| Henry Lewis Hulbert | |
|---|---|
| then-Sergeant Major Henry Lewis Hulbert, Medal of Honor recipient |
|
| Born | January 12, 1867 Kingston upon Hull, England |
| Died | October 4, 1918 (aged 51) KIA at Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge, France |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1898–1918 |
| Rank | First Lieutenant Captain (approved before death) |
| Unit | USS Philadelphia (C-4) 5th Marines |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Navy Cross Distinguished Service Cross Purple Heart Croix de guerre |
Henry Lewis Hulbert (January 12, 1867-October 4, 1918) was a United States Marine who served during the Second Samoan Civil War and World War I. As a private, he received the Medal of Honor for distinguished service in Samoa on April 1, 1899.
Hulbert was buried in Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia.[1] His grave can be found in Section 3 Lot 4309.[1]
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Henry Lewis Hulbert was born in Kingston-upon-Hull, Yorkshire, England on January 12, 1867. He was the first born into a prosperous family. He attended Felsted School in Essex, and entered the British Colonial Civil Service, with his first appointment in Malaya. While in Malaya, he married Anne Rose Hewitt. A subsequent personal scandal and divorce resulted in Hulbert leaving Malaysia and arriving in the United States.
At age 31, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on March 28, 1898. He completed his boot camp training at Mare Island, California. His first military action was the British and American expedition of intervention in Samoa. He was part of a 200 man force of Americans, Britons and Samoans which was defeated at the First Battle of Vailele in 1899 during the Second Samoan Civil War. After the battle the soldierly qualities of Hulbert are best illustrated by the following quotation from a Letter of Commendation from the Secretary of the Navy dated May 22, 1899:
"The gallantry of Private Henry L. Hulbert, who remained behind at the fence till the last and who was with Lansdale and Monaghan when they were killed, I desire especially to mention."[2]
For this gallantry he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
By the time the United States entered World War I, in 1917, Hulbert had reached the highest enlisted rank of sergeant major and was on the staff of Major General George Barnett, Commandant of the Marine Corps. Immediately prior to the U.S. entry of World War I, Hulbert was appointed a Marine Gunner (believed to be the first)[3] with the Fifth Regiment on March 27, 1917. He was some five months over the 50 years prescribed in the Annual Report by the Secretary of the Navy (1917):
"Also, the provision that in making the temporary appointments as ensigns the maximum age limit shall be 50 years for commissioned warrant offices and warrant officers has prevented such appointments in the cases of a number of very deserving officers of those classes, and it is hoped that this restriction will be removed."[4]
Upon the formation of the Fifth Regiment for service in France, Hulbert immediately volunteered for foreign service and the character of his service with the American Expeditionary Forces is best indicated by the following extracts from the endorsements of his commanding officers recommending him for promotion to commissioned rank:[5]
Hulbert was recognized for multiple acts of bravery during the Battle of Belleau Wood. For one such action, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. He was recommended by General John J. Pershing for immediate commission as a Captain.
He distinguished himself at Soisson, was commissioned Second Lieutenant, and received an immediate promotion to First Lieutenant. He was killed in action at Mont Blanc Ridge in France on October 4, 1918. At the time of his death, his promotion to Captain had been approved by the Secretary of the Navy. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross and the French Croix de Guerre Order of the Army.[6]
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Hulbert (DD-342), named in his honor, was christened on June 28, 1919, and commissioned and put into service in 1920. The destroyer was moored in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and brought down a Japanese torpedo bomber. The Hulbert was decommissioned in 1945.