For distinguished service in the line of his profession as commander
of a patrol of the Second Brigade, U.S. Marine Corps, operating in the
vicinity of Zapoto, Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua on 28 September 1928.
At 1:30 a.m. Captain Stockes, learning that a numerically
superior force of bandits under the leadership of General Salgado
were about to attack the town, immediately proceeded to the scene
with his patrol, and by the prompt an judicious use of his resources
quickly broke up the threatened attack. The same day he conducted
his patrol over difficult terrain and launched a vigorous attack against
the bandit forces, then occupying a well prepared position. So
well did Captain Stockes make his dispositions and so sharply did his
patrol launch and drive home the attack that the bandits were routed
after suffering heavy losses. Later he planned and conducted
an advance along the border of Rio Negro to Los Manos which forced
the bandit groups of Ortes and Salgado to seek shelter in Honduras
with their consequent disintegration and disappearance. In all
these operations Captain Stockes distinguished himself by the display
of excellent judgment and initiative and extraordinary bravery,
coolness and leadership.
Major John C. Wood, USMC
Citation:
For distinguished service in the line of his profession during the
period 11-13 April 1931, during operations against organized banditry
in the vicinity of Logtown and Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. Having
been direccted by the Area Commander on 11 April 1931 to proceed
immediately to Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, to take over the command of
the Department of Northern Bluefields as relief for the late Captain
Harlen Pefley, U.S. Marine Corps, killed in combat the same day,
Captain Wood arrived in Puerto Cabezas at about 2:00 p.m. 12 April and,
after endeavoring to reassure a panic-stricken town alarmed by rumors
of bandit attacks, proceeded at 3:00 a.m. 13 April on a special train
with four enlisted men of the Guardia Nacional out 120 meters of
railroad known to be infested with active groups of armed outlaws,
to the relief of a Guardia Nacional patrol under First Sergeant
Clyde F. Darrah, U.S. Marine Corps, which had been engaged in combat
for the previous twenty-four hours. Taking personal command of
the combined patrol, Captain Wood at 7:00 a.m. 13 April proceeded by
train to Snaki Bridge where he was forced to abandon his train, marched
his patrol nine miles along the railroad to Logtown where, ably
assisted by two Marine Corps planes equipped with bombs and machine guns,
he vigorously attacked a large group of bandits under the command of the
jefe, Perdro Blandon, which attack, characterized by the prompt,
efficient and vigorous use of force and weapons at his disposal,
resulted in the deaths of Blandon and at least twenty of his men and
completely dispersed the other outlaws from the scene of the action.
In this operation Captain Wood within forty-eight hours of his
departure from Bluefields two hundred miles away, destroyed the band
of bandits that had ambushed and killed Captain Pefley two days before,
killed its notoriously vicious and cruel leader, saved the lives of
many persons who were endangered by the presence of the bandit group,
relieve the threat against the town of Puerto Cabezas, which was the
declared goal of the outlaws and inflicted a loss upon organized
banditry in Nicaragua which had a most discouraging effect upon the
general offensive then being launched against the East Coast of
Nicaragua. This remarkable engagement was successfully conducted
with the casualty of but one enlisted guardia wounded. During
the entire battle Captain Wood distinguished himself by the display
of extraordinary bravery, coolness, and leadership and by exceptional
judgment, initiative and military ability.
by BT Productions