returning to the united states soon thereafter, waller served in charge of recruiting in pennsylvania, delaware, and western new jersey into 1903 and commanded, in succession, the provisional regiment of marines on the isthmus of panama in 1904; the expeditionary forces on the island of cuba from 1906 and rose to command the provisional brigade in cuba by 1911. he later commanded the marine barracks at the mare island navy yard from 1911 to 1914 and the first brigade of marines during action at veracruz in mexico in 1914, before being appointed to command marines in haiti in 1915. under colonel waller's command, his troops successfully crushed most armed resistance to the american occupation of the country and restored pax americana in haiti.