Fullbore Friday
vision and demons
When a Marine Field Grade officer is holding a lung-dart on his official photo, you know you want to hear his story.
So, what does the official USMC bio cover?
Earl “Pete” Ellis was born on 19 December 1880 at Iuka, Kansas, and began his career in the United States Marine Corps in 1900 as a private. On 6 December 1901, he became a second lieutenant. Early in 1902, he left the United States, and arrived on 13 April at Cavite, Philippine Islands. In the years preceding World War I, Captain Ellis was sent out on special terrain study and intelligence service in the West Indies and at the Naval Station in Guam. Upon his return from Guam, he served as Aide-de-Camp to Major General Commandant George Barnett. On 16 March 1917, he was detached from Headquarters and ordered to Quantico, Virginia.
On 25 October 1917, Major Ellis left Quantico for temporary foreign shore expeditionary service in Europe for the purpose of obtaining information concerning the methods of training troops. He sailed via the USS Von Steuben from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 29 September and arrived at Brest, France on 12 November. Major Ellis returned to the United States on 9 January 1918. On 12 February 1918, he was detached to duty in the Office of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C., and on 22 May, was detached to foreign shore expeditionary service in France on the staff of General John A. Lejeune. He arrived at Brest, France, on 8 June 1918.
From 18 June to 4 July, Major Ellis was assigned to duty with the 35th Division in the Wesserling Sector as an observer, and from 5 to 25 July served as Adjutant of the 64th Brigade of that division. He was attached to the 32d Division for several days during the operations of that Division in the Aisne-Marne Offensive, and during the German retreat from the Marne. On 8 August, he was detailed as Brigade Adjutant of the Fourth Marine Brigade in the Pont-a-Mousson Sector, north of Nancy, France. On 28 August, he was promoted to temporary rank of Lieutenant Colonel, the rank to be effective as a 1 July. He participated in the St. Mihiel (Champagne) Offensive (12-16 September 1918) and in the Meuse-Argonne (Champagne) Offensive 29 September - 10 October 1918) including the attack on and capture of Blanc Mont, and in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive 31 October to 11 November 1918).
On 17 November 1918, Ellis was among those who commenced the march to the Rhine River, crossed the Rhine on 13 December 1918, and into the Coblenz Bridgehead Area, Germany.
Lieutenant Colonel Ellis was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Gold Star, and was cited by the Marshall of France commanding French Armies of the East as follows:
“From the 2nd to the 10th of October, 1918, near Blanc Mont, Lieutenant Colonel Ellis has shown a high sense of duty. Thanks to his intelligence, his courage and hi energy, the operations that this Brigade (Fourth Brigade, Second Division) took part in, have always been successful.”
He was awarded the decoration of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the President of the French Republic, and the U.S. Army Citation Certificate by the Commanding General of the American Expeditionary Forces.
On 25 July 1919, Colonel Ellis sailed from Brest, France, aboard the USS George Washington, arrived at Hoboken, New Jersey, on 3 August 1919, and joined the Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia, on 9 August. In November, 1919, Colonel Ellis joined Headquarters Marine Corps, and shortly thereafter was sent to Santo Domingo as Brigade Intelligence Officer. Upon completion of his duty with the Second Marine Brigade, San Domingo (from April to 11 December 1920), Colonel Ellis again joined Headquarters Marine Corps. On 11 November 1920, he was awarded the Navy Cross by the President of the United States:
“For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service. As Adjutant, Fourth Brigade Marines, he displayed utter disregard of personal hardship and danger, energetic application and an unfailing devotion to the duties of his office. He has ever shown himself ready for any emergency, even when he has been without sleep or rest for several days and nights at a time. His keen analytical mind, quick grasp of intricate problems, resourcefulness, decision and readiness to take prompt action on important questions arising during the temporary absence of the Brigade Commander within the Brigade, have contributed largely to the success of the Brigade, rendered his services invaluable and won for him the high esteem and complete confidence of the Brigade Commander.”
Colonel Ellis died at the age of 43 at Parao (Palau), Caroline Islands on 12 May 1923, and his remains were returned to the United States for burial. He had died at the moment when his last and greatest military-intelligence task was almost complete. For fifteen years he had studied the development of Japanese power in the Orient. He had come to certain conclusions and he had not been reticent about voicing them. Requesting to be sent out to Latin America and Japan on intelligence missions, Colonel Ellis was granted a leave of absence from Headquarters Marine Corps and in the next few years, he visited Australia, Philippine Islands, and Japan. He studied methods and formulated war plans for the Marine Corps in the event that the Japanese should strike.
In 1920 he foretold the course of the war in the Pacific and that Japan would strike the first blow with a great deal of success. He also reported what the success would be and planned the action necessary for Japan’s defeat. Twenty-one years later, his prophecies became reality.
I’ve been informed there’s a treasure trove of his documents at the Naval War College archives. Most of it is hidden in boxes or in forgotten periodicals stashed hither and yon.
It is a shame, as the more I read of him the more I want to hear. Just looking at the above, you might not agree with my comments yesterday:
His life story really needs a mini-series like the one from the team that made Netflix’s Death by Lightning, but perhaps that is for another day.
…but go over to wikipedia, and you get a broader view of a great man haunted by a demon.
On February 9, 1914, Ellis and the Advance Base Force embarked to New Orleans for a possible deployment to Mexico because of tensions in the area. Barnett was slated to succeed Biddle as commandant, and selected Ellis for special assignment as a member of a Joint Army-Navy Board committee that studied the defenses of Guam and made recommendations for improvements at the outbreak of World War I.[2] Upon arrival on Guam, Ellis was assigned as the committee’s secretary and aide-de-camp, and assumed the duties of chief of police, registrar of the civil government, and Intelligence officer. While on Guam, Ellis conducted a simulated attack with a small group of men across the reef at Orote Point, which demonstrated the ability of men in boats to carry out an amphibious attack and capture artillery.[1] Ellis’s health began to deteriorate during this assignment, and his medical records attributed his illnesses to alcohol abuse.[13]
…
On November 25, 1919, Ellis reported for staff duty at Headquarters Marine Corps. On New Year’s Day, he was admitted to the hospital, and diagnosed with depression, delirium tremens, and neurasthenia, all symptoms of acute alcohol abuse. He later traveled to Ray, Arizona, where he remained on convalescent leave for three weeks.[1]
…On April 9, 1921, Ellis submitted a pro forma request to the commandant to conduct a clandestine reconnaissance mission to the Central Pacific to examine the Marshall and Caroline Islands.[26] His request indicated that he expected to travel as a civilian and to provide an undated resignation that would enable the Marine Corps to deny knowledge of his actions if necessary.[26] (In fact, the Marine Corps did not use the letter of resignation, and retained Ellis on its roll of active officers until he died. At the time of his death, Ellis was listed in payroll and personnel records as being on “extended leave,” a status the commandant had directed his staff to use.)[26] Shortly after he submitted his request he suffered another occurrence of neurasthenia; after recovering he asked to resume the intelligence mission in the Pacific.[26] On May 4, 1921, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt Jr. approved the request as the acting Secretary of the Navy.[27] Ellis left the hospital the same day, and reported to Headquarters Marine Corps to finish making arrangements.[26]
…
Ellis was soon hospitalized in Manila due to acute nephritis, an inflammation of the kidneys. After his discharge, he departed for Yokohama, Japan aboard SS President Jackson so he could arrange for a visa and travel authorization that would permit him to visit the mandated Caroline and the Marshall Islands.[1] Ellis continued drinking heavily, which apparently caused him to disclose his mission to civilians, including the physicians who treated him when he was hospitalized again for neurasthenia on September 1, 1922. The local naval attaché issued Ellis orders to return home on the next available ship;[28] Ellis ignored them, which essentially made him absent without leave (AWOL)[29], cabled Marine Corps Headquarters for a draft of one thousand dollars he could receive at a local bank, and departed for Saipan.
Upon arrival aboard NBK Lines Kasuga Maru, he debarked at the Tanapag Harbor, and checked into a hotel in Garapan with the intention of scouting the Mariana Islands, which Japan was using as a central hub for their activities in Micronesia.[1] The Office of Naval Intelligence was able to track his whereabouts by his withdrawals from the special bank account they established to fund his covert activities.[30]
As Ellis continued his intelligence gathering mission and heavy drinking, he attracted the attention of the Japanese authorities, who began to keep track of his movements and activities. A friend, Kilili Sablan, suggested that Ellis check out of the hotel and live with the Sablan family. Ellis traveled around Saipan for several weeks, and produced detailed maps and charts. On December 3, 1922, he boarded the ship Matsuyama Maru to travel to the Carolines, Marshalls, Yap, and the Palaus. Upon arrival, he checked into a hotel in Koror, and again boarded the Matsuyama Maru, intending to travel to Truk; Ellis was unable to survey this island because Japanese authorities denied him passage, which was an indication that they remained suspicious of him.
During a trip from Kusaie, Ellis became ill aboard the Matsuyama Maru and was hospitalized in Jaluit by missionary Jesse “Mother” Hoppin who assigned her student Benjamin Lajipun to be Ellis’ houseboy. After his recovery in January 1923, he continued to survey the Marshalls, Kwajalein, Ponape, Celebes, and New Guinea aboard the copra-collecting sailboat Caroline Maru. Ellis slept on deck and took copious notes charting the reefs and inventorying local facilities, populations, and products.
Japanese officials assigned Dr. Uichi Ishoda to watch Ellis on these voyages, and during a storm which nearly capsized Caroline Maru Ellis demonstrated a knowledge of seamanship which caused Ishoda to conclude Ellis was a naval officer. While staying on Koror, he met a teenage Palauan woman named Metauie, who became his wife.[1] His friends attempted to keep him from drinking, but by then, he had a coterie of native boys who would obtain his alcohol for him. He continued to drink excessively, and his health continued to deteriorate. On May 12, 1923, he was unable to obtain any alcoholic beverages as the result of his friends attempting to keep him sober, and he unsuccessfully looted the home of his friend William Gibbons in search of drink. Aware of Ellis’s condition, the Japanese police had two bottles of whiskey delivered to him; he consumed them both, and died later the same day from the effects of excessive alcohol intake.[2]
I think we all know great people who were haunted by some chemical demon—drink, pills, a needle…but they still managed to accomplish great things until the inevitable caught up with them.
You always have to wonder, what could they have done if they had gotten clean?
Here is yet another book I need to add to my library, Pete Ellis: An Amphibious Warfare Prophet, 1880-1923.
CDR Salamander, thanks for this post. Great thesis too. My. theory is that great people are so intense, that they reach out to substance abuse to balance the boring times. What do I mean? I am a student of US Grant. He did have a drinking problem, but never while on campaign (due to his wife Julia and his Chief of Staff Rawlins), but when away from the campaign, such as his visit to New Orleans in late July 1863 to visit Banks campaign, but without either of the two mentioned above, he got so drunk, he fell off his horse (not his horse a loaner), and hurt his leg. There were several episodes like this with him. Never on the actual campaign, but when bored he turned to the drink, and it did not take a lot for him.
As we look at the brilliance of Lt. Colonel Ellis and now hear this tragic side of a brilliant man, we look at a couple of items of interest. One, what can we learn from any new revelations in the dusty boxes of his papers that have NOT been read. Two, we are still thinking about the last wars even as we watch the new evolution of war fighting in Ukraine develop, and while everyone thinks it is fast, it has been to this writers eye, back to the future. Three, what sort of kinetic force do we need to develop to be ready for the future. Four, the NSS while quite broad laid out the route of march for the Navy and Marine Corps. Yep, MAGTF redux only at a pace and tempo we may not understand fully yet. (Hmmm anyone feeling Ellis here)
Lastly the twenty years wars of the GWOT have taken a terrible toll on our men and women who served so well, so selflessly and have retuned to a system that hands them a brown paper bag of SSRI’s and says deal with it. Like Ellis, can we afford to ignore a problem when we see it, maybe even before someone reaches out for help. Veterans typically because of their make up don’t like asking for help. Maybe as we look to warfighting systems we could look at the medical community that is supposed to treat the wounded, not just flesh wounds but the mental ones as well. An army fights on its belly, it is much more than than steel and iron and precision guided missiles. We stink at taking care of ourselves and yet, no one is coming to our rescue. Guess we better figure it out on our own, and take care of our own. Great post CDR! Many thanks for this one!