Medal of Honor: Herman H. Hanneken – Haitian Campaign – October 31–November 1, 1919
Disguised as enemy soldiers, Lieutenant Herman H. Hanneken led a suicidal raid deep into rebel territory—and struck down Haiti’s most feared warlord, Charlemagne Péralte, with his own pistol.
October 31, 2025
Name: Herman Henry Hanneken
Rank: Second Lieutenant
War: Haitian Campaign (Banana Wars)
Date of Action: October 31–November 1, 1919
Unit: U.S. Marine Corps (attached to the Gendarmerie of Haiti)
Born: June 23, 1893 – St. Louis, Missouri
Entered Service At: St. Louis, Missouri
Summary of Action
Under cover of darkness on the night of October 31, 1919, 2nd Lt. Herman H. Hanneken led a daring infiltration into the stronghold of Charlemagne Péralte—the self-declared “Chief of the Cacos,” whose guerrilla army of more than a thousand men had resisted U.S. occupation for years. With only a handful of Haitian Gendarmerie disguised as Péralte’s own troops, Hanneken bluffed his way through enemy sentries and into the very heart of the camp.
Once inside, he located Péralte’s hut. The rebel leader, unaware of the ruse, stepped into the moonlight—and Hanneken shot him dead with a single round from his pistol. As the camp erupted in confusion, Hanneken and his men opened fire, scattering the stunned insurgents and breaking their command structure. By dawn, Péralte was dead, his followers routed, and Haiti’s long rebellion shattered.
Hanneken’s audacious leadership and icy nerve accomplished what months of pitched fighting had failed to achieve. His actions marked the turning point of the Caco War and ended the most serious armed resistance to U.S. authority in Haiti.
Medal of Honor Citation
Place and date: Near Grande Riviere, Republic of Haiti, 31 October–1 November 1919.
Entered service at: St. Louis, Mo.
Born: 23 June 1893, St. Louis, Mo.
G.O. No.: 536, 10 June 1920.
Other Navy awards: Navy Cross with 1 gold star, Silver Star, Legion of Merit.
Citation:
For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in actual conflict with the enemy near Grande Riviere, Republic of Haiti, on the night of 31 October–1 November 1919, resulting in the death of Charlemagne Péralte, the supreme bandit chief in the Republic of Haiti, and the killing, capture, and dispersal of about 1,200 of his outlaw followers. 2d Lt. Hanneken not only distinguished himself by his excellent judgment and leadership but also unhesitatingly exposed himself to great personal danger when the slightest error would have forfeited not only his life but the lives of the detachments of Gendarmerie under his command. The successful termination of his mission will undoubtedly prove of untold value to the Republic of Haiti.
