USMC Boxer Rebellion and Yangtze Patrol Grouping to Sgt. George Amos Helwig

[kanemono]

Here is another USMC China Relief Expedition group. Sergeant George Amos Helwig enlisted in the Marine Corps at Allentown Pennsylvania on June 29, 1900. Helwig served in Tientsin, China during the Boxer Rebellion from August 23, 1900 to October 10, 1900. He received the Marine Corps, China Relief Expedition, 1900, medal number 81. He then served ashore in the Philippine Islands where he earned the Marine Corps Philippine Campaign medal number 236. He served as part of the Marine Detachment aboard the USS Monadnock from June 11, 1901 until February 8, 1902. The USS Monadnock, was a 3990-ton monitor, built at Mare Island, California, and commissioned in 1896. In 1898, she departed the west coast on a two-month voyage to the Philippines, where she was needed to provide heavy-gun support following Admiral Dewey's victory at Manila Bay. This shallow draft gun boat displaced 3,990 tons was 262 feet in length, and carried four 10 inch naval guns in two main turrets, two 4.7 inch naval guns plus four 4/6 pound rapid fire guns, 20MM and 30 caliber AA guns. The Monadnock was considered a 'fast' ship as her coal-fired engines gave her a 19-knot top speed which was ideal for use on the Yangtze River. During Helwig’s service aboard the USS Monadnock she stood almost continuous duty on the Yangtze River protecting the foreign settlement at Shanghai. Helwig received the Marine Good Conduct medal number 483 on June 28, 1905. He retired as a Quartermaster Sergeant on June 2, 1913. Helwig re-enlisted on September 30, 1918 during WW1 and was discharged on January 17, 1919.His inscribed, gold filled pocket watch has a Allentown Pennsylvania World War One medal made into a watch fob.

 

 

[kanemono]

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[VenitHora]

Awesome stuff!

[Dirk]

Fantastic addition to all the Boxer threads!!

[Kurt Barickman]

Really interesting early USMC China Boxer material being posted recently; thanks to all the collectors who are willing to share with the rest of us about this explosive time in 20th century history.

 

Kurt

[Kaigun Shosa]

Simply beautiful!

[PVON]

Superb items!

 

PVON

[katieony]

Another fabulous and historic group!

 

Mike

[kanemono]

Thanks, China items are my favorite. Here is the USS Monadnock, hard to believe she was seaworthy since her deck is so close to the water.

 

[devildog34]

Absolutely incredible.

[bobgee]

Fantastic group, Dick! And outstanding pics. Thanks for sharing. Bob

[aerialbridge]

Thanks, China items are my favorite. Here is the USS Monadnock, hard to believe she was seaworthy since her deck is so close to the water.

 

 

Superb group. And another beautiful custom engraved watch, like the one from your Panay group. Those old monitors weren't very seaworthy. Remember the monitor Monterey that was towed by the collier Brutus 7,000 mi. from San Diego to Manila Bay in June 1898 to bolster Dewey's Asiatic squadron. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge wrote to his friend Theodore Roosevelt that "we are not going to lug that monitor across the Pacific for the fun of lugging her back again." After the Span Am war, it remained on the Asiatic station until it was towed to Pearl Harbor in 1917 to be the station ship. It finally made it back to the mainland in 1921, when it was towed to Oakland to be scrapped.