Good morning Leathernecks, and on this the 28th day of December in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1814, Marines with Andrew Jackson help repel a British probing attack against the defensive works along the Rodriguez Canal below New Orleans.
In 1897, a Marine Barracks is established at Pensacola Navy Yard, Florida.
In 1901, ordered to map out a telegraph route through the wild heart of Samar, Waller, five officers, 50 men, and a group of native scouts and bearers, depart Lanang on the east coast.
In 1917, the 1st Machine Gun Battalion arrives in France and is assigned to the 4th Marine Brigade.
In 1943, the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (3/1) destroy Japanese forces fighting from a bunker complex, dubbed Hell’s Point, astride the path to the Cape Gloucester airfields.
Army forces relieve the last elements of the 3rd Marines in the lines at Bougainville.
In 1944, VMF-124 and 213 join the Essex (CV-9) at Ulithi Atoll and become the first Marine aircraft to operate from carriers during World War II (beating out the program already underway to place them on their own escort carriers to support amphibious assaults).
VMO-8 is commissioned at Quantico.
In 1945, the 3rd Marine Division is disbanded on Guam, with discharge-eligible Marines and some unit flags returning to the United States, while Marines with obligate service remaining head to China as replacements.
The exceptions are the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines (1/3) in the Bonin Islands, and the 2nd Battalion, 21st Marines (2/21) on Truk.
VMB-614 is deactivated.
In 1950, Marine R5Ds fly their first mission transporting other aircraft, bringing Bell HTL helicopters from the States to Japan for eventual use in Korea.
In 1967, during the period 28 December 1967 through 3 January 1968, the 5th Marines participated in OPERATION AUBURN on Go Noi Island, south of Da Nang.
Marines abandon Camp Carroll, the combat base, which they had been using for two years.
Camp Carroll was a US Marines base located south of the DMZ along Route 9 in Quang Tri province.
More than being a launch point for patrols and operations in and around the DMZ area, it also served as an artillery support base.
In fact, it was for a long time the most western permanent artillery base along Route 9.
That was due to the fact that it was close to impossible for US Forces to reach further west with large convoys without running in to ambushes.
This complicated matters for the American side as it meant they could not reach over the Laotian border with heavy artillery.
The bulk of operations took place in and around the DMZ area so for those purposes Camp Carroll was well suited.
Named after Captain James J. Carroll who was killed in Vietnam in 1966, Camp Carroll served as a USMC base during 66-70 and was surrendered by ARVN in 1972 under humiliating circumstances as ARVN leadership had struck a deal with the PAVN commanders, forcing the US Advisers to make a very dramatic escape.
Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas!
Often Tested, Always Faithful, Brothers Forever!
-Richard W. Pettengill, Corporal USMC
And damn proud of it!