Stephenson:Neal:Cryptonomicon:2:Fourth Marines(Alan Sinder)

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Bobby Shaftoe gives us his unique insight into the mindset of a Marine Raider.

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The Fighting Leathernecks: US Marines' Creation and History

USMC Emblem

The United States Marine Corps first appeared as the "Continental Marines" during the American Revolutionary War, formed by a resolution of the Continental Congress on November 10, 1775. They served as landing troops for the recently created Continental Navy. The Continental Marines were disbanded at end of war in April of 1783 but reformed on July 11, 1798. In the days of wooden sailing ships, the Continental Marines kept order at sea and maintained internal security on board ship. In combat they manned the fighting tops, sniping at gun crews on enemy ships. On deck they led boarding parties in close action and repelled enemy boarding parties. These Marines earned the nickname "Leatherneck." The time honored sobriquet was derived from the thick leather stock worn around the neck to protect the Marine from the decapitating slash of an enemy's cutlass.

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) forms the second-smallest branch of the United States Armed Forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve members as of 2002. The USMC serves as a versatile combat element, adapted to a wide variety of combat situations. Its original purpose, giving it the name Marine Corps, comprised the provision naval infantry (combat forces serving aboard naval vessels), and carrying out amphibious operations from the sea onto land. The Marines fully developed and utilized the latter tactic in World War II, most notably in the Pacific Island Campaign. The Marine Corps forms part of the Department of the Navy (but not part of the United States Navy).

Since its inception, the Marine Corps has had a reputation for combat prowess, and the Corps' role has expanded significantly. Currently, the Marines serve as an all-purpose, quick-response task-force, suitable for quick insertion into areas requiring emergency intervention, and capable of utilizing ground, air, and sea elements. For example, in 1990, the 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (22d MEU) conducted Operation Sharp Edge, a so-called NEO, or Non-combatant Evacuation Operation in the west African city of Monrovia, Liberia. Liberia suffered from civil war at the time, and civilian citizens of the United States and other countries could not depart via conventional means. Sharp Edge ended in success. Only one reconnaissance team came under sniper fire (no casualties occurred on either side), and the Marines evacuated several hundred civilians within hours to US Navy vessels waiting offshore.

The Marines have a unique mission statement, and do not necessarily fill unique combat roles. The Marine Corps is the only branch of the US Armed Forces with a mandate to do whatever the President may direct. The US Army, US Navy, and US Air Force combined do overlap every area that the Marine Corps covers. However, the Marines consistently utilize all of the essential elements of combat (air, ground, sea) together, and have perfected these tactics over the years, whereas the larger services may not work together as often, and may take some time to learn to function together in a combat theatre (though the creation of joint commands under Goldwater-Nichols Act has improved interservice coordination).

The Marines argue that they do not and should not take the place of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, any more than an ambulance takes the place of a hospital, but when an emergency situation develops and little time remains to deal with communications and/or political problems, the Marines essentially act as a stop-gap, to get into and hold an area until the larger machinery can be mobilized. Other military men and politicians, such as President Harry S. Truman, have differed, and considered abolishing the Corps as part of the 1948 reorganization of the military.

The Marines have one further difference from the other US military services: all marines, male or female, no matter what the occupational specialty, receive training first and foremost as riflemen. Thus the Marine Corps, at heart, functions as an infantry corps. The Corps has a creed stating "Every Marine a rifleman first." This infantry-intensive training could be seen in the Battle of Fallujah in 2004, in which Marine battalions occupied a section of the city, instead of providing a cordon as the 82nd Infantry Division did before relief by the Marines.

Historically, the United States Marine Corps has achieved fame in several campaigns, as referenced in their anthem "From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli". In the early 19th century, First Lieutenant Presley OBannon led a group of seven Marines in deposing the dictator of Tripoli (thereby restoring the rightful ruler). Separately, the Marines took part in the Mexican-American War (1846 - 1848).

The United State Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) forms the second-smallest branch of the United States Armed Forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve members as of 2002. The USMC serves as a versatile combat element, adapted to a wide variety of combat situations. Its original purpose, giving it the name Marine Corps, comprised the provision naval infantry (combat forces serving aboard naval vessels), and carrying out amphibious operations from the sea onto land. The Marines fully developed and utilized the latter tactic in World War II, most notably in the Pacific Island Campaign. The Marine Corps forms part of the Department of the Navy (but not part of the United States Navy). The Marine Corps has a reputation for being a fierce and effective fighting force, and is famous for the fact that US Marines have never in their entire history resorted to a full, large-scale retreat.

Commandant of the Marine Corps

The Commandant of the Marine Corps functions as the highest ranking officer of the Marine Corps. Even though occasionally higher-ranking Marine officers exist, the Commandant is still in charge of the Marine Corps. The Commandant is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and reports to the Secretary of the Navy, but not to the Chief of Naval Operations.

Marine Generals Peter Pace (Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and James L. Jones (Commander in Chief of the United States European Command; NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe; and a former Commandant of the Marine Corps) are Marines who are currently senior in time in grade to the Commandant. However, the Commandant does not report to them specifically.

Reputation of the Marine Corps

The Marines take pride in their gung-ho attitude and are inculcated with a strong belief in their chain of command and the importance of esprit de corps, a spirit of enthusiasm and pride in themselves and the Corps. The Marine Corps' reputation often affects enemy planning and operations before and after combat. However, members of the other armed forces of the United States have complaints that the Marine Corps often emphasizes its prowness at the expense of the reputation of Army or Navy units which are nearby. An example occurred the Battle of the Chosin Reservior in the Korean War, when a Marine officer disparaged the undermanned army infantry regiment which took the initial Chinese attack.

Marine tactics and doctrine tends to emphasize aggressiveness and the offensive, compared to Army tactics for similar units. In addition, the Marines have made a point of recruiting at age 17, tending to enlist youths with more aggressive personalities than their counterparts who join the Army.

Symbols of the Marine Corps

The Marine motto Semper Fidelis means "Always faithful". This motto often appears in the shortened form "Semper Fi!"

The colors of the Marine Corps are scarlet and gold. They appear along with the eagle, globe, and anchor on the Flag of the United States Marine Corps

Marines have several generic nicknames, mildly derogatory when used by outsiders but complimentary when used by Marines themselves. They include "jarhead" (apparently referring to their "high and tight" haircuts), "gyrene" (perhaps a combination of " G.I. " and "Marine"), "leatherneck", referring to the leather collar that used to be a part of the Marine uniform during the Revolutionary War period, and "Teufelhunden" (Devil Dog) after the Battle of Belleau Wood. In the 1991 Gulf War, Iraqi soldiers nicknamed the Marines "Angels of Death".

Famous Marines

Don Adams
Paul Arizin
F. Lee Bailey, lawyer
Nick Barone, 1950s boxer
Carmen Basilio, world champion boxer
Hank Bauer, baseball player
Patty Berg, LPGA player
Blackbear Bosin
Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, WWII pilot ace and squadron commander
Smedley Butler, Medal of Honor recipient
Enrique Camarena, murdered Mexican DEA official
Rod Carew, baseball player
Drew Carey, comedian
David Carradine, actor
James Carville, political strategist and manager
Roberto Clemente, baseball player
Jerry Coleman, baseball player, announcer
Chuck Connors, actor, basketball player
Bill Cowan, hostage rescuer
Sarah Deal, first female Marine Corps helo aviator
Pedro Del Valle
Brian Dennehy, actor
Lou Diamond
David N. Dinkins, Mayor of New York City
Art Donovan, American football|football player
Terry Downes, world boxing champion
Buster Drayton, world boxing champion
Barbara Dulinsky
Gunny R. Lee Ermey, actor, TV show host
Don Everly, musician
Phil Everly, musician
Bill Fitch, basketball coach
Glenn Ford, actor
Mark Fuhrman, policeman who became famous during the O. J. Simpson trial
Fernando L. Garcia
Bill Gallo
John Glenn, astronaut, senator
Gene Hackman, actor
Elroy Crazy Legs Hirsch, football player
Gil Hodges, baseball player
Bill Janklow, Governor of South Dakota
Mae Johnson
George Jones
Bob Keeshan, actor ("Captain Kangaroo")
Harvey Keitel, actor
Mills Lane, boxing referee
Lee Marvin, actor
Ed McMahon, television show host
Sid McMath, Governor of Arkansas
Steve McQueen, actor
Ray Mercer, world boxing champion
Carlos Chuck Norris, actor, karate champion and instructor
Oliver North, officer who became famous in the Iran-Contra affair
Ken Norton, world champion boxer
Ken OKeefe, anti-war activist
Lee Harvey Oswald, believed assassin of John F. Kennedy
Chesty Puller
Tyrone Power (1914-1958) actor
Dan Rather, television news reporter/anchor
Donald Regan, cabinet official
Robert Remus, aka 'Sgt Slaughter' in the WWF
Buddy Rich, musician
Pat Robertson, evangelist
Rick Romley, attorney general
Barney Ross, world champion boxer
Donald Scott
George C. Scott, actor
Tom Seaver, baseball player
Shaggy, musician (rapper)
Oliver Sipple, who foiled assassination attempt on President Gerald Ford
Frederick W. Smith, businessman, founder of Federal Express
John Philip Sousa, composer, conductor/orchestra leader
Leon Spinks, world boxing champion
Richard Steele (boxing referee), boxing referee
Frank Sutton
Charles R. (Chuck) Swindoll, Evangelical Christian pastor and radio preacher
Lee Trevino, PGA golfer
Gene Tunney, world boxing champion
Bill Veeck, baseball executive
Mike Weaver, world boxing champion
Adam West, actor, television star (Batman - 1960s TV series)
Jo Jo White, basketball player
Ted Williams, baseball player
Pete Wilson, Governor of California

Chain of Command

The Marine Corps organization is flexible, and task forces can be formed of any size, though the basic Marine organization is based around the rifle battalion.

A typical deployment size is a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). This comprises a rifle battalion, with a battery of artillery, a platoon of LAVs, an air component, and service support elements. There are usually three MEUs assigned to each of the U.S. Navy Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. While one MEU is on deployment, one MEU is training to deploy and one is standing down, resting its Marines, and refitting. Each MEU is rated as capable of undergoing special operations

A Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) is larger than a MEU, consisting of multiple rifle battalions.

A Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), as deployed in Iraq in 2003, comprises a Marine division with an artillery regiment, several tank battalions, several LAV battalions, etc.

Wikipedia: Marine Raiders

The Marine Raiders were an elite unit established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II and disbanded by the end of the war. The Raiders were created by an order from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt , acting on advice from (later, Brigadier General) Evans F. Carlson . Carlson, an ex-Marine, had spent years observing the tactics and strategy of Communist Chinese irregulars ( Zhu De and the 8th Route Army in particular) as they fought the occupying Japanese, and had become enthralled with their version of guerilla warfare . Carlson rejoined the Marines in April 1941, gaining a commission from the Commandant as a reserve major.
Bougainville, Solomon Islands, January 1944
U.S. Marine Raiders gathered in front of a Imperial Japanese Army dugout on
Cape Totkina on Bougainville, Solomon Islands, which they helped to take

With America thrust into the war, the President became interested in creating an American counterpart to the British Commandos in the Marine Corps. (Indeed, some reports tell that the Raiders were initally going to be called the 'Marine Commandos'.) The Commandant of the Marine Corps, Major General Thomas Holcomb , killed two birds with one stone and combined Carlson's guerrilla proposal with the President's Commando idea. (Carlson had the President's ear as well, having befriended FDR's son, Captain James Roosevelt .) By the end of February 1942, two Raider Battalions had been established. Carlson was given a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and placed in command of the 2nd Raider Battalion. The commander of the 1st Raider Battalion, Lt. Col. (later, Major General) Merritt A. "Red Mike" Edson , had previously been in charge of a unit used to practice landing techniques and various new ideas.

The Raiders were given the best of the Marines' equipment, and were handpicked from available volunteers. Carlson's unit took a different direction than Edson's; Carlson borrowed some of the principles learned from his years with the 8th in China. Lt. Col. Carlson infused his men with elements of the Communist philosophy, treating officers and enlisted men equally, even to the point of using the phrase ' Gung-ho !' as a rallying cry.. However, the 1st had a unique structure as well, set up by Edson in his pre-Raider days. Edson still held true to traditional Marine Corps doctrine in most ways, and the two Battalions were quite dissimilar. It seemed the only thing they had in common were their names and status as elite units.

Both battalions were put into action at roughly the same time. Carlson's 2nd boarded the USS Nautilus and the USS Argonaut and performed a raid on Makin Island , a small Japanese base in the Pacific. The success of the raid was debatable; though the Japanese force was almost entirely wiped out, the intention was to divert Japanese men and materiel to smaller bases like Makin instead of larger targets (i.e. Guadalcanal ), and the overall effect of the raid in that respect was questionable. The operation (being a raid rather than a full invasion) was quick, and casualties were relatively light, including nine men unintentionally left on the island when the Raiders returned to the submarines.

Meanwhile (several days earlier), Edson's 1st (along with the 1st Marine Division and others) hit the beach on the Solomon Islands. Operation Watchtower, in sharp contrast to Makin, would last several months and prove to be some of the toughest fighting of the Pacific Campaign. After their initial capture of Tulagi , the Raiders were moved to Guadalcanal. One of their most notable battles was on "Edson's Bloody Ridge", where the 1st Raiders, remnants of the 1st Parachute Battalion, and the 2nd of the 5th Marines scored a major tactical victory over Imperial Japanese Army forces.

4th Marine Regiment: The China Marines

The 4th Marine Regiment consists of one headquarters company and two infantry battalions. The infantry battalions are the basic tactical units that the regiment accomplishes its mission of locating, closing with and destroying the enemy by fire and close combat. These two battalions are drawn from the 1st Marine Division under the Unit Deployment Program, and are stationed at Camp Schwab on Okinawa. Two other 1st Marine Division are deployed on a rotational basis with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit at Camp Hansen.

The 4th Marine Regiment was first activated in April 1914 as part of the Marine Corps' Advances Base Force. The regiment was deployed to the Dominican Republic the following year for a peacekeeping duty that lasted ten years. The 4th Marines were reassigned to San Diego in 1924. Two years later, the regiment was assigned to mail guard duty in the western United States. In early 1927, it sailed for Shanghai. Their principal mission: to protect American lives and property. Despite periodic outbreaks of internal disorder, most of the 4th Marines' 14-year tour in China was a relatively peaceful garrison duty. In late 1941, war loomed in the Far East. On November 28, the era of the China Marines ended, as the last of the regiment set sail for the Philippines.

They arrived on December 1 and were assigned to protect the naval station at Olongapo and nearby Mariveles. Seven days later, Japanese troops landed in Luzon and the 4th Marines were placed under U.S. Army control and subsequently assigned to defend the island fortress of Corregidor, which guards the entrance to Manila Bay. Over the next four months, the 4th Marines grew from a two-battalion regiment to one of five battalions, in the process becoming one of the oldest units in Marine Corps history. As defensive positions fell and units disintegrated, stragglers from the U.S. Army and Navy, as well as small Filipino units were assigned to it. Resistance on the Bataan Peninsula ended on April 9. This permitted Japanese artillery to concentrate on Corregidor. Landing craft began moving toward the island the evening of May 5. At noon the next day, Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, commander of U.S. Forces in the Philippines, surrendered. The 4th Marines burned their colors and -- temporarily -- ceased to exist.

Last WWII Comanche 'code talker' dies

Charles Chibitty Charles Chibitty, the last surviving member of the group of 17 who served in World War II as the Comanche "code talkers" died in a Tulsa, Oklahoma nursing home July 20. He was 83.

Chibitty was among the 14 Comanches who landed with the D-Day invasion of Normandy Beaches where they reported by radio to division headquarters on the progress of the landings. The Comanche were dubbed code talkers because the American Indian language has no written record, and it was never broken by the Germans during the war.

One of the first messages transmitted in Comanche language during the landings was "right beach, wrong place". It warned soldiers they landed about a half mile from their intended target. Chibitty served with a unit that landed on Utah Beach on June 6, 1944.

Mr. Chibitty served with the rank of a Corporal in the 4th Infantry Division that engaged in the breakthrough of the Siegfried line in Hurtgen Forest. His division also saw action in the Battle of the Bulge and the rescue of the "Lost Battalion". His division was among the first to undertake the liberation of Paris. Then later, the 4th Infantry was the first to enter Germany.

The Comanches, who came from the Lawton area in Oklahoma, heard rumors of a military plan to organize a native speaking unit. He enlisted in 1941, and along with 19 others, they were trained for special duty by the U.S. Army Signal Corps. All were sent to Fort Benning, but three remained state-side because they had dependents and deployment in the mission was dangerous.

The U.S. declassified the code talker program in 1968. Only three remained living at the time. The French Government gave special honors to the Comanches by bestowing them with the Chevalier of the National Order of Merit in 1989. Mr. Chibitty was honored in 1999 when the Pentagon bestowed on him the Knowlton Award.

In a 1999 interview with the Armed Forces Information Center, Chibitty said: "The Navajo did the same thing. The Navajos became code talkers about a year after the Comanches, but there were over a hundred of them because they had so much territory [in the Pacific Theater] to cover."

Joe Holley of the Washington Post recalled this quote from Mr. Chibitty in 2002:

"Its strange, but growing up as a child I was forbidden speak my native language at school. Later my country asked me to. My language helped win the war, and that makes me very proud. Very proud."

The funeral service was held Tuesday at 10 a.m. He has three surviving grandchildren.

Stephenson:Neal:Cryptonomicon:2:Fourth Marines (Alan Sinder)