5th Marine Regiment
| 5th Marine Regiment | |
|---|---|
 5th Marine Regiment Insignia | |
| Active | June 8, 1917 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | USMC |
| Type | Light infantry |
| Role | Locate, close with and destroy the enemy with fire and maneuver |
| Part of | 1st Marine Division 1st Marine Expeditionary Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton |
| Nickname(s) | 5th Marines |
| Motto(s) | No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy |
| Engagements | Battle of Saint-Mihiel Meuse-Argonne offensive Battle of Guadalcanal Battle of Peleliu Battle of Okinawa Battle of Inchon Battle of Chosin Reservoir Vietnam War Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom |
The 5th Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the most highly decorated Regiment in the Marine Corps and part of the 1st Marine Division.
Current Units
The Regiment is comprised of four infantry battalions and one headquarters battalion:
- 1st Battalion 5th Marines (1/5)
- 2nd Battalion 5th Marines (2/5)
- 3rd Battalion 5th Marines (3/5)
- 2nd Battalion 4th Marines (2/4) - assigned to the 5th Marine Regiment for historical reasons.
History
World War I
The unit was activated on June 8 1917, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the 5th Regiment of Marines. They immediately deployed to France and were assigned to the 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army. Later that year, in October, they were reassigned to 4th Brigade of Marines under the 2nd Infantry Division.
They participated in the offensive campaigns at Aisne, Battle of Saint-Mihiel and in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. They also participated in the defensive campaigns at Toulon-Troyon, Chateau-Thierry, Marbache and Limey. From 1918 til 1919 the regiment participated in the occupation of the German Rhineland. In August of 1919 they relocated back to Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. They were deactivated on August 13 1919.
Inter-war years
Unit was Reactivated on July 8 1920. Elements of the Regiment participated in mail guard duty in the Eastern United States from November 1921 through May 1922 and once again from October 1926 through February 1927.
They then deployed to Nicaragua from January of 1927. They continuously fought Nicaraguan Rebels until they were again deactivated on April 11 1930.
5th Marines was reactivated for the last time on September 1 1934 at Quantico, Virginia and were assigned to the 1st Marine Brigade. In 1940 they were deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and reassigned to the 1st Marine Division in February of 1941. They were garrisoned at New River, North Carolina.
World War II
After the outbreak of war, 5th Marines deployed to Wellington, New Zealand in June of 1942. During World War II they fought on Guadalcanal, New Britain, Eastern New Guinea, Peleliu and Okinawa. Immediately following the war in September of 1945 they deployed to Tientsin, China and participated in the occupation of North China from until May of 1947. They were redoployed to Guam in May of 1947 and reassigned to the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade. In 1949 they were relocated to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
Korean War and early 1960's
In August of 1950, 5th Marine deployed to the Pusan Perimeter as part of the Provisional Marine Brigade. From there they participated in the Inchon Landing, Battle of Chosin Reservoir and fighting on the East-Central Front and Western Front until the end of hostilities. Immediately after the war they participated in the defense of the Korean Demilitarized Zone from July of 1953 until February of 1955. The regiment returned to Camp Pendleton in March of 1955.
Vietnam War
In March of 1966, 5th Marine once again answered the call and deployed to the Republic of Vietnam. They remained in Vietnam for the next 5 years fighting at Rung Sat, Chu Lai, Phu Loc, Hue, Khe Sahn, An Hoa, Tam Ky and Da Nang. 5th Marines finally left Vietnam in April of 1971.
Post-war years through the 1990's
Elements of the regiments participated in Operation New Arrival which was the relocation of Vietnamese refugees to Camp Pendleton, California from July through December 1975. There next Major action was Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm from August 1990 through April of 1991. Combat operations in Southwest Asia were quickly followed by Operation Sea Angel in Bangladesh in May-June of 1991.
Global War on Terror
In January of 2003, the 5th Marines deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were supported by elements of the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, various firing batteries of the 11th Marines, 2nd and 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalions, Company B from the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, and Combat Service Support Company 115 (CSSC–115). These attachments brought regimental strength up to more than 6,000 personnel on any given day—a figure that made RCT–5 the largest such unit in the regiment’s history [1].
On March 21, the Regiment became the first unit to cross the line of departure into Iraq as it moved to seize the Rumayllah Oilfields. The vital mission was to seize and secure the oilfields and then be relieved in place to continue its attack. For the drive north, RCT–5 would advance up a four-lane highway before swinging east toward the Tigris River until the 1st MarDiv reunited to push into the red zone that encompassed Baghdad and its suburbs. Then, after all objectives had been secured, the Marines would either occupy assigned security sectors or conduct follow-on combat operations. During the course of the next few weeks, the Regiment repeatedly distinguished itself in combat actions as it continued the offensive to liberate Baghdad and collapse the regime of Saddam Hussein. During much of the attack north, the Regiment led the 1st Marine Division in the deepest attack in Marine Corps history. The regiment suffered 12 killed and 126 seriously wounded in 33 days of combat.
In February 2006, the regiment redeployed to western Iraq and assumed control of the greater Fallujah area from the 8th Marine Regiment. They are due to remain for the next year [2].
Fourragere of the 5th Marines
The French Government awarded decorations for especially meritorious conduct in actions during World War I to 156 American units varying in size from a section to a brigade. The decorations included the Fourragere and the Croix de Guerre with various combinations of palms, gilt, silver and bronze stars. The unit twice decorated with the Croix de Guerre with palms was entitled to a braided and knotted cord, called Fourragere, in the green and red colors of the Croix de Guerre. The Fourragere becomes part of the uniform of the unit so cited and all members of the organization are authorized to wear the decoration on the left shoulder of the uniform as long as they remain members of the organization The French Fourragere is a decoration instituted by Napoleon I for units that distinguished themselves in battle. It was revised in World War I and awarded by the French Ministry of War to organizations cited more than once in the French Orders of the Army. The three classes of the Fourragere are:
- First - Legion d’Honneur - Scarlet
- Second - Medialle Militare - Yellow and Red
- Third - Croix de Guerre (with palm) - Green and Red.
The Marines of the Fifth and Sixth Regiments have the single honor of being the only Regiments in the American Expeditionary Force to receive three citations — two in the order of the army and one in the order of the corps — Fourragere and Croix de Guerre with two Palms and Gilt Star.