USMC P1912 Dress Uniform, Melvin E. Fuller

[artur95]

I purchased this uniform recently at a local flea market.

 

The jacket and pants are named to M.E.Fuller.

 

Looking through the muster rolls on ancestry, this Marine had quite a career...

 

Melvin E Fuller enlisted as a private on March 8th, 1915.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Mar 1915 Enlistment Date: 8 Mar 1915 Rank: Private Station: Recruit Depot, Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, Norfolk, Virginia

 

After his training, his first assignment was on the USS Connecticut.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Aug 1915 Enlistment Date: 8 Mar 1915 Rank: Private Station: Uss Connecticut

 

He also spent some time on the USS Buffalo.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Dec 1915 Enlistment Date: 8 Mar 1915 Rank: Private Station: 28th Company,4th Regiment, Usmarines,Aboard The Uss Buffalo

 

Earlier, he was stationed in Haiti for a while.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Sep 1915 Enlistment Date: 8 Mar 1915 Rank: Private Station: 17th Company Second Regiment, Jacmel, Haiti

 

For the next year, Melvin had numerous shore assignments including back in Haiti and Cuba.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Apr 1917 Enlistment Date: 8 Mar 1915 Rank: Private Station: Seventeenth Company,Expeditionary Battalion,Ermita Cuba

 

Melvin was promoted to Corporal in August of 1917.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Aug 1917 Enlistment Date: 8 Mar 1915 Rank: Corporal Station: 20th Company, Base Detachment, 5th Regiment

 

By October the same year, he found himself in France with the AEF.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Oct 1917 Enlistment Date: 8 Mar 1915 Rank: Corporal Station: Attached To The Eighteenth Company, Base Detachment, Fifth Regiment

 

In April of 1918, Melvin was at the Army's Candidate School.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Apr 1918 Enlistment Date: 8 Mar 1915 Rank: Corporal Station: 20th Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment, U S Marine Corps

 

2nd Lt. Fuller's first assignment was in "K" co. 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Jul 1918 Rank: Second Lieutenant Station: 20th CO Company "K" 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment/

 

 

 

 

 

 

[artur95]

Corporal stripes

[artur95]

Collar

[artur95]

Inside of jacket

[artur95]

Right armpit

[artur95]

Melvin's enlisted-man's career ended during the war in 1918 when he received a commission as a 2nd Lt. He stayed in the Marines until the end of WWII and retired as a Lt.Col. after about 30 years of service.

 

I'll post more info about his post WWI career when I have some more time.

 

Here are pics of his trousers...

[artur95]

Trousers

[artur95]

There are some issues with the trousers like the lower buttons having rust...

[artur95]

...there is also some mothing.

[artur95]

Here is his name inside the trousers.

[artur95]

Forgot to mention that there is an extremely faint date inside the jacket's right armpit...

 

I thing I made out 1913-1914 but am not sure.

 

But a nice uniform that was the last one he wore as a enlisted man.

[artur95]

I have some time before I have to leave...

 

From November of 1922 to April of 1923, Melvin served in the Dominican Republic

.

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Nov 1922 Rank: First Lieutenant Station: Headquarters Company, First Regiment, Us Marines, Santo Domingo City, Dr

 

He spent some time in a postal guard detachment- I never knew the Marines guarded the mail...

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Nov 1926 Rank: First Lieutenant Station: Ninth Battery, Tenth Regiment, Marine Postal Guard Detachment, Kansas City, MO

 

The next year he spent some time in China.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Oct 1927 Enlistment Date: 21 Oct 1926 Rank: First Lieutenant Station: Prov Military Police Company, Brigspecial Troops, 3rd Brig , Tientsin, China

 

Before his assignment in China, he was sent to the P.I. as a reconnaissance officer.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Apr 1927 Rank: First Lieutenant Station: Headquarters Battery, First Battalion, Tenth Regiment, Artillery, On S S President Grant, Enroute T…

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Jul 1928 Rank: First Lieutenant Station: 84th CO , 3rd Bn , 6th Regt , 3rd Brig , Kelly Billet, Tientsin, China

[artur95]

He was stationed in Shanghai the next year before returning to CA.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Dec 1928 Rank: First Lieutenant Station: Twenty-Seventh Company, First Battalion, Fourth Regiment, Third Brigade, Rifle Range, Maquinaya, P I

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Jul 1929 Rank: First Lieutenant Station: Twenty Fifth Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Regiment, Shanghai, China

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Dec 1929 Rank: First Lieutenant Station: Twenty Sixth Company First Battalion Fourth Regiment, Shanghai, China

[artur95]

By 1932 he was promoted to Captain.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Oct 1932 Rank: Captain Station: Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia

 

Some of his assignments...

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Oct 1932 Rank: Captain Station: Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia

 

His return to China.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Jun 1935 Rank: Captain Station: Headquarters and Headquarters Company,1st Bn,4th Marines,Mcef,Shanghai,China

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Sep 1936 Rank: Captain Station: Company ''A'', First Battalion, Fourth Marines, Shanghai, China

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Mar 1937 Rank: Captain Station: Headquarters Company,First Battalion, Fourth Marines, Shanghai, China

 

By June of 1937 he returned stateside.

 

Name: Melvin E Fuller Muster Date: Jun 1937 Rank: Captain Station: Headquarters, Department of The Pacific, San Francisco, California

[normaninvasion]

Really great service history and a 30 yr man! Amazing time period to be in the Corps. Hope you get his records and report more. Love this stuff! Jeff

[teufelhunde.ret]

Really great service history and a 30 yr man! Amazing time period to be in the Corps. Hope you get his records and report more. Love this stuff! Jeff

Ditto! Appears he enjoyed his tours overseas, look forward to more. Thx for posting!