World War II The 27th Marine Regiment was activated on 10 January 1944, as a result of the massive increase in the Marine Corps during
World War II. The regiment first saw action during the Battle of Iwo Jima. During the course of the battle they suffered 566 killed, 1,706 wounded, and had 4 Marines receive the
Medal of Honor. After the surrender of
Japan the regiment was inactivated on 10 January 1946.
Vietnam War The 27th Marines was again reactivated during the
Vietnam War on 1 January 1966, but was mainly used as a pool for new replacements before they went overseas. The 1st Battalion based at
Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay,
Hawaii was the only battalion with personnel assigned in 1966. During 1967 the 2nd and 3rd Battalions stationed on the east coast of the U.S. were brought up to strength. On 12 February 1968 in response to the
Tet Offensive, President
Lyndon B. Johnson authorized an increase in U.S. troop strength in
South Vietnam and the 27th Marines was one of the units sent. On 10 and 12 February, the 1st Battalion, 27th Marines, at Hawaii had embarked on board the , and the to participate in two landing exercises on
Okinawa, but with the new orders the ships proceeded to
Da Nang. Between 14 and 21 February, the rest of regimental landing team (RLT) 27 deployed by sea and air from
Camp Pendleton to Da Nang.
Military Airlift Command planes flew more than 3,300 men of the regiment from California to Vietnam. By 17 February, the 27th Marines headquarters, together with those of battalion landing teams (BLT) 2/27 and 3/27 opened their command posts at Da Nang. The forces arriving as part of RLT 27 also included personnel from the artillery battalion,
2nd Battalion, 13th Marines. On 21 February, the departed
Naval Base San Diego with the surface elements of the RLT, some 200 personnel and over 5,000 tons of equipment. By the end of the month, the 1st Battalion had joined the other two battalions of the regiment at Da Nang. By the end of February, the 2nd Battalion relieved the
3rd Battalion, 5th Marines and the 3rd Battalion relieved the
2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines in the southwest Da Nang tactical area of responsibility (TAOR). On 13 May elements of the 3rd Battalion joined
Operation Allen Brook. The entire regiment later joined the operation and assumed operational control until 3 August. While the regiment was preparing for its redeployment to the U.S. in August the VC launched their
Phase III offensive and 1st Battalion participated in the defense of
Danang Air Base while the 2nd Battalion participated in operations to cut off the retreating VC and
People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces. By late August the
1st Marine Regiment had arrived in the Da Nang TAOR and it began to relieve the Regiment. On 12 September, the first planeload of Regiment Marines left for Okinawa and on 17 September the last of BLT 1/27 arrived in Hawaii. A homecoming parade was presented as a Memorial Ceremony downtown San Diego to the lives the regiment had given in South Vietnam. The unit was then reassigned to Camp Pendleton within the area of the base called Camp Margarita or the 33 Area. ==Notable former members==