1st Marine Division History

History of 1st Marine Division



"The Old Breed"



The beginnings


The 1st Marine Division was activated aboard the battleship Texas
on 1 February 1941. It is the oldest, largest, and most decorated
division in the United States Marine Corps, with nine Presidential Unit
Citations (PUCs).

The 1st Marine Division is comprised of Headquarters Battalion,
the 1st, 5th, 7th, and 11th Marine Regiments, 1st Reconnaissance
Battalion, 1st and 3d Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalions, 1st Tank
Battalion, and 3d Assault Amphibian Battalion. These units represent a
combat-ready force of more than 22,000 Marines and Sailors.

Division regiments were in existence as early as March 8, 1911,
when the 1st Marines were formed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It saw action
in Haiti in 1915, in the Dominican Republic in 1916, and throughout the
Caribbean during World War I.


The 5th Marines


The 5th Marines was created in Vera Cruz, Mexico July 13, 1914. It
served in Santo Domingo in 1925 and participated in 15 major
engagements during World War I. These included Belleau Wood, Chateau and
St. Mihiel. On Aug. 11, 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 again served as infantry in
Nicaragua. Re-formed in 1940 as a full-fledged artillery unit, 11th
Marines joined 1st Marine Division.

The Guadalcanal campaign : 1942


On 27 September 1944, the U.S. flag was raised over Peleliu,
symbolizing that the island was secured. The honor guard was comprised
of 1st Marine Division Band members. The general editor of this
pamphlet, Benis M. Frank, is eighth from the left.


The first major American Pacific campaign in World War II and the
first time the 1st Marine Division conducted combat operations as a
division. The Division's actions during this operation won it the first
of three World War II PUCs. 1st Marine Division also won PUCs for the
battles of Peleliu and Okinawa. Three weeks after Japan surrendered, the
Division was dispatched to North China for occupation duty. While in
China, the Division had numerous encounters with the Chinese Communists.

'The Old Breed', as the Division became known, provided the Pusan
Fire Brigade when war broke out in Korea and then was chosen to land at
Inchon on 15 September 1950.


Chosin Reservoir


The Division subsequently fought into the mountains around the
Chosin Reservoir. The Chinese Communists suffered more than 37,500
casualties trying to stop the Marines’ march out of the 'Frozen Chosin.'
These battles, and those that followed between April and September,
earned the Division its fourth, fifth, and sixth PUCs.

The 2d Battalion


The 2d Battalion, 1st Marines deployed to Guantanamo Bay for two
months in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. More than 11,000
Marines of the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade participated in the
naval blockade which forced the withdrawal of the missiles from Cuba.

7th Marines


In 1965, 7th Marines participated in 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 1966 and
May 1967, the Division conducted 44 named and unnamed operations.
Major engagements included Operations HASTINGS and UNION I and II. In
these operations, 1st Marine Division units decisively defeated the
enemy. During the 1968 Tet Offensive, the Division was involved in
fierce fighting with both Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army elements.
It successfully beat back and decimated every enemy assault in its area
of operations, pursuing the enemy into his sanctuaries. It was during
this period that the Division earned its seventh and eighth PUCs.

1st MAR DIV returns to California


After six hard years, the 1st Marine Division returned to
California 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. In 1990, the
1st Marine Division formed the core of the force sent to Southwest Asia
in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. During Operation DESERT
SHIELD, the Division provided the ground combat element of I Marine
Expeditionary Force in Saudi Arabia against the Iraqi threat. In 1991,
the Division fought alongside the 2d Marine Division under I MEF and
with the rest of the Coalition Forces in Operation DESERT STORM. In 100
hours of offensive ground combat, 1st Marine Division destroyed the
enemy in its path as it led the breakthrough to Kuwait City.

Post Persian Gulf conflict


Immediately following the Persian Gulf conflict, the Division sent
units to assist in disaster relief efforts in Bangladesh (Operation SEA
ANGEL) and the Philippines (Operation FIERY VIGIL). In 1992, 2d
Battalion, 9th Marines and the 15th MEU, brought relief to
famine-stricken Somalia. 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 27 April 1993 when the humanitarian relief sector of
Mogadishu was handed over to Pakistani forces. Elements of the Division
ultimately participated in the extraction of U.N. forces from Somalia.

In early 2003


In early 2003, the Division deployed by air and sea to link up
with its advance headquarters deployed to Kuwait under I MEF. In a high
speed attack, and in conjunction with 1 U.K. Armored Division and the
3d U.S. Army Infantry Division, the Marines and Sailors conducted the
deepest penetrating ground operation in Marine Corps history. Attacking
to Baghdad alongside 3d ID and eventually seizing Saddam Hussein’s
hometown of Tikrit, the Division again showed the Marine Air-Ground team
in action. The 1st Marine Division conducted stability operations in
Baghdad, Tikrit, and then in south-central Iraq from May to October
2003. The Division then returned home to Camp Pendleton and 29 Palms
and prepared for redeployment. These actions earned the Division its
ninth PUC.

March 2004


In March 2004, the 1st Marine Division relieved 82d Airborne
Division in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle. During Operation IRAQI FREEDOM II,
the Division conducted counter-insurgency operations throughout the Al
Anbar Province, culminating in Operation AL FAJR which liberated the
insurgent stronghold of Fallujah and enabled the first legitimate
elections to occur in Iraq. During February and March 2005, 1st and 2d
Marine Divisions successfully conducted the largest relief in place in
the history of the Marine Corps.

1st Marine Division : NOW


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 continues to support the Global War on
Terrorism by providing fully trained units and personnel in support of
on-going Operation IRAQI FREEDOM/Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, MEU(SOC),
and UDP requirements.

Headquarters Battalion


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. 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.

The 11th Marines


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 are located at Twentynine
Palms.

1st Tank Battalion


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.

1st Combat Engineer Battalion


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.

3d Assault Amphibian Battalion


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.

LAR battalion


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.

1st Recon Battalion : Reactivation


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.