Smedley Darlington Butler

Smedley Darlington Butler. United States Marine Corps. , Major General Smedley Darlington Butler (July 30, 1881- June 21, 1940) is a double Medal of Honor recipient. Butler served in the Spanish-American War in Cuba, the Philippine-American War in Manila, the Boxer Rebellion in China, the Banana Wars in the Caribbean and Central America and World War I. A distinguished Marine, while he was beloved by his men, he was viewed as a hot-tempered loose cannon by some of his superiors. By the end of his career, he had received 16 medals, five for heroism. At the time of his death, he was the most decorated Marine in U.S. history., [Photo caption reads] Smedley Butler c. 1898, Leaving the service after 33 years. Butler became best-known for his activism. He became an outspoken critic of the military-industrial complex and American wars and their consequences. He saw the great gap in wages among military personnel as gravely unfair. Butler thought that the man in the trenches should be getting paid the same as the officers and officials in the armed forces., In 1935, Butler wrote a book titled War Is a Racket, where he describes and criticizes the workings of the United States in its foreign actions and wars., In addition to his impressive military career, Major General Butler is credited with the creation of the unofficial mascot for the Marine Corps: the bulldog. Major General Butler enlisted the first bulldog. King Bulwark-later renamed Jiggs-for official Marine duties in 1922, where Jiggs was enlisted during a formal ceremony in October. The Marine Corps has upheld the tradition of a bulldog mascot., In June 1940, Butler checked himself into the hospital after becoming sick a few weeks earlier. His doctor described his illness as an incurable condition of the upper gastro-intestinal tract that was probably cancer. On June 21, 1940, Smedley Butler died at Naval Hospital, Philadelphia., His childhood home at West Chester, PA, The Butler House, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980., [Photo caption reads] Maj. General Smedley D. Butler with marine mascots, Quantico, Virginia, 1931. Butler first introduced English bulldogs as Marine mascots in the 1920s., CITATIONS, , , , , , , , , , , , First Award: For distinguished conduct in battle, engagement of Vera Cruz, 22 April 1914. Maj. Butler was eminent and conspicuous in command of his battalion. He exhibited courage and skill in leading his men through the action of the 22nd and in the final occupation of the city., Second Award: As commanding officer of detachments from the 5th, 13th, 23rd Companies and the Marine and Sailor detachment from the U.S.S. Connecticut, Maj. Butler led the attack on Fort Riviere, Haiti, 17 November 1915. Following a concentrated drive, several different detachments of Marines gradually closed in on the old French bastion fort in an effort to cut off all avenues of retreat for the Caco bandits. Reaching the fort on the southern side where there was a small opening in the wall, Maj. Butler gave the signal to attack and Marines from the 15th Company poured through the breach, engaged the Cacos in hand-to-hand combat, took the bastion, and crushed the Caco resistance. Throughout this perilous action, Maj. Butler was conspicuous for his bravery and forceful leadership., , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , FIRST AWARD: 1914 , CONFLICT/ERA: Mexican Campaign (Vera Cruz) , RANK: Major , UNIT/COMMAND: 3d Battalion, 2d Advanced Base Regiment , ENLISTED FROM: West Chester, Chester County, PA, United States , BORN: July 30, 1881, West Chester, Chester County, PA, United States , ACTION PLACE: Vera Cruz, Mexico , ACTION DATE: April 22, 1914 , PRESENTATION DATE: [blank] , DIED: June 21, 1940 , BURIED: Oakland Cemetery, West Chester, PA, United States, SECOND AWARD: 1915 , CONFLICT/ERA: Haitian Campaign 1915 , RANK: Major , UNIT/COMMAND: 2d Marines, U.S.S. Connecticut , ACTION PLACE: Fort Riviere, Haiti , ACTION DATE: November 17, 1915 , PRESENTATION DATE: June 17, 1916