Randolph Zane

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Purple Heart Marine Recipient

title: "Randolph Zane" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1887-births", "1918-deaths", "united-states-marine-corps-personnel-of-world-war-i", "american-military-personnel-killed-in-world-war-i", "recipients-of-the-navy-cross-(united-states)", "military-personnel-from-philadelphia", "recipients-of-the-distinguished-service-cross-(united-states)", "united-states-marine-corps-officers"] description: "Purple Heart Marine Recipient" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randolph_Zane" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

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::data[format=table title="Infobox military person"]

FieldValue
nameRandolph Talcott Zane
imageRandolph Talcott Zane.png
birth_date
death_date
birth_placePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
death_placeDied of wounds from Belleau Wood
placeofburialSomme American Military Cemetery, France.
placeofburial_labelPlace of burial
allegianceUnited States of America
branchUnited States Marine Corps
serviceyears1909–1918
rankMajor
unit2nd Battalion, 6th Marines
battlesWorld War I
awardsNavy Cross
Distinguished Service Cross
Purple Heart
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| name = Randolph Talcott Zane | image = Randolph Talcott Zane.png | image_upright = | caption = | birth_date = | death_date = | birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | death_place = Died of wounds from Belleau Wood | placeofburial = Somme American Military Cemetery, France. | placeofburial_label = Place of burial | nickname = | allegiance = United States of America | branch = United States Marine Corps | serviceyears = 1909–1918 | rank = Major | commands = | unit = 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines | battles = World War I

Military career

Early years

Randolph Zane was born on August 12, 1887, in Philadelphia. He was appointed a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps on January 6, 1909, and, a month later, reported for duty to the Headquarters, United States Marine Corps in Washington, D.C. After instruction at the Marine Officers' School, Port Royal, South Carolina, Zane joined the Marine detachment on the battleship at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, on December 27, 1909.

Detached from New Hampshire in the summer of 1911, Zane next served ashore at the Naval Prison, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, until December. Reporting to the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., on Christmas Day 1911, Zane became post quartermaster on January 1, 1912, and held the post until February 15, 1913.

Zane then saw temporary expeditionary service in early 1913, sailing from Norfolk, Virginia, with Company "I", 2nd Regiment, 2nd Provisional Brigade of Marines, on board auxiliary cruiser and disembarked at Guantanamo Bay on February 27. Reembarked in Prairie exactly three months later, Zane returned to Washington on June 2.

After subsequent shore duty at the Marine Barracks at Puget Sound, Washington, and at Mare Island, California, and sea duty in the armored cruisers and , Zane joined the 4th Marine Regiment at San Diego, California, on December 29, 1914. He next served two more tours ashore — at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and at Quantico, Virginia, before he embarked in the transport on January 19, 1918, bound for France.

World War I

In 1918, with the United States having entered the fighting in World War I, now-Major Zane began his first tour of duty in Europe at the Bourmont, France training area, with the 6th Marine Regiment. He then went to the front lines, southeast of the famous battlefield at Verdun, where he remained from mid-March to mid-May. In command of the 79th Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, he moved with his unit to Vitry-le-François and then to Gisors-Chaumont-en-Vexin, where Zane and his companions received urgent orders sending them to the Château-Thierry sector.

Major Zane participated in the fighting in the vicinity of Belleau Wood, when the untried Marines came up against the 461st Imperial German Infantry, a unit that Colonel Robert D. Heinl called "the largest single body of combat-seasoned regular troops which Marines had confronted since Bladensburg" (1814). Zane took part in the second phase of the assault, when the 2nd Battalion 6th Marines and 3rd Battalion 6th Marines entered the wood, and remained in action through the entire period of fighting.

Zane was wounded and shell shocked on June 26, 1918. He never recovered from his injuries and died on October 24, 1918. He is buried at the Somme American Military Cemetery, Bony, France.

Distinguished Service Cross citation

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Navy Cross citation

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Silver Star citation

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Personal life

His widow, Barbara Stephens Zane (daughter of California governor William D. Stephens). His daughter, Marjorie Zane christened the USS Zane.

Namesake

The United States Navy's , a Clemson-class destroyer, was named in his honor.{{cite web|accessdate=January 18, 2009 |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h70000/h70624c.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020106005149/http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h70000/h70624c.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 6, 2002 |publisher=Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy |title=Photo #: NH 70624, USS Zane (DD-337)}}

References

:

  • Zane, Dictionary of American Fighting Ships, Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy.

References

  1. "Valor Awards for Randolph Talcott Zane". Military Times.

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1887-births1918-deathsunited-states-marine-corps-personnel-of-world-war-iamerican-military-personnel-killed-in-world-war-irecipients-of-the-navy-cross-(united-states)military-personnel-from-philadelphiarecipients-of-the-distinguished-service-cross-(united-states)united-states-marine-corps-officers