9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (United States)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade 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 ...
unit.


History


1965

Following the Gulf of Tonkin Incident in August 1964, the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (9th MEB) was activated by
United States Pacific Command United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific region. Formerly known as United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) since its inception in 1947, ...
under Admiral Ulysses S. Grant Sharp. The 3rd Marine Division assistant commander and
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 ...
recipient,
Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
Raymond G. Davis, was appointed its first commander. It consisted of 9th Marine Regiment regimental headquarters and three battalion landing teams (BLT). Almost 6,000 men were transformed into an effective force in readiness. When the Gulf of Tonkin crisis faded, one BLT was sent to
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 ...
, another to 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 ...
and a third one was served afloat as Special Landing Force of the
Seventh Fleet The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of ...
under Admiral Roy L. Johnson. The skeleton headquarters of the brigade under BG Davis remained at U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay for case of emergency and BG John P. Coursey relieved Davis on 16 October 1964. Meanwhile the situation in South Vietnam became critical, when
Viet Cong , , war = the Vietnam War , image = FNL Flag.svg , caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green. , active ...
(VC) forces won the Battle of Binh Gia at the beginning of January 1965 and it became obvious that this was an intensive military challenge which the South Vietnamese government could not meet with its own resources. BG Frederick J. Karch assumed command of the brigade on 22 January 1965 and 1st and 3rd Battalions, 9th Marines took part in the amphibious landing exercise. On 7 February 1965, the VC attacked the U.S. base in Pleiku killing 9 Americans, wounding 128 others and damaging or destroying 25 aircraft. President
Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
ordered the deployment of 9th MEB to Da Nang by the end of February 1965 with the mission of protecting the Da Nang Air Base from enemy incursion. After initial delay because of negotiations with South Vietnamese government, Karch led his brigade ashore on 8 March 1965 on Red Beach. The 9th MEB was subsequently reinforced by the
2nd Battalion, 9th Marines 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines (2/9) was an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Formed during World War I, the unit played an instrumental role in the defeat of the Japanese forces in the Battles of Guam and Iwo Jima during World ...
. Johnson also permitted a change of mission for the 9th MEB which would allow the use of Marines "in active combat under conditions to be established and approved by the Secretary of Defense in consultation with the Secretary of State." The Brigade absorbed the Marine Aircraft Group 16 and conducted defense duty at Da Nang for next two months. However, with the increasing number of Marine forces in South Vietnam, the 9th MEB was deactivated on 6 May 1965 and reorganized as the
III Marine Amphibious Force III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) is a formation of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps. It is forward-deployed and able to rapidly conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and ...
under
Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
William R. Collins.


1966

The unit was reactivated on 1 March 1966 as 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade (9th MAB) on
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 ...
, Japan with Colonel Herman Hansen Jr. as temporary commander. The brigade was designated Special Landing Force of the
Seventh Fleet The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of ...
. BG William A. Stiles arrived on 30 March and assumed command of the brigade. Colonel Hansen Jr. was appointed brigade's chief of staff. The Brigade was composed of Headquarters and the Headquarters Company, Regimental Landing Team 5, Battalion Landing Team
2nd Battalion, 5th Marines 2d Battalion 5th Marines (2/5 or "Two Five") is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps consisting of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors. They are based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and fall under the comm ...
and Sub Unit Two, Headquarters&Service Company, 1st Service Battalion. The Brigade received its air unit,
Marine Aircraft Group 13 Marine Aircraft Group 13 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma that is currently composed of one McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II squadron, three Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II squadrons, an ...
(Reinforced) on 15 April 1966 and now was responsible for most Marine air and ground units in the Western Pacific outside of Vietnam. BG Michael P. Ryan relieved BG Stiles as commanding General on that date. Regimental Landing Team 5 was relieved by newly organized 26th Marine Regiment and the 9th MAB participated in Operation Osage between 27 April and 3 May 1966. The 9th MAB was assigned to the mission of destroying a VC battalion and elements of a People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) regiment reported to be operating in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province. The results were inconclusive with 8 VC killed while Marine losses were eight killed and 9 wounded. The 9th MAB provided Battalion Landing Team (BLT) of 1st Battalion, 26th Marines for Operation Deckhouse IV from 15–18 September 1966. The 9th MAB's Marines killed over 200 PAVN soldiers from 90th Regiment with the loss of 36 Marines. During the rest of the year, the 9th MAB and its units were stationed off the northern coast of South Vietnam in order to provide force for the defense of
Vietnam Demilitarized Zone The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone was a demilitarized zone established as a dividing line between North and South Vietnam from July 1954 to 1976 as a result of the First Indochina War. During the Vietnam War (1955-1975) it became important as t ...
in case of emergency.


1967

BG Louis Metzger assumed command of the 9th MAB on 4 January 1967 and led it during Operation Deckhouse V in Bến Tre Province a few days later. The Battalion Landing Team 1/9, now assigned to the 9th MAB, took part in the operation, but due to forewarning, the VC left the area before the attack. The units of 9th MAB killed only 21 VC and lost 7 Marines.
III Marine Amphibious Force III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) is a formation of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps. It is forward-deployed and able to rapidly conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and ...
(III MAF) launched Operation Desoto on 27 January 1967 against known VC strongholds in the region. The 9th MAB launched the Operation Deckhouse VI on 16 February in order to disrupt enemy movement in the vicinity of Sa Huynh salt flats, search northward in the Nui Dat area, and, finally, link up with the
3rd Battalion, 7th Marines The 3rd Battalion 7th Marine Regiment (3/7) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They are based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms and consist of approximately 800 Marines. The battalion falls u ...
, then operating around Nui Dat in Operation Desoto. BLT 1/4 confirmed the presence of VC in the area, but enemy concentrated only on delaying and harassing tactics. BLT 1/4 destroyed 167 fortifications and captured 20 tons of assorted supplies during the 32 days of Phase I of Operation Deckhouse VI. Though there never were any major contacts, the BLT claimed 201 VC killed during this period; only 6 Marines died. On 27 February, Phase II of Deckhouse VI started, but there was only occasional contact with the enemy and intermittent sniper fire marked the only enemy reactions. In the six days required to accomplish the Phase II, the battalion killed 78 more VC, destroyed 145 fortifications, and captured an additional five tons of supplies. Similarly, as in Phase I, 6 Marines died. Because of a growing threat to
Firebase Gio Linh Firebase Gio Linh (also known as FSB A-2, Alpha 2, Camp Hill, The Alamo or simply Gio Linh) is a former U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) firebase north of Đông Hà in Quang Tri Province, central Vietnam ...
, III MAF launched Operation Beacon Hill on 20 March 1967. BLT 1/4 and Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron 363 were ordered for the mission. The contact with the enemy was light until 21 March, when the BLT 1/4 engaged about 80 PAVN troops, killing 14 of them. The next day the battalion made contact again between Gio Linh and
Con Thien Con Thien (Vietnamese: Cồn Tiên, meaning the "Hill of Angels") was a military base that started out as a U.S. Army Special Forces camp before transitioning to a United States Marine Corps combat base. It was located near the Vietnamese Dem ...
. After a stiff fight the PAVN, apparently a company, withdrew leaving 43 bodies behind. Progress during both days was slow because the PAVN laced their positions with connecting tunnels which required detailed search. On 26 March, after two days of air and artillery preparation, BLT 1/4 broke through two well-prepared defensive trench lines and cleared the interconnecting tunnel system. The PAVN subsequently withdrew and only sniper fire and minor rear guard actions slowed the advancing Marines. The operation ended on 1 April and BLT 1/4 suffered 29 Marines killed and 230 wounded. The PAVN lost 334 men. Following Operation Beacon Hill, 1/4 Marines was transferred back to the 3rd Marine Division and 9th MAB's Special Landing Force (SLF) was reorganized into twin concept: SLF Alpha, which consisted of
HMM-263 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (VMM-263) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of V-22 Osprey, MV-22B Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Thunder Chickens", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New ...
and the
1st Battalion, 3rd Marines 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines (1/3) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Nicknamed the "Lava Dogs", the battalion consists of approximately 800 Marines and sailors and falls under the com ...
and SLF Bravo formed with
2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines (2/3) was an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and sailors. The battalion fell under the command of the 3rd Marine Regim ...
and
HMM-164 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 164 (VMM-164), is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron operating the MV-22B Osprey. Known as the ''Knightriders'', they fall under the command Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircra ...
. The landing exercise at Kin Blue Beach,
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 ...
followed during April 1967, where the 9th MAB practiced a combined surface and helicopter assault. Metzger's units subsequently participated in Operation Beacon Star between 22 April and 12 May 1967, where he could test SLF new concept. The main target of the operation was a VC stronghold and supply area along the border of Quang Tri and Thua Thien Provinces. Intelligence officers reported two battalions of the VC 6th Regiment and two main force battalions, the 810th and the 814th, were operating in the region. Due to bad weather and poor visibility, SLF Bravo launched a combined helicopter and overland assault which killed 940 VC with Marine losses of 71 killed and 349 wounded. Simultaneously with Operation Beacon Star, the 9th MAB took part in the Operation Beaver Cage between 28 April and 13 May 1967. SLF Alpha containing BLT 1/3 and HMM-263 and its mission was to clear
Que Son Valley QUE or que may refer to: * Quebec (Que.), as the traditional abbreviation, though the postal abbreviations are now QC and previously PQ * Que Publishing, a company which first began as a publisher of technical computer software and hardware suppo ...
, southwest of Da Nang, important to the VC as a source of both food and manpower. The SLF Alpha casualties totaled 55 Marines killed and 151 wounded, but in 16 days of continuous operations the BLT claimed 181 VC dead and 66 prisoners.


Commanding generals

*BG Raymond G. Davis (6 August 1964 - 16 October 1964) *BG John P. Coursey (16 October 1964 - 22 January 1965) *BG Frederick J. Karch (22 January 1965 - 6 May 1965) (Deactivated) *COL Herman Hansen Jr. (1 March 1966 - 29 March 1966) (Reactivated as 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade) *BG William A. Stiles (30 March 1966 - 14 April 1966) *BG Michael P. Ryan (15 April 1966 - 4 January 1967) *BG Louis Metzger (4 January 1967 - 18 May 1967) *BG Jacob E. Glick (19 May 1967 - 21 January 1968) *BG William C. Chip (22 January 1968 - 11 August 1968) *BG John E. Williams (12 August 1968 - 12 June 1969) *BG Robert B. Carney Jr. (13 June 1969 - 7 November 1969) *BG Edward J. Miller (3 April 1972 - 15 November 1972) *BG Paul G. Graham (16 November 1972 - 9 February 1973) (Deactivated) *BG Richard E. Carey (1 April 1975 - 30 April 1975) *BG James D. Beans (10 May 1984 - 1 July 1985)


See also

* Marine Air-Ground Task Force *
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 ...


References

{{USMCmajorcommands Brigades of the United States Marine Corps Military units and formations of the United States Marine Corps in the Vietnam War