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Member |
Hey DEANOSAUR when I was on active duty back in 87-91 I heard there was a Marine grunt battalion (probably a tale or scuttlebutt)during Vietnam that lost it's Battalion Colors and couldn't be activated in the States just curious did you ever hear about that.I'm trying to think if it was 1/9 or the 4th Marines.
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That's Mr. HollywoodMarine to you. |
During World War II the 4th Regiment was stationed at Corregidor with the addition of ad hoc units: A 3rd Battalion was composed of U.S. Army personnel, while 4th Battalion was composed of U.S. Navy personnel.
Prior to the "old" 4th being captured when Corregidor fell, the unit burned its colors. In 1944 the 1st Marine Raider Regiment was composed into a reborn "new" "4th Regiment" which was attached to the 6th Marine Division and fought at Guam and Okinawa. Postwar the new "4th" was made up of the 22nd Marine regiment and the 29th Marine Regiment. |
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Member |
Somebody knows their USMC history.Thanks |
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Member |
I didn't know that much detail about it. I did know that the 4th was ordered by the Army command to surrender. They would have kept on fighting if it had been up to them. 1/9 lost there colors in Vietnam. As I understand it (and I may have this wrong) they had a habit of cutting the ears off of the VC and leaving an Ace of spades behind. Well this pissed off the VC who mounted an all out attack on 1/9. I've been told the wiped 1/9 out. Don't know how true that is. But I do know they took out HQ and took the colors. This is why the 4th and 9th are split up into the other Regiments and there HQ is stationed on Okinawa. They can never come home. |
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Member |
Thats the story that was around when I was in but the 9th Marines 1/9 and 2/9 are now down Camp Lejeune 3/9 is activating soon.As far as the 4th marines 2/4 was down Lejeune when I was in 1/2 back in 90/91. |
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Member |
When I was in 1/4 was with the 1st, 2/4 with the 5th and 3/4 with the 7th.
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Member |
It's more or less lots of barracks laywer history that has become urban legend born out of hard fought battles. Prior to deployment to Vietnam in 1965, the 9th Marines were based in Okinawa while the 4th was based at K Bay. Okinawa is 3rd Mar Div's AO and the 4th and 9th Marines happened to be part of this division. The higher ups decided to leave to maintain two Marine Regiments on Okinawa, so by process of elimination, at least one of these two regiments was going. |
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Basic Training |
Interesting, when I was with 1/4 (91-94) we were part of 1st Marines. The regiment was made up of 1/1, 1/9 (later changed to 2/1), 3/1 and 1/4. I was always curious as to why 1st Marines was made up as such, never really heard a good reason. Good info.
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Experienced Member |
If anybody's keeping score, 4th Marines is the only regt HQ (for infantry) located here in Okinawa.
My first duty station after joining the Corps was Okinawa (2/4). At that time, both 2/4 and 3/4 were permanently stationed here. In late '81, 2/4 became part of the UDP program and we redeployed to become part of 2d Marines in Lejeune. As per some of the posts above, the infantry battalions from 4th Marines have made the rounds, and have been located pretty much anywhere the Corps has infantry. |
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Experienced Member |
Great question Betio. No one lost their colors in Vietnam although it's highly rumored 1/9 did. As Hollywood posted above, only 4th Marines is credited with surrendering but it's not like most people think.
Back in the day the tale was there was a great debate within 4th Marines about how they were going to surrender. On the one hand they were obligated to follow MacArthur's orders in the name of good order and discipline. On the other hand they were still good Marines who weren't about to surrender anything, especially after Wake and Guam where the Devil Dawgs fought to the bitter end. So they compromised and planted their Regimental colors for the Japanese to find while they burned their battalion colors to save regimental honor. Thus, Regiment cannot enter US soil by tradition while the Battalions can. Thats why 4th Marines is at Schwab while the battalions are buried within 1st MarDiv where Congress can't find them during the next massive military budget cutbacks like they did back in 92-95. |
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Basic Training |
Pardon the intrusion on your forum by a pogue, but I thought that you might find the attached picture of interest.
It shows a replica of the 4th Marines Colors which hangs in the museum at the Pacific War Memorial on the island of Corregidor. I took it while on a tour of Corregidor last year.  |
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Member |
That solves that mystery thanks for the info. |
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Experienced Member |
Anytime Brother. The subject comes up every year or so which is why I made a separate thread we can always go back to without having to rewrite the answer again.
Instead of the past, how about we get into something new where you all teach me the new ways? Cool? |
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