Bertram A. Bone
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Bertram Allison Bone (September 19, 1893 – October 22, 1961) was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general. He is most noted for his service as commanding officer, 1st Defense Battalion during the early phase of the World War II. He later served with V Amphibious Corps during Battle of Leyte and led
10th Marine Regiment The 10th Marine Regiment is an artillery regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. They fall under the command of the 2nd Marine Division and the II Marine Expeditionary Force. Subordina ...
during the
Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army (USA) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) forces against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The initial invasion of ...
.


Early years

Bertram A. Bone was born on September 19, 1893, in San Diego, California, and studied high school there. Upon the graduation, he attended University of California, Berkeley and graduated with Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering in April 1917. He was commissioned second lieutenant in the Marine Corps one month later and ordered to the Basic School for further officers' training. Bone was subsequently attached to the Marine barracks at Mare Island Navy Yard and ordered for his duty overseas. He was posted to the Marine detachment, American Legation in Peking,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, and spent next year and half with guard duties at American Embassy there. Bone returned to the United States in October 1919 and was attached to the Marine barracks at
Naval Air Station San Diego Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (NBC ...
. While there, he reached the rank of first lieutenant on June 4, 1920. Bone was ordered for his first tour of sea duty in February 1922, when he was attached to the Marine detachment aboard the cruiser USS ''Charleston''. Abord that vessel, he served within Destroyer Squadrons, Pacific Fleet until his promotion to the rank of captain on June 15, 1923. He was then transferred to Marine Corps Base San Diego and served one year there, before was sent for the instruction at Marine Corps Schools, Quantico as a student of Company Officers' course. Bone graduated one year later and was appointed commanding officer of the Marine detachment aboard the aboard the battleships USS ''Tennessee''. While aboard that vessel, he took part in the support actions of U.S. Marines during
Second Nicaraguan Campaign The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds each ...
. Bone was later detached from ''"Tennessee"'' and ordered to instruction at the Army Field Artillery School at
Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (136.8 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark ...
,
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
. Upon graduation, he served at Marine Corps Base Quantico until he was ordered to command the Marine detachment aboard the battleship USS ''Nevada''. He was promoted to the rank of major on October 30, 1934, and ordered to course at Army Field Service Ordnance School at Metuchen, New Jersey. In January 1935, Bone was attached to the Bureau of Ordnance,
Navy Department Navy Department or Department of the Navy may refer to: * United States Department of the Navy, * Navy Department (Ministry of Defence), in the United Kingdom, 1964-1997 * Confederate States Department of the Navy, 1861-1865 * Department of the Na ...
under Read Admiral
Harold R. Stark Harold Rainsford Stark (November 12, 1880 – August 20, 1972) was an officer in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II, who served as the 8th Chief of Naval Operations from August 1, 1939 to March 26, 1942. Early life a ...
. Bone was detached from Washington, D.C., in July 1938 and ordered for Senior Course at Marine Corps Schools, Quantico. He was then appointed instructor within reserve 15th Marine Regiment in San Diego.


World War II

With the increasing danger of Japanese expansion in Pacific during 1939, chairman of navy's Special Board, Admiral
Arthur J. Hepburn Arthur Japy Hepburn (October 15, 1877 – May 31, 1964) was an admiral in the United States Navy, whose active-duty career included service in the Spanish–American War, World War I, and World War II. He held a number of high posts in the year ...
, recommended the activation of Marine defense battalions. These special marine units were designated the defense force of the Pacific naval bases and should be placed on
Midway Atoll Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; haw, Kauihelani, translation=the backbone of heaven; haw, Pihemanu, translation=the loud din of birds, label=none) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the Unit ...
, Wake Island,
Johnston Atoll Johnston Atoll is an Unincorporated territories of the United States, unincorporated territory of the United States, currently administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Johnston Atoll is a National Wildlife Refuge and ...
and Palmyra Atoll. Bone was meanwhile promoted to the rank of
lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
in May 1939. In November 1939, the 1st Defense Battalion was activated in San Diego with Bone as its commanding officer. As experienced artillery officer, Bone supervised the formation and initial training. His battalion consisted of the batteries with
5"/51 caliber gun 5"/51 caliber guns (spoken "five-inch-fifty-one-caliber") initially served as the secondary battery of United States Navy battleships built from 1907 through the 1920s, also serving on other vessels. United States naval gun terminology indicates t ...
s, searchlight and aircraft sound locator and antiaircraft groups with M2 Browning and M1917 Browning machine guns and were ideal for the defense of the islands from the attack from the sea and air. At the beginning of March 1940, 2nd Defense Battalion was activated at San Diego Base and Bone again supervised the formation. He handed over the command to Major Lewis A. Hohn in July of that year and retook command of 1st Defense Battalion. His battalion was transferred to Hawaii in March 1941 and ''Bone was subsequently in charge of the construction of anti-aircraft, seacoast and beach defenses on Palmyra Atoll and the establishment of logistical facilities for his command there. In spite of a severe shortage of building materials and equipment and limited shipping facilities for procuring them, he displayed sound judgment and high professional skill in solving the many problems which confronted him.'' During the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Bone was stationed on Hawaii and coordinated the trucks with ammunition. In May 1942, Bone was transferred to the staff of South Pacific Island Base Inspection Board under Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd and travelled to the South Pacific Area as a member of the inspecting party. He was promoted to the rank of colonel on July 24, 1942. During September of that year, Bone was transferred to Washington, D.C., and appointed Chief of the Gunnery Section, Division of Plans and Policies at Headquarters Marine Corps. He was tasked with the administrative work until April 1944, when he was ordered back to the Pacific area as Assistant Corps Artillery Commander and Artillery Executive Officer, V Amphibious Corps under Major General Harry Schmidt. Bone took part in the support actions during Battle of Leyte within Philippines Campaign and received the Navy Commendation Medal for his service. Bone was appointed commanding officer of
10th Marine Regiment The 10th Marine Regiment is an artillery regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. They fall under the command of the 2nd Marine Division and the II Marine Expeditionary Force. Subordina ...
stationed on
Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...
at the beginning of January 1945. His regiment participated within
2nd Marine Division The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina ...
in the Okinawa campaign in April 1945. The 10th Marines served as floating reserve force, and Bone did not see combat.


Retirement

Colonel Bone was appointed officer in charge of the Ordnance Section, Service Command
Fleet Marine Force, Pacific The United States Fleet Marine Force, Pacific (FMFPAC) is the largest maritime landing force in the world. Its units are spread across the Pacific Ocean and reports to the United States Pacific Command. It is headquartered at MCB Camp H. M ...
under Major General Earl C. Long. In this capacity, Bone was co-responsible for the supply, salvage, evacuation, construction, personnel management, quartering and sanitation needs of all FMFPac units and other marine units in its area. He was ordered back to the States in May 1946 and following the brief leave home, he was appointed commanding officer of the Recruit Depot within Marine Corps Base San Diego under Major General
Leo D. Hermle Leo David "Dutch" Hermle (June 30, 1890 – January 21, 1976) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general. He was a recipient of Army and Navy second highest decorations, Navy Cross and D ...
. In this capacity, he was responsible for the recruit training of all new marines on the West Coast of the United States. When Marine Corps Base San Diego was redesignated Marine Corps Recruit Depot in January 1948, Bone was appointed assistant chief of staff for operations and training. He served in this capacity until his retirement on June 30, 1949. Bone was advanced to the rank of brigadier general for having been specially commended in combat. He settled in his native San Diego and died on October 22, 1961. Bone is buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery together with his wife, Ruth A. Bone. They had no children.


Decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Brigadier General Bertram A. Bone:


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bone, Bertram A. 1893 births 1961 deaths People from San Diego Attack on Pearl Harbor UC Berkeley College of Engineering alumni United States Marine Corps generals American military personnel of the Banana Wars United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II Recipients of the Legion of Merit Burials at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery Military personnel from California