Early career Born December 1, 1868, in
Gowanda, New York, Catlin was appointed to the
U.S. Naval Academy from
Minnesota in May 1886. He captained the football team at Annapolis and played left halfback for three years. After graduating with the Class of 1890, he served on board for required two years sea duty as a
midshipman. In April 1893, Catlin was promoted to
first lieutenant and transferred that December to
Marine Barracks, League Island, Philadelphia Navy Yard,
Pennsylvania. Returning to sea in August 1895, he reported to . In June 1911, during salvaging operations of the
Maine, Catlin's
Mamaluke Sword was recovered "in a fair state of preservation," along with a penknife, from his quarters.
1899–1913 After serving in the Spanish–American War, he was ordered to the Marine Barracks at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard,
New York. In March 1899, he was promoted to
captain and assigned to the Marine Barracks at
Port Royal, South Carolina. In February 1902, Catlin received orders to the Marine Barracks at
Cavite, Philippines. He was the first commanding officer of the Marine Barracks, Naval Station,
Honolulu,
Territory of Hawaii, serving there from February to July 1904. Catlin was then assigned to the Marine Barracks at Boston, Massachusetts, where he served the Post Quartermaster, and was later transferred to the Marine Barracks at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Following that tour, in 1911, he returned to serve in Cuba where he commanded a battalion of the
1st Regiment, which formed at
Guantanamo Bay on 8 March 1911. Beginning in the fall of 1911, Catlin served in succession on board , and . Catlin graduated from the
Army War College in May, one month after the
American entry into World War I. Subsequently, he was placed in charge of the Marine overseas training camp at
Quantico, Virginia. In October 1917, Catlin was sent to France as commanding officer of the
6th Marine Regiment. The 6th Marines, together with the
5th Marine Regiment under
Hiram I. Bearss, formed the
4th Marine Brigade, commanded by
Charles A. Doyen, which itself formed part of the
United States Army's
2nd Division of the
American Expeditionary Forces. From June 1–6, 1918, the 6th Marines saw action in the front lines from Paris-Metz Road through
Lucy-le-Bocage to Hill 142. On June 6, with his regiment attacking
Bois de Belleau, he was wounded in the chest by a sniper and evacuated to a hospital the next day. ==Honors and awards==