And on the 22nd of January through the 18th of March in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1969, during the period 22 January through 18 March, 1969, Marines of the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines (1/9), the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines (2/9), the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines (3/9), the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines (2/4), 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines (3/4), the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines (3/9), and the ARVN 2nd Regiment participated in OPERATION DEWEY CANYON, an offensive against PAVN communication lines in Laos, north of the A Shau Valley in the Thua Thien Province
And on this the 27th of January through the 7th of April in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1967, during the period 27 January through 7 April, the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines participated in OPERATION DESOTO, a search and destroy operation in the Quang Ngai Province.
And on this the 1st of Feb. through 18th of March in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1967, during the period 1 February through 18 March, Marines of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines and the 2nd Battalion,26th Marines participated in OPERATION PRAIRIE II, a search and destroy operation to prevent the PAVN 324B Division from entering the DMZ area, around Con Thien and Gio Linh, in the Quang Tri Province.
And on this the 26th of February through 30 April in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1968, during the period 26 February through 30 April, the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Battalion, the 327th Airborne Infantry and the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Airborne Infantry participated in OPERATION HOUSTON, an operation to open Route 1 between Da Nang and Phu Bai in the Thua Thien Province.
And on this the 27th of February through the 8th of May in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1969, during the period 27 February through 8 May, Marines of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines and the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines participated in OPERATION PURPLE MARTIN, a clear and search in the Quang Tri Province.
Interestingly, this was originally named OPERATION MASSACHUSETTS BAY
And on this the 29th of February through 31 October in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1968, during the period 29 February through 31 October, the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines and the 2/1 Cavalry participated in OPERATION NAPOLEON/SALINE, an operation along the Cua Viet River in the Quang Tri Province.
During the period 1 March – 29 May 1969 in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1969, during the period 29 May through 23 June, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions, 7th Marines, the 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines and the 51st Regiment of the ARVN participated in OPERATION OKLAHOMA HILLS, an operation southwest of Da Nang, in the Quang Nam Province.
And during the period, 2 March through 1 November in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1965, during the period 2 March 1965 through 1 November 1968, the USAF, U.S. Navy and RVNAF participated in OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER a sustained and escalating bombing campaign of North Vietnam to destroy military infrastructure, interdict supply routes and undermine the North’s willingness to continue the war.
During the period 12 March through 26 March 1968 in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1968, during the period 12 March through 26 March, the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines and the 3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry Regiment participated in OPERATION WORTH a search and destroy operation 24 Km northwest of Da Nang, in the Quang Nam Province.
During the period 13 March through 18 March 1967 in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1967, during the period 13 March through 18 March, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines participated in OPERATION TIPPECANOE, a search and destroy operation in the Quang Ngai Province.
During the period 14 March through 20 March 1968 in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1968, during the period 14 March through 20 March, the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, and the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines participated in OPERATION FORD a sweep of the Phu Thu Peninsula to engage the VC 804th Main Force Battalion east of Phu Bai.
During the period 15 March through 18 March 1967 in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1967, during the period 15 March through 18 March, the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines participated in OPERATION WEBSTER, a search and destroy operation in the Quang Nam Province.
During the period 15 March through 2 May 1969 in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1969, during the period 15 March through 2 May, the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines and the 1st Battalion, 12th Marines participated in OPERATION MAINE CRAG a reconnaissance in force operation along the Laotian border, west of Khe Sanh in the Quang Tri Province.
Good morning Leathernecks, and on this the 17th day of March in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1812, the Marine Corps establishes its reputation for frugality by completing the Marine Barracks complex in Washington, D.C., for $5,571.16 less than the amount appropriated by Congress.
In 1817, Congress passes the Peace Establishment Act, which sets the authorized strength of the Marine Corps at 50 Officers and 942 enlisted.
In 1836, Marines and sailors from the sloop Vandalia start a boat expedition up the Manatee River, Florida and return on 28 March.
In 1918, the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment (2/5) was the first Marine unit to occupy front-line trenches in France, in a sector just south of Verdun.
In 1921, Flight L, 4th Air Squadron, and its seaplanes arrive in Guam for duty and become the first Marine aviation unit to serve in the Pacific.
In 1943, Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro is formally commissioned in southern California.
In 1945, the 26th Marines reaches the coast near Kitano Point, thus closing the ring on Death Valley, the gorge where the Japanese commander is holding out with the last of his forces.
VAC Artillery units complete embarkation and depart Iwo Jima.
In 1947, sixty-two Marines from Hawaii and Guam are airlifted to Peleliu to help with 12 Japanese holdouts that threw a grenade at a Marine patrol.
Technical Sergeant Mary F. Wancheck becomes the first female Marine to earn a “hashmark” (service stripe) on her uniform for completing four years of service.
In 1948, speaking before a joint session of Congress, President Truman urges a return to the draft and adoption of universal military training.
He also calls for speedy passage of what will become the Marshall Plan, designed to aid the recovery of the European economies.
These initiatives recognize the growing discord between the democracies of the West and the Soviet Union.
In 1949, the 3rd Marines sail from Tsingtao for Shanghai, leaving one rifle company behind.
In 1952, the 1st Marine Division commences its 140-mile move to the west with the 1st KMC regiment.
Task Force Tarawa includes the 2nd Marines (1/2, 2/2, and 2/8, The 9th and 12tf Marines are reactivated at Camp Pendleton as part of the 3rd Marine Division.
VMA-324 is reactivated at Cherry Point.
In 1955, during the 17th and 18th of March, the U.S. 24th Division completes its relief of the 1st Marine Division along the demilitarized zone.
In 1957, HMR(L)-162 assists in rescue operations after an aircraft carrying Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay crashes on a flight from Cebu to Manila.
In 1959, the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines (1/1) departs Camp Pendleton for a one-year tour of duty with the 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa.
It is the first infantry battalion in the transplacement program which will rotate such units through Okinawa for the next several years.
In 1975, South Vietnam abandons the central highlands provinces of Kontum, Pleiku, and Darlac to the NVA.
In 1977, A Navy landing craft carrying a liberty party of the 34th MAU is struck by a Spanish freighter in Barcelona Harbor, drowning 24 Marine and 25 sailors.
In 1989, during the period 17 – 20 March, the crash of a CH-46 and a CH-53D three days apart during Team Spirit in Korea result in the death of 17 Marines and 1 corpsman.
In 2003, President George Bush issues an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein requiring him to leave the country with his sons in 48 hours.
I MEF forces in place to enforce the ultimatum consist of the 1st Marine Division, Task Force Tarawa, the 3rd MAW, the 1st FSSG, the MEF Engineer Group, and the United Kingdom’s 7th Armoured Division—a total of more than 80,000 personnel.
The 1st Marine Division is organized with RCT-1 (3/1, 1/4., 2/23, and the 2nd LAR Battalion), RCT 7 (1/7, 3/7, ¾, the 1st Tank Battalion, and the 3rd LAR Battalion), the 11th Marines (1/11, 2/11, 3/11, 5/11, and the MLRS launchers of the U.S. Army’s 3-27 Field Artillery Battalion), the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, the 2nd and 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalions, the 1st and 2nd Combat Engineer Battalions, and supporting elements.
Task Force Tarawa includes the 2nd Marines (1/2, 2/2, and 2/8), 1/10, and supporting detachments.
The 3rd MAW includes MAG-11, (VMGR-352, VMAQ-1 and 2, VMFA-232 and 251, and VMF(AW)-121, 225, and 533), MAG-13 (VMA-211, 214, 223, 311, and 542), MAG-16 (HMM-163 and HMH-462 and 465), MAG-29 (HMM-162 and 365, HMH-464, and HMLA-169 and 267).
The MEF Engineer Group is comprised of the 22nd and 30th Naval Construction Regiments.
The 7th Armoured Brigade, the 16th Air Assault Brigade and the 3rd Commando Brigade (40 and 42 Commando Groups).
In addition, VMFA-115 is on the USS Harry S Truman (CVN-75), VMFA-323 is on the USS Constellation (CV-64), and VMFA-312 is on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CV-71), all participating in coalition air operations.
The 24th MEU(SOC) (2/2 and HMM-263) is deployed in the Persian Gulf.
Along with the U.S. Army’s V Corps, I MEF is subordinate to the Combined Forces Land Component Command (built around the U.S. Army’s Third Army headquarters).
This is the first use by U.S. forces in a major campaign of the CFLCC concept, which mirrors the joint forces air component command (JFACC) used in previous operations.
Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas!
Often Tested, Always Faithful, Brothers Forever!
-Richard W. Pettengill, Corporal USMC
And damn proud of it!