Category: This great Nation & Its People
Henry L. Hulbert wasn’t supposed to be there.By World War I, he was already over 50 years old. Most soldiers at that age weren’t on the front lines. Many had already stepped away from combat.
Hulbert did the opposite.
He volunteered.
Years earlier, in 1899, he had already earned the Medal of Honor as a private during brutal fighting in Samoa. That alone could have defined his career.
But he didn’t stop there.He stayed in the fight.
Over time, he rose through the ranks, becoming one of the most respected Marines in the Corps. Not because of titles — but because of how he led.
Energy. Experience. Presence under pressure.
Younger officers relied on him. Trusted him. Followed him.
Then came World War I.
Despite being older than most around him, Hulbert went back into combat in France. Front lines. Real danger. No special treatment.
At battles like Belleau Wood and Blanc Mont Ridge, he proved again that experience doesn’t slow courage down.
It sharpens it.
He continued leading from the front, pushing forward in conditions where survival wasn’t guaranteed.
Then in October 1918, during intense fighting at Blanc Mont Ridge, he was killed in action.His promotion to captain had already been approved. But he never lived to see it.
He had already earned some of the highest honors possible — Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Cross.
Still, his name isn’t widely known today. A man who fought across decades… Who returned to war when others stepped away…
Who led younger men into battle in his 50s…
Still largely forgotten.Some warriors never slow down.
They just keep going — until the end.
Hulbert was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. His grave can be found in Section 3 Lot 4309
Philadelphia | Oct 4, 1777
Following the American defeat at the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777, the British Army captured Philadelphia, the seat of the Continental Congress. After taking the American capital, British General Sir William Howe positioned two brigades under General James Grant and a contingent of Hessians troops commanded by General Wilhelm von Kynphausen in Germantown. The British force in the village totaled 9,000 men.
George Washington, commanding an army of 8,000 Continentals and 3,000 militiamen, sensed an opportunity. He decided to attack and destroy the enemy detachment at Germantown using a double envelopment.
Washington set his plan into motion on the night of October 3. Much like at Trenton, he divided his army so as to attack the British from multiple directions at dawn. General John Sullivan would attack with the main force while General Nathanael Greene attacked on the flank. The militia, under General William Smallwood, would target the British extreme right and rear. Unfortunately for Washington, darkness and a heavy fog delayed the advance and cost him the element of surprise.
Sullivan’s column was the first to make contact, driving back the British pickets on Mount Airy. The British were so shocked to find a large force of American soldiers that some were cut off from the main body; 120 men under British Colonel Musgrave took shelter in the large stone house of Chief Justice Benjamin Chew, known as Cliveden. This fortified position would prove a thorn in the Americans’ side for the remainder of the battle, with numerous assaults being repulsed with heavy casualties. While the fighting around Cliveden raged on, Sullivan pushed his men towards the British center.
On the left, one of Sullivan’s divisions, commanded by General Anthony Wayne, became separated in the fog. To make matters worse, Sullivan’s men were also beginning to run low on ammunition, causing their fire to slacken. The separation, combined with the lack of fire from their comrades and the commotion of the attack on Cliveden behind them, convinced Wayne’s men that they were cut off, causing them to withdraw.
Luckily, Greene’s column arrived in time to engage the British before they could rout Wayne. Unfortunately, one of Greene’s brigades, under General Adam Stephen, also became lost in the fog, mistook Wayne’s men for the British, and opened fire. Wayne’s men returned fire. The resulting firefight caused both units to break and flee the field.
Only the steadfastness of Greene’s and Wayne’s men and the American artillery prevented a disaster. The American retreat was also aided by the onset of darkness.
Washington’s Army lost roughly 700 men killed and wounded. Another 400 Americans were captured. The British suffered more than 500 casualties of their own. Despite the British victory, many Europeans, especially the French, were impressed by the continued determination of the Continental Army.
From The American Battlefield Trust