Discover

(Redirected from U.S. 4th Marine Regiment)

The '4th Marine Regiment' is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. Based at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan, it is part of the 3rd Marine Division of the III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Contents

Mission

Current units

History

Early years

World War II

Honors and Awards

See also

External links

Mission

4th Marines primary mission is to locate and destroy the enemy within the Pacific Theater, and provide a means of force projection. However it is not limited to this theater, that is its main area of operations. 4th Marines also lends humanitarian aid where directed.

Current units

Currently each of the Regiment's three battalions are part of other Marine infantry regiments in the 1st Marine Division. The regiment in turn hosts battalions stationed in the United States and Hawaii for training in jungle warfare.

★ Headquarters Company

History

Early years

The 4th Marine Regiment was first activated on April 16, 1914, in Puget Sound, Washington, under the command of Colonel Joseph Henry Pendleton. This activation was a direct result of deteriorating relations between the United States and Mexico. On April 21, President Woodrow Wilson ordered U.S. Naval Forces to Vera Cruz. Shortly after activation, 4th Marines embarked upon the USS ''South Dakota'' (ACR-9) headed for San Francisco. Upon their arrival they received four companies (the 31st, 32nd, 34th and 35th) which were become attached to the regiment. The regiment then sailed for Mexico.
On April 28, 4th Marines arrived in Acapulco harbor. Reinforcements subsequently arrived in Mzatlan a week and half later. The regiment continued to maintain a presence in Mexican waters patrolling the shore through May and June. However by the end of June no landing had been deemed necessary and tensions had eased between Mexico and the United States. Shortly thereafter 4th Marines withdrew from Mexican waters and concluded their first Latin American expedition. The regiment returned to San Diego, California to establish its new home base. Between this time and February of 1916 the regiment conducted several missions of force projection off the coast of Mexico. None had required the Marines to actually disembark as diplomatic relations were subsequently smoothed over upon their arrival or shortly thereafter.
The Dominican Republic broke out in civil war in the spring of 1916. American forces were sent to quell the danger posed to Americans and other foreigners there. As the Americans came ashore the rebels withdrew from Santo Domingo, the capital, to Santiago where they had established another rival government. American forces called for reinforcements and 4th Marines was called into action. They left San Diego on June 6 for New Orleans. Three days later they boarded the USS Hancock for the Dominican Republic.

World War II

During World War II the 4th Regiment was stationed at Corregidor with the addition of ad hoc units:

★ A 3rd Battalion was composed of U.S. Army personnel

★ A 4th Battalion was composed of U.S. Navy personnel
Prior to the "old" 4th being captured when Corregidor fell, the unit burned its colors.
In 1944 the 1st Marine Raider Regiment was composed into a reborn "new" "4th Regiment" which was attached to the 6th Marine Division and fought at Guam and Okinawa. Postwar the new "4th" was made up of the 22nd Marine regiment and the 29th Marine Regiment.

Honors and Awards

★ Presidential Unit Citation with 1 bronze star
: Battle of Okinawa - 1945; Vietnam War - 1965-1967

★ Presidential Unit Citation (Army) with 1 bronze oak leaf cluster
: Battle of the Philippines (1941-42)

★ Navy Unit Commendation with 2 bronze stars
: Battle of Guam - 1944; Southeast Asia Evacuations - 1975 ; Southwest Asia - 1990-1991

★ Mexican Service Medal

★ Dominican Campaign Medal

★ Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal with 1 bronze star

★ World War I Victory Medal with "West Indies"

★ Yangtze Service Medal

★ China Service Medal with 1 bronze star

★ American Defense Service Medal with 1 silver and 2 bronze stars

★ World War II Victory Medal

★ Navy Occupation Service Medal with "Asia" and "Europe"

★ National Defense Service Medal with 2 bronze stars

★ Korean Service Medal

★ Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

★ Vietnam Service Medal with 2 silver stars and 1 bronze star.

★ Southwest Asia Service Medal with 2 bronze stars

★ Presidential Unit Citation (Philippines)

★ Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm streamer

See also

★ China Marines

★ List of United States Marine Corps regiments

External links

★ 4th Marines official website

★ James S. Santelli. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE 4TH MARINES. Historical Division Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps, Washington, D. C. 20380, 1970

★ China Marines website

★ Surviving members of the 4th Marines dine with new members immediately after WWII

★ 4th Marine Chapter-American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor