The 1st Marine Division is the oldest, largest (active duty), and most decorated division-sized unit in the United States Marine Corps representing a combat-ready force of more than 19,000 men and women. A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to fifteen thousand soldiers. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military. ...

History

The division's regiments were in existence as early as 8 March 1911, when the 1st Marines was formed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It saw action throughout the Caribbean during World War I. The 5th Marines was created in Vera Cruz, Mexico 13 July 1914. It participated in 15 major engagements during World War I, including Belleau Wood, Chateau Thierry, and St. Mihiel. On 7 August 1917, 7th Marines was activated in Philadelphia, Penn. It spent the duration of World War I in Cuba and was disbanded after the war. It was reactivated in 1941. The 11th Marines was formed in January 1918 at Quantico, Va., as a light artillery regiment. The regiment went to France as an infantry unit, providing a machine gun company and a guard company. Decommissioned and reactivated twice between world wars, the regiment was re-formed in 1940 as a full-fledged artillery unit. A regiment is a military unit, larger than a company and smaller than a division. ... March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... 1911 is a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Map of Cuba with location of Guantanamo Bay indicated. ... Central America and the Caribbean The Caribbean Sea is a body of water adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, south of the Gulf of Mexico. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... See: Veracruz (city) (Mexico) Veracruz (state) (Mexico) Vera Cruz, Indiana Vera Cruz, Bahia, Brazil Vera Cruz, São Paulo, Brazil This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... July 13th is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Battle of Belleau Wood was a battle of the first World War. ... The Battle of Chateau Thierry was fought on July 18, 1918. ... The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought between September 12 - 15, 1918, involving the French troops under the command of U.S. general John J. Pershing against German positions. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... 1917 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Independence Hall Philadelphia (sometimes referred to as Philly or the City of Brotherly Love) is the fifth most populous city in the United States and the most populous city in the state of Pennsylvania, occupying all of Philadelphia County. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Marine Corps Base Quantico, near Fredericksburg, Virginia, is one of the largest United States Marine Corps bases in the world. ... Infantry in the First World War Infantry (or Infantrymen) are soldiers who fight primarily on foot, using personal weapons. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

World War II

The 1st Marine Division was activated aboard the battleship Texas 1 February 1941. The Battle of Guadalcanal was the first major American offensive of World War II. Launched 7 August 1942, this operation won the Division its first of three World War II Presidential Unit Citations. Others won were for the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa. This article is about a battleship as a type of warship. ... USS Texas (BB-35), a New York-class battleship, was the second ship to honor Texas, the 28th state, in the United States Navy. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Battle of Guadalcanal was one of the most important battles of World War II. The assault on the Japanese-occupied island of Guadalcanal by the Allied navies and 16,000 United States troops on 7 August 1942, was the first offensive by US land forces in the Pacific Campaign. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (over 11 miles) into the air. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy. ... Battle of Peleliu Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date September 15, 1944 – November 25, 1944 Place Peleliu, Palau Islands Result American victory Like the bloody World War II island campaigns before it, the battle of Peleliu was a fight to capture an airstrip on a speck of coral in... The Battle of Okinawa, fought on the island of Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands (south of the four big islands of Japan) was the largest amphibious assault during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It was the largest sea-land-air battle in history, running from April through June...

Korean War

"The Old Breed" was the unit chosen to lead the Inchon landing 15 September 1950, adding one more PUC to its list of decorations. The fifth PUC was for the division's "attack in the opposite direction", fighting its way out of the Chosin Reservoir against seven Communist Chinese divisions. The Chinese suffered an estimated 37,500 casualties trying to stop the Marines' march out of the "Frozen Chosin". Battles between April and September earned the division its sixth PUC. Battle of Inchon Conflict Korean War Date September 15, 1950 – September 28, 1950 Place Inchon, Korea Result Allied victory Seoul is recpatured China enters the Korean War The Battle of Inchon (code name: Operation Chromite) was a decisive 15-day invasion and battle during the Korean War. ... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Battle of Chosin Reservoir Conflict Korean War Date November 26–December 13, 1950 Place Chosin reservoir, Korea Result Chinese pyrrhic victory The Battle of Chosin Reservoir was a battle in the Korean War, shortly after Chinese entry into the conflict. ... The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) (Traditional Chinese: 人民解放軍, Simplified Chinese: 人民解放军, pinyin: Rénmín Jiěfàng Jūn), which includes an army, navy, air force, and strategic nuclear forces, serves as the military of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ...

The 2d Battalion, 1st Marines returned to Guantanamo Bay for two months in 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis. More than 11,000 Marines of 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade participated in the naval blockade which forced the withdrawal of the missiles from Cuba. 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Cuban Missile Crisis Gooney was a tense confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States over the Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba. ...

Vietnam War

Fewer than three years later, the division was again on the move. In 1965, 7th Marines participated in Operations Starlite and Piranha, the first major engagements for American ground troops in South Vietnam. March 1966 saw 1st Marine Division Headquarters established at Chu Lai. By June, the entire Division was in South Vietnam, its zone of operation—the southern two provinces of I Corps—Quang Tin and Quang Ngai. Between March and October 1966 to May 1967, the division conducted 44 named operations. During the 1968 Tet Offensive, the division was involved in fierce fighting with both Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army elements. It was successful in beating back enemy assaults in its operation areas. 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Operation Starlite was a military operation conducted during the Vietnam War starting on August 21, 1965. ... Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809km² N/A Population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... Unit crest of the United States Army I Corps, Americas Corps. ... Quang Ngai (in Vietnamese Quảng Ngãi) is a province of central Vietnam. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... The Tet Offensive was a series of operational offensives launched in 1968 by the PLAF and PAVN against ARVN and ARVN-allied forces during the American involvement in the Vietnam War. ... A Viet Cong soldier, heavily guarded, awaits interrogation following capture in the attacks on Saigon during the festive Tet holiday period of 1968. ... knulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din...

After six hard years of combat, 1st Marine Division returned home to Camp Pendleton in 1971, closing another chapter of dedicated service to Corps and country. In 1975, the division supported the evacuation of Saigon by providing food and temporary shelter at Camp Pendleton for Vietnamese refugees as they arrived in the United States. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is near Oceanside, California. ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam and, as Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn), was the capital of South Vietnam from 1954 to 1976. ...

Desert Shield/Storm

In 1990 1st Marine Division formed the nucleus of the massive force sent to Southwest Asia in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. During Operation Desert Shield, the division supported I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) in the defense of Saudi Arabia from the Iraqi threat. In 1991 the division went on the offensive with the rest of Coalition Forces in Operation Desert Storm. In 100 hours of ground offensive combat 1st Marine Division helped to liberate Kuwait, smashing the Iraqi Army in the process. 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A map showing Southwest Asia - The term Middle East is more often used to refer to both Southwest Asia and some North African countries Southwest Asia, or West Asia, is the southwestern part of Asia. ... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... Lineage Activated November 8th, 1969 at Okinawa, Japan as the I Marine Expeditionary Force Redesignated August 17th, 19780 as the I Marine Amphibious Force Relocated in April 1971 to Camp Pendleton, California Redesignated February 5th, 1988 as the I Marine Expeditionary Force Recent Service Persian Gulf War Participated in Operation... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... The Military of Iraq consists of the New Iraqi Army, the Iraqi Air Force, and the Iraqi Coastal Defense Force. ...

1990s

Immediately following the Persian Gulf conflict, the Division sent units to assist in relief efforts following a typhoon in Bangladesh (Operation Sea Angel) and the eruption of volcano Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines (Operation Fiery Vigil). In December 1992 Operation Restore Hope, bringing relief to famine-stricken Somalia, kicked off with the early morning amphibious landing of Marines from the Camp Pendleton-based 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which was supported by Battalion Landing Team, 2d Battalion, 9th Marines. More than 15,000 metric tons of food was successfully distributed from 398 different food sites in the city during the operation. The final phase of the operation involved the transition from a U.S. peacemaking force to a United Nations peacekeeping force. U.S. Marine involvement in Operation Restore Hope officially ended April 27, 1993, when the humanitarian relief sector of Mogadishu was handed over to Pakistani forces. This article is about weather phenomena. ... A volcano is a geological landform (usually a mountain) where magma (rock of the earths interior made molten or liquid by high pressure and temperature) erupts through the surface of the planet. ... Mount Pinatubo is an active volcano located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, at the intersection of the borders of the provinces of Zambales, Bataan, and Pampanga. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Operation Restore Hope was an American military operation with the support of the United Nations which was formed to deliver humanitarian aid and restore order to the African nation of Somalia which was suffering from a severe famine, general anarchy, and domination by a number of warlords following the collapse...

Iraq War

In the early morning hours of 26 January 2005 a CH-53E Super Stallion used in the transport of 30 of the division's Marines, along with 1 sailor, crashed in Rutbah, Iraq, killing all on board. An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the incident. January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Designated S-80E internally by the United States military. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ...

Organization

Today 1st Marine Division is a multi-role, expeditionary ground combat force. The Division is employed as the ground combat element (GCE) of I MEF or may provide task-organized forces for assault operations and such operations as may be directed. The 1st Marine Division must be able to provide the ground amphibious forcible entry capability to the naval expeditionary force (NEF) and to conduct subsequent land operations in any operational environment.

The 1st Marine Division is currently composed of

• Headquarters Battalion;
• 1st Marine Regiment (infantry),
• 5th Marine Regiment (infantry),
• 7th Marine Regiment (infantry) and
• 11th Marine Regiment (artillery);
• 3d Assault Amphibian Battalion;
• 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and
• 3d Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion;
• 1st Combat Engineer Battalion;
• 1st Tank Battalion; and
• 1st Reconnaissance Battalion.

These units represent a combat-ready force of more than 19,000 men and women.

Headquarters Battalion provides command and administration for 1st Marine Division. Within the battalion are a headquarters and service company, military police company, a communications company, and a truck company. The division headquarters is located in the 11 Area, while Headquarters Battalion and its companies are located in the 33 Area. Military police (MPs) are the police of a military organization, generally concerning themselves with law enforcement and security. ... A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to fifteen thousand soldiers. ...

The 1st, 5th, and 7th Marines each consist of one headquarters company and four infantry battalions, with one battalion deployed outside the continental United States at all times. The infantry battalions are the basic tactical units that the regiment uses to accomplish its mission of locating, closing with and destroying the enemy by fire and close combat. The 1st and 5th Regiments are located in the 53 and 62 Areas, respectively. The 7th Marines is located in Twentynine Palms, Calif. A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 100-200 soldiers. ... In military terminology, a battalion consists of two to six companies typically commanded by a lieutenant colonel. ... A regiment is a military unit, larger than a company and smaller than a division. ... Twentynine Palms Base, officially the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC), is a census-designated place and United States Marine Corps base located in Twentynine Palms, California; San Bernardino County, California. ...

The 11th Marines consists of a headquarters battery and four artillery battalions. The 11th Marines is the primary source of fire support for 1st Marine Division in amphibious assault and subsequent operations ashore. It provides direct and general fire support to frontline units as required by the infantry commanders. The 11th Marines' organic weapon is the 155 mm howitzer (M198 towed howitzers). The Las Pulgas (43) Area is home to 11th Marines, 1/11 and 2/11. Las Flores (41) Area is home to 5/11 and 3/11 is located at Twentynine Palms. In military science, a battery is a group of artillery or cannon, so grouped in order to facilitate battlefield communication and the organization of barrages. ... Fire Support is a military term referring to long-range firepower provided to a front-line unit. ... Amphibious Assault is an electronic music project by Fallon Bowman. ... The M198 Howitzer during the Persian Gulf War The M198 howitzer is a medium-sized, towed artillery piece. ... Loading a WW1 British 15 in (381 mm) howitzer 155 mm M198 Howitzer A howitzer or hauwitzer is a type of field artillery. ...

1st Tank Battalion was activated on 1 November 1941 and is located at Twentynine Palms, Calif. Its mission is to provide combat power to 1st Marine Division in the form of amphibious and/or Maritime Preposition Forces; conduct operations ashore utilizing maneuver, armor-protected firepower, and shock action in order to close with and destroy the enemy. As a separate battalion, 1st Tank Battalion is responsible for providing armored assets as well as anti-armor systems and staff expertise in their employment. The 1st Tank Battalion is equipped with the M1A1 Abrams Battle Tank. November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... Alternative meanings: vehicle armour, Armor (novel) A hoplite wearing a helmet, a breastplate and greaves (and nothing else). ... The M1 Abrams main battle tank is the principal combat tank of the United States Army. ...

The 1st Combat Engineer Battalion performs many specific functions while fulfilling its mission of providing both tactical and logistical engineer support to 1st Marine Division. The battalion shares San Mateo (62) Area with 5th Marines.

The mission of 3d Assault Amphibian Battalion is to transport the surface assault elements of the landing force from amphibious shipping to inland objectives during the amphibious assault and to provide support to mechanized operations ashore. The amphibious assault vehicles are primarily used to transport personnel in tactical operations. The battalion is located in Camp Del Mar (21) Area.

The Division has two light armored reconnaissance battalions. The mission of a LAR battalion is to conduct reconnaissance, security and economy of force operations, and within its capabilities, limited offensive or delaying operations that exploit the unit's mobility and firepower. 1st LAR Battalion was activated 31 May 1985 and is located at Las Flores (41) Area. 3d LAR Battalion was activated on 11 September 1986 and is located at Twentynine Palms. Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining, as the last day of May. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years). ... 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Division reactivated the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion on 8 June 2000 but the battalion was originally activated on 1 March 1937. It now calls the Margarita (33) Area home. Before 1944 Marine Recon was primarily scout/sniper units. In April 1944 a two company amphibious reconnaissance battalion was formed with the mission of conducting beach reconnaissance and hydrographic survey. Today the Battalion performs a wide variety of tactical and special operations in support of the Division. June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

External links

• http://www.i-mef.usmc.mil/msc/1mardiv/history.htm