Eli Kelley Cole (September 1, 1867 – July 4, 1929) was the first Assistant to the Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1911 to 1915. He also briefly commanded the 41st Infantry Division at the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. Cole was awarded the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

for his service as "Commanding Officer of the First Provisional Brigade of Marines" during the Haitian Campaign from 1915–1917. Cole graduated from the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in 1888. He then served two years as an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

before transferring to the

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

References

Attribution

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"Eli Kelly Cole"
Gannet Military Times Hall of Valor 1867 births 1929 deaths United States Marine Corps generals United States Naval Academy alumni United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) American military personnel of the Banana Wars United States Army War College alumni {{US-navy-bio-stub