Major Gaines Mosely

 I know what got me started down the path as a historian of Marines in the First World War--a photo of a Marine on a boat that was floating up the Rhine River.  Rhine River Patrol. What was that?

My intellectual curiosity got the better of me and many years later it resulted in my creating a book about Marines in WWI, serving as the WWI expert for the Corps, ushering several commemorative histories of WWI battles through the publishing process, and organizing a three-day WWI symposium.   All this effort simply because of this photo of then-Captain Gaines Moseley, although at the time, I didn't know his name. 

I was in the middle of final edits on my book when Gaines Moseley's granddaughter came out of the shadows and told me what she knew of him and gave me a name to include before the book was printed.   So let me tell you about Major Gaines Moseley.

Born in Aiken, South Carolina, on 12 May 1875, Gaines Moseley enlisted in the Marine Corps on 25 May 1897 and went through recruit training at Port Royal, South Carolina (today's Parris Island).  By October 1899 he was a Corporal on the USS Brooklyn, and in October 1900 he was promoted to Sergeant.  While at sea, he served in China, Philippines and the Spanish-American War.  He was promoted to First Sergeant on 5 October 1903.

In November 1906, he was deployed to Cuba with the 1st Regiment and served there til January 1909 when he was assigned to Marine Barracks at the Washington Navy Yard in DC.  Our paths cross here as my first job with the Marine Corps was in the Marine Corps Historical Center which occupied the former Marine Barracks in the Navy Yard.  

Moseley continued service at the Navy Yard as part of the USS Dolphin as the NCOIC of the detachment, and then transferred to the USS Delaware until December 1911 when he was transferred to Marine Barracks Charleston, SC.  In August 1912, Moseley deployed once again--this time with the 1st Provisional Regiment that was headed to Nicaragua via the Panama Canal.

Service in Nicaragua complete in January 1913, Moseley was sent to the Recruit Depot at Norfolk, Virginia until December 1914 when he was again on ship--this time the USS Louisiana which was sent to the Dominican Republic.  The ship's detachment was landed and eventually became the 47th Company.

In May 1917, as the Corps rushed to form up two regiments for service in France, the 47th Company returned to the United States and joined the 5th Regiment.  On 13 October 1917, Moseley was commissioned a Second Lieutenant with the 47th Company in France.  Just a few months later, on 5 February 1918, Moseley skipped over First Lieutenant and promoted to Captain.

Fighting through Belleau Wood, Captain Moseley took over command of the 47th Company when company commander Captain Philip T. Case was wounded (his second in the same battle) on 22 June 1918.  July saw the company engaged at Soissons; September in St. Mihiel.  On 4 October, while in the midst of the Blanc Mont battle, Captain Moseley was wounded by gunfire (muster roll and casualty roll conflict as to actual nature of wounds received).
Moseley returned to the company in November 1918 and made the march to the Rhine River with his company. 

As the commander of an "assault company, Moseley displayed exceptional courage in carrying his line forward during a heavy artillery and machine gun barrage" and for this he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross.  These were in addition to the third Silver Star citation (today's Silver Star medal) for actions in the same battle.  The first two Silver Star citations were for actions performed at Belleau Wood in June. 

A Marine with years of sea duty was a natural selection for service with the Rhine River Patrol.  This is where we cross paths once again and my interest in WWI Marines and those on the Rhine is first

ignited.  My research into these Marines led me to an article by Al Barnes published in Army History Magazine.  Al, also a native upstate New Yorker, and I have collaborated numerous times on many subjects and I convinced him to write an article for Marine Corps History about the Marines at the end of the war.  He graciously did and I introduced him to Gaines' granddaughter, who I've regrettably lost touch with since.  

But back to Captain Moseley.  He served as the commanding officer of the SS Mosel and Preussen on the Rhine through August 1919 when he was returned to Quantico with the 47th Company.  In October 1919, he was assigned duty as the commanding officer of the Sea-Going Depot at Parris Island.  This was ideal duty for a Marine with so many years and experience as a seagoing Marine.  Captain Moseley remained at the Sea-Going Depot until August 1923 when he was sent to Haiti with the 1st Brigade and served as the Brigade Transportation Officer for the next two years.

Upon returning to the United States in September 1925, Captain Moseley was assigned to the Receiving Ship at New York until he was retired on 11 January 1928, having completed nearly 31 years of service to the Marine Corps.   His medals and decorations are listed as: Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, three Silver Star citations, Spanish Campaign Medal, China Relief Medal, Philippine Campaign Medal, Cuban Pacification Medal, Nicaraguan Campaign Medal, Dominican Campaign Medal, Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal (Dominican Republic), World War Victory Medal, two French Croix de Guerre with Bronze and Silver Star, French Fourragere, and Belgian Order of Leopold II (Chevalier) and the Purple Heart.  In retirement, he was promoted to Major for having been commended in battle.

Gaines Moseley served the Corps as a bachelor for the majority of his career, not marrying until 1923 at the age of 48.  He and his wife had one daughter.  He lived until 30 March 1960 when he passed away in Portsmouth, Virginia, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. 

No matter how much I've read or studied the Marines of World War I, they will continue to have a special place in my heart.  Major Gaines Moseley, you are remembered! 

Corporal Henry Pruitt

I doubt there's anyone out there who hasn't heard, or sung for that matter, the Beatles' "Birthday" song.  It's catchy and if you're a GenXer like me, you probably know it from "Sixteen Candles" when "Farmer Ted" sings it to Andy in the auto shop during the highschool dance.

In my book, your birthday is the one day of the year you can do what YOU want; if you're lucky, someone throws you a party, someone sends you a card or a gift in honor of the day you were born.  However, sometimes they are a day of sacrifice.  Such is the case of Corporal John Henry Pruitt.

John Pruitt was born 4 October 1896 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.  Not yet 19, he enlisted in the Marine Corps on 3 May 1917, just weeks after the United States declared war on Germany.  Pruitt went through recruit training at Mare Island, California, before being assigned to the 78th Company, 6th Regiment in July 1917, which was forming at Quantico. 

Private Pruitt fought in the initial battle of Belleau Wood.  It wasn't a bullet that took him out of action, but gas.  He was gassed on 14 June and was sent back to the hospital to recuperate.  Chemical warfare in WWI was a nasty business and killed many; Pruitt was lucky.  He survived.

 

 

 Due to the gas, Pruitt missed the battle of Soissons (4 days of combat); a bloody battle that was far more deadly than Belleau Wood (21 days of combat).  Pruitt returned to the 78th Company on the 4th of August, and just 11 days later he was promoted to Corporal.  

 

September came and so did the battle of St. Mihiel.  Another bloody battle for the Corps and its Marines.   Pruitt came through without wounds or injuries.  However, Corporal Pruitt distinguished himself by gallantry in action on15 September 1918, in aiding in the capture of an enemy machine gun, and was awarded the Silver Star citation (today's Silver Star medal) for his actions.  

With the arrival of October, the Marines were once again thrown into a nasty fight against the Germans.  This time, Blanc Mont, so named for the white chalky soil.  The battle is detailed in the excellent work of Pete Owen and John Swift entitled A Hideous Price: The 4th Brigade at Blanc Mont 2-10 October 1918.

 

From Owen and Swift--they tell it better: On 3 October 1918, Cpl Pruitt along with the rest of the the 78th Company "were fired on from two machine gun positions. Corporal John H. Pruitt led three volunteers forward. Pruitt plunged right into one position, shooting the gunner between the eyes with his Springfield. He killed the gunner of the second weapon with another shot. Corporal Pruitt and his Marines discovered a bunker nearby with a large group of Germans now trapped below ground. More than 40 Germans, including three  officers, surrendered to Corporal Pruitt and his team."   For this action, Cpl Pruitt was later awarded our nation's highest honor, the Medal of Honor.  

However, in actions still vague and not well documented, Cpl Pruitt earned two additional Silver Star citations for this battle.  The 6th Regiment suffered from small-arms fire and direct artillery fire from the north.  It was this artillery fire that wounded Cpl Pruitt on 3 October 1918.

Pruitt was removed from the battlefield and died the next day from his wounds, 4 October 1918.  Cpl Pruitt made the ultimate sacrifice on the day of his birth, he was just 22 years old. 

Initially buried in the Argonne American Cemetery, Cpl Pruitt was returned to the United States and buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

 

Cpl Pruitt was awarded the French Croix de Guerre and the Italian Cross of Military Honor in addition to his three Silver Star citations, and Army (and additionally the Navy) Medal of Honor.  After the war, the Navy named a destroyer (DD-347) in his honor as well.  

 

World War II veterans were a great generation, but I would argue not the only greatest generation.  Any generation that is willing to put on the uniform of our nation and sacrifice themselves on the alter of freedom is the greatest.  

 

Corporal Pruitt, the sacrifices you made are remembered, on this day--the occasion of your birth 123 years ago and the occasion of your death 102 years ago.

 

Captain Hugh Corrigan

 It's true, I haven't read every book written by Marines or about Marines in combat.  There simply is too many to get to them all.  That doesn't mean I'm not aware of them. Robert Leckie, a WWII Marine penned A Helmet for my Pillow about his service in the war.  

Leckie's story is partially depicted in the HBO series "The Pacific."   What I didn't realize was there was a local (local to being where I grew up in the Finger Lakes of Upstate NY) connection to this story.  I only found it out because I follow the local hsitorical societies and organizations on Facebook.

This morning, I found out that the character of "Lieutenant Ivy League" in Leckie's book was based on Hugh Corrigan who lived in the Ithaca area for 54 years after WWII.  The post by The History Center in Tompkins County posted a short piece about Corrigan with a link to his 2005 obituary.  

From his obituary, we know that Hugh was born in Yonkers, N.Y. on February 4, 1920. He graduated from Charles E. Gorton High School in Yonkers in 1938 and from Dartmouth College (in absentia) in 1942. At Dartmouth he played on the varsity football and baseball teams and enlisted in the Marine Corps ROTC.

Called up to duty following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hugh was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and in 1942 saw action with the 1st Marine Division, which was cited for valor by the Secretary of the Navy for its combat operations in Guadalcanal with 2d Battalion, 1st Marines. His platoon participated in the successful defense of Henderson Field against a superior Japanese force during the battle of the Tenaru River, the first victory over the Japanese in World War II.

He also commanded Company C, 6th Tank Battalion (per muster rolls) in action with the 6th Marine Division on Okinawa and was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received on May 15, 1945. Hugh was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 1946 as a Captain.

His obituary  goes on to tell you about Captain Corrigan after the war, his wife, his kids, and his activities.  Captain Corrigan died on 3 October 2005. Thank you Captain for your service.

Finding his story on a local Facebook post randomly this morning, I'm reminded of how many times these Marines come out of nowhere to get me to tell their stories.  I'm honored to do so.