Re: Error Condition Re: Re: 1st MarDiv to Korea by back channel

[<SDonell73@aol.com>]

In a message dated 11/1/02 12:49:25 PM Pacific Standard Time, evanhoe@arbuckleonline.com writes:



> >>MacArthur was a friend of the Marine Corps and a booster. As he told General Shepherd, when the latter was CGFMFPac and visiting Mac in Tokyo, that he treasured the service of the 1st MarDiv in the Cape Gloucester campaign and would like to have them under his command again., whereupon Shepherd, without authorization from CMC Cates, offered Mac the 1st MarDiv, and then informed Cates about it. Cates then had to deliver and the beefing up on the division for Inchon follows.




Ben,

Again, I defer to your on scene experience and discussions with General Shepherd, but it sure contradicts Millett's history. 

But, There was no real Marine Division to speak of in July 1950. So how Shepherd could have offered that without direction from above, is a puzzle to me. As you are aware, the Marines had to maintain a presence on the East Coast for the skeletonized 2nd MarDiv. How CG FMFPAC could count on these resources doesn't seem logical to me. Further, SecDef and the JCS would certainly not be jumping for joy about resurrecting a division which they had just spent years trying to eliminate. 

If you could refer me to a point of clarification, I'd surely appreciate it.

Sandy