Bandits' Nemesis

By Paul Hicks - Originally Published Oct 1948

The man who broke the Haitian revolution retires on "30"

One October morning in 1919 the American newspapers carried some interesting news. The night before, on the tiny Caribbean island of Haiti, a fabulous career had come to an end. Charlemagne Peralte, bandit chieftain and terrorizer of natives and whites, was dead. Possessed of an uncanny military genius and ruthless ambition, he had threatened to overrun the entire island, and destroy the Americans who had come to bring order out of the chaos which followed Haiti's bloody revolution.

Peralte had consistently outwitted the military and civil leaders who opposed him. But his luck had run out. He had been shot and killed, in a daring coup, by Herman H. Hanneken, a sergeant of the U. S. Marines.

Five months later, the reign of terror in Haiti was over. Osiris Joseph, the bloodthirsty native bandit who succeeded Peralte as the leader of the wild Cacos, met the same fate as his predecessor. During a brilliant foray into the enemy camp, Sergeant Herman H. Hanneken shot and killed Osiris. Thus one man, with two master strokes, broke the back of banditry forever in a troubled little nation.

That was in 1919. For almost ten years, little was heard of Hanneken. His assignments, following his receipt of a regular commission, were close to what is considered "routine" for the peacetime service. Upon returning from Haiti in 1920 he attended Marine Corps School at Quantico. Then, as a member of the Sixth Marine Regiment, he sailed for Brazil to participate in the Brazilian exposition. But fame seemed to lie in Hanneken's path. After almost eight years of routine duty he was sent once more to a foreign trouble spot. This time it was Nicaragua. Here, in the first month of 1929, an unexpected event occurred.

The Marines had been struggling bitterly to end the lawless raids of the Nicaraguan bandit chieftain Sandino. With a brilliant staff of assistants, led by General Manuel Jiron, Sandino was holding his own against the jungle fighters of the Second Brigade Marines. Only a month after his arrival in the strife-torn land in Central America the Corps' number one bandit nemesis once more electrified the nation with his exploits. Hanneken sent word from a forward outpost in the jungle that Sandino's Chief of Staff, Gen. Jiron, had been captured without firing a shot. He had done it again.

After peace returned to Nicaragua, Hanneken came home. He wore a Congressional Medal of Honor for his exploits against Peralte in Haiti and one Navy Cross for the capture of Jiron. In addition to these were his decorations from the grateful nations of Haiti and Nicaragua. He might have retired then, having received in 14 years more acclaim than is the usual portion for a full 30, but instead he returned to more routine duties Stateside-to the slow process of promotion which found him a lieutenant colonel when America opened its offensive against Japan at Guadalcanal.

At the 'Canal Colonel Hanneken commanded the Seventh Marines, and in one particularly fierce engagement he earned the Silver Star. Later, at Peleliu, he was awarded the Legion of Merit for outstanding service. The Bronze Star was pinned on him after Cape Gloucester.

In September, 1945, he returned Stateside, and three years later, while serving as Chief of Staff of the Troop Training Unit, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet, he was transferred to the retired list. He was advanced to the rank of brigadier general for having been specially commended for service in combat. Now, at home with his wife and two daughters, General Hanneken can look back over a 34-year career of colorful service.