Bertram Allison Bone (September 19, 1893 – October 22, 1961) was a decorated officer of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He later served with V Amphibious Corps during

Battle of Leyte The Battle of Leyte (; ; ) in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the amphibious invasion of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American forces and Filipino guerrillas under the overall command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fou ...

and led 10th Marine Regiment during the

Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa Island, Okinawa by United States Army and United States Marine Corps forces against the Imperial Japanese Army during the Pacific War, Impe ...

Early years

Bertram A. Bone was born on September 19, 1893, in

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, California, and studied high school there. Upon the graduation, he attended

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

and graduated with

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

degree in

civil engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

in April 1917. He was commissioned second lieutenant in the Marine Corps one month later and ordered to

the Basic School The Basic School (TBS) is where all newly commissioned and appointed (for warrant officers) United States Marine Corps officers are taught the basics of being an "Officer of Marines." The Basic School is located in Stafford County, Virginia to ...

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 Beijing, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's most populous national capital city as well as China's second largest city by urban area after Shanghai. It is l ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, 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 ( ...

. 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''. Aboard 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 battleships USS ''Tennessee''. While aboard that vessel, he took part in the support actions of U.S. Marines during Second Nicaraguan Campaign. 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 (137 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 a ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

. 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 Metuchen ( ) is a suburban Borough (New Jersey), borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough is a commuter town of New York City, located in the heart of the Raritan River, Raritan Valle ...

. In January 1935, Bone was attached to the

Bureau of Ordnance The Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd) was a United States Navy organization, which was responsible for the procurement, storage, and deployment of all naval weapons, between the years 1862 and 1959. History The Bureau of Ordnance was established as part ...

, Navy Department under Read Admiral Harold R. Stark. Bone was detached from

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, 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, 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 (colloquialism, colloquial: Midway Islands; ; ) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the United States and is an Insular area#Unorganized unincorporated territories, unorganized and unincorpo ...

Wake Island Wake Island (), also known as Wake Atoll, is a coral atoll in the Micronesia subregion of the Pacific Ocean. The atoll is composed of three islets – Wake, Wilkes, and Peale Islands – surrounding a lagoon encircled by a coral reef. The neare ...

Johnston Atoll Johnston Atoll is an Unincorporated territories of the United States, unincorporated territory of the United States, under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force (USAF). The island is closed to public entry, and limited access for mana ...

and

Palmyra Atoll Palmyra Atoll (), also referred to as Palmyra Island, is one of the Line Islands, Northern Line Islands (southeast of Kingman Reef and north of Kiribati). It is located almost due south of the Hawaiian Islands, roughly one-third of the way be ...

. Bone was meanwhile promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel 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 ...

searchlight A searchlight (or spotlight) is an apparatus that combines an extremely luminosity, bright source (traditionally a carbon arc lamp) with a mirrored parabolic reflector to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a part ...

and aircraft sound locator and antiaircraft groups with

M2 Browning The M2 machine gun or Browning .50-caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed near the end of World War I by John Browning. While similar to Browning's M1919 Browning machine gun, which was chambered ...

and

M1917 Browning machine gun The M1917 Browning machine gun is a heavy machine gun used by the United States armed forces in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War; it has also been used by other nations. It was a crew-served, belt-fed, water-cooled ...

s 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

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 The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...

on December 7, 1941, Bone was stationed on Hawaii and coordinated the trucks with ammunition. For his service on Palmyra atoll, he was decorated with

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

. In May 1942, Bone was transferred to the staff of South Pacific Island Base Inspection Board under Rear Admiral

Richard E. Byrd Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer, and pioneering aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights in which he served as a navigator and expedition leader cr ...

and travelled to the

South Pacific Area The South Pacific Area (SOPAC) was a multinational U.S.-led military command active during World War II. It was a part of the U.S. Pacific Ocean Areas under Admiral Chester Nimitz. The delineation and establishment of the Pacific Ocean Areas wa ...

as a member of the inspecting party. He was promoted to the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

on July 24, 1942. During September of that year, Bone was transferred to

, and appointed Chief of the Gunnery Section, Division of Plans and Policies at

Headquarters Marine Corps The Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) is a headquarters staff within the Department of the Navy which includes the offices of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and various staff functions. The funct ...

. 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

within Philippines Campaign and received the

Navy Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fift ...

for his service. Bone was appointed commanding officer of 10th Marine Regiment stationed on

Saipan Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...

at the beginning of January 1945. His regiment participated within 2nd Marine Division in the

Okinawa campaign The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa Island, Okinawa by United States Army and United States Marine Corps forces against the Imperial Japanese Army during the Pacific War, Impe ...

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 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 Camp H. M. Smith, MCB Camp H. ...

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. In this capacity, he was responsible for the recruit training of all new marines on the

West Coast of the United States The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast and the Western Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the Contiguous United States, contig ...

. 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.

Decorations

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

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bone, Bertram A. 1893 births 1961 deaths Military personnel 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