As I slowly add to the site, I thought it might help if I have a "what is new section" so regualr viewers can check out recent additions and new threads without having to review every page.
13 September 2015: In the Souvenirs and Ephemera section I have added pictures of Maj Gen Smedley Butler's Chinese riding crop. And in the Headgear and Uniform section I have added several pictures of a Winter fur hat as worn by the Marine Detachment, Peking.
3 April 2015. I have added another photo of a Marine Detachment Peiping Winter fur cap hat diamond in the headgear and uniform section.
2 March 2014. I have added a brief history of the 4th Marine Regiment's weekly news magazine: The Walla Walla. To view click here.
16 February 2014. I have transcribed the log of Private Walter Klinepeter, who served as a gunboat Marine aboard the USS Wilmington 1906-1908. To view click here.
2 February 2014. The Pusel family has allowed me to add a number of images from their father's scrapbook and photo albums that he assembled during his time in the Philippines. These can be seen in the Philippines section of this site.
16 July 2013. Wayne Brown has notified us of the passing of his Father-in-Law SSgt Vasleos "Billie" Colevas, who served in the Marines 1945-49 and was with the 1st Mar Div, post WWII.
15 July 2013. MSgt Dan Whitton (Ret) has allowed us to share images from his collection of a Winter Hat as used by the Mounted Detachment, as well as boots used by the same unit. Both items are very rare and unique in China Marine history. These items can be viewed in the "Headgear, Uniforms and Equipage" section.
21 March 2013. Today, I was informed by Bob Siebel that his Father-in Law Sgt Ralph Edward Sharp (A pre-war China Marine and a South Pacific WWII veteran passed away March 11, 2013, at the age of 95. Sgt Sharp was buried at the Quantico National Cemetery with full honors on 20 March 2013. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, three children, six grandchildren and seven great- grandchildren. He will be missed.
20 March 2013. I am in the process of posting several great pictures of Span-Am Marine era uniforms from the Major Mike Manifor collection. These can be seen in the Headgear and Uniform section of this web site.
21 Mar 2012. Today I learned of the passing of Corporal Michael Caprio, who served in the Marine Corps 24 October 1945 through 24 October 1948. During that time, Cpl Caprio was stationed in China. His service to the United States and the USMC remains a great soruce of pride to his family.
12 Feb 2012. I've added a short narrative on Butler's 1927 China Expedition (a sub-thread under the Tientsin section) to give the reader a quick background on the purpose and activities of the 3rd Brigade.
11 Dec 2011. This past week I learned of the passing of Chester Biggs, 70 years to the day he was captured in Peiping. Chester was a very fine man, who gave freely of his time in helping me understand the final pre-war China Mairne years. I am sure he will be missed greatly by all who knew him.
28 May 2011. I've added several new maps to the Map Section, highlighting specific locations China Marines would visit during their Oriental cruise.
2 May 2011: Thank you to the Link family who sent some amazing photos from their family collection of their Grandfather, who was stationed in Peking 1907-08. Over time I will add a number of these images to the site.
10 April 2011. One of the more enjoyable aspects of running this web site is that both China Marines and their family members have contacted me. Recently, the family of Sgt Michael H. Lawless sent me a CD containing pictures and artifacts from his time in China. Lawless was assigned to the Marine Detachment Peiping Legation from 1936 through 1940, and amassed a fine collection of images. Here is a link to the page dedicated to him. All photos on that page are courtesy of his family.
31 March 2011. I have opened two new threads under the Tientsin section. The first deals with General Smedley Butler’s Expedition to China. The second sub-thread entitled “Going China-Side”, documents Marine Commandant David Shoups’ trip as a young Lieutenant across America and the Pacific Ocean to Shanghai and Tientsin. Originally, I intended to add a narrative about Butler’s Expedition, but am still in the process of research. I also need to caption a number of the pictures in the thread. Shoup’s thread takes words from a book he wrote many years after the event, and combines them with photos taken by a Pvt Fred Hartness who was assigned to Shoup’s company during the early phase of the trip. Here is the link to Bulter's page And the link to the Going China-Side page.
9 March 2011: A number of you have tried to contact me and I have replied but your email filters may not allow my emails through to you.
6 March 2011: I've added a few pictures of Marine uniforms under the "Headgear, Uniforms and Equipage" section. Also in the "Souvenirs and Ephemera" section I've added several photos of a dragon motif swagger stick.
9 February 2011: At the suggestion of a friend, I've added a map section for those unfamilar with this part of China. This allows the viewer the opportunity to see the location of the primary duty locations for the China Marines. Now that I've posted a regional map, I just may add some maps of various Chinese cities as well.
1 February 2011: I have received notification from Niel Locke of the passing of Harold “Bucky” Darewit, age 94, on 27 Jan 2011, at the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. Harold served in Shanghai with the 4th Marines from August of 1936 to July of 1937. Mr. Locke wrote of him: "Bucky took me into his family as he had been by an English family in Shanghai. He was just following a tradition which Marines are very well known to follow. Bucky entered the Marine Corp, with the permission of his mother, when he was 16. He was very briefly, along with a friend, in the Navy at the age of 15. He had a fascinating and interesting time while in Shanghai."
Harold E. Darewit
14 January 2011: I've finished the first draft of the Allies section. I would like to add information on the annual group photos that were taken of the officers and the NCOs, as well as the joint exercises conducted by the guards of the Legation Quarter.
2 January 2011. I've opened up the Allied sub-section under Peking. This chapter highlights the relationship between the Marines and other nation's legation guards. I still need to finish the sections that cover Italy and France. In the Ephemera section, I've added a nice picture showing a detail of a Peiping Privates Club Membership Certificate.
26 December 2010. As noted earlier in the month, I’ve chosen to split the “Artifacts” section into two different sections. One covers headgear, uniforms, medals and awards worn by the China Marines. The other section “Souvenirs and Ephemera” highlights not only souvenirs, but also paper items these men might have used or purchased while in China. I chose to make this division because I felt the “Artifacts” section had grown far bigger then I originally intended. Today I've added some new photos in the post-war Tientsin section, although I still need to write a narrative for the section. Also, I continue to work on the "Allies" narrative.
23 December 2010. I am working on three new sections (all currently not visible to the public): the Allies, Butler's 3rd Brigade in Tientsin, and a supporting page highlighting in pictures Commandant David Shoup's 1927 trip to China.
19 December 2010. Ultimately, I hope to add detailed narratives on the fighting in Shanghai in 1932 and 1937. Currently, these sub-sections (under the Shanghai section) only have photos and captions. I also need to create whole sub-sections on the 1927 arrival of the 4th Marines in Shanghai and Butler’s Expedition to Tientsin. I still have a number artifact images that need to be added and I am thinking of further dividing the “Artifact Section” into two sections. This is because the Artifact Section has grown far larger then I initially intended. Under the “Personalities Section” I still am missing several portraits of famous China Marines and have yet to transcribe a number of letters in my collection. Under the Peking section I am working on adding a sub-section about other nation's legation guards- called "Allies." Lastly, I would like to do a glossary page on phrases used or heard by China Marines.
LTC Barnett and the American Legation Guard Detachment, c. 1908-09