A well-known Marine Corps historian tells the true story of a legend.
In his popular 1925 book, Fix Bayonets and Other Stories , John W. Thomason described a fictional character strikingly similar to a real Old Corps Marine. In "Special Cases," Thomason provides a snapshot of a group of officers on the eve of the assault on Blanc Mont in October 1918, characterizing "Edward Hawkes" as far more educated and polished than most of his contemporaries. A veteran of service in the ranks, Hawkes is rumored to have served in Great Britain's Brigade of Guards; perhaps he even held the Queen's Commission. Some believed dark secrets shrouded the past of this fine old Leatherneck.
