George Barnett

George Barnett
12th Commandant of the Marine Corps of the United States Marine Corps (1914–1920)
Born	(1859-12-09)December 9, 1859 Lancaster, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	April 27, 1930(1930-04-27) (aged 70) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Buried at	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1881–1883 (U.S. Navy) 1883–1923 (U.S. Marine Corps)
Rank	Major General
Commands held	Commandant of the Marine Corps Department of the Pacific 1st Marine Regiment
Awards	Navy Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Honor
Spouse(s)	Lelia Montague Gordon (wife)
Relations	Thomas P.M. Barnett (cousin) Basil Gordon (stepson)
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George Barnett (December 9, 1859 – April 27, 1930) was the 12th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. He was a pioneer of amphibious warfare and the U.S. Marine Commandant during American involvement in World War I.

Barnett was born on December 9, 1859 in Lancaster, Wisconsin, and grew up in Boscobel, Wisconsin. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1877, graduating in 1881 with the first academy class to provide officers to the Marine Corps. After spending two years at sea as a cadet-midshipman aboard the USS Essex, he was transferred to the Marine Corps and was appointed a second lieutenant on 1 July 1883. While serving as a second lieutenant he did duty at the various Marine Barracks in the eastern part of the United States and commanded the Marine contingent at Sitka, Alaska for three years. He was again at sea on the USS Iroquois at the time he was promoted to first lieutenant in September 1890.

After completing the second of several tours of sea duty he served one year at the Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., and was then attached to a U.S. Marine guard at the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago, where he remained until it closed. At that time he resumed his regular duties at the Washington, D.C. Navy Yard.

In June 1896, Barnett again went to sea, this time aboard the USS Vermont. He was transferred to the USS San Francisco in December 1897 and to the USS New Orleans during the following April. While serving on that vessel during the Spanish–American War, he participated in several bombardments of the forts at Santiago, Cuba. He was advanced to captain on 11 August 1898, and was transferred to the USS Chicago in November of that year. In that same year, Barnett became a Veteran Companion of the Pennsylvania Commandery of the Military Order of Foreign Wars.