Show for years Us U S marines have been fighting their country s battles on land and on the sea anniversary finds corps in forefront of war against japs the united states marine corps celebrates its anniversary niver sary this november lOth without pause and with na no fanfare for the relatively small marine corps this has been a year of herculean tasks never before equalled equal led in the long and heroic history of the corps over thousands of miles of pacific ocean leathernecks Leather necks have leap to within bomber range of japan itself behind them lay the heaviest marine casualties in history but small when weighed beside one of the greatest military sagas ever written within a period of twelve months since november last marines have advanced the front on japan by at least three thousand miles all the most difficult kind of amphibious operations against an enemy who did not know how to surrender except in death on the point of a marine bayonet since the year 1775 when capt robert mullin recruited the first ma marines rine in the tun tavern at philadelphia de phia leathernecks Leather Leathe necks mecks have expected as their share the hardest type of fighting the first two battalions tail lons of marines were promised nothing more than six dollars a month a liberal dally daily ration ot of rum and plenty of 0 action for the last years leathernecks Leather Leathe necks mecks have se seen e n action in virtually every corner of the world in the war of independence the newborn new born marines served creditably on land and sea their first recorded action was a raid on new providence de nce in the bahamas A detachment m en t fou fought with washington in the battle attle of princeton and in the second battle of trenton marines were also alo present tor for the historic crossing of the delaware and were part of the force that surprised the hessian garrison on christmas eve 1776 among their earlier admirers was john paul jones who saw them in action and openly spoke his admiration mi ration reorganized in 1798 1799 with th the e coming of peace the marines were disbanded not to be formed again until 1798 it was seven years later that they set out on their first overseas venture an operation that was later to be recorded in the marine corps hymn this action shores of tripoli was made notable by lieutenant oban non who led seven marines and a handful of natives in one of the most daring raids aralds in military history always busy the year 1812 found marines in action again they fought in many engagements from lake erie with commodore perry to new orleans with andrew jackson it was remarked even in those days that such a small force numbering scarcely more than a thousand could fight so effectively on so many fronts the marines were still a ver very 7 small force when they went into act action ion in 1845 in the war with mexico but despite their numbers they took a major role in the attack on the fortress of chapultepec and joining with a small force under ulysses S grant marched to the gates of mexico city for the next 50 years the marines were relatively idle they played an occasional part in restoring order in central america but they get into action on a serious scale again until the spanish american war in this contest they struck the first hows blows for american arms they won the first victories they electrified the nation with their skill and daring rarely has such a small group of fighting men received so many decorations for valor at front in world war 1 I world war I 1 also demonstrated the he high percentage of individual marine heroism one thousand six hundred and sixty eight marines received awards despite the fact the marine corps was still a relatively small organization the first american to win the congressional medal of honor was a marine gunnery set charles F hoffman who silenced five enemy machine guns in belleau wood typical of marine spirit was this report a m four officers and 78 prisoners arrived at brigade headquarters brought in by marine private leonard to whom they surrendered in the bois de belleau marines entered world war II 11 on the firing line send us more japs wired the beleaguered beleaguer ed marines on N A al A weary machine gunner carries his gun UK on kli his shoulder and ills his rifle all Is in his hand as ai he h trudges along alee a soggy trill trail on new britain island arther another marine maria clogs slogs along behind him with a CM cam of f lubricating oil in badh luj hand while ft a jeep bounces past st mirla marine units made in their first clr landing on new britain on christmas 1943 it took many titter bitter weel weeks to clean out the japs wake island on bataan they ought fought with equal courage at midway they helped stem a major enemy invasion then on august 7 1942 they were again chosen by their country to spearhead an offensive guadal canal was the first offensive blow struck by the allies against japan first division marines fought ashore carrying with them the hopes and prayers of the entire civilized world leathernecks Leather necks recently returned from overseas often debate the relative fierceness of the battles in which they have engaged the enemy all admit that guadalcanal Guadal canal rates with the toughest for weeks the marines fought on short rations and with the enemy fleet and air force in almost constant attendance when the marines finally moved out tor for a rest they had secured the first toehold on the japanese perimeter of defense bougainville bougainvillea Bou gainville makin new georgia followed then came tarawa carawa here the marine corps fought its costliest cost liest battle moving in on the shattered island the morning of november 20 1943 marines found the preliminary shelling had failed to dislodge the japanese the first 24 hours saw the marines clinging to a beachhead yards long and 10 yards deep surmounting almost certain catastrophe the marines rallied the second day to drive inland by the third day they had bad completely secured the island 1 liap tap to Mr marshalla moving northward the marines next invaded the marshall islands meeting with less resistance because they had learned at tarawa carawa to land on flanking banking islands before assaulting the main positions marines in this period also were fighting on new britain island cape gloucester standing as their chief campaign but they soon withdrew from this theater weeks passed before the marines s truck struck again this time they leaped forward 1700 miles r from the marshalls marchalls Mar to the marianas mariakas Mari anas this the world realized was a blow to the japanese stomach for saifan would bring U S bombers within range of japan proper the ensuing battle was waged on land sea and air the japanese fleet drawn out to meet this threat was turned back by long range carrier based bombers ashore the second and fourth marines aided by an army division ran into even harder fighting than they had met at tarawa carawa saifan a large island with mountains pose posed d an entirely new kind of tactical pra preb b lem to marines but versatile as ever they soon had secured their beachhead and were moving across the island the enemy fought to a suicidal end at saifan even the native population joined in the battle and when they saw their cause was lost leaped into the sea and guam followed soon after in re taking guam the leathernecks Leather necks evened the score tor for the marine garrison which was overwhelmed on that island at the outbreak of war this series of successes saifan Ti finian tinian rilan guam caused an upset in the japanese government and led to a bad fright for tokio the ne japs were not given much pause to swallow the implications of these victories the marines struck next at in the palau group the japs quickly saw that this was a blow aimed at the philippines V Y 6 4 thus the japanese tide of conquest ebbed the past year has taught the jap to dread the marine in one important operation the fact that marines were involved was withheld as information of value to the enemy the enemy who learned his lesson from the leathernecks Leather necks on guadalcanal Guadal canal now may agree with allied observers that the united states marine Is the most superb fighting man in the world the landing cratt craft opens up and tally equipped leathernecks Leather necks dash onto the beach at bougainville bougainvillea Bou gainville in the northern solomons Solo this scene was repeated thousands of times as the he marines attack island after island driving the japs from the south pacific the third marine division members of which are arc pictured here bore the brunt of the savage fighting in the bougainville bougainvillea Bou gainville invasion they fought five engagements in the first month ashore enduring all the ta t a misery of the rainy season |