major one month later. He was subsequently ordered to France, arriving to Saint-Nazaire on June 27, 1917. Puryear was subsequently attached to the staff of 2nd Army Division under Major General Omar Bundy as assistant to the assistant chief of staff for personnel. He was temporary attached to the 5th Marine Regiment and participated in the occupation of the trenches in the Toulouse sector near Verdun in March 1918. Puryear was wounded by effects of combat gas and returned to the 5th Marines in July 1918 in order to participate in Battles of Château-Thierry and Soissons, where he commanded Regimental Combat Train, which carried a machine gun carts. He later took part in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel in September 1918 and later in Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge, where he distinguished himself and received French Croix de guerre 1914–1918 with Gilt Star by the Government of France. Following the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in November 1918, armistice was signed and Puryear and all his service with 5th Marines was rewarded with Navy Cross, the United States military's second-highest decoration awarded for valor in combat. Interwar period Puryear remained in Europe and participated in the march to the Rhine river, passing through Belgium and Luxembourg to Heddesdorf at Coblenz Bridgehead. He participated in the occupation of the Rhineland until the end of May 1919 and returned to the United States at the beginning of June. Puryear was subsequently attached to the Headquarters Marine Corps as a member of procurement policy committee, Munitions Board. He was ordered for expeditionary duty in Haiti in July 1925 and served for three years as quartermaster and paymaster director of the Garde d'Haiti. Puryear distinguished himself in this capacity and received Haitian Distinguished Service Medal with Diploma. Following his return to the United States in July 1928, he was attached to the Field Officers course at the Marine Corps Schools, Quantico and graduated in June of the following year. Puryear then served at Depot of Supplies, Philadelphia until October 1930, when he was ordered for duty with Quartermaster Department, Headquarters Marine Corps. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in December of that year and remained in there until June 1936, when he was transferred to San Diego for quartermaster duty at local marine base. He was meanwhile promoted to the rank of colonel in October 1934. World War II He was appointed post quartermaster at