1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5) is an
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
battalion in 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 ...
based out of
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
consisting of approximately 800 Marines and
sailors
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship.
The profession of the s ...
. Nicknamed ''Geronimo'', it falls under the command of the
5th Marine Regiment and the
1st Marine Division
The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF).
It is th ...
. The battalion was formed in 1914 and has served in every major conflict that the United States has been involved in since then.
Subordinate units
*Apache Company
*Blackfoot Company
*Cherokee Company
*WhiteHorse Company
*Huron Company
History
On 13 July 1914, the battalion was formed at
Vera Cruz, Mexico, and sailed for
Guantánamo Bay, Cuba for service in the Caribbean theatre. The battalion was disbanded upon their return to
Norfolk, Virginia, on 24 December 1914.
World War I
On 25 May 1917, the battalion was activated and deployed to France on 1 June 1917. 1/5 participated in the following
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
campaigns:
Aisne,
Aisen-Marne,
St. Mihiel,
Meuse-Argonne, Toulon-Troyon,
Chateau-Thierry, Marabache, and Limey.
1/5 made its most notable contribution at the Battle of Belleau Wood on 6 June 1918, when it conducted the first offensive actions of the battle in seizing Hill 142. The battalion, at first with only two companies due to the other companies not being relieved in time, assaulted the open wheat fields of the hill with bayonets fixed under the fire of German machine gun and artillery fire. In a battle that claimed 325 1/5 lives, Gunnery Sergeant
Ernest A. Janson became the first Marine to earn the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
in World War I. From December 1918 to July 1919, the battalion participated in the occupation of the
German Rhineland. It then re-deployed to
Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico (commonly abbreviated MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps installation located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly of southern Prince William County, Virginia, northern Stafford County, and southeas ...
,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and de-activated in August 1919.
In July 1920 the battalion re-activated to provide security for the
U.S. Mail
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U. ...
. In March 1927, the Battalion deployed to help
stabilize the government of Nicaragua against overthrow attempts by rebel forces. For the next six years, they aided the Nicaraguan government until peace was finally restored. 1/5 was deactivated in January 1933. Shortly thereafter the battalion was re-activated in September 1934 in Quantico, Virginia and served in the Caribbean theatre until the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
World War II
In November 1934, the 1st Battalion was reactivated for the fourth time, only to be deactivated in March 1935. Shortly before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
in April 1940, 1st Battalion was again reactivated. The fighting in World War II found the Marines of 1st Battalion at
Guadalcanal,
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
,
Peleliu
Peleliu (or Beliliou) is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu, along with two small islands to its northeast, forms one of the sixteen states of Palau. The island is notable as the location of the Battle of Peleliu in World War II.
H ...
, and
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
. At Peleliu, the 1st Battalion assaulted the island alongside the rest of the 1st Marine Division under Major General William H. Rupertus, fighting primarily to secure the island's airstrip and prevent interference with the Allied offensive in the Philippines. Landing at Orange Beach 1 and Orange Beach 2 on D-Day, 15 September 1944, the 1st Battalion would gain notoriety for the total destruction of an attempted Japanese tank-infantry counterattack. This costly maneuver of Japanese tanks and a company-sized infantry element would be the sole instance of open Japanese maneuver during the months-long Battle of Peleliu.
In April 1946, their mission accomplished, 1st Battalion was disbanded and most of the Pacific veterans returned to civilian life.
Cold War
Korean War
During October 1949, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines was reactivated in
Camp Pendleton, California
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...
. During August 1950, the Battalion deployed to fight the Communist force invading the
Republic of Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its ea ...
. Names such as the
Pusan Perimeter
The Battle of the Pusan Perimeter ( ko, 부산 교두보 전투) was a large-scale battle between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces lasting from August 4 to September 18, 1950. It was one of the first major engagements of the ...
,
Inchon
Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...
,
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...
and
Chosin Reservoir
The Chosin Reservoir (), formally known as Lake Changjin () is a lake located in Changjin County, North Korea. It is most famously known for being the site of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, which was an important battle in the Korean War.
...
were added to the Battalion's battle vocabulary. At the close of hostilities, the 1st Battalion returned to the United States, settling at Camp Pendleton.
Vietnam War
![A369810](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/A369810.jpg)
From June 1966 to March 1971, 1/5 was deployed to
South Vietnam. The battalion participated in action around
Chu Lai
Chu Lai is a seaport, urban and industrial area in Núi Thành District, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam. The city is served by Chu Lai International Airport. It is also the site of the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (Vietnamese: ''Với Khu Kinh T ...
,
Danang
Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons ( ; vi, Đà Nẵng, ) is a class-1 municipality and the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the East Sea of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is o ...
, Quang Nam, Que Son Valley, Hoi An,
Phu Loc and
An Hoa. The unit was deactivated in June 1974, but once again was quickly reactivated in March 1975. The battalion played a major role in the
Battle of Hue during February 1968. Engaging the enemy in the famous Citadel on the north side of the
Perfume River
The Perfume River ( or ; ) is a river that crosses the city of Huế, in the central Vietnamese province of Thừa Thiên-Huế. In the autumn, flowers from orchards upriver from Huế fall into the water, giving the river a perfume-like aroma, ...
, the battalion became known as the "Citadel Battalion".
Persian Gulf War and the 1990s
![3rd Platoon, C-1-5 “The Goon Platoon” MCB Twentynine Palms 1985](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/3rd_Platoon%2C_C-1-5_%E2%80%9CThe_Goon_Platoon%E2%80%9D_MCB_Twentynine_Palms_1985.jpg)
From 1987 to 1989, The battalion supported
Operation Prime Chance
Operation Prime Chance (August 1987 – June 1989) was a United States Special Operations Command operation intended to protect U.S.-flagged oil tankers from Iranian attack during the Iran–Iraq War. The operation took place roughly at the s ...
in the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bod ...
. In August 1990, the battalion returned to the
Southwest Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...
in support of
Operation Desert Shield
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...
, and subsequently took part in combat operations in
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
during
Operation Desert Storm
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...
. The battalion formed the left half of the mechanized Task Force Ripper, along with
1st Battalion 7th Marines, Alpha Company
1st Tank Battalion, Alpha Company
3rd Tank Battalion
The 3rd Tank Battalion (3rd Tanks) was an armor battalion of the United States Marine Corps. It was formed during World War II and played a part in several Pacific island battles, most notably Iwo Jima, where its flame tanks played a key role i ...
, HQ
7th Marines
The 7th Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. Nicknamed the "Magnificent Seventh", the regiment falls under the command of the 1st M ...
and Delta Company,
3rd Light Armored Infantry Battalion. They were supported by Alpha and Delta Companies of the
3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion
3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion (3rd AABn) 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. The AAV is a 27.5-ton armored veh ...
,
1st Combat Engineer Battalion
1st Combat Engineer Battalion is a combat engineer battalion of the United States Marine Corps. The unit, nicknamed "The Super Breed", is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and falls under the command of the 1st Marine Divisi ...
and a platoon from Charlie Company,
1st Reconnaissance Battalion
1st Reconnaissance Battalion (abbreviated as 1st Recon Bn) is a reconnaissance battalion in the United States Marine Corps. It is a stand-alone battalion with no parent regiment. Instead, it falls directly under the command of the 1st Marine ...
. The task force was commanded by Colonel
Carlton W. Fulford, Jr.
Carlton W. Fulford Jr. (born May 11, 1944) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as Deputy Commander in Chief, United States European Command (DCINCEUR) from 2000 to 2002.
Biography
Carlton Fulford Jr. was born on ...
and saw considerable combat as it pushed into Kuwait, seized Al Jaber Airfield and consolidated with other Marine forces at
Kuwait International Airport
Kuwait International Airport ( ar, مطار الكويت الدولي, ) is an international airport located in the Farwaniya Governorate, Kuwait, south of the centre of Kuwait City, spread over an area of . It serves as the primary hub for K ...
of 27 February 1991. Following the cease fire, the task force backloaded to Manifeh Bay and departed Saudi Arabia on 8 March. The battalion returned to Camp Pendleton the following day.
Global War on Terror
![Pi041604d6](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Pi041604d6.jpg)
The battalion deployed to Kuwait in 2003 to become part of the
invasion
An invasion is a Offensive (military), military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitics, geopolitical Legal entity, entity aggressively enter territory (country subdivision), territory owned by another such entity, gen ...
force that ousted
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutio ...
. The Marines of 1/5 were the first to enter the country beginning combat operations the day prior to the war beginning. The battalion continued north in the coming weeks before ultimately participating in the battle for Baghdad. They returned again to Iraq as part of
Operation Iraqi Freedom in early 2004 for security and stabilization operations in
Al Anbar Province. In March 2004, the battalion, this time attached to the
1st Marine Regiment
The 1st Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The regiment is under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force. The 1s ...
along with several other units, participated in
Operation Vigilant Resolve
The First Battle of Fallujah, code-named Operation Vigilant Resolve, was an operation against militants in Fallujah as well as an attempt to apprehend or kill the perpetrators of the killing of four U.S. contractors in March 2004.
The chief cat ...
in the restive city of
Fallujah. They were deployed a third time in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, one of only two Marine Corps infantry battalions to do so at the time, in the city of
Ar Ramadi
Ramadi ( ar, ٱلرَّمَادِي ''Ar-Ramādī''; also formerly rendered as ''Rumadiyah'' or ''Rumadiya'') is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad and west of Fallujah. It is the capital and largest city of Al Anbar Governorate w ...
, capital of Al Anbar Province between March and October 2005.
1/5 deployed to
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
from May to December 2009 as part of
Task Force Leatherneck
Task Force Leatherneck or MEB-Afghanistan is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force that operated in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The name was originally given to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade during its 2009-10 operations for Operation Endur ...
and conducted combat operations in the
Nawa-I-Barakzayi District
Nāwa-I-Barakzāyi District ( ps, ناوۀ بارکزائی / fa, ناوۀ بارکزائی) is an administrative district in Helmand Province, Afghanistan located south of the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah along the Helmand River. It is bor ...
of Helmand province.
1/5 was once more deployed to Afghanistan from March to October 2011 in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom and
ISAF
' ps, کمک او همکاري '
, allies = Afghanistan
, opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda
, commander1 =
, commander1_label = Commander
, commander2 =
, commander2_label =
, commander3 =
, command ...
to the
Sangin District of Helmand Province. During this time they took part in two separate combat operations. Upon completing this rotation they were awarded with the Navy Meritorious Unit Citation award.
Other operations
In November 2012, 1/5 deployed as a Battalion Landing Team (BLT) as part of the
31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU) is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 Marines and ...
. 1/5 completed a six-month rotation including a deployment to
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
in support of exercise Cobra Gold 2013. The Battalion was relieved by fellow 5th Marines Battalion 2/4 and returned to Camp Pendleton in late May 2013, completing a six-month rotation including a deployment to the Kingdom of Thailand in support of exercise Cobra Gold 2013.
From March 2014 to October 2014, 1/5 deployed to Darwin, Australia as the ground combat element of Marine Rotational Force-Darwin. This was the third rotation of Marines to
Robertson Barracks, but 1/5 was the first battalion-sized element to deploy to Australia in recent history. The battalion's presence was the first high-visibility example of the United States' "pivot to the Pacific."
In November 2015, 1/5 again formed BLT 1/5 in support of the
31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU) is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 Marines and ...
.
In July 2017, 1/5 Deployed with the
15th Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (15th MEU) is one of seven such units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with a strength of about 2,200 pe ...
(15th MEU) as the MEU's Ground Combat Element (GCE) or Battalion Landing Team (BLT). The BLT was split between the
USS America (LHA-6),
USS San Diego (LPD-22) and
USS Pearl Harbor (LSD-52) during Western Pacific 17-2 (WESTPAC 17-2). Their main mission was the supporting of Operation Inherent Resolve. During their deployment, 1/5 Marines and sailors aboard the
USS America (LHA-6) came to the aid of the
USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) after the
USS John S. McCain and Alnic MC collision
At 5:24 a.m. on 21 August 2017, , a United States Navy warship, was involved in a collision with the Liberian-flagged tanker ''Alnic MC'' off the coast of Singapore and Malaysia, east of the Strait of Malacca. According to a U.S. Navy pres ...
.
The 15th MEU returned stateside in February 2018.
Notable former members
*
Joseph M. Baker, 67th Company, Distinguished Army Cross and Navy Cross recipient - Battle of Belleau Wood
*
Lewis K. Bausell
Corporal Lewis Kenneth Bausell (April 17, 1924 – September 18, 1944) was a United States Marine and posthumous recipient of the United States' highest military honor — the Medal of Honor — for his sacrifice of life, "above and beyond the cal ...
, Medal of Honor recipient
*
Kenneth D. Cameron
Kenneth Donald Cameron (born November 29, 1949), (Col, USMC, Ret.), is a retired American naval aviator, test pilot, engineer, U.S. Marine Corps officer, and NASA astronaut.
Background
Cameron was born November 29, 1949, in Cleveland, Ohio. ...
, platoon commander in the Vietnam War
*
Anthony Casamento, Medal of Honor recipient - Battle of Guadalcanal, World War II 1942
*
Rodney M. Davis
*
Baldomero Lopez
*
Walter Stauffer McIlhenny
*
Lyle H. Miller
*
Jim Webb
James Henry Webb Jr. (born February 9, 1946) is an American politician and author. He has served as a United States senator from Virginia, Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, Counsel for the United States ...
, platoon commander and company commander for D Company in the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
from January 1969 to February 1970.
See also
*
List of United States Marine Corps battalions
This is a list of current United States Marine Corps battalions, sorted by the mission they perform.
__TOC__
Active units
Ground Combat Element battalions
The ground combat element (GCE) consists of those combat and combat support units whose ...
*
Organization of the United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is organized within the Department of the Navy, which is led by the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV). The most senior Marine commissioned officer is the Commandant of the Marine Corps, responsible for organizing, recr ...
Notes
References
:
;Bibliography
;Web
*
*
"Make Peace or Die: The First Days of War in Iraq with 1st Battalion 5th Marines" - documentary film*
External links
Official Webpage for 1st Battalion 5th Marines
{{DEFAULTSORT:1st Battalion, 5th Marines
Infantry battalions of the United States Marine Corps
1st Marine Division (United States)