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By Brigadier General Edwin H. Simmons, U. S. Marine Corps (Retired)
wifi
squads; with the 13-man squad there
The year was a good one for the United States Marines. The Corps reached new levels of personnel and material readiness. A year of stability, 1985 began with 197,641 Marines and ended with 197,171. General Paul X. Kelley, in his third year as Commandant, described these Marines in his posture statement to the Congress as “patriotic professionals who came to the Corps eager to serve their country.” He characterized the men and women now entering the Marine ranks as “the highest qualified recruits in the Corps’ history,” citing, as a yardstick, that an unprecedented 96.8% had high school diplomas.
“Fine-tuning” of the ground force structure continued. Of great satisfaction to older Marines was the scheduled return of the 13-man rifle squad, which subdivides into a sergeant squad leader and three four-man fire teams led by corporals. This squad organization served the Marine Corps well from the middle of World War II, when it was first adopted, through the Korean and Vietnam Wars. It was briefly abandoned in 1983 for an 11-
Marine Corps vertical assault is one of the missions planned for the forthcoming MV-22A Osprey. In this role, the tilt-rotor aircraft will replace the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter.
man squad with two five-man fire teams.
Other ground organization changes approved during the year included the restructuring of the heavy machine gun section of the infantry battalion, the activation of a second light armored vehicle (LAV) battalion, the reactivation of a second force reconnaissance company, and the eventual activation of anti-tank battalions for each of the three Marine amphibious forces.
The heavy machine gun section will become a heavy machine gun platoon that can handle six M2HB .50 caliber and six Mark-19 40-millimeter machine guns. The Mark-19 fires high-velocity armorpiercing grenades and is effective against personnel, as well as light armor.
The 1st Light Armored Vehicle Battalion was activated at Camp Pendleton in May, joining the 2d LAV Battalion which was activated a year earlier at Camp Le- jeune. The LAV is a light armored vehicle made by General Motors of Canada and armed with a 25-millimeter gun. The Marine Corps is programmed to get eventually 758 LAVs. Delivery of the LAV(L), cargo version of the light armored vehicle, began during the year. A third LAV battalion is scheduled for activation in the near future.
During the Vietnam War, force reconnaissance Marines operated in five- to six-man teams with dramatic success well forward into enemy territory. The 1st Force Reconnaissance Company will be the West Coast counterpart to the already existing 2d Force Reconnaissance Company.
The primary weapon of the three force anti-tank battalions will be the improved TOW-2, a tube-launched, optically- tracked, wire-guided missile which can defeat any known armor.
Secretary of the Navy John Lehman underscored his own interest in the Corps’ new infantry weapons by visiting Quantico early in the year and firing the M-16A2 5.56-millimeter rifle and the M-40A1 sniper rifle, as well as the more esoteric 40-millimeter machine gun and the “SMAW.”
The once troublesome M-16 rifle has now been so thoroughly reworked, largely by the Marine Corps itself, that the Commandant can say, with confidence, that the 5.56-millimeter M-16A2 is the finest military rifle in the world-
The M-40A1 sniper rifle is a bolt- action 7.62-millimeter rifle developed and built by the marksmanship training unit at Quantico.
The acronym “SMAW” comes fi°tT1 “shoulder-launched multi-purpose assault weapon.” Both an anti-tank weapon and a “bunker-buster,” it is an 83-mifi'" meter rocket launcher. It is in the assaul section of the weapons platoon of eac rifle company and also is an arm of the combat engineers.
The similar acronym “SAW” stands for the M249 “squad automata weapon,” a 5.56-millimeter light machine gun manufactured by Fabrique National Herstal of Belgium. There ha been two SAWs in the 11-man rifie be three, one for each fire team. Equip ping of the Fleet Marine Force with the new lighter weight E3 version of tn 7.62-millimeter M60 machine gun also ts under way.
New rifles were accompanied by re newed emphasis in an area in which Via fines traditionally have excelled-^ competitive marksmanship. Outshot m the Interservice Match at Quantico by National Guard and U. S. Army teams- Corps shooters did better at the Nations^ Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. Star a Camp Perry was Corporal Thomas • Gilbert, who won both the Navy Cup an Coast Guard Trophy in the National Ri ® Matches in competition against the be military and civilian shooters in the couu try. His success brought him a spot pr° motion to sergeant from one of the speC tators, General Kelley. .
Following the U. S. Army’s lead, t ^ Marines this year adopted the 15-roun 9-millimeter Beretta pistol as the replafj ment for the respected but venera M-1911 Colt .45. However, as a separat action, the Commandant decided that m^ fantry platoon commanders and plat0° sergeants would be armed with a ri rather than a pistol.
Procurement of the M1A1 Abrai tank as the Corps’ main battle tank approved. The M1A1 should begin
enter tho n •
“Hum „Ips lnventory in 1989. The lined l^e wheeled vehicle des-
beean ° reP*ace the ubiquitous Jeep, - Marine as the year ended.
’ ^ce of Spades, also at Cherry
•mint, as th —r***•”“ z
°Perat;„ , . sec°nd squadron to become
advantagnea of" Harrier IL With the ranpPR S °* s“ortened takeoff-to-target A, §es coni n«fmm, ?L.
^-8BCOm*n^/rom forward basing, the
a Eivpr,Can de*iyer more ordnance during iin.i Period than onu
Vletnam \i; P'osrammed to replace the the War vintage CH-46 Sea Knight,
Corps com-
in Mai-ntUm pro8ress was also chalked up Bumhi'u6 Corps aircraft. The VMA-331 lina ,e®s at Cherry Point, North Caro- haw’ks h previous|y ncw A-4M Sky- ScDadrr> ecame *n January the first attack the imn operational with the AV-8B, Harrier?/6^ vertical takeoff and landing ^MA-2^i WaS PoPowed in May by
’ Ace Of SnaHpc nlc.v at C^Vipt-rar
a &ivcn . ___ o
light aircrT'0^ ^lan any other modem
n°wC(ml0p'!!ent and testing of the JVX, t’nued ^'v/"22A Osprey, con-
thc oSD . p*xed-wing tilt-rotor aircraft, ViP,„. rey ls Programmed to replace the
Q^ O * TV/ hJvtt A V1111. 9
Ps standard medium helicopter, in
the 1990s. Designed to fly 2,100 nautical miles without refueling—or anywhere in the world with refueling—the Osprey promises greater combat survivability than present helicopters.
The Corps reviewed its employment of women Marines (9,695 at the year’s end), balancing the complex problems of offering equitable opportunities for both men and women, protecting women from undue combat risks, and not degrading deployment capabilities of combatant commands. The training of women Marines was reexamined and some of their previous exemptions removed, with recognition that exposure to danger in a hostile environment is always a possibility. New training included drill “under arms,” marksmanship qualification firing, and minor tactics. Swords were authorized for women officers and staff noncommissioned officers. Firing for qualification with the rifle and pistol, not just familiarization firing, was made mandatory (and with good results: Private First Class Anita Lobo broke the Parris Island range record by scoring 246 out of
The maritime pre-positioning ship Maj Dewayne T. Williams was delivered to the Military Sealift Command in June 1985. She will be operated in support of Marine Corps forces.
a possible 250 points).
The enlarged role for women in the Marine Corps was emphasized by the first selection, on a fully competitive basis, of a woman Marine to brigadier general. After promotion, Brigadier General Gail M. Reals, who had been chief of staff at Quantico, was assigned as Director, Manpower Plans and Policy Division, Headquarters Marine Corps.
During the year the Corps took further steps to give permanent structure to the MAFs, MABs, and MAUs that make up its hierarchy of "MAGTFs”—or Marine air-ground task forces. By definition MAGTFs are combined arms teams of air and ground forces controlled by a single commander. Depending upon their configuration, MAGTFs can move to the objective area by sea or air or a combination of both.
The 5th Marine Amphibious Brigade was activated at Camp Pendleton, California. The 1st Marine Brigade in Hawaii was redesignated the 1st Marine Amphibious Brigade. Reconfigured, it joined the 6th and 7th MABs as a brigade earmarked for use in conjunction with maritime pre-positioned shipping. The 31st Marine Amphibious Unit headquarters, which for many years had served as a command element for amphibious forces afloat with the Seventh Fleet, was deactivated and replaced by the 11th and 13th MAUs, California-based units that would alternate Western Pacific deployments. At the year’s end the Corps MAGTF headquarters were homeported as follows:
I Marine Amphibious Force at Camp Pendleton; II MAF, Camp Lejeune; and III MAF, Okinawa.
1st Marine Amphibious Brigade in Hawaii; 4th MAB, Norfolk; 5th MAB, Camp Pendleton; 6th MAB, Camp Lejeune; 7th MAB, Twentynine Palms. California; and 9th MAB, Okinawa.
11th and 13th Marine Amphibious Units, Camp Pendleton; 22d, 24th, and 26th MAUs, Camp Lejeune.
As a clear signal that the Marines are now recognized as full partners in the Joint Chiefs of Staff and joint commands, Lieutenant General George B. Crist, who had been chief of staff at Headquarters, Marine Corps, was given four stars and command of U. S. Central Command at
MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. This is the first time that a Marine has headed a unified command and the first time the Marine Corps has had three four-star generals on active duty simultaneously.
It was a year of far-flung and varied amphibious and air-transported exercises. The 4th Marine Amphibious Brigade was taking part in exercise Cold Winter in Norway in March at the same time the 9th MAB was in Team Spirit in South Korea. Elements of the II Marine Amphibious Force were in Solid Shield in May—the 22d year for this large-scale East Coast exercise. The 6th MAB airlifted to Egypt in July and August for Bright Star. Other major exercises included several MAU- sized Kernel Usher exercises in Southern California; Universal Trek, involving 26th MAU, in Honduras; and Bear Hunt, with the 35th MAU, in South Korea.
Terrorists killed four off-duty Marine embassy security guards in June in an outdoor cafe in San Salvador. Recognizing that terrorist acts are now an allpervasive threat, a mobile training team was sent to Marine Corps bases to instruct Marines and civilians on individual protective measures.
It was a landmark year for maritime pre-positioning, with the first true MPS ships taking station and the interim measure Near-Term Pre-positioning Force ships being retired. Maritime pre-positioning was first proposed by the Secretary of Defense in 1979 as a means of enhancing rapid deployment. The MPS concept calls for the pre-positioning in forward deployed commercial ships of the majority of equipment and supplies needed by a Marine amphibious brigade. In time of a specific contingency or crisis, these ships would be offloaded at a protected port and joined by the airlifted personnel of the respective brigade. When completed in fiscal year 1986, the MPS program will have a total of 13
ships, a mix of conversions and new construction, allowing a squadron of four or five ships for each of the three MPS- designated Marine amphibious brigades. All 13 ships are named for Marine Medal of Honor recipients.
Maritime Prepositioning Squadron One (2d Lt John P. Bobo, Maj Stephen IV. Pless, Sgt Mate] Kocak, and PFC Eugene Obregon) sailed from Wilmington, North Carolina, in July with the vehicles, ammunition, food, water, and fuel needed to support the 16,500 Marines of the 6th Marine Amphibious Brigade for up to 30 days without resupply. The MPS squadron will be positioned in the eastern Atlantic.
The loading of MPS-2 (Cpl Louis J. Hauge, Jr., PFC William B. Baugh, PFC James Anderson, Jr., Pvt Harry Fisher, and 1st Lt Alex Bonnyman) at Wilmington was completed in November. It has taken station in the Indian Ocean in support of 7th MAB. While the 13 MPS ships were being built or converted, a portion of the requirement was met on an expediency basis by the Near-Term Prepositioning Force. Arrival of MPS-2 made possible the stand-down of NTPF ships which previously had this mission.
MPS-3 (PFC Dewayne T. Williams, 1st Lt Baldomero Lopez, 1st Lt Jack Lummus, and Sgt William R. Button), which will support the 1st MAB in the Western Pacific, will be loaded at Panama City, Florida, in midsummer.
The Marine Corps sees maritime prepositioning as a strategic mobility enhancement, but is careful to qualify that it is not a substitute for amphibious warfare shipping which has the assault capability totally lacking in MPS ships. The latter require a benign environment for unloading. Thus it was with satisfaction that the Corps noted the commissioning during the year of LSD-41, USS Whidbey Island, one of the new class of dock landing ships, as well as the laying of the keel of LHD-1, Wasp, first of a new class of “helicopter carriers.”
It was a year of anniversaries, most particularly the 40th anniversary of the ending of World War II. Many Marine Corps veterans made pilgrimages to the battlefields of Guadalcanal, Saipan, Guam, Okinawa, and elsewhere in the Pacific. The anniversary of Iwo Jima, the most violent of the Corps’ amphibious assaults, was observed on 19 February with sizable ceremonies at both the “Iw0 Jima Monument,” as the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington is better known, and on the island itself. The 40th anniversary of V-J day was observed on 9 August with a reception at the Marine Corps Historical Center and a parade a1 Marine Barracks, Washington, hosted by General Kelley and attended by three ot the five living former commandants Generals Wallace M. Greene, Jr., Leonard F. Chapman, Jr., and Louis H. Wilson, all decorated veterans of the war-
It was the 35th anniversary of the firs' year of the Korean War. Veterans of the Chosin Reservoir campaign held their first national reunion at Camp Pendleton in December, marking the anniversary ot that epic action.
It also was the 10th anniversary of the last days of the Republic of South Vietnam and the evacuation of U. S. nationals and others from Pnomh Penh and Saig°n by U. S. Marines. Reflecting other pasj actions, the Marine Corps War Memoria at Arlington had battle honors for the Dominican Republic, Lebanon, and Grenada added to its base.
As a melancholy reminder of our most recent war, one of the bodies of American servicemen returned to the Unite States during the year from North Vietnam was identified as the remains of Marine Sergeant Robert C. Sherman, M10 was taken prisoner in 1967.
Marine Corps Chronology
1985
By Ann A. Ferrante January
The Secretary of the Navy approved the name “Osprey” for the tilt-rotor aircraft program, formerly referred to as the “JVX.” The program will produce the replacement aircraft for the aging CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter. Its new overall name is V-22 Osprey and its variants will be referred to as MV-22 for Marines,
HV-22 for Navy, and CV-22 for the Air Force.
The Stingers of Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 167 celebrated 90,000 accident-free flight hours. Based at Camp Pendleton and attached to Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, the squadron’s milestone marked 14 years of accident-free flying. Using
AH-1J Sea Cobras and UH-1N Hueys, its mission has been to provide attack an utility helicopter support to landing forces during ship-to-shore movements and operations ashore.
I: The strength of the armed forces was 2,138,339; 197,641 were Marines- 2: General Robert E. Cushman, Jr-, the 25th Commandant of the Marine
1986
Corps, died of a heart attack at his home in Fort Washington, Maryland, nine days before his 70th birthday. Awarded the Navy Cross for heroism as a battalion commander during the recapture of Guam in 1944, the general went on a quarter of a century later in Vietnam to command more troops in combat—Marines and soldiers—than any other Marine officer. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1975 after 40 years of active duty service.
9: The Douglass Room of the Diamond Hall Staff NCO Club at Quantico, Virginia, was dedicated. The room was named in honor of Sergeant Major Frederick B. Douglass, one of the 225 Marines killed in the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, on 23 October 1983.
14: The U. S. Army announced it had selected the 9-millimeter Beretta 92SB-F pistol as the replacement for the aging Colt .45. The Marine Corps will spend approximately $29 million for a total of
- weapons. The Beretta 92SB-F fires a 9-millimeter parabellum round in a 15-round staggered magazine, has a service life of 10,000 rounds.
19: The 2d Lt John P. Bobo, the first of the five new-construction maritime prepositioning ships (MPS) built by the Quincy Shipbuilding Division of General Dynamics, was christened at Quincy, Massachusetts. Named in honor of Marine Second Lieutenant John P. Bobo, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam, the Bobo can carry roughly one-fourth of the cargo needed for 30 days of sustained operations by a 16,500-man MPS Marine Amphibious Brigade.
21: President Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration marked the 47th consecutive inauguration in which “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band performed. Because of severe cold weather, inaugural ceremonies were held in the Capitol rotunda.
21: Marine Major General Ion M. Bethel, former Quartermaster General of the Marine Corps, died in Torrance, California. He began his Marine Corps career as an enlisted man in 1918, was discharged, and later commissioned a second lieutenant in 1925. He participated in the Peleliu invasion during World War II.
24: The Marine Corps accepted delivery of its new combat trainer for the F/A- 18 Hornet. The trainer, operational with Marine Aircraft Group 11 at Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, California, consists of two 40-feet-wide domes, along with two fully instrumented F/A-18 cockpits.
27: Major General Frank C. Croft, USMC (Retired) died in Coronado, California. A 1928 graduate from the U. S. Naval Academy, General Croft was designated an aviator in 1930 after training in San Diego and Pensacola. He was in action on Bougainville, Guam, and Peleliu during World War II, winning the Bronze Star with Combat “V” for service on Guam.
30: A demonstration firing of the developing Upgunned Weapon Station (UGWS) was held at Quantico, Virginia, for personnel at Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps. The Marine Corps has been developing the UGWS for use on the AAVP7A1, formerly designated the LVTP7A1 (tracked landing vehicle, personnel).
30: Marine Attack Squadron 331 became the first operational AV-8B Harrier II squadron in the Marine Corps. Located at Cherry Point, North Carolina, the Bumblebees made a transition from A-4M Skyhawks to Harrier IIs over a two-year period.
February
Camp Lejeune’s first fast-food restaurant—a Burger King—opened. It is the first Burger King on a Marine base and only the second nationally franchised food establishment to be so located. McDonald’s operates a facility at Camp Pendleton.
4: The Commandant of the Marine Corps approved an acquisition decision memorandum that recommended the procurement of the Ml A1 Abrams main battle tank for the Corps future armor needs. Deliveries to the Fleet Marine Force are expected to begin during 1989.
4: The first of a two-part Woman Marine Review was concluded with the publication of Marine Corps Order 1300.8M (Change 2). The directive contains formal policy on the classification, assignment, and deployment of enlisted women Marines. Similiar policies regarding women Marine officers will be forthcoming with the second half of the review.
6: The maritime pre-positioning ship Maj Stephen W. Pless was christened during ceremonies at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company shipyard at San Diego, California. The ship was named in honor of deceased Marine Major Stephen W. Pless, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Vietnam War. Mrs. Edwin Meese was the ship’s sponsor. The Pless is the sixth of 13 maritime pre-positioning ships to be named.
7: For the first time in Marine Corps history, a board of general officers selected a woman to be advanced to the rank of brigadier general. Colonel Gail M. Reals was selected from a group of 312 colonels. Colonel Reals enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1954 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1961 through the meritorious noncommissioned officer program.
9: The USS Whidbey Island (LSD-41) was commissioned at Lockheed Shipbuilding Company, Seattle, Washington- Brigadier General William A. Bloomer represented the Commandant of the Marine Corps at the ceremony, which 1,500 guests attended. LSD-41 is part ot an eight-ship program to replace the Thomaston (LSD-28)-class vessels.
10: The recently established Terrorist Threat Section, Counterintelligence Branch, Intelligence Division, Headquarters, Marine Corps, completed its first Mobile Training Team (MTT) presentation concerning terrorism and terrorism countermeasures to approximately 2,500 civilian and military personnel assigned to the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany, Georgia.
19: Hundreds of Marine survivors ot the battle for Iwo Jima gathered at reunions in honor of the campaign 40 years ago. At a reunion held on Iwo Jima, American and Japanese veterans dedicated a war memorial. In English and Japanese, the marker commemorates the “reunion of honors.” The date marks the landing on Iwo Jima in which more than
- Marines participated.
21-24: Approximately 1,000 Marine reservists from the 4th Marine Division were involved in a Mobilization Operational Readiness Deployment Test (MORDT). The units involved were elements of the 24th and 25th Marines from Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Buffalo* New York; Wheeling, West Virginia; an Chicago, Illinois.
22: Forty years after Medal of Honor recipient Lieutenant Colonel Justice M-
1986
l^~22-r'n^ tbe ^'etnam conflict.
Panicin ApProximately 1,500 Marines in Norw d m Exercise Cold Winter ’85 Amnhik ay' Amines of the 4th Marine MorweJ°US Er'§ade teamed up with Dutch t'an’ Ennlsh. Canadian, and forces’ rooP^: The exercise tested the fl°ns. caPaolflties during winter condi-
1S—27- Tu, n
• ne 9th Marine Amphibious
ambers was wounded on Iwo Jima, enerai pau| ^ Kelley presented the am ers Trophy for Leadership to a anne Reservist. Captain Alfred R.
talin 3Vr’ Wi,h ComPany C, 1st Bat- rp • n’ Marines, became the first
Leadership^' *** ChamberS Tr°phy f°r
March
thMarinf Reserve units began receiving
howitzer^A*r'Ee 3nC* the new M-198 1 ,s a part of total force modern-
rine°h Un'ts °P ^3rd and 25th Ma- artili C^fn recc'vmg M-16A2 rifles and Utl^M battCr'es of 1st Battalion,
howitzersnneS began receivin§ M*198 rjng’ Colonel James F. Buchli, the Ma- sion '?!S*10n specialist for Shuttle Mis- eolor iiT’ returnecl the Commandant’s the s' at be carr*ed into space on board Paul *yCe ShuUleDiscovery, to General flown buttle Mission 51C,
mi«; January, was the first space
his \tann°r 5:0l0nel Buchli. who began office •116 CorPs career as an infantry U c,r m Vietnam. Graduated from the degre ■ ava* Academy in 1967 with a nel BnnMatr°naUticaI engineering, Colo- fliaht J* oeeame the first Marine naval 5 ,o *cer to wear astronaut wings.
Unit nuAMf 1Uh Marine Amphibious
tines art-’ coraPrised of 1,800 Ma‘
operai'11 Sa'*ors’ to°k part in amphibious 85.2 10n<l dur'ng Exercise Kernel Usher My\yln 8outhern California. The 11th before m 'ts Anal phase of training East 4 S1X mondl deployment to the Far teller Ceneral Donald McPherrin devci,,’ SMC (Retired), a pioneer in the tact1CsPTnt °P naval gunfire support
8radua’te ^ age 0f 77' A 1930 General wf.lhC U' S' Naval Academy, talion ttk Cr comrnanded the 2d Bat- Guam "lb ^^nes at Bougainville and 9j ■yu . .
PpQ j e maritime pre-positioning ship florin„ames Anderson, Jr., was renamed Steel ^Ceremonies held at the Bethlehem Baltim0rP°rat'on Sparrows Point Yard at named°re’k^ary*an(C The ship was re- Anderso" a0nor <d Marine PFC James Medal °f V/r’’ WA° was awarded the lantrv a "onor (posthumously) for gal-
Brigade participated in Exercise Team Spirit 85 near Pohang, Korea. The 10th annual combined field training focused on rapid deployment for the defense of the Republic of Korea. Approximately
- U. S. and Republic of Korea military personnel participated in the exercise, which featured the first Team Spirit landing executed under cover of total darkness.
21-30: Marine Skyhawks from the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing participated in Exercise Border Star 85, conducted at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. Personnel from the U. S. Air Force, U. S. Army, and a Canadian airborne regiment participated.
25: Marine Corps Bulletin 1020 contained several changes to uniform regulations which included the wearing of rank insignia on the camouflage utility cover, rank insignia on the camouflage utility coat, and the mandatory possession date of 1 July for olive green undershirts to be worn with the utility uniform.
26: Marine Attack Training Squadron (VMAT) 203 stationed at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina, witnessed the last sorties Marine pilots will fly for training in the A model Harrier. VMAT-203’s A model Harriers were transferred to Marine Attack Squadrons 542 and 231.
27: The 2d Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) Battalion, the first such battalion in the Marine Corps which activated one year ago, finished a 10-week training exercise at the Infantry Training Center, Fort Benning, Georgia, with 47 LAVs.
27: Retired Marine Major General Frank H. Lamson-Scribner, 83, died in Charleston, South Carolina. A Marine flier for more than 25 years, the general entered the Marine Corps in 1923 upon graduation from the Naval Academy.
April
Sergeant Major Philip V. Malarski was selected as the Marine Corps’ first Reserve Division Sergeant Major. Sergeant Major Malarski, who has served as a drilling reservist for the past 27 years, will serve as the senior enlisted reserve advisor to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Reserve Affairs.
The 7th Marine Amphibious Brigade, a contingent of the Corps’ readiness enhancement program, improved its ability to move 12,500 men to the Persian Gulf within a week, equipped to fight for 30 days without resupply. This was made possible by the advance positioning of supplies on ships in the Indian Ocean.
The Commandant of the Marine Corps made final decisions to bring the permanent Marine Air-Ground Task Force
(MAGTF) concept into effect over the next several years. The Corps will have a total of 13 permanently established MAGTF headquarters and will place far less reliance on temporary command elements formed at a time of crisis. The MAGTF’s new structural lineup includes three amphibious force headquarters, six amphibious brigades, and four amphibious units.
1: The Marine Corps Air Facility at Camp Pendelton, California, was officially redesignated as Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton, California.
9: The Army’s Central Intelligence Laboratory in Honolulu positively identified the remains of six American servicemen who died during the Vietnam War that were recently returned to the United States by the Vietnamese. Four of the six men were Air Force officers who were shot down over North Vietnam and listed as missing in action. The other two, an Army soldier and a Marine, were listed as prisoners of war who were known to have died after being captured. The Marine was identified as Sergeant Robert C. Sherman of Danville, Illinois. He was captured in South Vietnam on 24 June 1967.
23: Marines from the 26th Marine Amphibious Unit made an amphibious landing on the Caribbean coast of Honduras as part of Exercise Universal Trek 85 that began 12 April. One of the largest military exercises held in Central America, with 7,000 U. S. participants, Universal Trek ’85 was designed to integrate Marine, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Army forces that might be used against enemy forces in the Caribbean region.
26: Marine All-Weather Attack Squadron 533 received an award for outstanding achievement in tactical aviation from the Association for Naval Aviation during its annual symposium/convention in Arlington, Virginia. The award was presented to the Hawks for their performance on board the USS Saratoga (CV- 60) during 1984.
30 April-16 May: More than 43,000 U. S. military personnel, including 1,200 Marines of the II Marine Amphibious Force, participated in Exercise Solid Shield 85. The purpose of the operation was to exercise command and control of military forces in a simulated combat environment. Solid Shield 85 was conducted along the East Coast and the adjacent waters and was highlighted by an air assault and amphibious landing at Camp Lejeune.
30: Station Operations and Mainte- (Continued on page 298)
l‘ri
"veedi.
lnss / Naval Review 1986
55
U. S. Marine Corps in 1985
(Continued from page 55)
Marine corps t
: Tustin, California, and^ ^ re
:v.
lUNiiii, - YV'gfC
onville, North Carolina, tiofls. lated as Marine Corps 1
nance Squadron (SOMS) was activated at Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona, by Brigadier General William A. Bloomer, commander of Marine Corps Air Bases, Western Area.
May
6: A CH-53D Sea Stallion from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 crashed off the island of Yakushima in the Sea of Japan. All 17 Marines on board were presumed dead after a daylong search. The helicopter was en route from Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni, in central Japan, where it participated in a
Lifejacketed Marines wade ashore from LCU-1651 at Thepa Beach, near Hat Yai, Thailand. They were among the nearly 10,000 U. S. and Thai troops involved in exercise Cobra Gold in early July.
Friendship Day celebration, to its home base on Okinawa.
10-16: The 1985 Competition in Arms Program was held at Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, during the Marine Corps Rifle and Pistol Matches. The Lauchheimer Trophy, presented to the shooter with the highest aggregate score in both the rifle and pistol match, went to Master Sergeant Ricardo Rodriquez.
10-20: The 6th Marine Amphibious Brigade (MAB) used the unloading of the PFC William B. Baugh at Wilmington, North Carolina, to stage Reception Control Exercise 1-85. The exercise was the first major test of the 6th MAB’s plans for receiving and processing supplies and equipment from maritime pre-positioning ships (MPS) in a contingency reception area.
18: The maritime pre-positioning ship PFC Dewayne T. Williams was christened at the General Dynamics P #aS Quincy, Massachusetts. The s^^
named in honor of Marine PFC uSiy
T. Williams, who was post 11jjantry awarded the Medal of Honor for g in the Vietnam War. ajnjng
24: A revised order on the Policy for Women Marines ^ 1500.24D) was released. It staexempt women Marines were no longer from certain portions of the annu ^ eX- tial subjects test and that they.wlr0fi-
pected to maintain and demonstra ^ t0
ciency in areas relatively unW”" 0 them in the past. The directive s ^ jjf- since women Marines serve in 111re to ferent units and MOSs, their eX^>annot ^
danger in a hostile environment c precluded. tffasp
30: The keel was laid for ^ (LHD-1), in a ceremony at Ia|aisSipp'' building in Pascagoula, v ‘ n£jant ot
General Paul X. Kelley, Conan ^
the Marine Corps, authenticate is
plaque at the ceremony. T e j js tl>e scheduled for delivery in 19° e0iacsl^e first of the new class that wil rnt the Iwo Jima (LPH-2) class and an* vjde existing Tarawa (LHA-1) class t(,e dec" amphibious lift capabilities m ades ahead. , Veh'c'S
31: The 1st Light Armoreo (LAV) Battalion was activated fof0ia, Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, ^ Geaf' with Lieutenant Colonel Ly e hart assigned as commanding
. c tHe|ic°P’ Marine Corps Air statl°nl!w Rivt'r;
Major General Williana opf : (Retired) died in San
. Commissioned a seco
May 1922, General Da‘ inic»jJ
he Marine Corps in the die, China, and Nicarag*,^ •20s and 1930s. DurinS Y.tor 0 served as Amphibious ,«Ct pa r Fleet Marine Force, ing in the Marshalls, wa campaigns.
of
and Okinawa.
15: The Marine Corps took dggi- the first variant of the light armo j^arine cle (LAV), in ceremonies at g^ra- Corps League’s exhibition at ,
ton Washington Hotel in D. C. Ninety-four LAV uled to be delivered within
ing with the American Legah°n
of
Rebelli°n
■w. . at Marir,e
30: The 1st Marine Brigade
Ha-
: The 1st Lt Alex dwj- peeled during ceremonies at « yard l Steel Corporation Beau . lumont, Texas, in honor
. o onf
o a major ampnm.u- f s<« f Jed the planning, asse . Ja forc6 . he mounting of a com rS0 )0 Marines and suPP°rR;chafdn. : Lieutenant Genera ;rum, former Assistag in Sg. of the Marine Corps, Cot0' Pines, North Carolina- ,p j9- d in the Marine Corps
10: A detachment from the 2d Marine Division sailed with a flotilla of U. S. Navy and Coast Guard ships from their East Coast home ports to mark the beginning of Unitas XXVI, an annual series of exercises conducted by United States and South American military forces. The mission of the six-month cruise through Caribbean and South American waters was to promote hemispheric solidarity and foster goodwill and military professionalism among participating countries.
17: Seven U. S. Navy ships carrying 100 warplanes and helicopters and 1,800 Marines of the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit sailed toward the eastern Mediterranean Sea near Lebanon. The Marines were brought in as a “show of force” as 37 American passengers from TWA’s Flight 847, hijacked 14 June, were being held in separate locations in Beirut.
19: Four off-duty Marines and two American businessmen were among 13 people slain when terrorist gunmen opened fire on an outdoor cafe in San Salvador, El Salvador. The Marines, who were embassy security guards, were unarmed and dressed in civilian clothes when the attack occurred. They were: Staff Sergeant Thomas T. Handwork of Beavercreek, Ohio; Staff Sergeant Bobby Joe Dickson of Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Sergeant Gregory H. Weber of Cincinnati, Ohio; and Sergeant Patrick R. Kwiatkowski of Wausau, Wisconsin.
22: Retired Brigadier General Walter S. Mcllhenny, USMC, died at the age of 74. Commissioned a second lieutenant in 1936, he served 31 months in the Western Pacific during World War II, where he was awarded the Navy Cross, Silver Star, and two Purple Hearts. He was president of the Mcllhenny Tabasco Sauce Company, in Louisana, and one of the founders of the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas.
30: The mid-year strength of the U. S. Armed Forces was 2,151,568, of whom 198,241 were Marines.
July
1: The 5th Marine Amphibious Brigade reactivated as a permanent headquarters at Camp Pendleton, California. This activation was part of the new concept for organizing and manning permanent Marine air-ground task force headquarters to permit more detailed planning for deployment.
1: Marine Corps Air Station (Helicopter) at Futemma, Okinawa, was redesignated as a Marine Corps Air Station. The “Helicopter” designation was dropped because the air station, like those at Tus- tin and New River, lands and services not only helicopters, but also a variety of other aircraft.
5-16: Nearly 10,000 U. S. and Thai troops, which included Marines of the 11th Marine Amphibious Unit, participated in Exercise Cobra Gold 85, an annual training exercise in and around the Gulf of Thailand.
6: Military historian, Colonel Angus Malcolm Fraser, USMC (Retired), died at the age of 72. Colonel Fraser, a decorated combat veteran of World War II and advisor to a Korean Marine Corps regiment during the Korean War, retired from active duty in 1964 after nearly 30 years in the Marine Corps. He later became a senior research analyst in Chinese matters with the Institute for Defense Analysis.
6: The USS Elrod (FFG-55), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate, was commissioned at Brunswick, Georgia. The Elrod was the 100th ship commissioned into the U. S. Navy at the Brunswick harbor. The ship was named in honor of Marine Major Henry T. Elrod, a native of Georgia, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during the battle of Wake Island in World War II.
15 Jul-11 Aug: About 2,300 Marines from the 6th Marine Amphibious Brigade participated in Exercise Bright Star 85, the largest U. S. exercise ever in the Middle East. Under the command of Brigadier General Edmund P. Looney, Jr., Marines participated in operations in Egypt which included an amphibious landing with Egyptian troops and a live- fire exercise. Bright Star involved about
- U. S. servicemen and also included operations in Jordan and Somalia.
23-30: More than 300 shooters, representing the Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and their respective reserve units participated in the 24th annual Interservice Rifle Championship Match at Quantico, Virginia. The National Guard team claimed top honors, the Army team placed second, and the Marine Corps team placed third.
August
2: Male Marine recruits at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, began qualifying with the M-16A2 rifle and women Marine recruits at Parris Island were tested in close order drill with the M-16A2s on 29 July as a result of a recent change in the training order for women Marines.
12: The Commandant of the Marine Corps selected Captain Dennis J. Hejlik as the 1985 recipient of the Leftwich Trophy for outstanding leadership. Captain Hejlik was assigned to Battalion Landing Team 3/8, 22d Marine Amphibious Unit.
The Leftwich Trophy is awarfeg^jdi ally to a Marine captain serV1nfpiifies Fleet Marine Force who best exe . j,y the leadership qualities ex i -chi Lieutenant Colonel William G.
Jr., killed in Vietnam in 1970‘t General 14: Retired Marine Lieutenan sda Merwin H. Silverthorn, diedGeneral Naval Hospital at the age of • and Silverthorn received the Navy ^ar I. Silver Star for heroism in Wor ^ief During World War II, he serve ,pS and of staff of the III Amphibious pejeiiu, took part in landings on Guam,
Washing;
vvaMiiiigiuii - p ccncu
D. C. Ninety-four LAV(L)s ^re to be delivered within on 24: In ceremonies held at t p0int
hem Steel Corporation Sparro p0Sj- (Maryland) Yard, a maritime^ of Rationing ship was named in hon 0f rine Private Harry Fisher. pbvate McKeesport, Pennsylvania, . the
Fisher was posthumously aserv- Medal of Honor for heroism ^ at
Peking during the Boxer 1900
Corps Air Station, Kaneohe wan, was redesignated as th un
Amphibious Brigade (MAB)- (0 co^ was renamed and reconfigu Tosit^ form with the maritime Pre P ships (MPS) structure.
September ^asre
: The 1st Lt Alex Bonnym“'1 ^0- „ammnnies at tr , Vald-
Texas, in nu»~ fflan, tenant Alexander Bon pOI)or|1 was awarded the Meda 0raw'a- .sm during the battle for an0ive : This day marked the 35m ^ib of the 1st Marine Divism ^ i landing at Inchon, K°r ’ui Cg ining of the Inchon (ion
i. From assignment to acc° jt
on landing operation .day5'.,
ed in record time ab° . ever a one of the shortest perm u)t j
■ major
nedf0 „el.
General lVr
dive-bomhangrUm commanded the first B°mbino v* scluadron- Marine Scout a"d was aw.‘If I°n 232’ at Guadalcanal cessful atta v Cd tbe Navy Cross for sue- He saw dut S- °n 3aPanese naval units. °fficer of 111 Rorea as commanding ‘ Mariac Aircraft Group 12.
'ctober
began return6 Corps infantry battalions as lhe first <7 t0 tbe ^'man rifle squad Ning of cni6p m a comPrehensive fine rifle Coected,Sr°und c°mbat units.
0,
"1C rifle com 6-uuiiu comoat units. p«sed of thr pTy’s 13‘man squad , com- rne Portion oftt,°U^man fire teams- was ‘0rce structnr 06 Commandant’s ground
- 1: As a result*ancements program.
- leased l t°Ma revised training P°‘- 0mctallv hp„ 1 May’ women Marines
men in aran training much the same C °Se order rirm8 SUC*1 as marksmanship, i*1116 forms * Wldl rifles or swords, and ■ a'ning invni ° i tactics. Primarily, the
r” Ch,l,hr‘i2.Ess“'i>'s“b-
ernale recr • ° enlisted Marines. ™?ges 'he si 6gan qualifying on rifle ,.her Women m aS male recruits. All ,ave never r ar'nes. most of whom egan to nU'f the M-16 rifle, also e§an leamiru1 ^omen Marines also fi 7as squaJt about such tactical mea- ghting p . ln defense, fields of fire, antoUf|a '0ns> cover-concealment-
cai USe of grenmfS and booby traps, and th defenses w deS' Nuclear and chemi-
dm USe °f deadltaf1S° covered as wel1 as les- y force as part of guard
7= Mari
the 6rs served 7"'J,mul MaJor David C thi ^aiden v„ S a mission specialist oi - rd sh„... yage of the Atlantis, the
Metiers Itv^ asctronaut Major David C hlitUe ^ m NASA’s fleet'.' TE
D,
iPartment of'n f NASA’s fleet. Th< srn at'htarv 0n efense mission releasee Pace. y c°mmunications satellites i ly
Maring8A^0V:.kMarines from th. n Exerci Pnlblous Unit Partici
the r in Exercis7Rhlbioas Unit partk l3.ePublicJt BearHunt 86 held
,ilitJhe n
\Vas,. No
CVii, D r c riaf ,dded the fnn ’ SculPtor Har0‘ '97s LNn0n g“°WI"g >° the memc n0n ’ Hominin. b8> Vietnam 1962 A|rea<l98,~l984n RePublic 1965, Leba Werady engravei and Grenada 1983 (V > Prevjpp °n ttle memorial’s has atl7 foundim.. carnpaigns since *u Hi>swa7gln 1776
.VSe*of Nor;;;
aotionTr °f live Marine Corp tya^s No p ere added to the Marin a'k >> War Memorial
IS Was J■ me cost oft
>riCal Foun tdred by the Marine Cor i.^tati°n, the Marine Cor
\e|Retire'd Mdaio6rNaVal ,nstitute- er’ 67 TJ?r General Edwin Bli
>to
AN,
designer and builder of oxygen generators for submarines
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after a heart attack. Commissioned a second lieutenant in 1941, the general participated in several Pacific Island campaigns. During the Korean War, he was commanding officer of the 1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion and the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. In Vietnam he also commanded the 3d Marines, 1964-1965, and the 1st Marine Division, 1969-1970.
15: A Marine helicopter, CH-46 Sea Knight, crashed into Onslow Bay off North Carolina and sank, killing 15 of the 19 servicemen on board. The helicopter, attached to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263, was participating in a training exercise involving the 26th Marine Amphibious Unit from Camp Le- jeune, North Carolina. It crashed after taking off from the USS Guadalcanal, an assault helicopter ship used for beach assaults. Of the victims, 14 were Marines and one was a Navy chaplain.
18-19: Marine helicopters flew over China for the first time since 1949 to perform a support mission for Vice President George Bush. Four UH-IN Huey helicopters from Marine Attack Helicopter Squadron 369, stationed at Futemma, Okinawa, provided support transportation for the vice president.
22: Retired Lieutenant General Richard G. Weede, 74, died in Portsmouth, Virginia. Commissioned a second lieutenant upon graduation from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1935, the general served as commanding officer of the 2d Battalion, 10th Marines during the Okinawa campaign. In the Korean War, he commanded the 5th Marines.
22 Oct-19 Nov: More than 4,300 Marines and sailors participated in MAB CAX 1-86, a combined arms exercise involving the 5th Marine Amphibious Brigade (MAB). Marines from Camp Pendleton and Marine Corps Air Stations at El Toro, Tustin, and Yuma joined units based at Twentynine Palms for the exercise.
23: The Department of Defense announced that more than half of the new “German-style” Marine Corps and Army helmets, replacements for the Ml “steel pot” helmets, were defective. First worn by soldiers and Marines who took part in the invasion of Grenada two years ago, the new molded Kevlar helmets were being phased in for use by all U. S. armed forces. The Pentagon said half the new helmets were being made improperly by the Gentex Corporation of Carbondale, Pennsylvania.
30 Oct-6 Nov: Marine astronaut Colonel James F. Buchli served as a mission specialist on board the space shuttle Challenger. The flight, designated “Space Lab D-l,” was dedicated to a
space lab mission. It was chartered by the West German Space Institute and was the first foreign space lab dedication. The crew consisted of two West German, one Dutch, and five American astronauts.
31: The Marine Security Guard Detachment at the American Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, performed superbly when coping with the incident involving the entry into the embassy of an armed Soviet soldier. Marines disarmed the soldier and housed him, under guard, for five days before he was released. The Soviet soldier apparently was homesick and wished to return to his homeland.
November
3: Commander Tom Bernard, a 37- year-old member of the United States Coast Guard from Hayes, Virginia, won the 10th Annual Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D. C. Bernard crossed the finish line with a time of 2:19:16, just 30 seconds ahead of Brad Ingram, a 29- year-old former Marine, who took first place last year.
10: Marines throughout the world celebrated the 210th birthday of the Marine Corps. On this date in 1775, the second Continental Congress in Philadelphia authorized the recruitment of the first two Marine battalions.
15: Headquarters, 11th Marine Amphibious Unit was activated at Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California. This headquarters was charged with a specific responsibility for planning and conducting amphibious operations as a forward deployed Marine air-ground task force under Landing Force, Seventh Fleet.
24: The Marine Corps Astronaut Selection Board named 18 Marines to represent the Corps as potential candidates for the NASA astronaut training program. Captain E. Deborah Elke stationed at Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, was selected as a mission specialist candidate marking the first time a woman Marine was selected.
26 Nov-3 Dec: The second flight of NASA’s Atlantis was piloted by Marine astronaut Lieutenant Colonel Bryan D. O’Connor. The mission included a space construction test and the launching of three communication satellites.
27: Marine General George B. Crist, assumed the duties of Commander in Chief, U. S. Central Command, replacing the Army’s retiring General Robert C. Kingston. General Crist’s selection marked the first time a Marine was appointed to head a unified command.
28: A nine-foot-tall bronze sculpture of Lieutenant Colonel William G. Leftwich, Jr. was dedicated during ceremonies at
The Basic School, Quantico, Vtrg'"1^ The sculpture depicted a Marine o ^ in combat gear, one hand holding a ^ and the other beckoning in a , jon
leadership. Sculptor Felix De . ^ cast the statue as a copy of the Le Trophy he created. The trophy has ^ awarded annually since 1979 to t e ^ standing Marine captain serving w' e ground forces of Fleet Marine ^ Leftwich was killed in action in 1 in 1970.
December e
The new high mobility, multipn d wheeled vehicle (HMMWV), me ^n. the “Hummer,” started arr''('n® ^ porce
ing commands and Fleet Maff*6erjes (FMF) units. Priority in FMF deuforce.
went to the II Marine Amphibious^ ^
5: Former Marines who in '7f7ra\val vived the heroic but costly wj from the Chosin Reservoir 1 a Korea held their first nationa rans More than 1,000 Korean V/ar relin- participated in the 35th annivers3 ion held at Camp Pendleton, a^(<,
One of the reunion’s honored gu^ gay
Medal of Honor recipient
yvb°
OUI1U1 - . i\
mond G. Davis, USMC (Retire^ ^a.
commanded the 1st Battalion, rines at the reservoir. q Mc"
7: Lieutenant General John nf0fd
Queen, USMC (Retired) died at A University Medical Center, Ca i ^cad- 1921 graduate of the U. S. UaV^d N'ic' emy, the general served in Hai1 ^ ^0rld
aragua during the 1920s. ^^j^jpated’n
War II, General McQueen p;
can1'
the Marshall and Marianas Islan paigns. d forceS
31: The strength of the am . n[1eS. was 2,149,073; 197,171 were
Vk.
Its*
Brigadier Generf^uc been Director of si"c
History andlisnn8^ 1972. A 1942j® oniversth'’"
ate from Lehigh^ p
served in World
and Vietnam.
^ served^” ^
as Assistant V1e pivis*0!*^
mander,ls.ManneDtor0f^
former managt g! tie
Marine Corps - „0tlior’ s
widely pum-"-; conin'11 eluding prevmufl; ^
to both the Proceedings-
Ann A. Feriante
member of the
tionoftheMarm A t ical CenteysmctU^hiitP
uate
of Ge.orge„rvcdas
Sri1'
serv^i,!<
University, she sw Sf0il
ior technician at jo’1"'
nian Institution t*
the Center.
302
Proceedings
i Naval
Revl'
e**-