Henry L. Hulbert - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I just happened across Gunner Hulbert's record. I hadn't heard of him before.

"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 officers 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]

Commanding officer, Sixty-sixth Company: "I can not too strongly support Gunner Hulbert's request...If the young lieutenants recently appointed had half of Mr. Hulbert's energy, professional knowledge, physical ability, or manner of handling men under him, the arduous duties which now devolve upon the average company commander would be materially simplified."