1800: Marines participated in the action between the
U.S. schooner Enterprise and a Spanish man-of-war brig
off Mona Passage in the West Indies.
1804: Captain Franklin Wharton was named the Lieutenant
Colonel Commandant of the Marine Corps with pay to
commence 7 March.
1847: Marines from Commodore Perry's squadron
participated in the landing and destruction of forts at
Alvarado, Mexico.
1899: Twenty Marines from the USS Philadelphia were
part of an American/British landing party attempting to
put down a brief uprising at Vailele, Samoa, over
succession to the Samoan throne.
Sergeants Michael J. McNally and Bruno A. Forester
and Private Henry L. Hulbert won Medals of Honor for
heroism at Tagali, Samoa, when natives attacked British
and American forces, the latter including United States
Marines and seamen.
1903: Twenty-nine Marines, commanded by Lieutenant
Richard G. McConnelly from the USS Atlanta, landed at
Santo Domingo City, Dominican Republic, to protect
American lives and property during a period of
political disturbance.
1936: The Division of Aviation was established at
Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, and Colonel Ross E.
Rowell, the former Officer in Charge of the Marine
Aviation Section, became the first Director of
Aviation.
1943: Marine Aircraft Group 53, commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel Franck H. Schwable, was commissioned at Cherry
Point, North Carolina, as the first Marine night
fighter group.
On New Caledonia, the 4th Base Depot, a supply
organization, was activated at Noumea to provide
support for the New Georgia occupation.
1944: The 9th Marine Aircraft Wing, commanded by
Colonel Christian F. Schilt, was commissioned at Cherry
Point, North Carolina.
In the Marshalls, Ailuk Atoll, Northeast Group, was
secured by a reinforced company of the 3rd Battalion,
22nd Marines.
In Japan, Imperial General Headquarters activated
the 32nd Army with headquarters on Okinawa, to control
the defense of the Nansei Shoto Chain.
1945: On Okinawa, preceded by naval gunfire and air
support, the III Amphibious Corps (1st and 6th Marine
divisions, rein) and the XXIV Corps, USA, landed north
and south of Bishi Gawa River, respectively, on the
Hagushi beaches of the island's western shore. The XXIV
Corps captured Kadena airfield and advanced south along
the coast to the Chatan vicinity, and the III
Amphibious made extensive ground gains to the south.
Yontan airfield was secured by the 4th Marines, and the
7th Marines moved through Sobe Village, a first
priority objective.
1946: The 3rd Marine Brigade was activated at Tsingtao,
China, by redesignation from the 6th Marine Division
which had been reduced to a strength commensurate with
the peacetime needs of the Corps.
1947: In China, Operation plans were issued detailing
the steps to be taken in the withdrawal and
redeployment from China of the 1st Marine Division.
1948: In China, the four U.S. Marines who were taken
prisoner by the Chinese on the previous Christmas were
freed. The fifth Marine, PFC Charles J. Brayuton, Jr.,
was reported to have been killed. Those freed were PFC
Thomas Kapodistrea, PFC, Carrol W. Dickerson, Pvt
Robert Hard, and Cpl William L. Pollard.
1949: General Alexander A. Vandegrift, former
Commandant of the Marine Corps, retired. Since he was
succeeded as Commandant on 1 January 1948, he was held
on regular-duty assignment.
1966: By this date, after a little over a year in
Vietnam, U.S. Marines had received almost 5,000 Purple
Hearts and Marine fliers had been awarded almost 10,000
air medals. Marines in Vietnam numbered more than
45,000.
1968: In Vietnam, Operation PEGASUS was launched by the
Army's 1st Cavalry Division to relieve the Marines at
Khe Sanh..
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