of steam because of logistical problems. However, early last year, Marines working un-der LtCol Clayton E Nans, commanding officer of the Assault Amphibian School Bat-talion, began the process of establishing a museum.

Building 21561, one of the last World War Il-style Quonset huts, was cleaned outand two World War II amphibian tractors moved in. Eventually, a total of seven tractorvariants were added. Over the next several months, Marines from the Assault Am-phibian School Battalion, Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch, General Support Main-tenance Company, and several local volunteers cleaned, scraped, painted, and evenfabricated new steel cleats for several of the vehicles, all in an effort to stabilize thehistoric vehicles.

While the museum provides a home for these antique amphibian monsters, it alsoprovides the school a unique training tool, exposing students at all levels—the "1800basic crewman," the "1803 basic assault officer," and the "1833 advanced unit leader"— tothe historical origin of their MOS.

Asked why the museum was established, LtCol Nans said, "Because we are amtrack-ers and proud of the traditions and valor of Alligator Marines:' Speaking at the muse-um's dedication, guest of honor Col Victorj. Croizat, who as a young Marine lieutenant

The LVT 3 and a roadede sign call atten- .

commanded a company of tracked vehicles at the landing on Guadalcanal, said: Fortion to the museum created by the Assault . , . . . .

me, it s like going back in time. Think of putting 30 men in one of these boxes andAmphibian School Battalion at Pendleton. . . ,

dropping them off on an unfriendly beach. Its very challenging just to do the naviga-tion, much less hit the beach with people shooting at you." L11J1775L111

Complementing the modijiedLVT (A) 5,above, are Continental and Cadillac V-8engines, belo u', that o wered amp hibians.

The Museum's dedication and opening day ceremony Jatured guest of honor Col Vic-tor]. Croizat, USMC (Ret). Then-2dLt Croizat was executive officer of Company A,1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion, which was assigned to support the 1st Marine Divi-sion on the day following Pearl Harbor and took part in the Guadalcanal landing.

lü,'iiiiilin, \X/intcr I))(-I))7

'Homemade' Histories Can Preserve Marine Fact and Lore

I RECEIVED A LE1TER in early Octoberfrom Jerry Brooks, in which, among

other things, he made a cogent observa-tion concerning unit histories. He said:"Formal Marine Corps official unit histo-ries are seldom made at levels below theregimental level. Most of us in units at thebattalion level [and belowl have to be con-tent being footnotes or sentences or para-graphs in the larger histories unless wework together to compile our lower levelunit histories. In my opinion, many WWIIMarine combat units are now passing intooblivion as [theirl last members are pass-ing on. Sad."

He also went on to say, "Most of us don'trealize that we can combine our remem-brances, photos, and documents and com-pile an interesting, accurate, andinformative unit history book. The unithistory books will outlive us by a hundredyears in many of our own local libraries

Mr. Brooks is exactly right. In our ownfive-volume official History of US. MarineCorps Operations in World War II, and ourfive-volume US. Marines in Korea,1950-1 953, the nature of each World WarII landing and the overall campaign inKorea, the immensity of these operations,did not permit us to go below battalionlevel except when a company or platoonwas involved in extraordinary action. Inour soon to be 11-volume US. Marines inVietnam series we did go below battalion

by Benis M. FrankChief Historian

and sometimes even below company leveljust because it was a small-unit war, for themost part. Again, the nature of combatin Vietnam dictated how we would writeits history. Then, in our official PersianGulf War history, we will be dealing withbattalions, regiments, divisions, and theI Marine Expeditionary Force. Those whohave read the Gulf War monographs wehave published to date will note this tobe the case.

H AVING SAID THIS, I will now take upMr. Brooks' other comment, i.e., un-

less individuals and postwar unit associa-tions undertake to write their ownhistories, the institutional memory mayvery well be lost. This is all too true.However, with the advent of the 50th an-niversary of World War II and with the ap-proaching commemoration of the 50thanniversary of the Korean War, some ex-cellent autobiographical histories have al-ready been published. The first of thesewhich comes to mind is Dr. Eugene B.Sledge's With the Old Breedfrom Peleliuto Okinawa, which tells of his experiencesas a mortarman in Company K, 3d Bat-talion, 5th Marines, in those two amphibi-ous assaults. This outstanding work hasseen many editions and has been ac-claimed by such noted military historiansasJohn Keegan as being one of the exem-plar autobiographies to come out of WorldWar II. As a veteran of those two opera-

tions and, as is Gene Sledge, a 1st Divi-sion Marine, I can attest to the accuracyof his descriptions. With relation to theKorean War, I have just read a moving au-tobiography by lstLt Joseph R. Owen,USMC (Ret), who served with CompanyB, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, in Korea. Thebook is entitled Colder than Hell: A Ma-rine Rijie Company at Chosin Reservoir.It was recently published by the Naval In-stitute Press, and I recommend it. Thereare similar works both in and out of print,but these are two good examples of howinstitutional memories of events, periods,campaigns, and units can be kept alive.

In the Historical Center Library, we havea number of unit histories which werewritten by individuals who were formermembers of the unit about which theywrote, or the history was a team effort byunit members. A few titles from amongthis group of histories are: Edward W.Farmer, A View from the Rear Rank: AStory of Marine Air Warning SquadronEight in World War II, published by theauthor, an AWS-8 member, in 1992;JohriJ. Forster, The History of the Eighth FieldDepot and Eighth Service Regiment, US.Marines in World War II, 1992; Charles L.Henry, 2dAirdrome Battalion, Fleet Ma-rine Force, United States Marine Corps,a.k.a. 17th Defense Battalion, 17th An-tiaircraft Battalion, 17th Antiaircraft Ar-tillery Battalion, from 28 October 1942

14 Fortitudine. Winter 1996-1997

The original members of the "Black Sheep Squadron," photographed here on Vellalavella in the Pacific in December 1943, are the subjects of Frank E. Walton's OnceThey Were Eagles, a "unit history" with the added distinction of commercial success.

to 6 December 1945, 1985; Hugh Morseand George Head, Wi-i, Pearl Harbor toPeleliu, published in 1993 by the A-i-IBook Committee; Ezell Odom, A Mont-ford Point Marine: Fleet Marine Force Pa-cific: A Few Experiences by one of theChosen Few, 1993; Raymond S. B. Perry,The Bombers ofMAGSZAM: A History ofMarine Bombing Squadron 611, publishedin 1987 by the author; 2ndArmoredAm-phibian Battalion, USMC, W7WII: SaiOan,Tinian, Iwo Jima, 1991; Frank F. Walton,Once They Were Eagles: The Men of theBlack Sheep Squadron, University Press ofKentucky, 1986; Arthur W. Wells, The

Quack Corps: The Men of the Second Ma-rine Amphibian Truck (DUKW) Compa-ny, 1992; Larry I. Woodward, Before theFirst Wave: The 3rdArmoredAmphibianTractor Battalion — Peleliu and Okinawa,Sunflower University Press, 1994; and Su-per Breed I: A Journal of the First MarineEngineers, Pioneers, and Seabees, WyattPublishing Company, 1990. In addition,we hold a history of the 9th Defense Bat-talion, written by the son of one of itsmembers, retired Marine Maj Charles D.Melson, whose last tour of duty was as a

historical writer in the Marine CorpsHistorical Center.

If someone reading this gets a hanker-ing to do a unit history, well, the Histori-cal Center is the place to begin his or herresearch, and the History and MuseumsDivision staff is here to give professionalguidance. This Center was the brainchildof the former Director of Marine CorpsHistory and Museums, BGen Edwin H.Simmons, USMC (Ret), who conceived itas being a "one-stop Marine Corps histo-ry resource," wherein a scholar researchingMarine Corps history could find most, ifnot all, of the material he or she was seek-ing. To begin with, our Archives Sectionhas, or knows how to retrieve, the war di-aries and after-action reports of bothWorld War II and Korea, and the com-mand chronologies of the Vietnam andthe Persian Gulf Wars. The Archives Sec-tion can also retrieve operation orders formost, if not all, of the Marine Corps' warsin the 20th century. Another rich sourceof information within the Archives Sectionis our Personal Papers Unit, which holdsthe personal papers (letters, orders, pho-tographs, and the like) of Marines, fromprivate to flag rank, who served in theCivil War, and earlier, as well as those whoserved in more modern times. This is anenormously rich source of 2,656 processedpersonal collections, and about 500 whichare undergoinng processing. Many a visit-ing scholar has supped heavily on the

Fortitudine, Winter 1996-1997 15

Histories such as Larry I. W/oodward's Before the First Wave: The 3d Amphibian Trac-tot Battalion — Peleliu and Okinawa provide the detail that often is lacking in officialhistories. Above, landing craft head toward the heavily bombarded Peleliu beaches.

"L'il Bat," a radar-equipped mascot, adorns the history by Edward W Farmer A Viewfrom the Rear Rank: A Story of Marine Air Warning Squadron Eight in World War II.

material in this collection, as well as onthe contents of the Marine Corps Oral His-tory Collection. This group contains thetranscripts of interviews conducted withmost past Commandants, beginning withGen Clifton B. Cates, and ending withGen Carl E. Mundy, Jr. The collection alsocontains the transcripts of more than 300former and retired prominent Marines,many of whom were junior officers inWorld War I and rose to general officerrank in World War II. Interviews in thisgroup also relate to the Korean War as wellas Vietnam. With respect to Vietnam, we

Denizens of 'Boot Camp'— oversizedmosquitoes and gnats — illustrate Farmer'sMarine Air W7arning Squadron 8 history,

have close to 6,000 interviews conductedin the field in Vietnam, many of themwith Marines who had just come in frompatrols or after close combat with theenemy.

T HERE ARE A couple of other sectionsin the History and Museums Division

which can be of assistance to the aspiringresearcher. One such area is our Histori-cal Library, established in 1843 by ColonelCommandant Archibald Henderson as thelibrary for Marine Corps Headquarters.Since that time, it has grown to where itnow holds more than 41,000 boundvolumes and periodicals; 4,000 reels ofmicrofilm; and a growing collection ofvideotapes and CD-ROMs. The book col-lection concentrates on Marine Corps his-tory; histories of amphibious warfare andrelated naval history; American history;museum studies; and histories of militaryuniforms and weaponry. If the librarydoesn't have a book which a researcherneeds, it can most likely be obtainedthrough an interlibrary loan.

Another important area for researchersis our Reference Section. Each year, theSection's Reference Historians respond toupwards of 8,000 written, telephoned, andwalked-in requests. The section holdsthousands of subject, geographical, unit,and biographical files. The subject files in-clude an extensive collection of materialson events, issues, and wars of the MarineCorps from its founding to the present.The geographical files contain a collectionof records on locations where Marines havelanded or been stationed. Histories of Ma-rine Corps bases and barracks are alsofound here. The unit files contain work-ing files on all Marine Corps units, pastand present. Within these files on bothair and ground units are histories of eachunit, commanding officer lists, and unitlineage and honors records. Our bi-ographical files provide information onmore than 15,000 prominent Marines,such as former Commandants andrecipients of the Medal of Honor, andother notables who had an impact on thehistory of the Corps. The Reference Sec-tion also holds the microfilmed musterrolls of the Corps going back to 1798.These are important to anybody who isworking up a command list, or just look-ing to see the names of all the Marineswho served in a certain unit at a certaintime.

a unit history, or research primary sourcesaround which a unit history is to be writ-ten, will have to visit the Marine CorpsHistorical Center in the Washington NavyYard. Here, experienced professional Ma-rine Corps historians can guide a research-er's efforts and direct him to the areaswhich hold the material which will ad-vance his efforts. Marine historians en-courage such efforts because they oftenmean that a hitherto-unexplored area ofMarine Corps history will at last be rev-ealed. The final product will help fill inthe "gaps" in Marine Corps history. Andthat is always to the good. L111775L11

In any case, anyone who wants to write

16 Fortitudine, Winter 1996-1997

Awards Cite Veteran Pilot Condon and Author Moskinby Char/es R. Smith

HLctorian

F OR H IS LI FI1LONG interest in Man neCorps history and service to the Ma-

rine Corps Historical Foundation. MajGenJoh it P. Condon, USMC (Ret), was

presented the support group's HeritageAward at its fall I9)6 Awards Ceremony.Nla;Cien Condon subsequently died inDer ember 1)96 [see "Memorandum fromthe Chief Historian'' on page 3 of thisissue[.

Condon entered the Marine Corps inI )31 upon graduating from the NavalA adernv and earned his wings asa navalaviator in 1937. As a young pilot he wasone of the Marine Corps' pioneers whoflew from aircraft carriers, an experiencewhich would influence his appreciation ofthe flexibility of' Marine Corpsav ationrlowii to the present day.

In World War II he served on Guadal-canal, in the Northern Solomons, and atOkinawa, where he commanded MarineAircraft Group 14. During the KoreanWar, he commanded MAG-33, the firstMarine aircraft group to fly jet aircraft incombat, arid MAG-12, the last group tofly the legendary Corsair against the ene-my. Later, he commanded both the 1stand 3d Marine Aircraft Wings. Followinghis retirement in 1962, he completed adoctoral degree and embarked upon a se-cond career in the aerospace industry.

Q NE OF THE earliest senior cfficers toaffiliate with the Historical Eon nda-

toil. MajGen Condon served successivelyas v e president, president, and chairmanof the board. His leadership of the Foun-dation during its formative sears, notedh)undation President LtGen Philip D.Sliutler, Sr., USMC (Ret), "did much toshape its subsequent successful course anddirection. Recently. MajGen Condon,working at the Marine Corps Historical(,en ter, drafted a history of Marine Corpsaviation and completed a history of Ma-ri ne aviat ion on board carriers in World\X'ar II, which is scheduled to be publ shedby tile U.S. Naval Institute Press. "In alliii ings,'' concluded LtGcn Shutler, ''John( ndon epitomizes the ideal fighter pi -lot, officer, gentleman, and scholar.''

Former commander of both 1st and dMAIVS, /vfajGen]ohn I? Condon a/so wasa president of the HLrtorica/ Fo iendatio n.

NI r. j. Robert Moskin received the Dis-tinguishc'd Service Award, the Founda-tions highest award, at the 26 O toberl))6 ceremonies for his extensive accom-plisltmc'nts in American and Marine Corpsii story and his service to the Foundai ionas a di rector, member of the awards )ur.and seminar chairman. A native of New'ork and a graduate of Harvard Universi-iv. Moskins long relationship wit b the Ma-

title Corps began in l) after the tragisRibbon Creek inrident at Parris Island.'[hen a senior editor with Lao,i magazine.he made an i i-depth study of the MarineCorps which ultimately led to his writingTin' I S. lLirim' (.ijc .S/r1. a compre-hensive history (If the Corps. puhl ished iiil)7 and subsequent ft revised and cx-panded. His other works i nr ride i/nDcc/i,u' / the ;lmei'o'a;i lLz/e, 71u71'od/.'l moiig Lion, and his most recent, .11,:liii man's lL'zi'. t he story of the period be-tween the end of World War II in Europeand t lie final VR tory over Japan

"In sum." t lie Eon idat ion InS I tided,

"Mr. Moskin has made a tiperli rout rihu-I ion to A inerican h story, to ni lit ars his-tots'. to the Marine Corps. and, mostespecially, to the Marine Corps IlisInrilalIs rind at mn.

D R. DON ALl) I. 13i't"t''ci R. professor of

history at the Marine (;orps Com-mand and Staff College. was this ear'swniner of the Colonel Robert Delis Heinl,Jr.. Award. presented to the author of thebest article pertineiti to Marine Corps his-o iry. I-I is article, at rercd I inages:

Ohiirc'rs of Royal Marines. I -IoI3," waspublished in the January l)5 issue of i/h'/iii'/ii/ o/ Uh/itar)' IIi

I'oi'/i/in/ine. Winter I ))6-19)T I

.1. Robert Moskin, right, accepts the Marine Corps Historical Loandation D/iting mi bedService A ward from Assistant Commandant of'the Marine Corps cen Richard/Neal.

Dr. Bittner received his doctorate in his-tory from the University of Missouri in1974. He served in the Marine Corps from1963 to 1989 with the 2d Field ArtilleryGroup, Marine Barracks, Keflavik, Iceland,and on board the Talladega, before retir-ing as a lieutenant colonel. His publica-tions cover a wide variety of militarysubjects from Britain and Ireland duringWorld War II to the portrayal of the Brit-ish Army in Jane Austen's novels.

The General Wallace M. Greene, Jr.,Award, given to the author of the out-standing nonfiction book pertinent to Ma-rine Corps history, was presented to Dr.Eric Bergerud for his Touched with Fire:The Land U2ar in the South Pacific, pub-lished by the Viking Press. Through care-ful research and numerous interviews withparticipants, he presents a vivid accountof World War II fighting men who adapt-ed to an environment that tested thelimits of their endurance.

A graduate of the University of Min-nesota and the University of California atBerkeley, he received a fellowship from theArmy's Center of Military History thatenabled him to write two books on theVietnam War. He currently teaches histo-ry at Lincoln University, a small college inSan Francisco.

E STABLISHED BY Col Robert G. F.

Hanke, USMCR, in memory of hisfather, Wing Commander Ralph Hanke,Royal Air Force, the General Roy GeigerAward is given to the author of the bestarticle published in the Marine CorpsGazette in the field of Marine Corps avi-ation during 1995. This year's recipient wasDr. Eliot A. Cohen for his article, "Airpow-

er, the Next War, and the Marine Corps,"published in the November 1995 issue.

A graduate of Harvard University, Dr.Cohen has written extensively on a varie-ty of subjects in strategic studies and mili-tary history, including net assessment, thenature of war in the Third World, andproblems of intelligence analysis. A con-sultant to the White House, CIA, Depart-ment of Defense, and the Commission onRoles and Missions, Dr. Cohen currentlyis a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Inter-national Center for Scholars and profes-sor of strategic studies at the JohnsHopkins School of Advanced InternationalStudies.

T HE SERGEANT MAJOR Dan DalyAward was presented to LCpI Chance

D. Puma, USMC. The award, funded byLeatherneck magazine, is given for superi-or writing pertinent to Marine Corps his-tory by an enlisted author for a MarineCorps post or station periodical. LCpIPuma received the award for his article,"Bugle Calls," published in Pass in Review,which outlined the history of Marine bu-glers and highlights Marine BarracksWashington as the only Marine Corps poststill using a live bugler.

LCpl Puma began his Marine Corpscareer in 1994. Following basic training atParris Island and Marine combat trainingat Camp Geiger, he attended the DefenseInformation school at Fort Benjamin Har-rison, completing the basic journalism andbroadcasting courses. He reported to Ma-rine Barracks Washington where he was as-signed as a staff writer and combatcorrespondent for the post magazine, Passin Review. LCpI Puma became editor af-

ter attending the Defense InformationSchool's editors' course.

The Colonel John H. Magruder IIIAward for excellence in depicting MarineCorps history in exhibits or displays in amuseum or similar setting was presentedto the LVT Museum, Assault AmphibianSchool Battalion, Camp Pendleton, inrecognition of an immaculately restoredcollection of all operational types of LVTs,making use of an existing historic struc-ture [see article, page 12].

Two Colonel John H. Magruder SpecialRecognition Awards were made. The firstwas given to LtCol Charles V. Mugno,USMC, for the MajGen Paul J. Fontanadisplay at the MCAS Cherry Point Officer'sClub, a historical display in a non-museum setting. The large encased wallpanel displays photographs, memorabilia,and biographical information of MajGenFontana, a distinguished Marine Corpsaviator and leader.

Special recognition also was made of theBrooks Detachment of the 1812 MarineBrigade, a living history group. Thedetachment was formed three years ago todevelop an educational program thatwould show the life of a War of 1812 Ma-rine. It is named for Lt John Brooks, sonof a governor of Massachusetts, who diedwhile commanding the Marine detach-ment at the Battle of Lake Erie.

C OL EDWARD M. CONDRA III, USMC(Ret), was this year's recipient of the

Colonel John W. Thomason, Jr., Award forhis positive and continuing contributionsto Marine Corps art. The ThomasonAward, named for the highly decoratedcombat officer and artist, is given for ex-cellence in the fine or applied arts, includ-ing photography, in depicting thehistorical or contemporary Marine Corps.

Holder of degrees from several presti-gious art schools and universities, ColCondra entered the Marine Corps in 1960and served two combat tours in Vietnamas an engineer officer and field com-mander. He has also been an author,visual communications instructor, anddirector of the MacArthur Memorial inNorfolk, Virginia. As a combat artist, hispictorial coverage of Marines and the warsin Vietnam and Lebanon have beenreproduced widely, and more than 100pieces of his work form part of the per-manent Marine Corps Art Collection.

L111775L1

18 Fortitudine, Winter 1996-1997

Dr Eric Bergerud right, cited for his recently published Touched with Fire: The LandWar in the South Pacific, received the General Wallace M. Greene, Jr., Award for thebest nonfiction book pertinent to Marine Corps History, presented to him by Gen Neal.

Reservists Aim to Fill in Blanks in 4th Division Historyby Maj Craig A. Swanson, USMCR

Historical Detachment, 4th Marine Division

T HE CELEBRATED World War II historyof the 4th Marine Division is well

known. Activated at the height of the warin August 1943 at Camp Pendleton,California, the division participated insome of the most bitterly contested am-phibious assaults of the war, against theJapanese-held islands of Roi and Namurin the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Is-lands, Saipan and Tinian in the MarianasIslands, and finally, IwoJima. In its shortbut eventful two years, three months, andthirteen days of wartime existence, eightmembers of the 4th Division were award-ed the Medal of Honor. The division it-self earned a Presidential Unit CitationStreamer with one Bronze Star, a NavyUnit Commendation Streamer, theAsiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer withfour Bronze Stars, and the World War IIVictory Streamer. The World War II his-tory of the 4th Division is described inmany general historical works on the warin the Pacific, and is the subject of twobooks concentrating entirely on the divi-sion's exploits. What is less well known iswhat the 4th Division has done since theend of the Second World War.

Shortly after the conclusion of the war,Marines of the 4th Division were either

discharged or reassigned as it was deacti-vated in September 1945. On 8june 1962,however, the division was formally reacti-vated, this time as the Marine CorpsReserve's ground combat component.Where once the Reserve had existed as acollection of disparate units stationedaround the country with little or no con-tact with one another, the reactivated 4thDivision encompassed all of the groundcombat elements of the Reserve. Objec-tives were to enhance training, adminis-tration, mobilization, unit cohesion, andcombat effectiveness. The 4th Marine Di-vision was to serve as the Marine Corps'strategic reserve, ready at short notice tomobilize and provide the same capabili-ties as active-duty divisions. Developmentfrom an ideal to a reality, however, tookliterally decades to fulfill.

IN THE I96oS, the 4th Division's newheadquarters was formed, again at

Camp Pendleton, and basic questions wereaddressed over the role the division wouldplay in Marine Corps planning. In the1970s, the division's readiness continuedto improve as training steadily becamemore realistic and both the quality andquantity of assigned Marines rose dramat-

ically. In the 1980s, training improved fur-ther, with greater variety and moreambitious exercises as funds became avail-able to equip the Reserve with the sameweapons and equipment as its active-dutycounterpart. In the 1990s, with the divi-sion's extensive participation in the Persi-an Gulf War, it came full circle from itsWorld War II origins. Once again, Marinesof the 4th Division were engaged in com-bat. Unlike the post-World War II period,however, after this war the 4th Divisionwas not deactivated, but instead becameincreasingly important in a period ofaustere defense budgets and different na-tional security concerns.

The complete story of the 4th MarineDivision has, until now, not been present-ed in any serious way. The need for fillingthe gap in the historical record from WorldWar II to the present was first addressedin june 1995 when the division's Com-manding General, BGen Frederick R. Lo-pez, issued the order to bring the division'sstory up to date with a hardbound, book-length, illustrated history. Members ofMTU-NYO5 were assigned to the specialtask with a projected completion date ofApril 1997. (While the project has beenin progress, MTU-NYO5 was formally

Marines of the 4th Division hurl grenades toward an enemy fox-hole on Saipan in 1944. The valiant IT'orld War II history of the

division, the subject of two books concentrating entirely on it.is well known. The divi.rion's role in the post-war Corps is not.

redesignated as the Historical Detach-ment, 4th Marine Division). Work beganimmediately to accomplish the basicresearch for text, photographs, and origi-nal art from sources including the MarineCorps Historical Center. the National Ar-chives, the Library of Congress, the HooverInstitution Library and the archives of theMarine Corps University. Research materialincludes a myriad of both primary andsecondary sources including commandchronologies, periodicals, the Congres-sional Record, maps, Marine Corps ord-ers and other documents, personal papers,base newspapers, Marine Corps HistoricalCenter publications, photographs, art-

work, oral histories, independent researchreports, and material submitted by thevarious units of the division.

The goals of the ambitious project areboth to present a detailed and livelychronological narrative of what the divi-sion has done during its existence and toaddress a number of related thematic is-sues. For example, the work will examinesubjects important to the history of the di-vision such as the impact of the endingof the draft and the implementation ofthe Total Force concept, the transitionsfrom control from Marine Corps districtsto the 4th Division's headquarters, the re-lations between Instructor/Inspector staffs

and Reserve tinits, and mobilization plan-ning and implementation. In this way, thework is intended to he hot Ii i titerest ing tothe general reader curious about the his-tory of the division, and useful to policymakers seeking serious I osig lits in to the4th Division's past iii on is-r to het 5cr chartits future.

W HtLl ,tHt \X'( )ttK is intended tomeet rigorotis standards of Ii istor-

ical scholarship, it a Iso should prove live-ly and informative, with iheral use ofphotographs and artsvork and a fiacus onthe individual Marines who have beenmembers of the division over the sears. Asa valuable adjunct to existing researchmaterial, the 4th Division I Tistorical

Detachment is also in the process of con-ducting additional oral histories of key in-dividuals in the di', isionc past and of itscurrent leaders.

Anyone ititerested ut contributing anymaterial (old letters, photos, documents,old 4th Marine Division ptil)lications, oralhistories, etc.) to enrich tlus project shouldcontact the Officer- in-Charge. 4th MarineDivision Historical Project, Col RichardVan Home, in care of the Marine CorpsHistorical Cc-titer. i'he new history is

scheduled for coiiipletion ui the latespring or early summer of W97. Distribu-tion will be made by the 4th Marine Di-vision and, sincc' the hook will bepublished through the Government Print-ing Office, it may also be available for pur-chase through GPO bookstores. 1 775[

Historical Quiz

Marine Corps Aviationb) zlIidn2C Richard /i4. Rii.inoh. Ji:

L /vicd Statc.c Naval A cadcmFRc/2'ren cc Sect/on Intern

1. When did Marine Corps aviation "getoff the ground?"

2. What were the two primary aircraft usedby the Corps during World War I?

3. Which airplane. originally focind un-suitable for carrier operations. was usedwith great success by Marines in the Pa-

fR during World War II.?

4. What was the namc- given to theJapanese airfield captured after ferocious

fighting on Guadalcanal in World WarII?5. What squadron was commissioned inI)48 to experiment with rotary wingflight?6. Which Marine pilot and baseball starflew 38 combat missions during theKorean War.

I ow many aircraft were downed by Ma-rute pilots during the Korean War?8. Which helicopter appeared first in Viet-

nani in 1066 and connnues to provideclose air support to M:iruic's today?0. What is the nickname of the Lao kheedKC—130F aircraft flown and maintained byMart nt-s. which is usc'd to support the BlueAngels flight demonstration i earn?

10. Which aircraft entered Marine servicein 1083 and served is a repIaement fiarthe McDonnc'll Douglas F-i Phantom andthe C;nimntmin A-6 linruder?

nsa en on page 22)

20 Fori,i/u//e(, Wiiiici 0)1)6tO)7

Marine Reservists were represented in large numbers in the Persian Gulf U'zr Here,in January 1991, Marines of Battalion Inding Team 1/4 disassemble a Soviet-builtZPU-i machine gun, previously operated by Iraqi forces on Miradam Island in Kuwait.

Japan's National Library Fulfills Microfilm Agreement

Q NE OF THE MOST ENJOYABLE aspects

of my job recently has been work-ing with the professional archivists of theNational Diet Library (NDL) ofjapan ontheir project to microfilm large portionsof the Marine Corps' World War II records.So it was doubly a pleasure to welcome Mr.Tatsuru Watanabe, chief of the NDUsModern Japanese Political Documents Di-vision, when he arrived here on 3 Decem-ber 1996.

Mr. Watanabe visited the HistoricalCenter earlier, in 1995, to give the finalgo-ahead for the project, and subsequentlywas my host in Japan during my visit therein February 1996. The purpose of his visitthis time was the formal presentation ofa copy of the first batch of completedmicrofilm. Because these reels cover theOkinawa campaign it was appropriate thatthey be accepted on behalf of the MarineCorps by Chief Historian Benis M. Frank,an Okinawa veteran and the author ofthree books on the subject.

After the formal presentation, Mr.

Watanabe invited us to appraise the un-usual quality of the microfilm by compar-ing it to the original paper copies. Mr.Frank and our archives specialists were im-

by Frederick]. GraboskeHead, Archives Section

pressed. The now-yellowing and -brittleoriginal records were brighter and cleareron the microfilm, thanks to the skills ofthe camera operators. For the first time inmany years, handwritten charts for beingfreshly copied were completely in focusand were easily legible.

Q UR AGREEMENT with the NDL is thatwe receive a copy of the completed

microfilm in recognition of our coopera-tion in the project. As the microfilmingof segments of the records is completed,we will be retiring the paper records to theNational Archives for permanent reten-

tion. Members of the public will be direct-ed to the Archives for access to theserecords; we will reserve the microfilm reelsfor Marine Corps use only.

At some time in the not-too-distant fu-ture we hope to digitize the records fromthe microfilm, a quicker and less costlyprocess than digitizing from paper. Ourlong-term goal is to have the records ofWorld War II, Korea, Vietnam, and thePersian Gulf War available to the publicin electronic form. With the help of ourastute NDL colleagues, we are makingprogress steadily toward reaching thatgoal. L111775L1

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Fortitudine, Winter 1996-1997 21

Thtsuru Watanabe, far right, of the National Diet Library ofJapan. watches as projectmanager Shinji Fujishiro, center displays the new World War II microfilm. Watchingat the side are Frederick j Graboske, Mrs. Joyce Hudson, and Benis M. Frank.

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New Books

Letters from Women in Uniform Make Absorbing Text

T HE LIBRARY of the Marine CorpsHistorical Center receives many re-

cently published books of professional in-terest to Marines. Most of them areavailable from local bookstores andlibraries.U re in This War Too: W/orld War II Let-ters from American Women in Uniform.Judy Barrett Litoff and David C. Smith.New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.260 pages. This book offers a different per-spective from most wartime writing. Thesetwo history professors have combined theirskills to present the reader excerpts frommore than 30,000 wartime letters span-ning the lives of women in every branchof the Armed Forces. We are taken fromthe military build-up in Hawaii prior toPearl Harbor to eyewitness accounts of theBattle of the Bulge. $27.50What They Fought For: 1861-1865. James

byjena Beth AntalMarine Corps Historical Center Volunteer

McPherson. Baton Rouge: Louisiana StateUniversity Press, 1994. 85 pages. ThisPulitzer Prize-winning Princeton historyprofessor offers a look at excerpts from theletters and diaries of nearly 1,000 Unionand Confederate soldiers who, contrary topopular belief, did know why they werefighting and were articulate and informedconcerning the issues of the day. Both Un-ion and Confederate soldiers, according toMcPherson, saw themselves as custodiansof the legacy of 1776. $14.95.

Fields of Battle: The Wars for NorthAmerica. John Keegan. New York: AlfredA. Knopf, 1996. 334 pages. In Keegan'sindomitable style, he takes his readers intoour past, discovering the character of theAmerican terrain and climate, and thecompetition for the land's naturalresources. These factors, according to the

author, dictated why men fortified wherethey did, campaigned as they did, andwere drawn to such battlefields as York-town, Gettysburg, and Bull Run. He dis-cusses the famous engagements in ourmilitary history. The narrative ends withU.S. and Canadian troops saving Keegan'snative Britain and liberating France fromGermany during WWII. $30.00

Sailing on the Silver Screen: Hollywoodand the US. Navy. Lawrence Suid. An-napolis: Naval Institute Press, 1996. Theauthor provides a fully documented his-tory of the making of the Navy's image onfilm from the earliest days of the moviesto the present. His history covers filmsfrom pre-World War I to post-Cold War,more than 100 films as varied as Annapolisand Hunt for Red October. $45.00

L111775L11

Answers to the Historical Quiz

Marine Corps Aviation(Questions on page 20)

1. The official birthday of Marine Air is22 May 1912. On that date Lt Alfred A.Cunningham reported to the Marine Bar-racks at the Philadelphia Navy Yard to be-gin flight training. He soloed on 20August 1912 in Massachusetts and becameNaval Aviator number five and the firstMarine pilot.

2, The Marines used DeHaviland DH-4and DeHaviland DH-9 bombers, whichwere obtained through a special deal withthe British. They were used for both scout-ing and basic ground attack missions.

3. The Vought F4U Corsair had manydifficulties in its carrier suitability trials.The Marines, however, handily proved theprowess of this aircraft while the Navy sort-ed out the problems with its airframe.Many Marine Corps aces piloted the Cor-sair, including perhaps the most widelyknown Marine ace, LtCol Gregory "Pap-py" Boyington.

4. After the Marines captured the partial-ly constructed airstrip on the fifth day of

the battle, they completed it using aban-doned Japanese equipment. The airfieldbecame known as Henderson Field,named in honor of Maj Lofton R. Hender-son, who was killed at the Battle of Mid-way leading a dive bombing run. Thisairfield proved critical to the success of thePacific campaign.

5. Marine Helicopter Squadron One(HMX-1) was established at Quantico toevaluate the feasibility of the doctrine ofvertical envelopment. The squadron con-tinues to exist today primarily to providehelicopter support to the President of theUnited States and White House oper-ations.

6. Boston Red Sox outfielder Ted Wil-liams, arguably the greatest hitter of alltime, was also a captain in the Reserves.He interrupted his baseball career duringboth World War II and the Korean War.

7. Marine pilots accounted for 27 enemyplanes shot down. All but six were accom-plished by Marines flying the North

American Aviation Inc. F-86 Sabre. Fiveother kills were the result of Marines fly-ing in the venerable Corsair and a singlekill was recorded by an Douglas ADSkyraider.8. The Bell AH-1 Huey Cobra was derivedfrom the UH-1 Huey airframe. Armedwith rockets and a 20mm cannon, it wasthe first dedicated helicopter gunship inthe U.S. inventory. With planned up-grades, the AH-1 will continue providingsupport well into the next century.9. The Lockheed KC-130F is nicknamed'Fat Albert," in reference to the aircraft'sappearance and in honor of the famouscartoon character of the same name.10. The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hor-net entered service in January 1983 andthe first squadrons deployed in July 1983.Many squadrons have since outfittedthemselves with the McDonnell DouglasF/A-18C Hornet. The McDonnell Doug-las F/A-18D Hornet replaced the Grum-man A-6E Intruder beginning in the late1980s.

22 Fortitudine, Winter 1996-1997

Fortitudine's chronology feature continues with a selectionof events in the Marine Corps from July-December 1948,

including the issuance of a Presidential Executive Order ban-ning color bias in the Armed Services, the enlistment of womeninto the regular Marine Corps, and the continuation of civil warin China.18Ju1—In Palestine, a provisional Marine Consular Guard wasdetached from the 21st Marines on board the USS Kearsarge atTripoli, and sent to Jerusalem to protect the U.S. Consul Gener-al in that city.2OJul—In Washington, D.C., President Harry S. Truman issueda Presidential Proclamation calling for the registration, duringthe period 30 August-18 September, of all men between the agesof 18 and 25 for military service. The first inductions were tobe held after 1 October 1948.22 Jul—The Marine Corps announced that due to increasedvoluntary enlistments, the Corps would not need any drafteesin 1949.26Jul—President Harry S. Truman issued an Executive Orderbanning color bias in the Armed Services.25 Aug — 2dLtJohn Earl Rudder, the first African-American Ma-rine officer to receive his commission into the regular MarineCorps, began training in the Marine Corps Schools, Quantico,Virginia.30 Aug—Registration for the second peacetime military conscrip-tion in U.S. history began.31 Aug—The Marine Garrison Forces, Pacific, command was

PFC John W Davis, USMCR, and MSgt Gilbert H. Johnson per-form administrative duties at Montford Point, Camp Lejeune,North Carolina, on 27 July, one day after President Truman is-sued his executive order banning color bias in the Armed Forces.

deactivated, and the Commanding General, FMFPac, assumedadministrative control of all Marine security forces and support-ing establishments in the Pacific Ocean Areas.13 Sep—The 4th Marines (Rein) left Morehead City, North Caro-lina, to become the landing force of the Sixth Fleet in theMediterranean.18 Oct—Col Katherine A. Towle reported for duty at Headquart-ers Marine Corps as first Director of the Corps' permanent peace-time component of Women Marines.10 Nov—On the 173d anniversary of the Marine Corps, eightformer members of the Marine Corps Women's Reserve were en-listed into the Regular Marine Corps.17 Nov—A platoon of Marines was sent to Nanking to protectthe American Consulate when the fall of that city to Communistforces appeared imminent. The guard was withdrawn in April1949 when the Communists refrained from looting the city.18 Nov—A 62-man Marine guard was sent to Haifa and assignedto the U.S. Military Observer Group, which had been stationedthere during the Arab-Israeli War.23 Nov-16 Dec—In China, increased pressure by Chinese Com-munists caused the United States to transfer Marine BattalionLanding Team 9 (BLT 9) from Guam to Shanghai to aid in theevacuation of American nationals.31 Dec—Marine Corps active strength was 88,000; women inthe regular Marine Corps or active Reserve numbered 24 officersand 300 enlisted women. L11775L1J

Colonel Katherine A. Thwle, who had been an administrator atStanford University in California, became the first Director ofWomen Marines at Headquarters, Marine Corps, on 18 October

Marine Corps Chronology

July-December 1948by Robert V Aquilina

Assistant Head Reference Section

Fortitudive, Winter 1996-1997

MARINE CORPS HISTORICAL CENTERBUILDING 58, WASHINGTON NAVY YARD

901 M STREET, SOUTHEASTWASHINGTON, D.C. 20374-5040

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

A NNUALLY THE ROYAL MARINES serving in the UnitedStates of America assemble in Washington, D.C., on

or around 28 October to celebrate the birth of our Corps.We take this opportunity to hold a birthday party receptionto which we invite as many members of our brother Corpsas we can, as well as former USMC exchange personnel andretired Royal Marines living in the USA, not only to swap afew war stories, but also to thank those with whom we workover here and whose assistance, cooperation, and hospitalitywe enjoy on a daily basis.

Our 332d anniversary reception was held on 31 October1996. Very generously, the Director of Marine Corps Historyand Museums offered us the use of the Special ExhibitsGallery of the USMC Historical Center in the WashingtonNavy Yard which, with its splendid displays charting the his-tory of the USMC, proved to be the ideal and most fittingvenue that we have had the privilege to use to date.

On arrival guests were greeted by Col Andrew Pillar, theBritish Embassy Marine Attache, and his wife, Shirley. HerMajesty's Royal Marines Plymouth Band was flown across fromEngland especially for the occasion and added some flourishto the evening with "Beat Retreat" on the quarter-deck andits own rendition of the U.S. Marine Corps Hymn. Col Pillarmade a brief address to the assembly, in which he said:

"Ladies and Gentlemen and fellow Marines, thank you allvery much for being here this evening to mark the 332d an-niversary of the birth of the Royal Marines. Firstly, on behalfof all the Royal Marines stationed in the USA, most of whomare here tonight, I would like to express my gratitude for themany congratulatory messages I have received from the UnitedStates Marine Corps and Attache Corps. I would like to saya public thank you to BGen Simmons, Col Monigan, and theirstaff for affording us the use of this magnificent Museum inwhich to hold our birthday party and for all theit assistance.I cannot think of a more appropriate setting for this event,surrounded as we are by images and exhibits of the valiant

exploits of our somewhat younger, but considerably larger,brother Corps with which we have shared so much through-out our respective histories and with which we enjoy so muchin common today .

"Now, although we are celebrating our birthday on 1November, our Corps was actually founded on 28 October1664, when at the outbreak of the Second Dutch War a regi-ment of 1,200 land soldiers was raised by order of the LordAdmiral, later King James the Second.

"Titled 'The Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regi-ment of Foot,' and also 'The Admiral's Regiment,' its men werekitted out in yellow coats, red breeches, and stockings andhats bound with gold braid. It seems we still have a proclivi-ty for making a sartorial statement! The regiment served withdistinction during the Dutch Wars and in 1690 was expand-ed and styled the Marines.

"In 1827, when it was decided to present a new color toeach of the four Royal Marines divisions, King George IV waspresented with a list of no less than 106 battle honors, in orderthat he might select those that should be emblazoned on thecolors. His Majesty, finding it impossible, directed: 'That theglobe circled with a laurel wreath should be the distinguish-ing badge as the most appropriate emblem of a Corps whoseduties carried them to all parts of the globe—in every quart-er of which they had earned laurels by their valour and con-duct.' The Corps subsequently assumed the crest and badgewe wear to this day and we were bestowed with the motto'Per Mare Per Terram'—By Land and by Sea.

"Since those formative years the Royal Marines have takenpart in more battles on land and sea than any other branchof the British Forces and although we have grown considera-bly taughter and leaner in more recent years our Corps is inremarkably good health as we approach the millenium.

"Again, thank you all for joining with us to celebrate ourbirthday anniversary and, as a finale, the Band of Her Majesty'sRoyal Marines Plymouth will beat retreat."

24 Fortitudine, Winter 1996-1997

Royal Marines in U.S. Stage Birthday Party at Centerby Capt Dave W H. Wilson, RM

Royal Marines Administration and Operations Offlcer British Embassy