| This Month's History Lesson, the Marine Corps Way: April |
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| Semper Fidelis |
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| 1 April 1945: |
Easter Sunday and April Fool's Day. U. S. Marines and
Army troops landed on Okinawa (island secured 22 June). |
| 1 April 1968: |
End of Tet Counteroffensive, Vietnam. |
| 2 April 1944: |
The 22nd Marine Regiment secured Majit Island
in the Marshall Islands. |
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1st day of operation for newly formed 9thMAW, Cherry Point. |
| 3 April 1817: |
"Peace Establishment Act" reduced Corps to 50 officers and 942 enlisted. |
| 3 April 1847: |
Marines and Sailors from the USS Portsmouth
landed and captured San Lycas, Mexico. |
| 4 April 1854: |
Battle of Shanghai, China. Marines and Sailors from
the USS Plymouth landed at Shanghai to protect the American Consulate. |
| 4 April 1967: |
"CHINOOK II" ended in Vietnam (17 Feb - 4 Apr). |
| 5 April 1947: |
Five Marines were killed at Hsin Ho by
Communist Chinese. |
| 5 April 1967: |
"Big-Horn" RVN (5-22 Apr). |
| 6 April 1776: |
Continental Marines on the USS Alfred
participated in the first naval engagement. |
| 6 April 1967: |
"Canyon" search and destroy, RVN (6-10 Apr). |
| 7 April 1917: |
Marines participated in the Battle of Las Canitas
in the Dominican Republic. |
| 7 April 1966: |
"JACK-STAY" ended, RVN. |
| 7 April 1991: |
The 24th MEU participated in Operation Provide Comfort,
a multinational relief effort to aid Kurdish refugees on the Iraqi-Turkish
border. |
| 8 April 1782: |
Marines participated in the sea battle between the
USS Hyder Ally and HMS General Monk. |
| 8 April 1823: |
Marines chased pirates east of Havana, Cuba. |
| 8 April 1966: |
Operation "IOWA," RVN (8-9 Apr). |
| 9 April 1942: |
Bataan, Philippines, fell to Japan. Battery C, 4th Marine
Regiment surrendered with American forces. |
| 9 April 1953: |
Marines regained "Carson" Hill during fighting
in Korea. |
| 9 April 2003: |
Marines remove statue of Saddam Hussein in downtown
Bagdad signifying the regime collapse and Iragi freedom. |
| 10 April 1945: |
VMB-612 launched night attacks from Iwo Jima against
the Japanese coast. |
| 10 April 1959: |
LtCol John H. Glenn, Jr. one of the 1st
space pilots selected. |
| 11 April 1904: |
One officer and 20 enlisted men became the first
Marines to garrison Midway Island. |
| 11 April 1966: |
Operation "Orange" southwest of DaNang, Vietnam, ended. |
| 11 April 1992: |
The 24th MEU (SOC) CH-53H "Super Stallions" helped
stem lava flow from Mount Etna, Italy. |
| 12 April 1966: |
Multi-Bn operation NEVADA started south of Chu Lai, RVN. |
| 12 April 1975: |
Marines evacuated nearly 300 Americans and
foreign nationals from Cambodia during Operation Eagle Pull. |
| 13 April 1847: |
Marines captured LaPaz, California, during the
Mexican War. |
| 13 April 1885: |
Marines guarded the rail line to Panama City. |
| 14 April 1865: |
Marines guarded the body of John Wilkes Booth after
Abraham Lincoln's assassination. |
| 14 April 1961: |
1/5 Transplacement Battalion left Pendleton for Okie. |
| 15 April 1971: |
III MAF Redeployed to Okinawa after six years
of service in Vietnam. |
| 16 April 1898: |
The Secretary of the Navy ordered MGen Charles
Heywood, 9th Commandand of the Marine Corps, to organize a battalion
for duty in Cuba. |
| 17 April 1849: |
Marines were aboard the USS Preble when
she became the first American warship to visit Okinawa. |
| 17 April 1966: |
Operation "Virginia" RVN (17 Apr - 1 May). |
| 18 April 1864: |
Marines joined sea battle as four Union ships
attacked Confederate ram Albermarle near New Bern, North Carolina. |
| 18 April 1942: |
Shangri-La raid (B-25's flying off U.S.
carrier Hornet) struck Tokyo and other Japanese cities. |
| 18 April 1961: |
Marines in goodwill tour to North African Ports
"SOLANT AMITY II". |
| 19 April 1778: |
Marines participated in the USS Ranger's
capturing and sinking of a British schooner off the coast of Ireland. |
| 19 April 1966: |
Helicopter Training Unit HTG-30 formed at
Santa Ana, California. |
| 20 April 1861: |
Marines helped burn Norfolk Navy Yard to prevent
Confederate seizure. |
| 20 April 1945: |
4th and 29th Marines secured Motobu, Okinawa. |
| 21 April 1951: |
Carrier-based Marine planes downed three Yaks in
the first air-to-air contact of Marine air with the North Korean Air Force. |
| 21 April 1966: |
"GEORGIA" operation southwest of DaNang
started (21 Apr - 10 May). |
| 22 April 1778: |
Marines from the USS Ranger landed with
John Paul Jones at Whitehaven, England. |
| 22 April 1944: |
U.S. Army landed at Hollandia and
Aitape in New Guinea. |
| 23 April 1914: |
The 3rd Marine Regiment joined in a show of
force at Vera Cruz, Mexico, after an insult to the American flag. |
| 24 April 1814: |
Battle of Bladensburg, Maryland. |
| 24 April 1862: |
Marines helped capture New Orleans,
Lousiana. |
| 24 April 1962: |
Marine helicopters (Shufly) supported the
21st Army of the Republic of Vietnam Division during Operation Nightingale
near Can Tho. |
| 25 April 1913: |
The formal charter of the Marine Corps Association
was established. |
| 27 April 1805: |
Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon raised the American
flag over the Fortress at Derne, Tripoli. |
| 28 April 1965: |
3/6 was helo-lifted from the USS Boxer to secure
the American Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. |
| 29 April 1862: |
Marines raised the flag, symbolizing the Union's
capture of New Orleans during the Civil War. |
| 29 April 1946: |
1st Special Marine Brigade formed at Camp Lejeune. |
| 29 April 1975: |
Marines helos HMH-462, HMH-463 and HMM-165 with
BLT 2/4 evacuated 6,968 people from Vietnam during Operation Frequent Wind. |
| 30 April 1947: |
11th Marines returned to the States after
5 years in the Far East. |
| 30 April 1969: |
U.S. military personnel in Vietnam reached
543,300. |
Return to "Semper Fi, Mac!"