World War II The 5th Marine Division was activated on
Armistice Day, 11 November 1943. The division's Headquarters Battalion officially began operating at
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton on 1 December, at which time men and equipment began streaming into Camp Pendleton. The official activation date for the Division was 21 January 1944. The division was formed around a solid core of combat veterans and experienced cadremen; among the personnel were Marines from the former
1st Marine Parachute Regiment, the
Raider Training Battalion, the Parachute Training School, West Coast, and the Parachute Replacement Company. However, there were many issues obtaining the total required number of Marines for the division, as the Marine Corps also had to provide combat replacements to other divisions as well as staff the newly-formed 6th Marine Division. Parts of the division began to deploy overseas to act as the reserve force during the
Battle of Guam where they were not needed. Because of this they were sent to
Camp Tarawa near
Hilo, Hawaii for further training. While there the 31st
Naval Construction Battalion was attached to the Division tasked as shore party for the upcoming operation. After more extensive training the division loaded ships and left Hawaii in January 1945. By mid-February they were sailing past
Saipan headed for
Iwo Jima.
Battle of Iwo Jima (
Presidential Unit Citation: Assault Troops, Fifth Amphibious Corps, 19 to 28 February 1945) The 5th Division landed on beaches red 1, red 2 and green 1 at the base of
Mount Suribachi on 19 February 1945 on Iwo Jima. The division sustained heavy initial losses, so much so that by that afternoon, the
26th Marine Regiment (26th Marines) had to be released as the division reserve. On 23 February, two American flags were raised on Mount Suribachi by members of the
28th Marine Regiment (28th Marines). The 5th Division would fight on Iwo Jima from 19 February until 26 March where they would sustain 2,482 killed in action, 19 missing in action, and 6,218 wounded in action. This was the highest casualty rate among the three Marine divisions involved in the invasion. The 5th Division began loading onto ships on 26 March, finally leaving Iwo Jima on 27 March 1945 sailing for Hawaii. On 21 March 1945 the 5th Marine Division Cemetery was formally dedicated on Iwo Jima. Chaplains prayed, Major General
Keller E. Rockey added a tribute to the dead and Lieutenant
Roland B. Gittelsohn,
U.S. Navy and a 5th Division chaplain, spoke of friends buried and "the ghastly price of freedom...." The American flag (there since 14 March) at the northern part of Iwo Jima was raised then lowered to half-staff. Taps was played echoing across the dark foreboding ash of "Sulfur Island". Iwo Jima became an important support and emergency landing field for aircraft based out of the Marianas. In recognition of the 5th Marine Division's sacrifice in securing the island, the U.S. Army Air Corps
9th Bombardment Group named a B-29 "The Spearhead", with elaborate nose art depicting the 5th Division's insignia and the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi. The 5th Division returned to Camp Tarawa, Hawaii and remained there until the end of the war. After the Japanese surrender they set sail for Japan where they occupied the southern island of
Kyushu. The 5th Division left Japan in November 1945 and arrived in
San Diego, California the week of
Christmas 1945. The majority of the division's Marines were discharged shortly thereafter. The 5th Division was inactivated on 5 February 1946.
Vietnam War (
Presidential Unit Citation: 26th Marines, 3rd Marine Division (Reinforced), 20 January to 1 April 1968) The 27th Marines and 5th Tank Battalion were activated on 1 January 1966, the 5th Marine Division and 26th Marines on 1 March, the
13th Marines (13th Regiment of Artillery) on 1 May (Headquarter on 5 April), and the 28th Marines on 17 January 1967. The 13th, 26th, and 27th regiments were attached to the
3rd Marine Division (Reinforced),
1st Marine Division (Reinforced), and
9th Marine Amphibious Brigade in South Vietnam until 19 March 1970. On 27 February 1966,
Secretary of Defense McNamara ordered the reactivation of RLT 26 (
26th Marine Regiment) and the 5th Marine Division (5th Division headquarters was activated in June) at Camp Pendleton on 1 March 1966. BLT 1/26 (
1st Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment) was activated on 1 May, BLT 2/26 (
2nd Battalion, 26th Marines) on 1 June, and RLT 3/26 (
3rd Battalion, 26th Marines) on 1 July. Each battalion received eight weeks of pre-deployment training, all Vietnam oriented, before moving out aboard navy
transports on 6 July, 27 July, and 1 September. The 26th Regiment (26th Marines) was part of the 5th Division, but never came under its command; under base command then subordinate of
Force Troops, Pacific, at
Twentynine Palms. The 26th Marines were based in Vietnam beginning on 27 August 1966 (2nd Battalion, 26 Marines, 3rd Marine Division Reinforced) until 19 March 1970, but were never commanded there by the 5th Division. The 5th Division was ready to deploy anywhere by June 1967. It was never intended that the 5th Division would go overseas. It was a force in readiness. But in February 1968, General
William C. Westmoreland, U.S. Army, commander of U.S. forces in
South Vietnam, asked for help because of the all-out Communist
Tet Offensive. The 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division, was airlifted out on 48 hours' notice, with 3,700 Marines. In September, it became the first major combat unit to come home from the Vietnam War. The 5th Division began deactivating its member units on 15 October 1969. The 5th Division was formally inactivated on 26 November 1969, and the men reformed into the
5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
Battle of Khe Sanh and Tet Offensive, 1968 The 26th Marines participated in the Battle of Khe Sanh, 9 January to 9 July 1968 and was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for its actions at Khe Sanh from 20 January to 1 April 1968 while attached to the 3rd Marine Division (Reinforced). In February 1968, General
William Westmoreland, the commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam asked for help in Vietnam because of the Communist
Tet Offensive. President Johnson then committed more troops to the war effort. On 12 February 1968, the 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division, was ordered to Vietnam and deployed on 17 to 19 February. The 27th Marines became the first Marine regiment to fly into a combat zone in Vietnam. The 3rd Battalion, 27th Marines, which deployed on 17 February, was awarded a
Meritorious Unit Commendation for action during
Operation Allen Brook at
Go Noi Island on 17 to 28 February while attached to the 1st Marine Division (Reinforced). During this operation, 3/27 members earned a
Medal of Honor, 2
Navy Crosses, and several
Silver Star Medals and
Bronze Star Medals with
Combat "V"s. In September 1968, The 27th Marines, after serving seven months in country, became the first major combat unit to come home from Vietnam. All first tour personnel were reassigned to other units in order to complete their tours.
26th Marines 1st Battalion, 26th Marines: Activated on 1 May 1966. Moved out of Camp Pendleton on 6 July and was assigned to the 7th Fleet's Special Landing Force on 5 August. It participated in the 26th Marines first combat operation in Vietnam off the assault helicopter carrier
USS Iwo Jima during
Operation Deckhouse III and taking the regiments first four casualties. The 1/26 Marines was based in South Vietnam on 27 September 1966.
2nd Battalion, 26th Marines: Activated on 1 June 1966. Moved out of Camp Pendleton on 27 July and boarded the . The 2/26 Marines arrived in
Da Nang, South Vietnam on 27 August 1966.
3rd Battalion, 26th Marines: Activated on 1 July 1966. Moved out of Camp Pendleton on 2 September and was assigned to the 7th Fleet's Special Landing Force on 4 October. The 3/26 Marines was based in Vietnam on 11 December 1966.
27th and 28th Marines The
27th Marine Regiment (27th Marines), 5th Marine Division, would receive orders on 12 February 1968 to deploy to Vietnam, with 1/27 Marines arriving at Da Nang, South Vietnam on 23 February. On 2, 1 April/27 Marines was attached to the 1st Marine Division. The
28th Marine Regiment (28th Marines) would remain at Camp Pendleton throughout the Vietnam War.
13th Marines Kilo Battery,
13th Marine Regiment (13th Marines), landed at the mouth of the Cua Viet River in Vietnam in May 1967. Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie 1/13 were present at the
Battle of Khe Sanh in 1968.
5th Tank Battalion WWII In May 1944 the 5th Tank Battalion commanded by Lt. Colonel
William R. Collins was posted to
Schofield Barracks in the Territory of Hawaii. They were attached to the Army's
Chemical Warfare Service CENPAC under Col. Unmacht (USA). They were part of a
top secret program to develop flamethrowing tanks with
Seabees from the 117th CB and the 43rd Chemical Laboratory Company. Eventually the Battalion would get four
M4-3A Sherman's modified with a CB-H1-H2 flamethrowers for
Iwo Jima. Those tanks used between 5–10,000 gallons of
napalm per day near the end of the battle. Early in the assault it was decided that the tanks from all three Divisions would be consolidated into a Regimental command under Lt. Colonel Collins. • 5th Marine CB-H1 in action on D+22, • The 5th tank Battalion received a
Presidential Unit Citation.
Vietnam The 5th Tank Battalion (
RLT 26,
RLT 27, and
RLT 28) was attached to the
1st Marine Division (Reinforced) and staged in the
Philippines from
Camp Pendleton, California. The Battalion departed
Subic Bay aboard the for
Da Nang in July 1967. The unit provided mission fire control support at every strategic hill in
South Vietnam, and received two
Presidential Unit Citations (PUC) for extraordinary heroism in the battles at
Khe Sanh and
Hue City. Ord & Maint Co. suffered heavy losses on Hill 88 as 21 Marines perished from mortar fire falling on the 105mm ordnance bunker. This was the highest number of casualties suffered in a single day by the 5th Tank Battalion during the Vietnam War. Note: Only A Company and B Company were sent to Vietnam with the 26th and 27th Marine Regiments, (Capt. Robert Johnstone was the OIC). C Company and D Company remained in garrison at Camp Pendleton. As the result of President Nixon's draw down in troop strength Bravo Company returned to Camp Pendleton in September 1968. ==Casualties==