom still serves in front line duty with Germany, Japan and probably one or tow others as well.

And for a real oldie but goodie the T-33 is still tooling around in various oversaeas forces, IIRC. Not bad for a design that got it's start in 1944!

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[SAMWolf]

Mosquito, another "Classic"

[SAMWolf]

Afternoon DD.

The Marines do see to have the ability to attract the best.

[SAMWolf]

One more down only 10,422 to go.

[SAMWolf]

Never wanted to be a judge anyway. :-)

[SAMWolf]

The other amazing thing is how fast they went from drawing board to flight.

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Boeing received a contract from the Air Force in July 1948 to build two experimental long-range, heavy bombers under the designation B-52. Because jet engines were still in their infancy and considered insufficient for a heavy bomber, the contract called for turboprop engines to power the planes.

But Ed Wells, Boeing vice president of Engineering, and George Schairer, chief of Aerodynamics, preferred jets for the B-52. Boeing Senior Vice President Wellwood Beal told the two to work up a new design using jets but not to do anything that would jeopardize the contract in hand for turboprops.

The jet-powered B-52 was born in the Hotel Van Cleve in Dayton, Ohio, on an October weekend in 1948. How it happened has become a Boeing legend.

On Thursday, October 21, a three-man team — headed by Schairer and armed with plans for the turboprop bomber — walked into a conference room at Wright Field Air Force Base. Engineers Art Carlsen and Vaughn Blumenthal accompanied Schairer, whose briefcase also just happened to contain data for a jet-powered B-52.

The Air Force chief of bomber development, Col. Pete Warden, looked over the turboprop data and was clearly disappointed. He asked if the Boeing team could come up with an updated proposal for a B-52 powered by jets.

Schairer called Wells, who arrived in Dayton that night.

Back at the hotel, the team worked all night. Using the data that Schairer had brought along, they put together a design that incorporated jet engines but did not call for any major changes to the bomber's wing.

On Friday, Col. Warden carefully looked over the new charts and graphs. Finally he said, "I don't think you've gone far enough."

"Let's see what we can do," Wells said. "We'll be back Monday morning." It was almost noon Friday.

Returning to the Hotel Van Cleve, the team was joined by Bob Withington and Maynard Pennell, two top Boeing engineers who just happened to be in town on other business.

By late Friday night, they had laid out what was essentially a new airplane. The new design featured a wing that was swept back at 35 degrees with a 185-foot span. More significantly, it featured eight jet engines.

After a Saturday morning trip to a local hobby shop for balsa wood, glue, carving tools and silver paint, Schairer set to work building a model. The rest of the team focused on weight and performance data. Wells, who was also a skilled artist, completed the aircraft drawings.

On Sunday, a hired stenographer typed a clean copy of the proposal.

On Monday, Schairer presented Col. Warden with a neatly bound 33-page proposal and a beautiful 14-inch scale model on a stand.

Col. Warden was clearly impressed.

"Now we have an airplane," he said. "This is the B-52."

The Air Force quickly approved the proposal to develop an entirely new jet bomber under the same designation.

The B-52 that flew for the first time on April 15, 1952, looked and performed almost exactly like the plane presented in drawings, words, numbers and balsa wood assembed by six talented engineers who worked one very full weekend in Dayton's Hotel Van Cleve.

[SAMWolf]

Well ya didn't ping me and I missed it. Good article.

"Counterintelligence! You'll never see me coming!"

LOL. That was good.

[snippy_about_it]

OOPs. Post 58 was from me, not Sam. Sam is over visiting and I jumped on the computer without logging in. Darn it. He's usually the one that does it to me. Today, my turn to mess up.

[snippy_about_it]

Afternoon DD, America grows some great people don't they!