THE FOLLWING INFORMATION IS JUST ABOUT ALL I AND THE MARINE CORPS HAVE TO OFFER IN THE WAY OF PAST INFORMATION ABOUT THE MARINE CORPS. ALL THIS INFORMATION IS EXACTLY TRUE.
BIRTH OF THE CORPS
Nov. 10, 1775 -- Continental Congress establishes Marine Corps
On 10 November 1775, the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia
passed a resolution
stating that "two Battalions of Marines be raised" for service as
landing forces with the fleet.
This resolution, sponsored by John Adams, established the Continental
Marines and marked
the birth date of the United States Marine Corps. Serving on land and at
sea, these first
Marines distinguished themselves in a number of important operations,
including their first
amphibious raid into the Bahamas in March 1776, under the command of
Captain (later
Major) Samuel Nicholas. Nicholas, the first commissioned officer in the
Continental Marines,
remained the senior Marine officer throughout the American Revolution
and is considered to
be the first Marine Commandant. The Treaty of Paris in April 1783
brought an end to the
Revolutionary War and as the last of the Navy's ships were sold, the
Continental Navy and
Marines went out of existence.
Nov. 28, 1775 --
John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, authorizes
captain's commission for Samuel Nicholas, which tradition holds, was the
first Commandant of the Marine Corps.
March 3, 1776 --
First amphibious raid: New Providence, Bahamas
July 4, 1776 --
Declaration of Independence signed
April, 1783 --
Treaty of Paris; Marine Corps disbands shortly after treaty signed.
Formal re-establishment of Marine Corps doesn't occur until 11 July,
1798.
April 25-27, 1805 --
Capture of fortress at Derne, Tripoli
-- Lt. Presley N. O'Bannon presented "Mameluke" sword for actions at
Derne
WAR OF 1812
War of 1812 - Mexico
War of 1812
-- Corps' strength reads 10 officers, 483 enlisted
1820 -- Archibald Henderson becomes Commandant of the Marine Corps;
"Grand old Man" Henderson held CMC billet for 39 years
Sept. 13, 1847 --
Battle of Chapultepec, Mexico
CIVIL WAR
Civil War
1861-1865 -- Civil War; nearly half of Marine Corps' officers resign
their commissions to join the New Confederate States Marine Corps
-- Confederate Marines' roster reads 539
-- A resolution introduced to Congress was one of the first attempts to
disband the Corps; idea was tabled but the thought continued
18 June, 1866 --
Another resolution to disband the Corps studied and dropped (21 Feb.,
1867)
Nov. 19, 1868 --
Marine Corps Emblem adopted (usually credited to CMC Jacob Zeilin;
emblem nearly unchanged since that time)
-- The Marines' Hymn first begins to be heard; no author credited.
1883 --
Marine Corps' motto -- "Semper Fidelis" or "Always Faithful" adopted,
replacing other well-known motto's of "Fortitudine" (early 1800's) and
"By Sea and By Land" (1876).
1888 -- John Phillip Sousa's "Semper Fidelis" composed.
SPAIN
Spain - Haiti
1898 War with Spain
-- June 14, Sgt. John H. Quick at Cuzco Well, Cuba, wigwags (signals)
USS Dolphin to direct ships' fire; Quick awarded Medal of Honor for his
action.
-- National Press pounce on story of Marines in action at Cuzco Well;
this begins recognition of the name "Marine."
1900 --
China Relief Expedition (Boxer Rebellion)
1901 -
Pvt. Dan Daly awarded his first Medal of Honor for actions while in
China (Battle of Peking July, 1900)
1907 --
"Horse Marines" -- China Marines guarding Legation Quarter organized
this small detachment, mostly for ceremonies and crowd control, riding
Mongolian Ponies. Marines who served in China were often referred to as
"Horse Marines."
1912 --
Nicaraguan Campaign
1912 -- Birth of Marine Corps Aviation -- Lt. A.A. Cunningham 1st Marine
Aviator; Cunningham, designated Naval Aviator #5, Sept. 17, 1915
1914 --
Maj. Smedley Butler awarded his first Medal of Honor for actions at Vera
Cruz
1915-1924 --
Occupation of Haiti
1915 --
Maj. Smedley Butler and Gunnery Sgt. Dan Daly awarded their second
Medals of Honor for actions while in Haiti
WORLD WAR 1
World War I
World War I -- 1917-1918
Battle of Bouresches -- June 6-7, 1918
Battle of Belleau Wood -- June 6-26, 1918
-- Legend has it that Germans began referring to Marines as
"Teufelhunden" or Devildog; Marines rated as "storm troops"
-- Belleau Wood renamed "Bois de la Brigade de Marine" wood of the
Marine Brigade.
Battle of the Aisne-Marne (Soissons) -- July 18-20, 1918
-- 28 July, 1918 -- Gen. John A. Lejeune, assumed command of the Second
Division (Army), marking the first time that a Marine officer would lead
an Army Division
-- Aug. 13, 1918 -- Opha Mae Johnson, first female enlisted Marine;
Women Marines were known as "skirt Marines" or "Marinettes."
Battle of St. Mihiel -- Sept. 12-16, 1918
Battle of Blanc Mont -- Oct. 2-9, 1918
-- 5th and 6th Marine regiments awarded French Fourragere; to this day,
members of those regiments still authorized to wear the award.
Battle of Meuse-Argonne -- Nov. 1-11, 1918
-- 305 "Reservists (Female)" entered the Marine Corps as clerks to "Free
a Marine to Fight";
1919 --
all women ordered out of the Reserve Corps
1923 --
Lt. Col. Earl H. "Pete" Ellis dies under mysterious circumstances in
Palau Islands; his research and prescient thinking on war in the
Pacific, contained in "Marine Corps Operations Plan 712, Advanced Base
Operations in Micronesia," of 1921, forecast requirements for war in the
Pacific, including sizes of forces necessary to take objectives, and the
future of amphibious warfare.
1927-1933 --
Occupation of Nicaragua -- Marines gained a fighting reputation during
this time; Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller a.k.a. "Tiger of the Mountains,"
awarded Navy Cross for actions while in Nicaragua; was awarded five Navy
Crosses before retiring in 1955 as a Lt. Gen.
WORLD WAR 2
During the two decades before World War II, the Marine Corps began to
develop the doctrine, equipment and organization needed for amphibious
warfare. The success of this effort was proven throughout the Pacific
during World War II. By the end of the war in 1945, the Marine Corps had
grown to include six divisions, five air wings and supporting troops.
The Marine Corps strength in World War II peaked at 475,604. The war
cost the Marines nearly 87,000 dead and wounded.
Active Duty Marines
YearOfficerEnlisted1940 800 26,545 1941 3,339 51,020 1942 7,138 135,475
1943 21,384 287,139 1944 32,788 442,816 1945 37,067 437,613 1946 14,208
141,471
Marine Corps combat losses
Prisoners of War (POW) | 348
Wounded in Action (WIA) | 67,207
Killed in Action (KIA) | 19,733
Other deaths | 4,778
Medal of Honor recipients
USMC personnel received 81 of the 433 Medals of Honor awarded during
World War II. Fifty-one of the medals were
awarded postumously.
1st Enlisted Marine Recipient: Sergeant Clyde Thomason, Makin Island
raid, Aug. 17, 1942.
1st Marine Officer Recipient: 1st Lieutenant George Cannon, Midway
Island, Dec. 7, 1942.
Battles
Wake Island -- Dec. 8-23, 1941
Bataan & Corregidor -- Dec. 8, 1941- May 6, 1942
Guadalcanal capture and defense -- Aug. 7, 1942-Feb. 8, 1943
Makin Island Raid -- Aug. 17-18, 1942
New Georgia Occupation June 20, to Aug. 31, 1943
*Tarawa Operation -- Nov. 20 to Nov 23, 1943
Cape Gloucester Operation -- Dec. 26, 1943 to March 1, 1944
Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls Occupation -- Jan. 31 to Feb. 8, 1944
Eniwetok Atoll Occupation Feb. 17 to March 2, 1944
Saipan Capture and Occupation -- June 15 to Aug. 10, 1944
Guam Capture and Occupation -- July 21 to Aug. 15, 1944
Tinian Capture and Occupation -- July 24 to Aug. Aug. 10, 1944
Peleliu Capture and Occupation -- Sept. 15 to Oct. 14, 1944
Leyte Landings (Philippines) Oct. 20, 1944
*Iwo Jima Operation -- Feb. 19 to March 16, 1945
Okinawa Capture and Occupation -- April 1 to June 21, 1945
--There were 1, 556 officers and 26, 369 enlisted in 1940; by 1945,
37,664 officers and 447,399 enlisted were in six Marine divisions.
-- From 1941-1945, nearly 20,000 Marines were killed in action or died
of wounds; more than 67,000 were wounded in action.
-- 81 Marines would be awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions in
WWII.
-- 18 June, 1945 -- Gen. Roy S. Geiger became commanding general, 10th
Army; on Okinawa; first time a Marine would command a field army
Battle for Iwo Jima
Campaign for Okinawa
Marine Corps Aces
Marines in the Atlantic, Europe and Africa
Marines in the Mariana Islands
Marines in the Marshall Islands
Navajo Code Talkers
The Battle for Tarawa
The Battle of Bougainville
The Battle of Peleliu
USMC Raiders
Women in the Marine Corps
World War II
World War II -- Statistics and overview
Battle for Iwo Jima
"The battle of Iwo Island has been won. The United States Marines by
their individual and collective courage have
conquered a base which is as necessary to us in our continuing forward
movement toward final victory as it was vital
to the enemy in staving off ultimate defeat.
"By their victory, the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and other units
of the Fifth Amphibious Corps have made an
accounting to their country which only history will be able to value
fully. Among the American who served on Iwo
Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue."
--Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
Iwo Jima, which means sulfur island, was strategically important as an
air base for fighter escorts supporting long-range
bombing missions against mainland Japan. Because of the distance between
mainland Japan and U.S. bases in the Mariana
Islands, the capture of Iwo Jima would provide an emergency landing
strip for crippled B-29s returning from bombing runs.
The seizure of Iwo would allow for sea and air blockades, the ability to
conduct intensive air bombardment and to destroy the
enemy's air and naval capabilities.
The seizure of Iwo Jima was deemed necessary, but the prize would not
come easy. The fighting that took place during the
36-day assault would be immortalized in the words of Commander, Pacific
Fleet/Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who said, "Among the Americans who served on
Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common
virtue."
To the Japanese leadership, the capture of Iwo Jima meant the battle for
Okinawa, and the invasion of Japan itself, was not far
off
Commanders
Commanders for the operation, code named Detachment, were assigned as
follows:
--Admiral Raymond A. Spruance was the operation's overall commander.
--Joint Expeditionary Force commander was Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly
Turner. Second in command of the Joint
Expeditionary Force was Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill.
--Lieutenant General Holland M. "Howlin' Mad" Smith was assigned as the
commanding general of expeditionary troops.
--The 54th Amphibious Corps was commanded by Major General Harry
Schmidt. Under his command fell the 3rd Marine
Division commander, Major General Graves B. Erskine; the 4th Marine
Division commander, Major General Clifton B. Cates;
and the 5th Marine Division commander, Major General Keller E. Rockey.
Bombardment
Initial carrier raids against Iwo Jima began in June 1944. Prior to the
invasion, the 8-square-mile island would suffer the
longest, most intensive shelling of any Pacific island during the war.
The 7th Air Force, working out of the Marianas, supplied
the B-24 heavy bombers for the campaign. In addition to the air assaults
on Iwo, the Marines requested 10 days of
pre-invasion naval bombardment. Due to other operational commitments and
the fact that a prolonged air assault had been
waged on Iwo Jima, Navy planners authorized only three days of naval
bombardment. Unfavorable weather conditions would
further hamper the effects of naval bombardment. Despite this, Turner
decided to keep the invasion date as planned, and the
Marines prepared for the Feb. 19 D-day.
D-day
More than 450 ships massed off Iwo as the H-hour bombardment pounded the
island. Shortly after 9 a.m., Marines of the 4th
and 5th divisions hit beaches Green, Red, Yellow and Blue abreast,
initially finding little enemy resistance. Coarse volcanic
sand hampered the movement of men and machines as they struggled to move
up the beach. As the protective naval gunfire
subsided to allow for the Marine advance, the Japanese emerged form
their fortified underground positions to begin a heavy
barrage of fire against the invading force.
The 4th Marine Division pushed forward against heavy opposition to take
the Quarry, a Japanese strong point. The 5th Marine
Division's 28th Marines had the mission of isolating Mount Suribachi.
Both tasks were accomplished that day.
The Battle Continues
Feb. 20, one day after the landing, the 28th Marines secured the
southern end of Iwo and moved to take the summit of
Suribachi. By day's end, one third of the island and Motoyama Airfield
No. 1 was controlled by the Marines. By Feb. 23, the
28th Marines would reach the top of Mount Suribachi and raise the U.S.
flag.
The 3rd Marine Division joined the fighting on the fifth day of the
battle. These Marines immediately began the mission of
securing the center sector of the island. Each division fought hard to
gain ground against a determined Japanese defender. The
Japanese leaders knew with the fall of Suribachi and the capture of the
airfields that the Marine advance on the island could not
be stopped; however, they would make the Marines fight for every inch of
land they won.
Lieutenant General Tadamishi Kuribayashi, commander of the ground forces
on Iwo Jima, concentrated his energies and his
forces in the central and northern sections of the island. Miles of
interlocking caves, concrete blockhouses and pillboxes
proved to be one of the most impenetrable defenses encountered by the
Marines in the Pacific.
The Marines worked together to drive the enemy from the high ground.
Their goal was to capture the area that appropriately
became known as the "Meat Grinder." This section of the island included
three distinct terrain features, which were the highest
point on the northern portion of the island, Hill 382; an elevation
known as "Turkey Knob," which had been reinforced with
concrete and was home to a large enemy communications center; and the
"Amphitheater," a southeastern extension of Hill 382.
The 3rd Marine Division encountered the most heavily fortified portion
of the island in their move to take Airfield No. 2. As
with most of the fighting on Iwo Jima, frontal assault was the method
used to gain each inch of ground. By nightfall on March 9,
the 3rd division reached the island's northeastern beach, cutting the
enemy defenses in two.
On the left of the 3rd Marine Division, the 5th Marine Division pushed
up the western coast of Iwo Jima from the central
airfield to the island's northern tip. Moving to seize and hold the
eastern portion of the island, the 4th Marine Division
encountered a "mini banzai" attack from the final members of the
Japanese Navy serving on Iwo. This attack resulted in the
death of nearly 700 enemy and ended the centralized resistances of enemy
forces in the 4th division's sector. The 4th division
would join forces with the 3rd and 5th at the coast on March 10.
A proud moment for those who worked so hard to gain control of the
island was when the first emergency landing was made
by a B-29 bomber on March 4. Repairs were made, refueling was completed
and the aircraft was off to complete its mission.
Operations entered the final phases March 11, enemy resistance was no
longer centralized. Individual pockets of resistance
were taken one by one.
Finally on March 26, following a banzai attack against troops and air
corps personnel near the beaches, the island was
declared secure. The U.S. Army's 147th Infantry Regiment assumed ground
control of the island on April 4, relieving the
largest body of Marines committed in combat in one operation during
World War II.
Campaign Results
The 36-day assault resulted in more than 26,000 American casualties,
including 6,800 dead. Of the 20,000 Japanese
defenders, only 1,083 survived. The Marines' efforts, however, provided
a vital link in the U.S. chain of bomber bases. By
war's end, 2,400 B-29 bombers carrying 27,000 crewman made unscheduled
landings on the island.
Historians described U.S. forces' attack against the Japanese defense as
"throwing human flesh against reinforced concrete." In
the end, Iwo Jima was won not only by the fighting spirit of the
Marines, but by the meticulous planning and support provided
by the Navy and Army through supply efforts, medical care, and air and
naval gunfire.
Twenty-seven Medals of Honor were awarded to Marines and sailors, many
posthumously more than were awarded for any
other single operation during the war.
Two flag-raisings
At 8 a.m. on Feb. 23, a patrol of 40 men from 3rd Platoon, E Company,
2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, led by 1st Lieutenant
Harold G. Schrier, assembled at the base of Mount Suribachi. The
platoon's mission was to take the crater of Suribachi's peak
and raise the U.S. flag.
The platoon slowly climbed the steep trails to the summit, but
encountered no enemy fire. As they reached the top, the patrol
members took positions around the crater watching for pockets of enemy
resistance as other members of the patrol looked for
something on which to raise the flag.
At 10:20 a.m., the flag was hoisted on a steel pipe above the island by
First Lieutenant Harold Schrier, platoon commander,
Sergeant Ernest I. Thomas, platoon sergeant, Corporal Charles W.
Lindberg, and Private First Class James R. Nicel. This
symbol of victory sent a wave of strength to the battle-weary fighting
men below, and struck a further mental blow against the
island's defenders.
Researched and written by 1st Lieutenant Kimberley J. Miller
Campaign for Okinawa
Marine Corps Aces
Marines in the Atlantic, Europe and Africa
Marines in the Mariana Islands
Marines in the Marshall Islands
Navajo Code Talkers
The Battle for Tarawa
The Battle of Bougainville
The Battle of Peleliu
USMC Raiders
Women in the Marine Corps
VIETNAM
Vietnam - Iran Hostages
Vietnam War
Advisory Campaign -- March 15, 1962 to March 7, 1965
March 8, 1965 -- 9th MEB lands on beaches of Da Nang
Operation Starlite -- Largest ground offensive of the Vietnam war for
Marines begins, Aug. 15, 1965
*Siege of Khe Sanh -- Jan. 21 - March 30, 1968 -- longest and most
notable enemy siege of entire war.
Tet Offensive begins - Jan. 29, 1968
-- Battle for Hue City; 30 days of house-to-house combat
Operation Eagle Pull -- Evacuation of US Embassy, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
April 12, 1975
Operation Frequent Wind -- Evac. of American Embassy, Saigon, April
29-30, 1975
USS Mayaguez Rescue Operation -- Koh Tang, Cambodia May 15-21, 1975
-- In 1964, the Corps' strength was 189,000; In 1969, it was 314,000
officers and enlisted; by 1975, 196,000.
-- 12,983 Marines were killed in action from 1961-1975; 88, 591 were
wounded.
Iranian Hostage Rescue Attempt (Desert One, Iran) --
April 24, 1980; 3 Marines killed when helicopter collides with KC-130
during refueling. Marines' role was to fly eight helos (carrying rescue
team from the Army Delta Force) to the Tehran Embassy.
Iranian Hostage Crisis --
Nov. 4, 1979; 13 Marines taken hostage.
