The
Marine Corps Brevet Medal, also known as the
Brevet Medal, was a
military decorationAwards and decorations of the United States Military are military decorations which recognize service and personal accomplishments while a member of the United States armed forces...
of the
United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
; it was created in 1921 as a result of Marine Corps Order Number 26. The decoration was a one-time issuance and retroactively recognized living Marine Corps officers who had received a
brevet rankIn many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being brevetted...
. A similar practice of frocking continues in all five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Brevet promotions were used by the United States military in some capacity from 1775 until they were discontinued in 1900. The Army was the only branch authorized to grant brevets until 1814, when the Marine Corps was granted the same privilage. For the 86 years, the Marine Corps awarded 121 brevet promotions to 100 Marine Corps officers. Captain
Anthony GaleAnthony Gale was the fourth Commandant of the United States Marine Corps and the only one ever fired. Fewer records survive concerning him than any other Commandant but it is known that he was commissioned a second lieutenant on September 2, 1798...
was the first to receive a brevet promotion in 1814 and
John Twiggs MyersJohn Twiggs Myers was a United States Marine Corps general who was most famous for his service as the American Legation Guard in Peking during the Boxer Rebellion.-Early life:...
, who died in 1952, was the last surviving recipient.
In 1921
CommandantThe Commandant of the Marine Corps is the highest-ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
John A. LejeuneLieutenant General John Archer Lejeune, was the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps. Known as the "greatest of all Leathernecks" and the "Marine's Marine", he served for over 40 years — his service included leading the U.S...
requested that a Marine Corps Brevet Medal be authorized; after it was approved and created, the decoration was given to the last 21 living Marine Corps officers who received brevet promotions.
Brevet promotions
A brevet promotion or
brevet is the advancement in rank without the advancement in either pay grade or position. Typically, a brevetted officer would be given the insignia of the brevetted rank, but not the pay or formal authority. Brevet promotions where originally authorized for the United States Army in 1775 by the the
Second Continental CongressThe Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that met beginning on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...
. In 1778 a resolution was passed stating brevets would only be authorized "..to officers in the line or in case of very eminent services...".
The Marine Corps would not receive the authorization from Congress for brevet promotions until 1814 stating "... That the President is hereby authorized to confer brevet rank on such officers of the Marine Corps as shall distinguish themselves by gallant actions and meritorious conduct or shall have served ten years in any one grade...".
In 1814
Anthony GaleAnthony Gale was the fourth Commandant of the United States Marine Corps and the only one ever fired. Fewer records survive concerning him than any other Commandant but it is known that he was commissioned a second lieutenant on September 2, 1798...
became the first Marine to receive a brevet promotion when he was brevetted to Major, having been a Captain for ten years. By the time the practice of brevet promotions was discontinued in 1900, 121 brevet promotions were bestowed on 100 Marine Corps officers.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, brevet promotions were common in the United States armed forces. New officers received brevet rank until authorized positions were made available, or they could be brevetted to fill higher positions for gallantry. During the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
, most senior officers received a brevet promotion, particularly during the final months of the war.
After officers became eligible for the
Medal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while...
, a rare Marine Corps Brevet Medal was issued to living officers who had been brevetted between 1861 and 1915.
Due to the establishment of the Medal of Honor and the change in rules allowing both officers and enlisted to receive it, the need for brevet promotions diminished. During the American Civil War, the Army abused the issuing of brevet promotions to such a degree that Congress passed an act in 1869 that restricted the issuance of brevet promotions. The act established three requirements for awarding a brevet: "they could only be awarded in time of war and then only for distinguished conduct and public service in the presence of the enemy, and it also removed all privileges of command based upon brevet rank except as directed by the President."
In 1870 Congress passed a law stating that no officer could wear, nor be addressed by, their brevet rank making brevet promotions an honorary decoration only. Because of this new law the last nine brevet promotions awarded by the Marine Corps occurred during the
Boxer RebellionThe Boxer Rebellion, more properly called the Boxer Uprising, or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in Chinese, was a violent anti-imperialism, anti-Christian movement by the "Righteous Fists of Harmony,” Yihe tuan义和团 or Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists in China , between 1898 and 1901...
. On June 7, 1921, the Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby approved then-
CommandantThe Commandant of the Marine Corps is the highest-ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
John A. LejeuneLieutenant General John Archer Lejeune, was the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps. Known as the "greatest of all Leathernecks" and the "Marine's Marine", he served for over 40 years — his service included leading the U.S...
's request for a medal denoting the holder of a brevet promotion to be issued. Marine Corps Order #26 was issued on June 27, 1921, authorizing the medal to be ordered and by November 10, 1921 the medals had been created. This decoration was justified on the grounds that, until 1915, Marine Corps officers were not eligible for the Medal of Honor.
In 1940, because only one of the recipients was still alive (
Smedley ButlerSmedley Darlington Butler , nicknamed "The Fighting Quaker" and "Old Gimlet Eye", was a Major General in the U.S. Marine Corps and, at the time of his death, the most decorated Marine in U.S...
had died in late June of that year), the Marine Corps declared the Brevet Medal obsolete. The lone survivor,
Major GeneralMajor General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of Sergeant Major General. A Major General is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of Lieutenant General and senior to the ranks of Brigadier and Brigadier General...
John Twiggs MyersJohn Twiggs Myers was a United States Marine Corps general who was most famous for his service as the American Legation Guard in Peking during the Boxer Rebellion.-Early life:...
, had been brevetted for valor at the siege of the U.S. embassy at Peking (the
Battle of PekingThe Battle of Peking was the weeks long siege of Peking and the final battle that relieved the besieged foreign legations in Peking during the Boxer Rebellion.- Background :...
), in 1900. He died in 1952 in
Coconut Grove, FloridaCoconut Grove is a neighborhood located in the City of Miami, Florida in Miami-Dade County, United States. The borders of the neighborhood are approximately defined as north of Battersea Road, east of LeJeune Road, south of US 1, west of Rickenbacker Causeway and west of Biscayne Bay. It is south...
, and the medal was never issued again. The concept of brevet commissions was phased out of the United States military, and was be replaced by temporary and
field commissionsA battlefield commission is awarded to enlisted soldiers who are promoted to the rank of commissioned officer for outstanding leadership on the field of battle....
, which were awarded more frequently than brevet ranks.
Twenty-three men received this award, of whom three received both the Marine Corps Brevet Medal and the Medal of Honor.
Description and symbolism
The Marine Corps Brevet Medal was considered to be the equivalent of the
Navy CrossThe Navy Cross is the highest medal that can be awarded by the United States Department of the Navy and the second highest award given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard but could be awarded to all branches of United States...
, although in precedence it ranks just behind the
Medal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while...
. Recipients of the medal had received field commissions as Marine Corps officers, under combat conditions, and had performed feats of distinction and gallant service. Initially, the Brevet Medal ranked behind the Navy Distinguished Service Medal and was issued to 23 active, retired, and discharged Marine Corps personnel.
The medal was designed by Sergeant Joseph Alfred Burnett and contained a ribbon, in USMC scarlet, closely resembling the blue-and-white starred pattern of the Medal of Honor. No attached devices for the Brevet Medal were authorized.
Front of Medal
The Medal consists of a bronze cross pattée, with the center of each arm extended in a
semi-circularIn mathematics , a semicircle is a two-dimensional geometric shape that forms half of a circle. Being half of a circle's 360°, the arc of a semicircle always measures 180°...
shape and in the center of the front is the word "BREVET", encircled by the words "UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS". A small five-pointed star, point-up, is at the bottom center of the circle formed by the inscription and a small Marine Corps insignia (
eagle, globe and anchorThe Eagle, Globe, and Anchor is the official emblem of the United States Marine Corps. The current emblem traces its roots in the designs and ornaments of the early Continental Marines as well as the British Royal Marines. The present emblem, adopted in 1966, differs only by a change in the eagle...
) attaches the medal to its suspension ring.
Back of Medal
The back of the Medal is plain except for its center, which contains the inscription "FOR DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT" in a circle, and the words "IN PRESENCE OF ENEMY" in the center. The original medals were neither named nor numbered.
Recipients
| Image |
Name |
Rank brevetted to |
Date of action |
Place of action |
Notes |
|
|
| O-02First Lieutenant |
| Guantánamo Bay, CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
|
"For distinguished conduct during the Spanish–American War" |
|
| O-03Captain |
| Tientsin, China ' is the sixth largest city of the People's Republic of China in terms of urban population. Administratively it is one of the four municipalities that have provincial-level status, reporting directly to the central government...
|
"For distinguished conduct and public service in the presence of the enemy July 13, 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion". One of three to receive both the Brevet Medal and the Medal of Honor. One of nineteen to receive the Medal of Honor twice. |
|
|
| O-03Captain |
| Tientsin, China ' is the sixth largest city of the People's Republic of China in terms of urban population. Administratively it is one of the four municipalities that have provincial-level status, reporting directly to the central government...
|
"For distinguished conduct and public service in the presence of the enemy during the Boxer Rebellion" |
|
|
| O-04MajorIn the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant commander in the other uniformed services.The pay grade for the rank of major...
|
| Peking, China Beijing is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of the People's Republic of China...
|
"For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy during the Boxer Rebellion" |
|
|
| O-03Captain
O-04MajorIn the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant commander in the other uniformed services.The pay grade for the rank of major...
O-05Lieutenant ColonelIn the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the rank of commander in the other uniformed services....
|
|
Forts JacksonFort Jackson is a decommissioned masonry fort located some up river from the mouth of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. It was constructed as a coastal defense of New Orleans between 1822 and 1832, and was a battle site in the American Civil War. It is a National Historic...
and St. PhilipFort St. Philip is a decommissioned masonry fort located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, about up river from its mouth in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana...
Gunpowder Bridge
FormosaTaiwan , also known as Formosa , is the largest island of the Republic of China in East Asia. Taiwan is located east of the Taiwan Strait, off the southeastern coast of mainland China...
|
"For gallant and meritorious services at the attack upon Forts Jackson and St. Philip"
"For meritorious services in defeating a rebel raid at Gunpowder Bridge"
"For gallant and meritorious services in the action with the savages at Formosa" |
|
|
| O-04MajorIn the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant commander in the other uniformed services.The pay grade for the rank of major...
|
| Guantánamo Bay, CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
|
"For distinguished conduct and public service in the presence of the enemy during the Spanish–American War" |
|
|
| O-03Captain |
| Guantánamo Bay, CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
|
"For distinguished conduct and public service in the presence of the enemy during the Spanish–American War" |
|
|
| O-03Captain |
| Guantánamo Bay, CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
|
"For conspicuous conduct in battle during the Spanish–American War" |
|
|
| O-02First Lieutenant
O-03Captain |
| Guantánamo Bay, CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
|
"For good judgment and gallantry in battle at Guantanamo, Cuba" |
|
| O-03Captain |
| Guantánamo Bay, CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
|
"For distinguished conduct and public service in the presence of the enemy during the Spanish–American War" |
|
| O-04MajorIn the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant commander in the other uniformed services.The pay grade for the rank of major...
|
| Guantánamo Bay, CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
|
"For distinguished conduct and public service in the presence of the enemy during the Spanish–American War" |
|
|
| O-03Captain |
| Guantánamo Bay, CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
|
"For distinguished conduct and public service in the presence of the enemy during the Spanish–American War" |
|
|
| O-03Captain |
| Guantánamo Bay, CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
|
for Distinguished Conduct |
|
|
| O-04MajorIn the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant commander in the other uniformed services.The pay grade for the rank of major...
|
| Santiago, Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island nation of Cuba, some east south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
|
"For gallant service in the naval battle of Santiago, Cuba during the Spanish–American War" |
|
| O-04MajorIn the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant commander in the other uniformed services.The pay grade for the rank of major...
|
| Peking, China Beijing is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of the People's Republic of China...
|
"For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy at the defense of the legations during the Boxer Rebellion" |
|
| O-03Captain |
| Guantánamo Bay, CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
|
"For conspicuous conduct in battle during the Spanish–American War". One of three to receive both the Brevet Medal and the Medal of Honor. |
|
| O-03Captain |
| Fort SumterFort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
|
"For gallant and meritorious service in the night attack upon Ft. Sumter during the Civil War" |
|
| O-03Captain |
| Novaleta, Philippine IslandsThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
|
"For distinguished conduct and public service in the presence of the enemy during the Philippine Insurrection". One of three to both receive the Brevet Medal and the Medal of Honor. |
|
|
| O-03Captain |
| Tientsin, China ' is the sixth largest city of the People's Republic of China in terms of urban population. Administratively it is one of the four municipalities that have provincial-level status, reporting directly to the central government...
|
"For distinguished conduct and public service in the presence of the enemy during the Boxer Rebellion" |
|
|
| O-05Lieutenant ColonelIn the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the rank of commander in the other uniformed services....
|
| Tientsin, China ' is the sixth largest city of the People's Republic of China in terms of urban population. Administratively it is one of the four municipalities that have provincial-level status, reporting directly to the central government...
|
"For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy during the Boxer Rebellion" |
|
|
| O-02First Lieutenant |
| Guantánamo Bay, CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
|
"For distinguished conduct and public service in the presence of the enemy during the Spanish–American War" |
|
|
| O-03Captain |
| Novaleta, Philippine IslandsThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
|
"For distinguished conduct and public service in the presence of the enemy during the Philippine Insurrection" |
|
| O-05Lieutenant ColonelIn the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the rank of commander in the other uniformed services....
|
| Tientsin, China ' is the sixth largest city of the People's Republic of China in terms of urban population. Administratively it is one of the four municipalities that have provincial-level status, reporting directly to the central government...
|
"For distinguished conduct and public service in the presence of the enemy during the Boxer Rebellion" He is the only Marine to have been awarded both the Brevet Medal and the Navy Specially Meritorious Service Medal. |
See also