The 7th Marine Regiment 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 ...

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 conscript ...

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 ...

based at

Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC), also known as 29 Palms, is the largest United States Marine Corps base. It was a census-designated place (CDP) officially known as Twentynine Palms Base located adjacent to the city of Twentynin ...

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 ...

. Nicknamed the "Magnificent Seventh", the regiment falls under the command of 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 ...

and the

I Marine Expeditionary Force The I Marine Expeditionary Force ("I" pronounced "One") is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) of the United States Marine Corps primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and 1st Marine Logistics Group. It is ...

Mission

Conduct mechanized, combined-arms operations and other expeditionary operations in order to support theater engagement plans and contingency operations. The regiment will be prepared to deploy within 48-hours of the receipt of an execute order as either the ground combat element for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade (1st MEB) or as a major subordinate element of the

. As directed, the regiment will prepare infantry

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

s for deployment to the Pacific Command (PACOM AOR) in order to support

III Marine Expeditionary 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 MEF) operations and training

Subordinate Units

1st Battalion, 7th Marines The 1st Battalion, 7th Marines (1/7) is an infantry battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment (United States), 7th Marine Regiment of the United States Marine Corps. It is currently based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms ...

(1/7) *

2nd Battalion, 7th Marines The 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines (2/7) is a light 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 and Sailors. The battal ...

(2/7) *

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 ...

(3/7) *

3rd Battalion, 4th Marines 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines (3/4) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed "Thundering Third". Nicknamed "Darkside," it is based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, and consist ...

(3/4) – (assigned to the 7th Marine Regiment for the purpose of facilitating 4th Marines as a "host" regimental headquarters for battalions on unit deployment program assignments to 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa.)

History

Early years

The 7th Marine Regiment was formed in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

on 14 August 1917. From August 1917 through August 1919, the 7th Marine Regiment served in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. Returning to Philadelphia in August 1919 the regiment was decommissioned on 6 September 1919. The regiment was reactivated on 6 September 1933 at

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 ...

with two battalions and was again alerted for service in

but did not deploy. At the end of the crisis, 7th Marines' battalions were re-designated and the regiment was once again decommissioned on 17 January 1934.

World War II

On 1 January 1941, the 7th Marine Regiment was re-activated at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The regiment moved to what is today Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. In the spring of 1942 the 7th along with 1/11 were detached to form the 3rd Marine Brigade for duty in

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

. On 18 September 1942 the regiment, now reassigned to the

, landed in the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capit ...

on Guadalcanal. For four long months the regiment relentlessly attacked the Japanese defenders and repulsed

banzai charge Banzai charge is the term that was used by the Allied forces of World War II to refer to Japanese human wave attacks and swarming staged by infantry units. This term came from the Japanese battle cry , and was shortened to banzai, specificall ...

s and suicidal attacks. Colonel Amor L. Sims led the regiment during the whole Guadalcanal campaign and his men annihilated over 6,000 Japanese in 42 separate engagements. Arriving in Australia in January 1943, the vast majority of the regiment suffered from

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

, wounds or fatigue. Again and again the regiment was called upon to storm the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

-held islands in the Pacific. The Seventh Marine Regiment fought in such places as Eastern

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 ...

, New Britain, "Bloody Peleliu" and the island fortress of Okinawa. 7th Marines saw intense fighting on the island of Okinawa under Colonel

Edward W. Snedeker Edward Walter Snedeker (February 19, 1903 – May 5, 1995) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general. He was decorated with the Navy Cross, the United States military's second-highest dec ...

where they sustained 700 Marines killed or wounded in the fighting to take Dakeshi Ridge and another 500 killed or wounded in the fighting near Wana Ridge. After the surrender of Japan, 7th Marines took part in

Operation Beleaguer Operation Beleaguer was a major United States military operation led by Maj. Gen. Keller E. Rockey. He commanded 50,000 men of the III Marine Amphibious Corps that deployed to northeastern China's Hopeh (Hebei, 河北) and Shantung (Shandong, ...

in China from 30 September 1945 through 5 January 1947. The mission was to repatriate the Japanese military that remained in China after V-J day. They returned to MCB Camp Pendleton, California in January 1947 and were reassigned to the 1st Marine Division. The regiment was deactivated on 6 March 1947 as part of the Marine Corps' draw down of forces after the war. 7th Marines however was quickly reactivated on 1 October 1947 but only as a shell of its former self as it consisted of only four companies. Company "C" deployed to China from 2 May through 23 June 1949 to safeguard the withdrawal of Americans and was the last element of

Fleet Marine Force The United States Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) are combined general- and special-purpose forces within the United States Department of the Navy that perform offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment. The Flee ...

to depart China.

Korean War

Seoul

On 17 August 1950, after the outbreak of the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

, the 7th Marines was reactivated as part of the 1st Marine Division. On 21 September 1950 the regiment landed at Inchon and took part in the recapture of Seoul. On 7 October 1950, after 22 days of fighting, 7th Marines, situated north of the Han River was relieved by units of the US & ROK Armies and retired to a

staging area A staging area (otherwise staging point, staging base, or staging post) is a location in which organisms, people, vehicles, equipment, or material are assembled before use. It may refer to: * In construction, a designated area in which vehicles, ...

near Incheon.

Chosin Reservoir

After reembarking on amphibious shipping and sailing to the east coast of the peninsula, the regiment came ashore at

Wonsan Wŏnsan (), previously known as Wŏnsanjin (), Port Lazarev, and Genzan (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwŏn Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...

on 26 Oct. Based on X Corps tasking, 1st Marine Division ordered 7th Marines to advanced north along the Hamhung-Chosin Reservoir road to the northern tip of the reservoir. In addition, be prepared to advance further north, right up to the northern border of Korea. From 29–31 Oct 7th Marines was transported north via rail and truck movements pto Hamhung where the regiment prepared to spearhead the division's advance north. Before the regiment began to move north on 1 Nov, it had already begun to receive reports from adjacent ROK AND US Army units that Chinese forces were operating in the area. Because the nearest US Army unit to the west was nearly 60 miles away, the regiments left flank was exposed during its entire movement north. The regiment's first major encounter with Chinese Forces occurred in the vicinity of Sudong on 2–4 Nov when two Chinese battalions attempted to encircle its position. Although the MSR was cut for a period of time, the regiment defeated the enemy forces in area with more than 100 Marines wounded, the 7th continued north. The regiment occupied Koto-ri on 10 Nov. After two days regrouping, began the advance further north, having been ordered to seize Hagaru-ri and be prepared for follow on operations to seize Yudam-ni. The first elements of 7th Marines reached Yudam-ni, on the western side of the Chosin Reservoir on 25 Nov. Chosin-Retreat

On the night of 27 Nov, the PVA's 79th and 89th Divisions surrounded the 5th, 7th and 11th Marine Regiments positions at Yudam-ni. 5th and 7th Marines were able to hold on while inflicting heavy casualties on the Chinese forces. Acting on the orders of the Corps Commander, Major General Edward Almond and 1st Marine Division Command General

Oliver P. Smith Oliver Prince Smith (October 26, 1893 – December 25, 1977) was a U.S. Marine four star general and decorated combat veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He is most noted for commanding the 1st Marine Division during the first year of ...

, the commanders of the 5th and 7th Marines Lieutenant Colonel Raymond L. Murray and Colonel Homer L. Litzenberg, respectively, issued a joint order on 30 Nov to their Marines to break out from Yudam-ni, and to reach Hagaru-ri. 5th & 7th Marines moving south on 1 December and reaching the perimeter at Hagaru-ri on 3 December. After a short rest, the breakout began on 6 Dec, with the 7th Marines as the vanguard of the retreating column, while the 5th Marines covered the rear. 7th Marines pushed aside the PVA 76th Division south of Hagaru-ri, and continued along the MSR. The regiment opened the road between Hagaru-ri and Koto-ri by capturing the high ground surrounding the road. But as soon as the Marines pulled out, the 77th Division returned to the peaks and attacked the column. The entire regiment was inside the perimeter of Koto-ri by 1700 on 7 Dec. 7th Marines, with remnants of Regimental Combat Team 31 attached, continued to attack south seizing the approaches to the Funchilin Pass on 8–9 Dec. PVA forces had destroyed the bridge at the Funchilin Pass delaying the retreat until Marine and Army engineers constructed a temporary bridge. Upon its completion on 9 Dec, 7th Marines continued south with the rest of the 1st Marine Division arriving at Hungnam by 11 Dec. Between 11 and 12 Dec, 7th Marines embarked upon amphibious shipping finally sailing from Hungnam Harbor on 15 Dec. Over the next few days, 7th Marines along with the rest of he 1st Marine Division disembarked at

Pusan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, ...

and established their command post 40 miles west of there near

Masan Masan is an administrative region of Changwon, a city in the South Gyeongsang Province. It was formerly an independent city from 1949 until 30 June 2010, when it was absorbed to Changwon along with Jinhae. Masan was redistricted as two distric ...

Remainder of the Korean War

By mid-January, elements of the regiment had been deployed north into the vicinity of

Pohang Pohang () is a city in the province of North Gyeongsang, South Korea, and a main seaport in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hyeongsan River. The city is divided into two ...

to interdict North Korean infiltrators in the area. After a significant battle of 25 January the area was secured. In mid-February, 7th Marines and he rest of the 1st Marine Division were deployed north to Chungju and took part in Operation Killer and served as the Division reserve for Operation Ripper which eventually led to the recapture of

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 ...

in March. The regiment remained heavily engaged in the UN offensives in the vicinity of Seoul from March through June 1951 when UN forces had seized favorable position in the vicinity of the 38th parallel. On 27 August, 7th Marines and a regiment from the

Republic of Korea Marine Corps The Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC; ko, 대한민국 해병대, Daehanminguk Haebyeongdae), also known as the ROK Marine Corps or ROK Marines, is the marine corps of South Korea. The ROKMC is a branch of the Republic of Korea Navy respo ...

relieved US Army and Korean units near an area known as the "Punchbowl." Three days later the regiment attacked north as part of the

Battle of the Punchbowl The Battle of the Punchbowl ( ko, 펀치볼 전투), was one of the last battles of the movement phase of the Korean War. Following the breakdown of armistice negotiations in August 1951, the United Nations Command (UN) decided to launch a limit ...

. The regiment remained decisively engaged in heavy combat until being relieved on 12 September 1951. For the remainder of the year and until March 1952 the regiment found itself dug and defending heavily fortified positions in fighting similar to the

trench warfare Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied lines largely comprising military trenches, in which troops are well-protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery. Trench warfare became ar ...

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 ...

. Twenty Marines from the regiment were awarded 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 ...

for their action during the Korean War.The 7th Marine Regiment finally departed South Korea on 10 March 1955, sailing from Inchon and arriving at MCB Camp Pendleton two weeks later.

Vietnam War

In fall of 1962, substantial parts of the regiment embarked for the Caribbean and possible action in Cuba, aimed at forcing the removal of Soviet nuclear missiles pointed at the United States. As the Cuban Missile Crisis subsided, The Seventh Marines returned to

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 ...

. In 1965, the regiment was deployed to South Vietnam. While in service in Vietnam the 7th Marine regiment participated in the following military operations:

Operation Starlite Operation Starlite (also known in Vietnam as Battle of Van Tuong) was the first major offensive action conducted by a purely U.S. military unit during the Vietnam War from 18 to 24 August 1965. The operation was launched based on intelligence p ...

, Operation Piranha,

Operation Harvest Moon Operation Harvest Moon/Lien Ket 18 was a US Marine Corps and Army of the Republic of Vietnam search and destroy operation in the Quế Sơn Valley in western Quảng Tín Province, lasting from 8 to 20 December 1965. Background On the evening o ...

Operation Mallard Operation Mallard was the codename for an airborne forces operation, which was conducted by the British Army on 6 June 1944, as part of the Normandy landings during the Second World War. The objective was to airlift glider infantry of t ...

, operations

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

and Indiana, Operation Golden Fleece 7-1, Operation Rio Blanco,

Operation Shark Operation Shark was a counter-terrorism operation conducted by the military and police forces of British Mandatory Palestine in response to the King David Hotel bombing. Conducted through a series of house to house searches, the operation was in ...

Operation Boone 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 ...

, Operation Duval, Operation Desoto, Operation Foster,

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 ...

, Operation Allen Brook, Operation Mameluke Thrust,

Operation Daring Endeavor 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 ...

, Operation Linn River, Operation Meade River, Operation Oklahoma Hills,

Operation Taylor Common Operation Taylor Common was a search and destroy operation conducted by ''Task Force Yankee'', a task force of the 1st Marine Division (United States), 1st Marine Division supported by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), southwest of H� ...

, Phase I of Operation Pipestone Canyon, the defense of Que Son, Operation Pickens Forest and Operation Imperial Lake. The last elements of 7th Marines departed the Republic of Vietnam 13 October 1970.

Gulf War

In August 1990, shortly after shifting the home of the regimental colors from Camp Pendelton to the

, the Marines and sailors of the regiment deployed to

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

. They were part of the attack into

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 ...

and eventual victory. In August 1991, as a result of the unique organizational changes that occurred in Seventh Marines, and with the addition of 3rd LAR Battalion, 3rd Tank Battalion and Delta Company, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, Seventh Marine Regiment became Regimental Combat Team Seven (RCT-7). In December 1992, RCT-7 deployed on

Operation Restore Hope The Unified Task Force (UNITAF) was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational force which operated in Somalia from 5 December 1992 until 4 May 1993. A United States initiative (code-named Operation Restore Hope), U ...

to relieve famine and return order to

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

, remaining there for five months. On 13 August 1993, on the eve of the regiment's 76th anniversary, the regiment formally marked the return to its original designation by changing its name from Regimental Combat Team 7 to 7th Marines (Reinforced). In August 1996, organizational changes once again designated 3rd LAR Battalion (Formerly LAI Bn) and 1st Tank Battalion as separate battalions in direct support of the 7th Marine's MPF Mission. Also in direct support is Delta Company 3rd AA Battalion who returned to 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion.

Global War on Terrorism

In January 2003, the 7th Marines deployed to

as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On 21 March, the regiment crossed the line of departure into Iraq as it moved to seize and cut off Iraqi units around

Basrah Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is ha ...

. During the course of the next few weeks, the regiment continued the offensive to capture

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...

and collapse the regime of

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 ...

. During much of the attack north, the regiment led the

in the deepest attack in Marine Corps history. The regiment again deployed to Iraq in February 2004 where they were based at Al Asad Airbase and were responsible for security and stabilization operations in the western desert regions of Al Anbar Province. The regiment's third Iraq deployment came in 2006 where they were again operating throughout Al Anbar and based at Al Asad. 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines and other supporting units from Hawaii were attached to the 7th Marine Regiment in 2004 and 2005 during Operation Phantom Fury to assist with the invasion of Fallujah. The regiment deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as part of the

International Security Assistance Force ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...

(ISAF) in

Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering area. The province contains 13 ...

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 September 2009 – September 2010. They were based at

Camp Dwyer Camp Dwyer was a military camp formerly of the United States Marine Corps located within the Helmand River Valley southwest of Garmsir in Garmsir District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. History The base was originally a forward operating base h ...

. The regiment returned to Afghanistan in September 2012 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and remained there until September 2013. They were based at

Camp Leatherneck Camp Leatherneck was a 1,600 acre United States Marine Corps base in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The site was mostly in Washir District and was conjoined with Camp Bastion, which was the main British military base in Afghanistan and Camp Sho ...

Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, Crisis Response, Central Command, April 2015 – present

In April 2015, 7th Marines took command of the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force from 5th Marines. Since late-2014, the infantry battalions of 7th Marines (1/7, 2/7, 3/7, & 3/4 after re-activation) have served as the Ground Combat Element for the SP-MAGTF and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Notable former members

Medal of honor recipients

* "Manila John" Basilone, Gunnery Sergeant, WWII * Raymond Davis, Korean War *

Jason Dunham ) , birth_date= , birth_place= Scio, New York, United States , death_date= , death_place= Bethesda, Maryland, United States , placeofburial= Fairlawn CemeteryScio, New York , allegiance= United States , branch= United States Marine Corps , servi ...

, Iraq War * Herman H. Hanneken, commanding officer,

Battle of Peleliu The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II by the US military, was fought between the United States and Japan during the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign of World War II, from September 15 to November 27, 1944, on the island of ...

, WWII *

Mitchell Paige Mitchell Paige(Mihajlo Pejić) (August 31, 1918 – November 15, 2003) was an American-Serbian retired United States Marine Corps colonel who received the nation's highest military decoration for valor in combat, the Medal of Honor, during W ...

, WWII * Jay Vargas, Vietnam War

Other notables

Henry W. Buse Jr. Henry William Buse Jr. (April 12, 1912 – October 18, 1988) was a Lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general in the United States Marine Corps. He was Headquarters Marine Corps, Chief of Staff, Headquarters Marine Corps and later com ...

, Silver Star, commanding officer, 3rd Battalion, Cape Gloucester operation, WWII * Odell M. Conoley,

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 ...

, commanding officer, 2nd Battalion, Cape Gloucester operation, WWII *

Julian N. Frisbie Julian Neil Frisbie (November 30, 1894 – April 28, 1963) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of Brigadier general (United States), brigadier general, who is most noted for his service as commanding of ...

, commanding officer, Cape Gloucester operation, WWII *

Jack P. Juhan Jack Phillip Juhan (December 28, 1904 – February 24, 2002) was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps, who reached the rank of major general. He is most noted for his service as executive officer of 8th Marine Regiment during the ...

, commanding officer, 1953,

. *

Homer Litzenberg Homer Laurence Litzenberg (January 8, 1903 – June 27, 1963) was a decorated lieutenant general in the United States Marine Corps, serving in Haiti, World War II, and the Korean War. His final rank was awarded at his retirement for valor in ba ...

, commanding officer,

Battle of Chosin Reservoir The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Battle of Lake Changjin (), was an important battle in the Korean War. The name "Chosin" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation "''Chōshin'', instead of t ...

. *

James Mattis James Norman Mattis (born September 8, 1950) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 26th US secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. During his 44 years in the Marine Corps, he commanded forces in the Persian ...

, United States Secretary of Defense, commanding general, 2004–2007, Iraq War * Herman Nickerson Jr., Army

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

, commanding officer,

Oscar F. Peatross Oscar Franklin Peatross (March 2, 1916 – May 26, 1993) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of Major general (United States), major general who served as Marine Raider in World War II and was awarde ...

, commanding officer, 1964–1966,

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 ...

* Lewis "Chesty" Puller, five

es * Amor L. Sims, two Silver Stars, commanding officer, Guadalcanal campaign, WWII *

, commanding officer, Battle of Okinawa, WWII * Lawrence F. Snowden, commanding officer, 1966–1967,

* Todd Burnett, NCOIC of Truck Company detachment,

Gulf War 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, ...

* Master Gunnery Sergeant Charles Baker, Regimental Operations Chief "Ripper 3C" (2017-2018) * Master Gunnery Sergeant Jeremiah "Jay-Jay" Johnson, most collective time spent within 7th Marine Regiment (2nd BN 7th MAR 2001-2004, 1st BN 7th MAR 2006-2010 OIF, RCT-7 2012-2013 OEF, 7th MAR REG HQ 2018-2019 SW Border Mission, 1st BN 7th MAR 2019-2020 OIR, 1st BN 7th MAR 2022-Present)

Unit awards

A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation. The unit is authorized to fly the appropriate streamer on its organizational flag. The 7th Marine Regiment has been presented with the following awards:

Citations

References

: ;Bibliography * * * * * * * *

External links

7th Marine's official website

{{DEFAULTSORT:007 Infantry07 7th Marine United States Marine Corps in World War II Military units and formations established in 1917 InfReg0007 Military units and formations of the United States Marine Corps in the Vietnam War Military units and formations of the United States in the Gulf War Infantry units and formations of the United States Marine Corps 1st Marine Division (United States)