The 5th Marine Division was a

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 ...

ground combat division which was activated on 11 November 1943 (officially activated on 21 January 1944) at

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

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 ...

. The 5th Division saw its first combat action during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945 where it sustained the highest number of casualties of the three Marine divisions of 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 ...

(invasion force). The 5th Division was to be part of the planned

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 ...

of the Japan homeland before Japan surrendered. Assault troops of the 5th Division were included in the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to the

for extraordinary heroism on Iwo Jima from 19 to 28 February 1945. The 5th Division was deactivated on 5 February 1946. The 5th Division was ordered to be reactivated on 1 March 1966 at Camp Pendleton, California, during 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 ...

. The division, beginning with the reactivation of Regimental Landing Team 26 (RLT 26), was expected to be fully manned within one year; the 5th Division was never in command of the 26th Marine Regiment (26th Marines) in the war. In December, all three infantry battalions of the 26th Marines were fighting in South Vietnam attached 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 ...

. By June 1967, the 5th Division was ready to deploy anywhere. It was never intended that the 5th Division would go overseas. It was a force in readiness. But in February 1968, General William C. Westmoreland, U.S. Army, commander of U.S. forces in South Vietnam, asked for help because of the all-out Communist

Tet Offensive The Tet Offensive was a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. It was launched on January 30, 1968 by forces of the Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) against the force ...

. The 27th Marine Regiment (27th Marines), 5th Marine Division, was airlifted out on 48 hours' notice, with 3,700 Marines. In September, it became the first major combat unit to come home from the Vietnam War. The 5th Marine Division formally deactivated on 26 November 1969.

History

World War II

The 5th Marine Division was activated on

Armistice Day Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the United States, is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, Fran ...

, 11 November 1943. The division's Headquarters Battalion officially began operating at

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 ...

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 had to provide combat replacements to other divisions and staff the newly formed 6th Marine Division also.

Rottman Rottman is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Stormy Rottman (1918–1993), American weather forecaster and television host * Gordon L. Rottman (born 1947), American author *Ryan Rottman (born 1978), American television actor S ...

(2002), p.7. Among the personnel forming the new division were Marines from the former

1st Marine Parachute Regiment The Paramarines (also known as Marine paratroopers) was a short-lived specialized combat unit of the United States Marine Corps, trained to be dropped from planes by parachute. Marine parachute training which began in New Jersey in October 1 ...

, 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 Camp Tarawa was a training camp located on Hawaiʻi Island constructed and used by the 2nd Marine Division during World War II. The grounds of the camp were situated between the volcanic peak of Mauna Kea and Kohala mountain. Marines were sen ...

near Hilo, Hawaii for further training. While there the 31st

Naval Construction Battalion , colors = , mascot = Bumblebee , battles = Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Cape Gloucester, Los Negros, Guam, Peleliu, Tarawa, Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima, Philip ...

was attached to the Division tasked as shore party for the upcoming operation. 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. Marines on Red Beach - Iwo Jima

Battle of Iwo Jima

(''Presidential Unit Citation: Assault Troops, Fifth Amphibious Corps, 19 to 28 February 1945'') The 5th Division landed on beaches red 1, red 2 and green 1 at the base of

Mount Suribachi is a -high mountain on the southwest end of Iwo Jima in the northwest Pacific Ocean under the administration of Ogasawara Subprefecture, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. The mountain's name derives from its shape, resembling a '' suribachi'' or grind ...

on 19 February 1945 on Iwo Jima. The division sustained heavy initial losses, so much so that by that afternoon, the 26th Marine Regiment (26th Marines) had to be released as the division reserve.

(2002), p.62. On 23 February, two American flags were raised on Mount Suribachi by members of the 28th Marine Regiment (28th Marines). The 5th Division would fight on Iwo Jima from 19 February until 26 March where they would sustain 2,482 killed in action, 19 missing in action, and 6,218 wounded in action. This was the highest casualty rate among the three Marine divisions involved in the invasion. The 5th Division began loading onto ships on 26 March, finally leaving Iwo Jima on 27 March 1945 sailing for Hawaii.

(2002), p.69. On 21 March 1945 the 5th Marine Division Cemetery was formally dedicated on Iwo Jima. Chaplains prayed, Major General

Keller E. Rockey Keller Emrick Rockey (September 22, 1888 – June 6, 1970) was a highly decorated Lieutenant General in the United States Marine Corps, who commanded the Fifth Marine Division in the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II and the Thi ...

added a tribute to the dead and Lieutenant Roland B. Gittelsohn,

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

and a 5th Division chaplain, spoke of friends buried and "the ghastly price of freedom...." The American flag (there since 14 March) at the northern part of Iwo Jima 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 U.S. Army Air Corps

9th Bombardment Group 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Arabic digit In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...

named a B-29 "The Spearhead", with elaborate nose art depicting the 5th Division's insignia and the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi. The 5th 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 Kyushu. The 5th Division left Japan in November 1945 and arrived in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

, California the week of

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

1945. The majority of the division's Marines were discharged shortly thereafter. The 5th Division was inactivated on 5 February 1946.

Vietnam War

(''Presidential Unit Citation: 26th Marines, 3rd Marine Division (Reinforced), January 20 to April 1, 1968'') The 27th Marines and 5th Tank Battalion were activated on 1 January 1966, the 5th Marine Division and 26th Marines on 1 March, the 13th Marines (13th Regiment of Artillery) on 1 May (Headquarter on 5 April), and the 28th Marines on 17 January 1967. The 13th, 26th, and 27th regiments were attached to the

(Reinforced),

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 ...

(Reinforced), and 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade in South Vietnam until 19 March 1970. On 27 February 1966, Secretary of Defense McNamara ordered the reactivation of RLT 26 ( 26th Marine Regiment) and the 5th Marine Division (5th Division headquarters was activated in June) at Camp Pendleton on 1 March 1966. BLT 1/26 ( 1st Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment) was activated on 1 May, BLT 2/26 ( 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines) on 1 June, and RLT 3/26 ( 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines) on 1 July. Each battalion received eight weeks of pre-deployment training, all Vietnam oriented, before moving out aboard navy transports on 6 July, 27 July, and 1 September. The 26th Regiment (26th Marines) was part of the 5th Division, but never came under its command; under base command then subordinate of Force Troops, Pacific, at Twentynine Palms. The 26th Marines were based in Vietnam beginning on 27 August 1966 (2nd Battalion, 26 Marines, 3rd Marine Division Reinforced) until 19 March 1970, but were never commanded there by the 5th Division. The 5th Division was ready to deploy anywhere by June 1967. It was never intended that the 5th Division would go over seas. It was a force in readiness. But in February 1968, General William C. Westmoreland, U.S. Army, commander of U.S. forces in South Vietnam, asked for help because of the all-out Communist

. The 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division, was airlifted out on 48 hours' notice, with 3,700 Marines. In September, it became the first major combat unit to come home from the Vietnam War. The 5th Division began deactivating its member units on 15 October 1969. The 5th Division was formally inactivated on 26 November 1969, and the men reformed into the

5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade The 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade is a United States Marine Corps unit. When deployed, it serves as a Marine Air-Ground Task Force. History 5th MEB first activated during World War I and served in France guarding supply lines and garrisons tha ...

Battle of Khe Sanh and Tet offensive, 1968

The 26th Marines participated in the Battle of Khe Sanh, 9 January to 9 July 1968 and was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for its actions at Khe Sanh from 20 January to 1 April 1968 while attached to the 3rd Marine Division (Reinforced). In February 1968, General William Westmoreland, the commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam asked for help in Vietnam because of the Communist

. President Johnson then committed more troops to the war effort. On 12 February 1968, the 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division, was ordered to Vietnam and deployed on 17 to 19 February. The 27th Marines became the first Marine regiment to fly into a combat zone in Vietnam. The 3rd Battalion, 27th Marines, which deployed on 17 February, was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for action during Operation Allen Brook at Go Noi Island on 17 to 28 February while attached to the 1st Marine Division (Reinforced). During this operation, 3/27 members earned a

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 ...

, 2

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

es, and several Silver Star Medals and Bronze Star Medals with

Combat "V" Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

s. In September 1968, The 27th Marines, after serving seven months in country Vietnam, became the first major combat unit to come home from Vietnam. All first tour personnel were reassigned to other units in order to complete their tours.

26th Marines

1st Battalion, 26th Marines: Activated on 1 May 1966. Moved out of Camp Pendleton on 6 July and was assigned to the 7th Fleet's Special Landing Force on 5 August. It participated in the 26th Marines first combat operation in Vietnam off the assault helicopter carrier USS ''Iwo Jima'' during Operation Deckhouse III and taking the regiments first four casualties. The 1/26 Marines was based in South Vietnam on 27 September 1966. 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines: Activated on 1 June 1966. Moved out of Camp Pendleton on 27 July and boarded the USS ''Bexar''. The 2/26 Marines arrived in Da Nang, South Vietnam on 27 August 1966. 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines: Activated on 1 July 1966. Moved out of Camp Pendleton on 2 September and was assigned to the 7th Fleet's Special Landing Force on 4 October. The 3/26 Marines was based in Vietnam on 11 December 1966.

27th and 28th Marines

The 27th Marine Regiment (27th Marines), 5th Marine Division, would receive orders on 12 February 1968 to deploy to Vietnam, with 1/27 Marines arriving at Da Nang, South Vietnam on 23 February. On 2, 1 April/27 Marines was attached to the 1st Marine Division. The 28th Marine Regiment (28th Marines) would remain at Camp Pendleton throughout the Vietnam War.

13th Marines

Kilo Battery,

13th Marine Regiment The 13th Marine Regiment (13th Marines) was an artillery regiment of the United States Marine Corps. The regiment was activated for service three times during the 20th century when the Marine Corps expanded to meet war time requirements. Origin ...

(13th Marines), landed at the mouth of the Cua Viet River in Vietnam in May 1967. Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie 1/13 were present at the

Battle of Khe Sanh The Battle of Khe Sanh (21 January – 9 July 1968) was conducted in the Khe Sanh area of northwestern Quảng Trị Province, Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), during the Vietnam War. The main US forces defending Khe Sanh Combat Base (KSC ...

in 1968.

5th Tank Battalion

WWII

In May 1944 the 5th Tank Battalion commanded by Lt. Colonel William R. Collins was posted to

Schofield Barracks Schofield Barracks is a United States Army installation and census-designated place (CDP) located in the City and County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, Hawaii. Schofield Barracks lies adjacent to the t ...

in the Territory of Hawaii. They were attached to the Army's

Chemical Warfare Service The Chemical Corps is the branch of the United States Army tasked with defending against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. The Chemical Warfare Service was established on 28 June 1918, combining activities that un ...

CENPAC under Col. Unmacht (USA).CHAPTER XV, The Flame Thrower in the Pacific: Marianas to Okinawa, WWII Chemical in Combat, Dec 2001, p. 55

/ref> They were part of a

top secret Classified information is material that a government body deems to be sensitive information that must be protected. Access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of people with the necessary security clearance and need to kn ...

program to develop flamethrowing tanks with Seabees from the 117th CB and the 43rd Chemical Laboratory Company. Eventually the Battalion would get four M4-3A Sherman's modified with a CB-H1-H2 flamethrowers for Iwo Jima. Those tanks used between 5–10,000 gallons of

napalm Napalm is an incendiary mixture of a gelling agent and a volatile petrochemical (usually gasoline (petrol) or diesel fuel). The name is a portmanteau of two of the constituents of the original thickening and gelling agents: coprecipitated alu ...

per day near the end of the battle. Early in the assault it was decided that the tanks from all three Divisions would be consolidated into a Regimental command under Lt. Colonel Collins. *5th Marine CB-H1 in action on D+22, * The 5th tank Battalion received a Presidential Unit Citation. Vietnam The 5th Tank Battalion ( RLT 26, RLT 27, and RLT 28) was attached to the

(Reinforced) and staged in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

from

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. The Battalion departed

Subic Bay Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, about northwest of Manila Bay. An extension of the South China Sea, its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility, U.S. Naval Base Sub ...

aboard the USS Washtenaw County for Da Nang in July 1967. The unit provided mission fire control support at every strategic hill in South Vietnam, and received two Presidential Unit Citations (PUC) for extraordinary heroism in the battles at

Khe Sanh Khe Sanh is the district capital of Hướng Hoá District, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam, located 63 km west of Đông Hà. During the Vietnam War, the Khe Sanh Combat Base was located to the north of the city. The Battle of Khe San ...

and Hue City. Ord & Maint Co. suffered heavy losses on Hill 88 as 21 Marines perished from mortar fire falling on the 105mm ordnance bunker. This was the highest number of casualties suffered in a single day by the 5th Tank Battalion during the Vietnam War. Note: Only A Company and B Company were sent to Vietnam with the 26th and 27th Marine Regiments, (Capt. Robert Johnstone was the OIC). C Company and D Company remained in garrison at Camp Pendleton. As the result of President Nixon's draw down in troop strength Bravo Company returned to Camp Pendleton in September 1968.

Casualties

World War II

* Killed in Action/Died of Wounds/Missing in Action – 2,501 * Wounded in Action – 5,948 * Total Casualties– 8,363

Vietnam War

* Killed in Action/Died of Wounds – N/A * Wounded in Action – N/A * Total Casualties– N/A

Medal of Honor recipients

Fifteen Marines and 2 Navy corpsmen assigned to the 5th Marine Division were awarded the Medal of Honor for World War II (Iwo Jima). Twelve were posthumously awarded. Two Marines of the 26th and 27th Marines were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for the Vietnam War.

World War II

* Robert Hugo Dunlap * William G. Harrell * Jacklyn Harrell Lucas * Franklin E. Sigler * George Wahlen, USN Posthumous * Charles J. Berry *

William R. Caddy William Robert Caddy (August 8, 1925 – March 3, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps, United States Marine who sacrificed his life to save the lives of his platoon leader and platoon sergeant during the Battle of Iwo Jima. For his bravery, he ...

* Joseph R. Julian *

James D. LaBelle Private First Class James Dennis La Belle (November 22, 1925 – March 8, 1945) enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, United States Marine Corps Reserve on November 18, 1943. Fifteen months later, in his first and last battle, he heroically ...

* Jack Lummus * Harry L. Martin * George Phillips *

Donald J. Ruhl Donald Jack Ruhl (July 2, 1923 – February 21, 1945) was a United States Marine and a posthumous recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. Ruhl, a private first class, received the award for falling on a ...

Tony Stein Tony Stein (September 30, 1921 – March 1, 1945) was a United States Marine who posthumously received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II. He received the award for repeatedly making single- ...

* William G. Walsh * Jack Williams * John H. Willis, USN

Vietnam War

Posthumous * Robert C. Burke (attached to 1st Marine Division) * Karl G. Taylor Sr. (attached to 3rd Marine Division)

Unit awards

World War II

* Presidential Unit Citation: Assault Troops,

(Reinforced), 19 to 28 February 1945 (Battle of Iwo Jima): (5th Marine Division) * Navy Unit Commendation: Support Troops, V Amphibious Corps (Reinforced), 19 to 28 February 1945 (Battle of Iwo Jima): (5th Marine Division)

Vietnam War

* Presidential Unit Citation: 26th Marines (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Division (Reinforced), 20 January to 1 April 1968 (Battle of Khe Sanh) * Presidential Unit Citation: 3rd Marine Division, 8 March 1965 to 15 September 1967: (26th Marines) * Presidential Unit Citation: 1st Marine Division (Reinforced), 14 March 1967 to October 1969: (5th Tank Battalion)

Organization

World War II

Vietnam War

* 26th Marine Regiment * 27th Marine Regiment * 28th Marine Regiment *

* 3rd Military Police Battalion * 5th Military Police Battalion * 5th Tank Battalion * Communications Company Headquarters Battalion

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * Mandel, Lee, Capt. USN Ret. (2015). ''Unlikely Warrior: A Pacifist Rabbi's Journey from the Pulpit to Iwo Jima''. Pelican Publishing Company. .

Web

* http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54804399619 (Facebook Group: Title: "5th Marine Division Group" - More Photos) * http://www.jacklummus.com/
Battle Honors of the six Marine Divisions in World War II

External links

* {{United States Marine Corps divisions Divisions of the United States Marine Corps 5 Military units and formations established in 1943

5th Marine Division The 5th Marine Division was a United States Marine Corps ground combat division which was activated on 11 November 1943 (officially activated on 21 January 1944) at Camp Pendleton, California during World War II. The 5th Division saw its firs ...

United States Marine Corps divisions during World War II Military units and formations of the United States Marine Corps in World War II

History

World War II

Battle of Iwo Jima

Vietnam War

Battle of Khe Sanh and Tet offensive, 1968

26th Marines

27th and 28th Marines

13th Marines

5th Tank Battalion

Casualties

World War II

Vietnam War

Medal of Honor recipients

World War II

Vietnam War

Unit awards

World War II

Vietnam War

Organization

World War II

Vietnam War

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

Web

External links