The 1st Marine Division is the oldest, largest (active duty), and most decorated division in the United States Marine Corps representing a combat-ready force of more than 19,000 men and women. It is one of 3 active duty divisions in the Marine Corps.
The 1st Marine Division was activated aboard the USS Texas on February 1, 1941.
The Battle of Guadalcanal was the first major American offensive of World War II. Launched August 7, 1942, this operation won the Division its first of three World War II Presidential Unit Citations (PUC). Others won were for the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa.
Marines of 1st Marine Division fighting on Okinawa
Korean War
The 1st Marine Division participated in the amphibious assault at Inchon under the orders of General MacArthur. "The Old Breed" was the unit chosen to lead the Inchon landing15 September1950, adding one more PUC to its list of decorations. The fifth PUC was for the division's "attack in the opposite direction", fighting its way out of the Chosin Reservoir against seven Communist Chinese divisions. The Chinese suffered an estimated 37,500 casualties trying to stop the Marines' march out of the "Frozen Chosin". Battles between April and September earned the division its sixth PUC. During the Korean War the division suffered combat casualties of 4,004 dead and 25,864 wounded.
The 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines returned to Guantanamo Bay for two months in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. More than 11,000 Marines of 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade participated in the naval blockade which forced the withdrawal of the missiles from Cuba.
In 1965, the 7th Marine Regiment participated in Operations Starlite and Piranha, 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 and October 1966 to May 1967, the division conducted 44 named operations. During the 1968Tet Offensive, the division was involved in fierce fighting with both Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army elements. It was successful in beating back enemy assaults in its operation areas. The division received it 7th Presidential Unit Citation for service from 29 March 1966 to 15 September 1967 and an 8th one for the period 16 September 1967 to 31 October 1968.
After six hard years of combat, 1st Marine Division returned home to Camp Pendleton in 1971. 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.
Desert Shield/Storm
In 1990 1st Marine Division formed the nucleus of the massive force sent to Southwest Asia in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. During Operation Desert Shield, the division supported I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) in the defense of Saudi Arabia from the Iraqi threat. In 1991 the division went on the offensive with the rest of Coalition Forces in Operation Desert Storm. In 100 hours of ground offensive combat 1st Marine Division helped to liberate Kuwait, smashing the Iraqi Army in the process.
1990s
Immediately following the Persian Gulf conflict, the Division sent units to assist in relief efforts following a typhoon in Bangladesh (Operation Sea Angel) and the eruption of volcanoMount Pinatubo in the Philippines (Operation Fiery Vigil). In December 1992Operation Restore Hope, bringing relief to famine-stricken Somalia, kicked off with the early morning amphibious landing of Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which was supported by 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines. More than 15,000 metric tons of food was successfully distributed from 398 different food sites in the city during the operation. 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 April 27, 1993, when the humanitarian relief sector of Mogadishu was handed over to Pakistani forces.
Iraq War
Letter by Gen Mattis distributed throughout division before the 2003 invasion of Iraq
The 1st Marine Division, then under the command of MajGen James Mattis, was one of the two major U.S. land forces that participated in the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. The division was the land component of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and fought its way to Baghdad and then pushed further to secure Tikrit. After the invasion the division settled in to conduct security and stablization operations in southern Iraq. For actions during the war as part of 1 MEF the division was awarded its 9th Presidential Unit Citation.
The division deployed back to Iraq in February 2004 and took control of the Al-Anbar province in western Iraq. They were the lead unit in Operation Vigilant Resolve and Operation Phantom Fury in 2004.
In the early morning hours of 26 January2005 a CH-53E Super Stallion used in the transport of 30 of the division's Marines, along with 1 sailor, crashed in Ar Rutba, Iraq, killing all on board. An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the incident.
They are due to deploy back to Iraq in early 2006.
Organization
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.
