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USMC Virtual Campaign Library: Haiti 1915 -1934


Dirk
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Several years ago I was thinking of using this section to gather images around a particular campaign so viewers could quickly get a snapshot of day to day conditions, events and uniforms worn as recorded by soldiers, sailors, airman and marines. I started with a small collection of images taken by a Marine in Haiti between 1915 and 1919. Because Haiti is not my primary area of interest and my images few, I let the project fall away. That is until I saw Jon's images from the De Haven collection. What he has here is in my opinion a rather well documented collection from the first years of Marine activity in the country. Then Darrell added some great images and I thought it was time to merge the threads together and revive the idea for virtual campaign library for Marine involvement in Haiti.

 

The first set of images are not the best they came from a group that was broken up around 2006 on ebay. Attributed to a Edward Richard who served in Haiti Aug 1915 through April 1919. Richard enlisted April 1915, Arrived Cape Haiti en 17 Aug 1915 via USS Tennessee. Active with several different companies until briefly transferred to Santa Domingo 22 May 1916. Has some connection to Ft Liberte but what is still TBD. He returned to Haiti 29 May 1916. Was accepted into the Gendarmerie d' Haiti 1916 as a 2Lt. He was active in north, central and southern portions of Haiti before departing in 1919.

 

Since the thread is a merging of several threads, I've chosen to eliminate several "great pictures" comments from Jon's original post to improve read-ability/view-ability.

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I'll add this one on the odd chance anyone has anything on this woman. Here name is Jane Sterling and she lived in Haiti. There was some relationship between Jane and the Marine based on a letter she wrote in french to him that I had translated. There could not be to many white women in Haiti at the time. In fact when the Marines arrived there was only 50 Amcits in the whole country.

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  • 1 year later...

This next collection of images from Jon's grandfather, is in my opinion a great addition to the library and I hope he will be able to do some intensive research and add to it as time permits...there are so many details of interest in these images...

 

I haven't been a member of USMF very long, but I've noticed some interest in the USMC in Haiti and the Dom Rep. My Granddad, William H. DeHaven was assigned to the 11th Company on 1 August 1916 - On 5 August 1916 - they embarked on USS Prarie & USS Neptune and arrived on 11 August 1916. On 5 February 1917 11th Company left Haiti embarked on USS Jupiter for Philly. On 11 February 1917 – 11th Co Disbanded.

 

My Granddad kept a shoebox of pictures & postcards from his 4 years in the marines which my Aunt has custody of. The pictures will be passed on to her son, not to me. (insert very heavy sigh here). A couple of years ago, I was allowed to borrow and scan all of the pictures in the shoebox. It was explained to me that back then, very few people had cameras and that "some fellow" would come in, take a boatload of pictures, then number them. People would look through the prints and buy the pictures they wanted by the number. It took me the better part of a week to scan all of the pictures but it was worth it.

 

I want to share some of these pictures with my friends on this forum. I'm only posting some of the 120 + pictures that can be attibuted to his time in Haiti in this link. I am not posting any of the pictures from WW1 in this link. Theres another few hundred of those. thumbsup.gif

 

Jon B

Newaygo MI

 

the Jupiter

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The 11th Comany coming along side the Jupiter at Cape Haitian Haiti

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The 11th Company coming out

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The Marines on the Launch in Haiti

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Bringing in supplies from the Prarie at Ft Libertie

 

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The Marines bringing a "Auto-truck" aboard the Jupiter at Cape Haitian

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Marines onboard ship

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The 11th Company Outpost at Ouanam (spelling?)

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Outpost Boundry of Haiti and Dom Rep

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This is the old fort we was in until we moved to HQ

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The wireless room at Fort Ovanaminthe (spelling?)

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Reviewing Haitian Gendarmerie Champ des Mars Port au Prince

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Marines entering Casclair (they are on the left side of picture)

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Marines leaving Gobahal Haiti (they are on the right side of picture)

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Pack Train hiking thru pine forest near leinyel

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Prisoners carrying water from river to hdqtrs camp at Domam

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Haitian gendarms at Ft National Port au Prince

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Operation cutting wounded Gendarmes leg off

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Operation (something?) wounded Gendarmes leg

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And after a hard day of surgury... its time to eat... w00t.gif

 

Chow at Circelasource Haiti

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The labels for these pictures were what he had handwritten for the most part on the pictures. Some were unlabled so I've taken the liberty to put a caption on them. (yes, I was the author of "a marine on horseback" I worked hard on that and deserve a klondike bar.) In reality, It may have been a friend of his.

 

Jon B

Newaygo MI

 

Daily Guard Mounting

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A marine on horseback

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Prisoners in Church at Circela Source

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Armed Haitian gendarms

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The Marines. ** note the guy in the dark shirt on the left, he is the same guy firing the colts automatic I posted earlier. post-4767-1234718035.jpg

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Marine post & some locals

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Laundry Day

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... like they wouldn't pay someone to do it for em..... A side note from my Granddad "6 November 1916, Gone 6 mths and 5 days"

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On the River - Marines and locals

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Have you joined ancestry.com? If so you can see copies of the original muster rolls with his name in it. Here's one from May 1920:

 

dhmay1920.jpg

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