Undercover Agents
During the US occupation of Haiti, Sergeant Herman Hanneken came up with a plan to kill Charlemagne Péralte, leader of the Caco Revolt.
Charlemagne and his Cacos were a formidable force for the Marine Corps, and in the three months leading up to Hanneken's mission, over 80 engagements took place between the two groups. The frequent attacks caused a lot of chaos between Marines and the gendarmes (Haitian police force). Poor communication resulted in a lot of confusion, and as a result, it was common for both parties to fire at each other. Multiple Marines and gendarmes died by friendly fire. Like the Dominican Republic, poor policy by the US government and Marines frequently deploying, many to and from the front lines in WWI, caused a significant drop in morale. But out of their declining optimism came one of the most heroic feats in the Corps history.
Sergeant Hanneken established a plan to take out the rebel leader and cause anarchy amongst the Cacos. He had one of the Haitian gendarmes go undercover as Charlamagne's secretary. A Haitian civilian joined Hanneken's mission and would eventually become a general in charge of a detachment of Cacos. The clandestine operation earned the trust of Charlamagne and other senior leaders of the rebel group. The general was given his own camp of Cacos, and Hanneken periodically attacked his base to avoid suspicion.
Working with his two secret sources, Hanneken convinced Charlemagne to attack a nearby town.
The plan was for the undercover agents to suggest a safe location for Charlemagne to wait for the news of the battle. Once in position, Hanneken and Corporal William Button would pretend to be messengers and kill Charlemagne when he was in sight.
The two Marines, along with 20 gendarmes, disguised themselves as Cacos, and the group made their way towards the camp, passing many cacos along the way. Sounding like a mission out of an Indian Jones movie, the Marines would have to face six outposts before reaching their target. They pushed on without hesitation.
The first outpost was excited about the news and let the detachment pass without question.
They were able to cross the second post with a secret password.
The Marines passed the third and fourth outpost, but a few comments between the gendarmes and the Cacos concerned amongst the two Marines.
During the fifth outpost, one of the cacos pulled his pistol on Hanneken. He pretended he was exhausted and managed to stagger past, but the guard stopped corporal Button. He was curious about his weapon and asked him where he got the nice-looking rifle. Button gave him an answer, and they were able to make their way to the final post.
When Hanneken reached the final post, they found 250 guards protecting Charlamagne. He was standing next to a fire 40 feet away from the Marines. Charlemagne sensed something was wrong, and his guards went for their weapons. Hanneken immediately reacted and shot Charlamagne while Button opened fire on his guards. The Marines and Gendarmes fought off Cacos throughout the night and, in the morning, carried the rebel leader's body back to Grande Rivière. Multiple bandits attacked the group along the way, but the small force fought them off and arrived at Grande Riviere at 0900. Both Marines were awarded the medal of honor for their bravery. Shortly after this heroic mission, Button died from malaria. Hanneken would eventually become a Brigadier General and leave the Marine Corps in 1948.
Hanneken’s and Buttons Medal of Honor 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 Peralte, 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.
We cover Haiti in the Banana Wars: Haiti - Part 1 and Part 2. Subscribe to listen for free: https://buff.ly/2tXZkk7
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