Medal of Honor: William R. Button – Haitian Campaign – October 31–November 1, 1919
In the dark jungles of Haiti, Corporal William R. Button led a daring night assault that ended the reign of the most feared outlaw in the Caribbean—Charlemagne Péralte himself.
October 31, 2025
Name: William Robert Button
Rank: Corporal
War: Haitian Campaign (Banana Wars)
Date of Action: October 31–November 1, 1919
Unit: U.S. Marine Corps (attached to Gendarmerie of Haiti)
Born: December 3, 1895 – St. Louis, Missouri
Entered Service At: St. Louis, Missouri
Summary of Action
In the dead of night near Grande Rivière, Haiti, Corporal William R. Button and a small detachment of U.S. Marines and Haitian Gendarmerie crept toward the camp of Charlemagne Péralte—the self-proclaimed “Chief of the Cacos” and leader of a massive insurgent army that had defied foreign occupation for years. The thick jungle was alive with enemy sentries and the glow of campfires illuminating hundreds of armed men.
Under the cover of darkness, Button led his men forward with silent precision. Timing and nerve were everything—one wrong move would bring a thousand Cacos down upon them. At the decisive moment, Button’s force stormed the camp, opening fire and cutting through the stunned enemy ranks. In the chaos that followed, Péralte—the rebel commander who had rallied thousands under his flag—was killed. His death shattered the Cacos uprising, breaking organized resistance across Haiti.
Corporal Button’s composure, courage, and leadership in that deadly raid not only saved his men but changed the course of Haitian history.
Medal of Honor Citation
Entered service at: St. Louis, Mo.
Born: 3 December 1895, St. Louis, Mo.
G.O. No.: 536, 10 June 1920.
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. Cpl. William R. Button 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.
