1stLt. Archibald Gillespie, USMC by Col. Charles Waterhouse USMCR (Ret.)
1stLt. Archibald Gillespie, USMC - The first known Marine north of the Golden Gate
According to official records, after proclaiming California part of the United States only a few weeks following the Bear Flag Revolt, U.S. Marines and Sailors from the sloop Portsmouth occupied the town of Sonoma on July 9, 1846. A few months earlier (on May 9th), a young U.S. Marine Corps officer named Archibald Gillespie was operating alone on a top secret reconnaissance mission in Northern California. Although, he was the first known U.S. Marine to set foot within the area located north of the Golden Gate his name and story are not well known. Here is his story.
Archibald H. Gillespie earned his commission in the Marine Corps from the ranks. Born in New York in 1812, he enlisted in June 1830. The tall, dark-haired young man evidently proved to be a capable and resourceful Marine, since he was promoted to Sergeant less than two years later and became a Lieutenant just a few months after that. His early tours were relatively uneventful. He commanded Marine detachments on sloops in the Pacific, ran a barracks for a time, and went to sea again on board the ship of the line North Carolina in the Pacific. Promoted to First Lieutenant in 1838, he went to Headquarters Marine Corps for a time, then to barracks duty in Pensacola, Florida, and later in Virginia. Perhaps his most interesting assignment came in 1842, when he took over the Marine detachment on the frigate Brandywine. As part of her two-year voyage around the Orient, she delivered the first American commissioner to China.
Shortly after his return to the States, despite having requested a quiet tour at a barracks for health reasons, he was directed to report to the Secretary of the Navy to begin one of the most bizarre events in Marine Corps history. Within days, on October 30, 1845 he was ushered into a meeting with President James Polk. The President explained that the Marine Lieutenant was to carry out an important mission in California. Polk gave Gillespie a letter to Thomas Larkin, the American consul in California, in which Polk expressed "entire confidence" in the Marine officer and appointed him a "confident agent" of the President. Larkin's mission was to convince California to seek annexation from the United States. The main concern was to prevent California from falling into the hands of the British whose Pacific squadron was sailing in the region. Gillespie's qualifications for this special duty appear to have stemmed from his long experience in the Pacific and his knowledge of the Spanish language acquired during his time in Pensacola. The Secretary of State James Buchanan also provided a letter of introduction to explorer John C. Fremont, who then was operating along the west coast of the continent with the famous scout Kit Carson. Fremont's father-in-law, Senator Thomas Hart Benton, entrusted a packet of family letters to the Marine.
Perhaps wishing to earn similar Seminole War accolades for his Marines (or perhaps to create a mission to prove a Marine raison d'etre) the Commandant of the Marine Corps (Brigadier General Archibald Henderson) fully supported the decision to send Gillespie to California.
Given the lack of cross-continental transport, Gillespie would have to go via Mexico, even though the United States was on the verge of war with that nation. He assumed the guise of a civilian merchant, sailed for Vera Cruz, and memorized and then destroyed his orders along with the dispatch to Larkin. He made it by wagon to Mexico City and was waylaid there by a military coup. After more than a month's delay, he made his way overland to the Pacific coast, where he hitched a ride on the Navy sloop Cyane sailing for Hawaii (apparently to allay any Mexican suspicions). He finally arrived in Monterey, California on April 17, 1846, and delivered his verbal message to Larkin. It was much tougher to make contact with Fremont, but Gillespie finally tracked him down near the Klamath River in the dangerous wilderness of northern California on May 9th. Gillespie gave Fremont a packet of letters from Senator Benton, a copy of an official dispatch from Secretary of State James Buchanan and some verbal instructions from President Polk. The Buchanan dispatch talked vaguely of encouraging a revolution of Californios and American settlers, so that an independent republic might be established which could be annexed to the United States. In the absence of documentary evidence, it has never been precisely determined what orders were given to Fremont. Whatever the content of these instructions, their effect was to turn Fremont back to the Sacramento Valley, where he set up an armed camp at a place called the Buttes.
By June, Fremont had recruited local Californians into a mounted battalion and made Gillespie his adjutant. On June 14th, the Bear Flag was run up at Sonoma and Marines and Sailors from the sloop Portsmouth replaced it with the stars and stripes on July 9th.
Although Fremont was a brevet Captain in the Army Engineers, Gillespie believed that the explorer had no experience as a line officer and that his own tactical knowledge would make all the difference in subsequent campaigns against the Mexican Army. Gillespie's finest hour came in the Battle at San Pascual in southern California during December, where he was wounded by lance thrusts, but managed to fire an artillery piece and thus help drive off the enemy.
Already a brevet Captain for his early efforts in California, the Marine Corps made him a brevet Major in July 1848 for his actions at San Pascual. He subsequently commanded various barracks detachments, but his service was interrupted by continuing poor health. He resigned his commission in 1854 and retired to California and held various small government jobs until his death in 1873.
The Raiders: What's In A Name?
Former Marines' Memorial Association Board Chairman Richard J. Borda submitted this story to the "Crossroads of the Corps" magazine, with the following introduction: "Since I know you'll be doing some historical research on the Marine Raiders of Word War II in connection with the upcoming USS MAKIN ISLAND ship commissioning, I thought you might like to know how the Marine Raiders have influenced certain things." The following appeared within the Summer 2006 issue:
When the Oakland Raiders professional football team was first organized, one of its first assistant coaches was Martin "Marty" Feldman. The question of what to name the Oakland team was to be decided by a contest held in the City of Oakland, with a nominal prize awarded to the winner.
Unfortunately, the winning name the "Senors" was not popular with the public, so they went back to the drawing board to come up with another name. At this point, Marty Feldman interjected himself, saying that this new team had a bunch of tough guys on it, much like the Marine Raiders he had served with during the Second World War in the Pacific. His suggestion of the name "Raiders" for the team was accepted and the rest is history.
Marty Feldman was a 17-year-old private in Carlson's Raider battalion when they made the Makin raid. As he said, he "grew up fast during the raid." Mary was next assigned to the 2nd Marine Division and went to Guadalcanal. He then made the landing at Eniwetok, where he was seriously wounded and evacuated to Hawaii for rehabilitation. He has about a pound and a half of metal plate in his head as a result of his wounds. I used to kid him when we played rugby together at Stanford (he was getting his Master's degree in education) that he was truly a hard-headed player: We became good friends, and he greatly encouraged me to go into the Marine Corps.
Marine Barracks on Mare Island
Mare Island was first California Marine Boot Camp
Today’s leathernecks are familiar with Parris Island, S.C., and San Diego as the homes of the Corps’ recruit depots.
But history buffs and a few “old-timers” will remember Marine Corps Recruit Depot Mare Island, Calif., as one of the Corps’ first West Coast recruit training operations.
The Navy purchased Mare Island in 1852 for $83,410, opening it as the West Coast’s first naval base under the command of Navy Capt. David Farragut.
Before recruits started training at Mare Island, leathernecks first arrived for duty in 1862 under the command of Maj. Addison Garland, who was the first officer to command the Marine barracks on the island.
In 1911, the Corps established two West Coast boot camps, the second opening for business at Puget Sound, Wash., about the time recruits started training on Mare Island.
Mare Island eventually became the West Coast’s only recruit training facility when the Puget Sound operation consolidated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1912. Parris Island didn’t open until 1915.
In the early 1900s, Mare Island was a favored location for Marine operations on the West Coast because of its proximity to San Francisco, a key military logistics and supply hub located just 30 miles to the south.
Recruits at Mare Island trained for two months on close-order drill, physical training and personal combat and had three weeks of marksmanship instruction on the M1903 Springfield rifle.
According to legend, the island, originally named Isla de la Plana by Spanish explorer Don Perez in 1775, got its current name in 1835 when a ferry carrying men and livestock ran into bad weather.
Panicked by the conditions, some of the livestock jumped overboard. Most drowned, but a few animals reached shore, including a white mare that belonged to the Mexican commandante for Northern California, Gen. Mariano Vallejo. Vallejo renamed the island after the horse.
Instructors trained recruits there until Aug. 10, 1923, when they relocated to San Diego and the Corps’ newest recruit training grounds at Marine Corps Base Naval Operations San Diego, renamed Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in January 1948.
“We landed at the foot of Broadway [in San Diego],” said retired Master Sgt. O.S. Nelson. “Then, they carried us over to the base in trucks, and we started to learn how to be Marines. Where the airport is now was all water. There was an old wooden theater and, of course, a dirt parade field.”
After years of serving as a Navy shipyard headquarters for Marine Security Forces Pacific and as a Marine barracks, Mare Island closed as a military facility in 1996 and is being developed by the city of Vallejo and private developers for commercial and residential uses.
Marines' Memorial Club & Hotel, San Francisco
Marines' Memorial Club & Hotel, San Francisco A Tribute to those Marines who have gone before and a service to those who carry on.
The Marines' Memorial Club & Hotel in San Francisco has stood in honor of the memory of American war heroes since it opened its doors on the 171st birthday of the Corps on 10 November 1946. The Club, just one block off Union Square at 609 Sutter Street, is in the heart of downtown San Francisco. This handsome Beaux-Arts-style building, which enjoys San Francisco's protected landmark status, provides a sanctuary for those who wish to take a pause and to honor the valor of Veterans who were killed while in military service for their country. Just as the Marine Corps preserves its traditions, the Marines' Memorial Club maintains historical and emotional remnants of past conflicts and heroism.
The founders of the Club recognized three components to a living memorial: historical, emotional, and business. There was also an awareness that these three functions of the Club might overlap and complement each other. The creativity of the original founders devised the framework for the Club to survive in perpetuity.
The Club's original charter specified, as a tribute to Marine Corps heroes, the establishment and maintenance of a museum. Over time, the atmosphere and ambiance of the entire building has fulfilled this historical function.
The Marines' Memorial Club is a twelve story building with 138 guest rooms and suites; the Leatherneck Steak house, the twelfth floor dining room with a vibrant view of San Francisco's bridges; a library; and a world-class health club with a lap swimming pool.
Membership in the Marines' Memorial Club is open to all Veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Effective 1 January 2005, by virtue of Veterans' contributions, the Association is able to offer free annual membership to all Currently Serving members of the US Armed Forces who come to stay at the Marines' Memorial Club to use the facility. For members and their guests who stay overnight in the Club, the room rates are the most reasonable in San Francisco; and, also effective 1 January 2005, because of Regular Membership support, Currently Serving members of the US Armed Forces can stay at the Marines' Memorial Club for $69 Sunday through Thursday, and $89 on Friday and Saturday.
Members may use the club for the observance of the occasions that are significant in their own personal lives, such as reunions, weddings, and receptions. The most gratifying experience may be the spontaneous camaraderie with those who share like values and ideals.
The deliberate, delicate mission of the Marines' Memorial Club continues: A tribute to those who have gone before; and a service to those who carry on."
Marines' Memorial Club & Hotel
A Living Memorial
As Commandant of the Marine Corps following the Second World War, General Alexander A. Vandegrift wanted more than just a statue to pay tribute to the sacrifices of his Marines who fought in the Pacific. To him, the nation needed to do something to pay tribute properly to the sacrifices those Marines had made. He asked the Commanding General, Department of the Pacific in San Francisco to submit ideas for creating proper memorials for the Marine Combat units of World War II. Collectively, they came up with the idea of the "living memorial" concept. The Marines' Memorial Club was the brainchild of Colonel Evan O. Ames, USMC. It took shape when a Marine Corps directive asked for suggestions on how to return post exchange profits to the men who made those profits possible. Colonel Ames, allowed as since the GI Bill of Rights was taking care of the economic rehabilitation of Marines it might be a good idea to do something about their social rehabilitation. He wanted a strictly first-class, self-sustaining club that would serve past and present Marines in a style to which they definitely were not accustomed.
The "GO-TO" place for Military Visitors to San Francisco
When the Club and Association were established, San Francisco was literally the most protected city in the USA. There were twelve military bases in the Bay Area, including the Presidio Army Base, Alameda Naval Air Station, Moffitt Naval Air Station, Treasure Island Naval Base, Mare Island Naval Station, Oakland Army Base, Oak Knoll Naval Hospital, Hamilton Air Force Base, and Travis Air Force Base, some 50 miles east. Now, only Travis remains, and the military presence in San Francisco, at one time a Navy and Marine Corps city, is everything except a military town.
This has left the Marines' Memorial Club, which is not associated in any way with the Department of Defense, as the "go-to" place for military visitors to San Francisco; for Veterans who need help in determining Veteran's benefits, and for even local and state officials who think the Club has some sort of official connection to the military. The Marines' Memorial Club does their best to serve all.
View of Hotel Main Lobby
History of the Building
On May 31, 1927, a new twelve-story building graced the southwest corner of Sutter and Mason Streets in San Francisco. It occupied the site which formerly housed an elegant Victorian structure of eighteen rooms built by a Madame Barriohlet, wife of a San Francisco banker. The last owner of the property was Samuel Lachman and, subsequently, his estate. The estate heirs rented the mansion for a short period of time and then decided to construct a hotel. Thus the mansion was stripped of its elegant wall paneling, circular staircase and fixtures, and what remained was moved to an undisclosed location. Building plans were interrupted by the 1906 earthquake and fire and, sometime thereafter, the heir opted to sell. The vacant lot was purchased by the San Francisco Women's Building Association in November 1922.
The building, as it stands today, was constructed as the Western Women's Club. Under construction, it was anticipated to be "one of the finest monuments to womanhood in the United States." The goal of the project was to create a multi-functional facility which would provide a home-like environment that could not be expected of a regular hotel. Plans called for 120 rooms for permanent and transient guests, a library, dining room, modern kitchen, large auditorium, indoor swimming pool and. on the roof, a f golf-driving practice range which could also be used for archery practice. The ground floor would be divided into retail spaces whose rental income would support the club.
Financial difficulties caused reorganization of the Western Women's Club and, in the late 1930s, the building was taken over by the mortgage lenders.
In the early months of World War II, the US Navy occupied the premises to accommodate the housing of some 900 WAVES, who were assigned to duty stations in San Francisco and environs.
The building's second-floor auditorium (now know as the Marines' Memorial Theater) was the only one in busy wartime San Francisco that was not under regular contract. It had complete facilities, including broadcasting equipment. A number of outstanding entertainment programs were scheduled there for military personnel, including Bing Crosby, who broadcast the "Kraft Radio Theatre" from the auditorium, and the Andrews Sisters. When the United Nations Charter was being framed in the Opera House, Pierre Monteux brought the San Francisco Symphony to the auditorium for practice sessions.
Since it acquired the building at Sutter and Mason Streets on June 5, 1946, the Marines' Memorial Association has taken extraordinary diligence and pride in preserving the architectural detail. Upon entering the barrel vaulted lobby, with its Renaissance/Baroque ornamentation, one is transported back in time, to a most elegant and formal era. Ceiling detail, decorative pieces and chandeliers throughout the Club, all original to the Western Women's Club, have been preserved.
The 650-seat Marines' Memorial Theater deserves a special mention. It is a gem of a space that does triple duty: it is a venue for solemn ceremonies; for educational, corporate, civic, and celebratory events; and for professional stage productions that draw the general public through its doors, along with theatre-going Members.
