The 19th Marine Regiment was a composite

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

subordinate to the

3rd Marine Division The 3rd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry divisions in the Marine Corps and together with th ...

. It existed from September 1942 until September 1944. In December 1943 there was a large change of command in the Regiment. Marine engineer regiments were eventually disbanded in favor of independent engineering battalions within the parent Marine divisions.

Subordinate units

The regiment was a composite of three different types of battalions and a headquarters and service company: * 1st Battalion, 19th Marines, A, B, & C Companies 3rd Engineer Battalion now

3rd Combat Engineer Battalion 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion (3rd CEB) was a combat engineer battalion of the United States Marine Corps, most recently activated from 7 October 2007 to 5 August 2014. Mission Provide mobility, counter mobility, survivability, and limited gener ...

* 2nd Battalion, 19th Marines, D, E, & F Companies 3rd Pioneer Battalion now

Combat Logistics Regiment 3 Combat Logistics Regiment 3 (CLR-3) is a direct support (DS) logistics unit of the United States Marine Corps and is headquartered at Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan. The unit falls under the 3rd Marine Logistics Group and the III Marine Expeditiona ...

* 3rd Battalion, 19th Marines, G, H, & I Companies 25th Naval Construction Battalion now

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 25 Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 25 or NMCB 25 is a Navy Reserve Seabee unit that is headquartered at Port Hueneme, CA. Its World War II predecessor was one of three CBs transferred to the Marine Corps in the late summer of 1942 ...

or NMCB 25

History

World War II Assigned to the 3rd Marine Division, on 11 March 1943 Col Robert M. Montaque took command of the Regiment in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. September 1943 saw the regiment land in the

Bougainville campaign The Bougainville campaign was a series of land and naval battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan, named after the island of Bougainville. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allied ...

on that island. The seabees bulldozed paths through the jungle for tanks to attack the Japanese lines. C. Company with other 19th Marines built a corduroy road for tanks and supply movement for the 7th marines. Companies C, F, & I were attached to the 3rd RCT while Companies A, D, & G were attached to the 9th RCT. From there it went to Guadalcanal in preparation for the

Battle of Guam (1944) The Battle of Guam (21 July–10 August 1944) was the American recapture of the Japanese-held island of Guam, a U.S. territory in the Mariana Islands captured by the Japanese from the United States in the First Battle of Guam in 1941 during t ...

. It landed in the assault on Guam with Companies C, F, & I attached to the 3rd Marine Regimental Combat Team, Companies A, D, & G attached to the 9th Marine Regimental Combat Team and Companies B, E, & H attached to the 21st Marine Regimental Combat Team.Marines In World War II, The Recapture of Guam, Major F.O. Hough, USMC, Pickle Partners Publishing, 201

/ref> The regiment was decommissioned on 17 August. The 25th NCB was returned to the Navy and assigned to the 5th Naval Construction Brigade, remaining on Guam until the war ended. With the inactivation of the 19th Marine Regiment the 3rd Engineer Battalion and the 3rd Pioneer Battalion were posted directly to the

. The 25th Naval Construction Battalion was replaced by the 62nd Naval Construction Battalion which was attached directly to the

V Amphibious Corps The V Amphibious Corps (VAC) was a formation of the United States Marine Corps which was composed of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions in World War II. The three divisions were the amphibious landing force for the United States Fifth Fleet ...

for the

Battle of Iwo Jima The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJ ...

. The 3rd Pioneers landed on yellow 2 beach on D-plus 3 and remained there until D-plus 6. On D-plus 6 black beach was created and the pioneers moved there as did the 3rd Engineers. The 62nd NCB was made the lead Battalion for getting Motoyama Airfield #1 operational in place of the 133rd NCB which had taken heavy casualties. * 3rd Marine Division Order of Battle for

Bougainville Campaign The Bougainville campaign was a series of land and naval battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan, named after the island of Bougainville. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allied ...

,1 November–15 December 1943USMC Historical Monograph, Major John M. Rentz USMCR, Historical Section Headquarters USMC, Quantico, VA, Appendix V

/ref> ** 3rd Marine Regimental Combat Team - C, F, & I Companies 19th Marines ** 9th Marine Regimental Combat Team - A, D, & G Companies 19th Marines ** 21st Marine Regimental Combat Team -B, E, & H Companies 19th Marines (assault reserve) *

Solomon Islands campaign The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, du ...

:- 15 December 1943 – 9 January 1944 * 3rd Marine Division Order of Battle for

Emirau Emirau Island, also called Emira, is an island in the Bismarck Archipelago located at . It is currently part of the New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea. The local language is a dialect of the Mussau-Emira language. Emira is part of what on ...

March 1944 ** 4th Marine Regimental Combat Team - Pioneer Company 2d Bn 19th Marines * 3rd Marine Division Order of Battle of Guam, 21 July–15 August 1944 ** 9th Marine Regimental Combat Team - A, D, & G Companies 19th Marines ** 21st Marine Regimental Combat Team -B, E, & H Companies 19th Marines ** 3rd Marine Regimental Combat Team - C, F, & I Companies 19th Marines (assault reserve) Command officer history

Unit awards

Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy and U.S. Marine Corps commands may recommend any Navy or Marine Co ...

,3rd Marine Regiment(and all units attached to or serving with), Company C 19th Marines, Bougainville * Navy Unit Commendation ribbon

, 21st Marine Regiment(and all units attached to or serving with),Company B 19th Marines, Guam * United States Navy Presidential Unit Citation ribbon

United States Navy Presidential Unit Citation ribbon

Presidential Unit Citation, 3rd Marine Regiment(and all units attached to or serving with), Company C 19th Marines, Guam

"Naval Unit Commendation,
3d Marines
The Secretary of the Navy takes pleasure in commending the THIRD MARINES, THIRD MARINE DIVISION
for service as follows:

"For outstanding heroism in action against enemy Japanese forces during the invasion, seizure, occupation and defense of Empress Augusta Bay Beachhead, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, from November 1 to December 22, 1943. In action against the enemy for the first time, the THIRD Marines landed on an extremely wide front in the face of perilous surf and beach conditions and through flanking fire of hostile machine guns, anti-boat guns, mortars, small arms and artillery from heavily entrenched positions on Cape Torokina and Puruata Island. Pressing forward through almost impenetrable jungle and swampy terrain, this Regiment completely reduced the intricate system of mutually supporting Japanese pillboxes, bunkers, fire trenches and foxholes which constituted the Cape Torokina defense, and secured its portion of the objective by evening of D-Day. Shifted to the left flank of the beachhead, the THIRD Marines smashed a Japanese counter-landing and drove steadily forward despite difficulties of terrain, supply and communication and, developing the main enemy position in a meeting engagement on the Numa. Numa trail, completely wiped out the Japanese 23rd Infantry. In continuous action as a front line regiment for a total of fifty-two consecutive days, the gallant men and officers of the THIRD Marines, by their skill in jungle warfare and their aggressive fighting spirit, contributed greatly to the success of the campaign and enhanced the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service." All personnel attached to and serving with the THIRD Marines at Bougainville from November 1 to December 22, 1943, are authorized to wear the NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION Ribbon.

JAMES FORRESTAL, Secretary of the Navy"USMC Historical Monograph Bougainville and the Northern Solomons, USMC History Division, Headquarters Quantico, V

/ref>

References

External links

* http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-NSols/index.html * http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-Guam/index.html {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017

Eng19 Eng19 United States Marine Corps in World War II Military units and formations established in 1942 1942 establishments in the United States

Subordinate units

History

Unit awards

See also

Further reading

References

External links