History of Our Corps – January 11

And on this the 6th – the 11th days of January in the history of our beloved Corps:

In 1944, the 7th Marines and 3/5 seize Aogiri Ridge to expand the Cape Gloucester perimeter.

During the period 6th through 15th January in the history of our beloved Corps:

In 1967, during the period 6 through 15 January 1967, a Marine SLF (1st Battalion, 9th Marines (1/9) and the 3rd and 4th Battalions of Vietnamese Marines supported by HMM-362 from the USS Iwo Jima, participated in OPERATION DECKHOUSE V/OPERATION SONG THAN, a search and destroy operation in the Kien Hoa Province.

During the period 7 through 17 January in the history of our beloved Corps:

In 1902, during the period 7 through 17 January 1902, Waller, with fresh Marines, searches in vain for the remainder of his force.

And on this the 7th through the 27th days of January in the history of our beloved Corps:

In 1972, elements of the 2nd Marine Division and 2nd MAW joined naval forces of the Atlantic Fleet in cold weather landing operations at Reid State Park on the coast of Maine in Exercise Snowy Beach.

During the period 9 through 12 January 1967 in the history of our beloved Corps:

In 1967, during the period 9 through 12 January 1967, the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines (1/1) participated in OPERATION COUNTY FAIR 1-29, a security operation in the Quang Nam Province.

And on this the 11th through the 17th of January in the history of our beloved Corps:

In 1966, during the period 11 through 17 January 1966, the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines (1/3) and the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines (3/7) participated in OPERATION MALLARD, a search and destroy operation in An Hoa, Quang Nam Province.

And on this the 11th day of January through the 29th day of March in the history of our beloved Corps:

In 1971, during the period 11 January through 29 March 1971, Marines of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines (1/1) and the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines (1/11) participated in OPERATION UPSHUR STREAM, a search and destroy operation in the Quang Nam Province.

Good morning Leathernecks, and on this the 11th day of January in the history of our beloved Corps:

In 1799, 2nd Lt. T. Wharton, becomes the 1st Quartermaster of the Marine Corps.

In 1902, Another element of Waller’s original patrol makes it back to the east coast of Samar.

In 1940, The 1st Marine Brigade and the 1st Marine Aircraft Group participate in FLEX 6 in the Caribbean.

In 1943, the 2nd Parachute Battalion arrives on New Caledonia.

In 1944, a company of the 1st Tank Battalion is deployed to Arawe in New Britain to reinforce Army units holding the peninsula.

In 1945, MAG-24 landed in the Philippines to provide air support to the U.S. Army.

          VMF(N)-541 departs Leyte for Peleliu.

In 1946, Marines from Marine Barracks 8th and I serve as the honor guard for the ceremony in which the Magna Carta is removed from its storage vault at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. (where it was kept for safety during the war) and presented to the British Ambassador for return to Great Britain.

In 1948, as part of the rebuilding of its reserve forces after WWII, the Marine Corps holds a rally and celebration in Philadelphia to inaugurate National Marine Corps Reserve Week and spur reserve recruiting.

In 1963, HMM-162 replaces HMM-163 in the Shufly force.

In 1966, during the period 11 through 17 January, the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines (1/3) and the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines (3/7) participated in OPERATION MALLARD, a search and destroy operation in An Hoa, Quang Nam Province.

In 1968, a Quantico-based transport crashes in Nevada, killing all 19 Marines on board.

In 1970, the III MAF activates the Combined Action Force, a new headquarters to control the four Combined Action Groups of the CAP program.

          The CAP force mustered 42 Marine and two Navy officers, 2,050 enlisted Marines, and 126 corpsmen organized into 114 platoons.

In 1971, Marines of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines (1/1) and the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines (1/11)) participated in OPERATION UPSHUR STREAM, a search and destroy operation in the Quang Nam Province.

In 1991, all II MEF elements have reached the theater and joined I MEF.

          The 5th MEB arrives in the Persian Gulf the next day and joins with the 4th MEB, forming the largest amphibious task force since Inchon in 1950.

Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas!

Often Tested, Always Faithful, Brothers Forever!

-Richard W. Pettengill, Corporal USMC

And damn proud of it!