U.S. 5th Marine Division
Encyclopedia
The 5th Marine Division was an infantry division in the United States Marine Corps
. Created during World War II
, the division saw its first action at the Battle of Iwo Jima
where it sustained the highest number of casualties amongst the invasion force. They were also to be part of the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands
but this was never to be as the Japanese surrendered
. The division was reactivated in 1966 and deployed and served in the Vietnam War
.
, 11 November 1943. The division's Headquarters Battalion officially began operating at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
on 1 December, at which time men and equipment began streaming into Camp Pendleton. The official activation date for the Division was 21 January 1944. The division had a solid core of combat veterans from the beginning however there were many issues raising the total required number of Marines as the Marine Corps also had to provide combat replacements to other divisions and staff the newly formed 6th Marine Division also. Among the personnel forming the new division were Marines from the former 1st Marine Parachute Regiment, the Raider Training Battalion
, the Parachute Training School, West Coast, and the Parachute Replacement Company.
Parts of the division began to deploy overseas to act as the reserve force during the Battle of Guam where they were not needed. Because of this they were sent to Camp Tarawa
near Hilo, Hawaii for further training. After more extensive training the division loaded ships and left Hawaii in January 1945. By mid-February they were sailing past Saipan
headed for Iwo Jima
The division landed on Iwo Jima on February 19. They landed on the left northeast of Mount Suribachi and sustained heavy initial losses so much so that by that afternoon the 26th Marines
had to be released as the division reserve. The 5th Marine Division would fight on Iwo Jima from February 19 until March 18 where they would sustain 1,098 killed in action and 2,974 wounded in action. This was the highest casualty rate amongst the Marine divisions involved in the invasion. The 5th Marine Division began loading onto ships on March 18 and finally left Iwo Jima on March 27, 1945 sailing for Hawaii.
On March 21, 1945 the 5th Marine Division Cemetery was formally dedicated on Iwo Jima. Chaplains prayed, Major General Keller E. Rockey
added a tribute to the dead and Lieutenant Roland B. Gittelsohn, U.S. Navy and a 5th Division chaplain, spoke of friends buried and "the ghastly price of freedom...." The flag was raised then lowered to half-mast. Taps was played echoing across the dark foreboding ash of Sulfur Island.
Iwo Jima became an important support and emergency landing field for aircraft based out of the Marianas. In recognition of the 5th Marine Division's sacrifice in securing the island, the US Army Air Corps 9th Bombardment Group named a B-29 "The Spearhead", with elaborate nose art depicting the Division's insignia and the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi.
The 5th Marine Division returned to Camp Tarawa, Hawaii and remained there until the end of the war. After the Japanese surrender they set sail for Japan
where they occupied the southern island of Kyūshū
. The division left Japan in November 1945 and arrived in San Diego, California
the week of Christmas
1945. The majority of the division's Marines were discharged shortly thereafter the division was deactivated on February 5, 1946.
ordered the reactivation of the 5th Marine Division and the division headquarters was activated at Camp Pendleton, California, in June of that year. By August, elements of the division had conducted an amphibious landing in the Republic of Vietnam and the 2nd Battalion of the 26th Marine Regiment
would see combat on 1 September during Operation Allegheny. Kilo battery, 13th Marines, landed at the mouth of the Cua Viet River in May 1967. Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie 1/13 were present at the Battle of Khe Sahn in 1968.
In response to the infamous 1968 Tet Offensive, President Johnson committed more troops to the war effort. On 12 February 1968, the 27th Marine Regiment was ordered to Vietnam. The 27th Marines became the first Marine regiment to fly into a combat zone. 3rd Battalion, 27th Marines participated in Operation Allen Brook and was awarded a Meritorious Unit Citation
. During this operation, its members earned a Medal of Honor, 2 Navy Crosses, and several Silver and Bronze Stars. After 7 months in country, the 27th Marines was ordered back to the United States. All first tour personnel were reassigned to other units in order to complete their tours. During the Vietnam War, the 5th Marine Division comprised the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 13th Marine Regiments, and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
On 15 October 1969, the division would begin deactivating subordinate units, and the division would complete its deactivation on 26 November.
Vietnam War
, reinforced, were awarded the: Presidential Unit Citation
, and those included in support troops of the V Amphibious Corps, reinforced, were awarded the Navy Unit Commendation
for Iwo Jima, 19 February – 28 February 1945.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. Created during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the division saw its first action at the Battle of Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
where it sustained the highest number of casualties amongst the invasion force. They were also to be part of the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
but this was never to be as the Japanese surrendered
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
. The division was reactivated in 1966 and deployed and served in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
World War II
The 5th Marine Division was activated on Armistice DayArmistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
, 11 November 1943. The division's Headquarters Battalion officially began operating at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base...
on 1 December, at which time men and equipment began streaming into Camp Pendleton. The official activation date for the Division was 21 January 1944. The division had a solid core of combat veterans from the beginning however there were many issues raising the total required number of Marines as the Marine Corps also had to provide combat replacements to other divisions and staff the newly formed 6th Marine Division also. Among the personnel forming the new division were Marines from the former 1st Marine Parachute Regiment, the Raider Training Battalion
Marine Raiders
The Marine Raiders were elite units established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious light infantry warfare, particularly in landing in rubber boats and operating behind the lines...
, the Parachute Training School, West Coast, and the Parachute Replacement Company.
Parts of the division began to deploy overseas to act as the reserve force during the Battle of Guam where they were not needed. Because of this they were sent to Camp Tarawa
Camp Tarawa
Camp Tarawa was a training camp located on the big island of Hawaii constructed and used by the 2nd Marine Division during World War II. The grounds of the camp were situated between the volcanic peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Marines were sent straight from the bloodly Battle of Tarawa to the...
near Hilo, Hawaii for further training. After more extensive training the division loaded ships and left Hawaii in January 1945. By mid-February they were sailing past Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
headed for Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
26th Marine Regiment (United States)
The 26th Marine Regiment is a deactiveated infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. They fought during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II and were activated again during the Vietnam War.-Subordinate units:...
had to be released as the division reserve. The 5th Marine Division would fight on Iwo Jima from February 19 until March 18 where they would sustain 1,098 killed in action and 2,974 wounded in action. This was the highest casualty rate amongst the Marine divisions involved in the invasion. The 5th Marine Division began loading onto ships on March 18 and finally left Iwo Jima on March 27, 1945 sailing for Hawaii.
On March 21, 1945 the 5th Marine Division Cemetery was formally dedicated on Iwo Jima. Chaplains prayed, Major General Keller E. Rockey
Keller E. Rockey
Lieutenant General Keller Emrick Rockey commanded the Fifth Marine Division in the battle of Iwo Jima in World War II and the Third Amphibious Corps during the occupation of North China following the war....
added a tribute to the dead and Lieutenant Roland B. Gittelsohn, U.S. Navy and a 5th Division chaplain, spoke of friends buried and "the ghastly price of freedom...." The flag was raised then lowered to half-mast. Taps was played echoing across the dark foreboding ash of Sulfur Island.
Iwo Jima became an important support and emergency landing field for aircraft based out of the Marianas. In recognition of the 5th Marine Division's sacrifice in securing the island, the US Army Air Corps 9th Bombardment Group named a B-29 "The Spearhead", with elaborate nose art depicting the Division's insignia and the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi.
The 5th Marine Division returned to Camp Tarawa, Hawaii and remained there until the end of the war. After the Japanese surrender they set sail for Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
where they occupied the southern island of Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
. The division left Japan in November 1945 and arrived in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
the week of Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
1945. The majority of the division's Marines were discharged shortly thereafter the division was deactivated on February 5, 1946.
Vietnam War
On 1 March 1966, Secretary of Defense McNamaraRobert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth Secretary of Defense, serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968, during which time he played a large role in escalating the United States involvement in the Vietnam War...
ordered the reactivation of the 5th Marine Division and the division headquarters was activated at Camp Pendleton, California, in June of that year. By August, elements of the division had conducted an amphibious landing in the Republic of Vietnam and the 2nd Battalion of the 26th Marine Regiment
26th Marine Regiment (United States)
The 26th Marine Regiment is a deactiveated infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. They fought during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II and were activated again during the Vietnam War.-Subordinate units:...
would see combat on 1 September during Operation Allegheny. Kilo battery, 13th Marines, landed at the mouth of the Cua Viet River in May 1967. Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie 1/13 were present at the Battle of Khe Sahn in 1968.
In response to the infamous 1968 Tet Offensive, President Johnson committed more troops to the war effort. On 12 February 1968, the 27th Marine Regiment was ordered to Vietnam. The 27th Marines became the first Marine regiment to fly into a combat zone. 3rd Battalion, 27th Marines participated in Operation Allen Brook and was awarded a Meritorious Unit Citation
Meritorious Unit Citation
The Meritorious Unit Citation is a collective group decoration awarded to members of Australian military units. It recognises sustained outstanding service in warlike operations...
. During this operation, its members earned a Medal of Honor, 2 Navy Crosses, and several Silver and Bronze Stars. After 7 months in country, the 27th Marines was ordered back to the United States. All first tour personnel were reassigned to other units in order to complete their tours. During the Vietnam War, the 5th Marine Division comprised the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 13th Marine Regiments, and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
On 15 October 1969, the division would begin deactivating subordinate units, and the division would complete its deactivation on 26 November.
Casualties
World War II- Killed in Action/Died of Wounds – 2,416
- Wounded in Action – 6,860
- Total Casualties– 9,276
Vietnam War
- Killed in Action/Died of Wounds – N/A
- Wounded in Action – N/A
- Total Casualties– N/A
Honors and awards
Units of the division included in assault troops of the V Amphibious CorpsV Amphibious Corps
The V Amphibious Corps was a formation of the United States Marine Corps and was composed of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions during World War II. They were the amphibious landing force for the United States Fifth Fleet and were notably involved in the battles for Tarawa and Saipan in 1944...
, reinforced, were awarded the: Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation (US)
The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
, and those included in support troops of the V Amphibious Corps, reinforced, were awarded the Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
for Iwo Jima, 19 February – 28 February 1945.
World War II
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3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion is one of two active duty assault amphibian battalions in the United States Marine Corps. The battalion's primary weapon system is the Amphibious Assault Vehicle or AAV... |
Vietnam War
- 26th Marine Regiment
- 27th Marine Regiment
- 13th Marine Regiment
- 3rd Military Police Battalion
- 5th Military Police Battalion
See also
- Flags of our FathersFlags of Our FathersFlags of Our Fathers is a New York Times bestselling book by James Bradley with Ron Powers about the five United States Marines and one United States Navy Corpsman who would eventually be made famous by Joe Rosenthal's lauded photograph of the flag raising at Iwo Jima, one of the costliest and...
- List of United States Marine Corps divisions
- Organization of the United States Marine CorpsOrganization of the United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is organized within the Department of the Navy, which is led by the Secretary of the Navy . The most senior Marine officer is the Commandant of the Marine Corps, responsible for organizing, recruiting, training, and equipping the Marine Corps so that it is ready for...