My Uncle went into the Marines after
Korea...
There always seemed to be a special pride about
being a Marine then regular Army...
Though there are some Army Group that seems
equivalent.
I can see it in the employees I have hired.
The Army is OK..
Seems the requirement for Marines are
different.
The Troops look more fit and
organized.
YET I remember the controversy and discussion
with my Uncle
that the Marines were like a basterd
organization that seems to fit no where.
In Vietnam where Marine Units and Army units
went out on joint missions
there was a competition but with gritting
cooperation.
I suspect there was some of this in
Korea.
DF
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002
2:59 PM
Subject: 1st MarDiv to Korea by back
channel
Being new to the
group, I'm not sure that this has been brought up or not. So, here is the
story of how the Marines got involved in the Korean conflict.
During the years following WWII, the Marine Corps had to fight for
its very existence. The existence of the Corps was saved by Public Law, by
friends in Congress. But there was continuous action dealing with cuts in
resources for the Marine Corps, to bring it to the point of extinction,
primarily by SecDef Louis Johnson.
After the Korean Conflict broke
out, the Commandant offered MacArthur a reinforced regiment and attached
Marine Aircraft Group, Mac was thrilled with this amphibious trained unit.
But, this was accomplished only by scraping together individual
Marines.some reserves and support units from all over the world.
On July 4th 1950, General Clifton Cates, the Commandant, ordered
Lt General Lemuel Shepherd, CG FMFPAC to go to MacArthur and try to sell
him on the idea of a full Marine Division with attached Marine Aircraft
Wing. Mac was ecstatic about the idea, as it fit in with his plans for an
amphibious invasion to break the back of the N Koreans closing in on
Pusan. He immediately contacted the JCS who had been part of the
Corpsicide, and requested that they send the suggested Marine Corps units.
The JCS dithered for about four weeks before agreeing that they
could allow this. The Marine ground forces had to call up all of their
organized reserve units, and steal personnel and units from 2nd MarDiv
which was slated for duty in the Middle East if a war with the Soviets
should break out. The necesary aviation units were better off as they had
enough reserves to provide fillers for existing squadrons, and to
establish three new squadrons of fighter-bombers.
However, the
Division was sent to Korea with only two rifle regiments instead of the
usual three. But the 7th Marines which made up the third rifle regiment,
was able to be assembled by further scraping of the resource barrel and
stealing a battalion that was cruising in the Med. So the Inchon landing
was accomplished as a great success, with the 7th Marines following a few
days later.
The attempted elimination of the Marine Corps, by
Truman's henchman, SecDef, Louis Johnson was halted, and he was sent
packing.
The rest, as they say is history.
Sandy