"We Feel Like a Lost Soul" - Doyen's famous USMC Fourth Brigade & Pershing's Army

Brigadier General Charles Augustus Doyen
Doyen organized, trained, and led the USMC 5th Regiment & 4th Brigade
until Pershing returned him to Quantico right before the Battle of Belleau Wood.
(Sept 1859 - Oct 6, 1918)
US Naval Academy, 1881

Alice Ruth Doyen Austin & her first child, Jason, Jr. at Bremerton Navy Yard, at Colonel Doyen's.
Seemingly pregnant with second child Claude Fay Austin (Bass), born August 1917.
The US entered WWI on April 6, 1917.
The 5th Regiment USMC was organized under Doyen in June 1917 & immediately sailed for France.
In October 1917 he was appointed Brigadier General to lead the Fourth Brigade of Marines.
He also commanded the US Army Second Division, the first USMC General to do so.
He was returned to the US by Pershing in May 1918 for failing a physical exam.
General Doyen died at Quantico in the Influenza Pandemic on October 6, 1918.
He was 59.
His third grandchild, Raymonde Austin (Thompson) was born on January 4, 1919.
Five more grandchildren followed between 1920-1927.
What grief for Alice Ruth to have her father (USMC 4th Brigade/AEF 2nd Division)
and brother-in-law (AEF First Division) die on the same day - October 6,1918.

Doyen posthumously received the first Navy Distinguished Service Medal.

In the next generation, Jason, Jr. (1915-1996) was a Marine serving in the South Pacific throughout WWII, then in the Korean War. Shown here in Korea with his brother, Marshall McVay Austin (1921-1988)

Aunts Raymonde, Alice, Betsy (w. Emily?), and Uncle Marshall, c. 1960.

My interview this week with historian Harry Waterson* transformed my understanding of General Doyen's legacy. Here's what I have learned so far - please do add to the dialogue here.

There was no Department of Defense until 1945. There was a Department of the Navy and a Department of War. Because the Marines were capable of amphibious missions, they had historically been a division of the Navy and educated at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, founded 1845. But the Marine Corp always had a historic separate identity characterized by exceptional standards and the ability to get any job done. The Marines trace their founding to November 10, 1775. 

The history of the First World War looks different when viewed from the lens of the well-trained and tested Marines and that of General Pershing. In my interview, Waterson described Pershing's ambitions for a unified American Expeditionary Force (AEF) that was to be crucible created out of many state militias and relatively inexperienced troops. It was a point of contention how the Marines, with their separate historic identity and deep-bench of battle-hardened leaders would fit into Pershing's AEF.  

There is an important story to be told about General Pershing's order to send USMC Brigadier General Doyen back to the states in May 1918, relieving him of command of the USMC Fourth Brigade AEF Second Division that Doyen had organized, trained, and led. 

It is the contention of Waterson and others that the Fourth Brigade Marine's success in 1918, including at Belleau Woods, is in part a tribute to Doyen's exceptional leadership. And that Pershing did not want the Marines in the AEF - or maybe it might be that Pershing didn't want the Marines recognized as a distinct group of leaders. (Would love help with sources here. Is this a leadership issue? Ambition issue? What exactly?)

For further background Waterson directed me to George B. Clark's, The Fourth Marine Brigade in World War I. This book begins: "This is the story of the 4th Marine Brigade as part of the Second Division, American Expeditionary Forces, serving in France in 1917 and 1918... This was the original Marine unit in France. The Second Division was a premier unit that saw more action, and captured more ground, plus probably capturing more of the enemy, than any other division in that war, including the vaunted First Division."  (p.1.)

Clark continues:

"One of the most controversial actions during this period was the dismissal of Brig. Gen. Charles Doyen from command of the brigade he had formed, trained, and led. 

Doyen, who had failed his army physical exam, was relieved by U.S. Army General John J. Pershing and sent back to the States, with a modestly worded salutation. It is true that Pershing also refused to keep any officer of the AEF who couldn't meet the exacting physical and mental standards set for them, and many deserved to be sent home. 

This action would have the most profound impact upon relations between George Barnett, commandant of the Marine Corps, and John J. Pershing, head of the American Expeditionary Forces, and upon Army and Marine Corps attitudes toward one another for many years to come. 

The corp saw it as another attempt by Pershing .. to minimize the 4th Brigade's independence and usefulness in France. It was no secret that Pershing was not in favor of accepting any Marines in France and only took what he couldn't refuse because of [political machinations in DC.]. There was a certain level of rancor in the brigade because Doyen was not only well-liked, he was highly regarded professionally. It was he who had pulled together and trained the team who would go on to such fame in the future." (p.5-6)

Doyen posthumously received the first ever Navy Distinguished Service Medal with this citation, quoted by Clark:

"By reason of his abilities and personal efforts, he brought the brigade to the very high state of efficiency which enabled it to successfully resist the German army in the Chateau-Thierry sector and Belleau Woods. The strong efforts on his part for nearly a year undermined his health and necessitated his being invalided back to the United States before having the opportunity to command his brigade in action, but his work was shown by excellent service rendered by the brigade, not only at Belleau Woods, but during the entire campaign when they fought many battles."  (p.6)

More research can be done on the state of Doyen's health, and Waterson has suggested avenues to do this. Waterson points out that almost since arriving in France with the 5th Regiment, Doyen had been tasked not only with combat training but also with non-combat duties and geographically dispersed supply chain issues that taxed Doyen's energies and troops. He quotes a source that said Doyen would have contributed more leadership from the back of an ambulance than being sent to Quantico by Pershing. He thinks Doyen was just exhausted from trying to work constantly at maximum capacity. Could Doyen have been granted a rest leave instead of being sent home? It's an interesting historical puzzle piece to learn more about. What was this really about? I also note that Doyen was 59, and I'd love to know more what the army physical entailed. Further, I note different leadership styles in action. I look forward to reading more about Pershing. Apparently Douglas MacArthur took Pershing to task for being more of an organizational "round pegs in round holes" leader, and not connected to the actual troops on the ground. I just don't know enough about this at this point. Would love help researching this. 

Clark continues his story by proving that Pershing recognized Doyen's exceptional leadership, and also his potential as a post-war rival. 

"Pershing sent a letter to Doyen in which he said, 'Your service has been satisfactory and your command is considered one of the best in France. I have nothing but praise for the service you have rendered in this command.' Pershing cabled home that Doyen 'is an excellent officer, has rendered most valuable service and has brought his Brigade to his efficiency. I very reluctantly return him to the United States."  [This, despite documents showing Doyen and others did everything possible to not have Doyen sent back.] 

General Omar Bundy, divisional commander, recommended that Doyen be promoted to major general with the statement that 'it is a well-recognized fact that the excellent condition of this brigade is due largely' to Doyen." (p.6)

Clark concludes his section by quoting from the April 30, 1918 diary entry of Holland Smith, a fellow Marine lamenting this turn of events with the loss of Doyen's leadership, and the lowered morale:

[General Doyen] "received notice today that he had been found physically disqualified and Gen. Harbord, the Chief of Staff of Ge. Pershing was to relieve him. We are all saddened as we feel this is the first blow. The Brigade is broken-hearted. We feel like a lost soul. May God help us in our humiliation and give us the courage to the best we can to beat the Boche. We prophecy [sic] now that the marines will be withdrawn from France..." (p.6)

The new Army commander, Habord, led the Marines through the deadliest battles in Marine Corp history, and the Brigade excelled in standing by its new leader. As Clark writes:

"Habord led the brigade through the worst and their performance was such that he was later promoted to command the division. According to Habord's memoir, Pershing had told him that he was getting the best brigade in the AEF and 'if it fails I'll know where to place the blame'. It didn't fail. They made him look very good, even though they paid a heavy price to do so." (p.7)

General Doyen photo courtesy of my dad, Doyen's USMC grandson, Jason McVay Austin, Jr. (1915-1996)

Brig. Gen. Charles Augustus Doyen (58) working on defense plans near the front on April 28, 1918.
On April 30th Doyen was informed that he had failed his army physical and that General Pershing was sending him back to the States. Doyen ended up at Quantico, where he was appointed Commandant of the Marine Corps Barracks.
Historians question Pershing's decision to send Doyen, the Fourth Brigade leader, back to the States at this crucial moment. 
What can you add to this story? 

*Many thanks to Harry Waterson for patiently sharing his timeline, detailed research, and historical perspective on General Doyen and the Marines in WWI over the last years. Harry Waterson is a retired television executive and medallic researcher based in the Mid-West. I am happy to put him in touch with anyone interested in his research. See: Harry Waterson, "Timeline for a Hero: Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen, USMC," Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America (68.2) March/April 2017: 15-20.