This Month in History (April)

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<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=3 width=570><TBODY><TR><TH colSpan=2>This Month's History Lesson, the Marine Corps Way: April</TH></TR><TR align=middle><TH colSpan=2>Semper Fidelis</TH></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 1 April 1945:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Easter Sunday and April Fool's Day. U. S. Marines and Army troops landed on Okinawa (island secured 22 June).</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 1 April 1968:</TD><TD vAlign=top>End of Tet Counteroffensive, Vietnam.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 2 April 1944:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The 22nd Marine Regiment secured Majit Island in the Marshall Islands.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap></TD><TD vAlign=top>1st day of operation for newly formed 9thMAW, Cherry Point.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 3 April 1817:</TD><TD vAlign=top>"Peace Establishment Act" reduced Corps to 50 officers and 942 enlisted.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 3 April 1847:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines and Sailors from the USS Portsmouth landed and captured San Lycas, Mexico.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 4 April 1854:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Battle of Shanghai, China. Marines and Sailors from the USS Plymouth landed at Shanghai to protect the American Consulate.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 4 April 1967:</TD><TD vAlign=top>"CHINOOK II" ended in Vietnam (17 Feb - 4 Apr).</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 5 April 1947:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Five Marines were killed at Hsin Ho by Communist Chinese.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 5 April 1967:</TD><TD vAlign=top>"Big-Horn" RVN (5-22 Apr).</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 6 April 1776:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Continental Marines on the USS Alfred participated in the first naval engagement.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 6 April 1967:</TD><TD vAlign=top>"Canyon" search and destroy, RVN (6-10 Apr).</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 7 April 1917:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines participated in the Battle of Las Canitas in the Dominican Republic.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 7 April 1966:</TD><TD vAlign=top>"JACK-STAY" ended, RVN.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 7 April 1991:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The 24th MEU participated in Operation Provide Comfort, a multinational relief effort to aid Kurdish refugees on the Iraqi-Turkish border.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 8 April 1782:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines participated in the sea battle between the USS Hyder Ally and HMS General Monk.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 8 April 1823:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines chased pirates east of Havana, Cuba.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 8 April 1966:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Operation "IOWA," RVN (8-9 Apr).</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 9 April 1942:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Bataan, Philippines, fell to Japan. Battery C, 4th Marine Regiment surrendered with American forces.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 9 April 1953:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines regained "Carson" Hill during fighting in Korea.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 9 April 2003:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines remove statue of Saddam Hussein in downtown Bagdad signifying the regime collapse and Iragi freedom.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>10 April 1945:</TD><TD vAlign=top>VMB-612 launched night attacks from Iwo Jima against the Japanese coast.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>10 April 1959:</TD><TD vAlign=top>LtCol John H. Glenn, Jr. one of the 1st space pilots selected.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>11 April 1904:</TD><TD vAlign=top>One officer and 20 enlisted men became the first Marines to garrison Midway Island.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>11 April 1966:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Operation "Orange" southwest of DaNang, Vietnam, ended.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>11 April 1992:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The 24th MEU (SOC) CH-53H "Super Stallions" helped stem lava flow from Mount Etna, Italy.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>12 April 1966:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Multi-Bn operation NEVADA started south of Chu Lai, RVN.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>12 April 1975:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines evacuated nearly 300 Americans and foreign nationals from Cambodia during Operation Eagle Pull.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>13 April 1847:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines captured LaPaz, California, during the Mexican War.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>13 April 1885:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines guarded the rail line to Panama City.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>14 April 1865:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines guarded the body of John Wilkes Booth after Abraham Lincoln's assassination.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>14 April 1961:</TD><TD vAlign=top>1/5 Transplacement Battalion left Pendleton for Okie.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>15 April 1971:</TD><TD vAlign=top>III MAF Redeployed to Okinawa after six years of service in Vietnam.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>16 April 1898:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The Secretary of the Navy ordered MGen Charles Heywood, 9th Commandand of the Marine Corps, to organize a battalion for duty in Cuba.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>17 April 1849:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines were aboard the USS Preble when she became the first American warship to visit Okinawa.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>17 April 1966:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Operation "Virginia" RVN (17 Apr - 1 May).</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>18 April 1864:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines joined sea battle as four Union ships attacked Confederate ram Albermarle near New Bern, North Carolina.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>18 April 1942:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Shangri-La raid (B-25's flying off U.S. carrier Hornet) struck Tokyo and other Japanese cities.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>18 April 1961:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines in goodwill tour to North African Ports "SOLANT AMITY II".</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>19 April 1778:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines participated in the USS Ranger's capturing and sinking of a British schooner off the coast of Ireland.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>19 April 1966:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Helicopter Training Unit HTG-30 formed at Santa Ana, California.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>20 April 1861:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines helped burn Norfolk Navy Yard to prevent Confederate seizure.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>20 April 1945:</TD><TD vAlign=top>4th and 29th Marines secured Motobu, Okinawa.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>21 April 1951:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Carrier-based Marine planes downed three Yaks in the first air-to-air contact of Marine air with the North Korean Air Force.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>21 April 1966:</TD><TD vAlign=top>"GEORGIA" operation southwest of DaNang started (21 Apr - 10 May).</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>22 April 1778:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines from the USS Ranger landed with John Paul Jones at Whitehaven, England.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>22 April 1944:</TD><TD vAlign=top>U.S. Army landed at Hollandia and Aitape in New Guinea.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>23 April 1914:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The 3rd Marine Regiment joined in a show of force at Vera Cruz, Mexico, after an insult to the American flag.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>24 April 1814:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Battle of Bladensburg, Maryland.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>24 April 1862:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines helped capture New Orleans, Lousiana.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>24 April 1962:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marine helicopters (Shufly) supported the 21st Army of the Republic of Vietnam Division during Operation Nightingale near Can Tho.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>25 April 1913:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The formal charter of the Marine Corps Association was established.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>27 April 1805:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon raised the American flag over the Fortress at Derne, Tripoli.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>28 April 1965:</TD><TD vAlign=top>3/6 was helo-lifted from the USS Boxer to secure the American Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>29 April 1862:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines raised the flag, symbolizing the Union's capture of New Orleans during the Civil War.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>29 April 1946:</TD><TD vAlign=top>1st Special Marine Brigade formed at Camp Lejeune.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>29 April 1975:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines helos HMH-462, HMH-463 and HMM-165 with BLT 2/4 evacuated 6,968 people from Vietnam during Operation Frequent Wind.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>30 April 1947:</TD><TD vAlign=top>11th Marines returned to the States after 5 years in the Far East.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>30 April 1969:</TD><TD vAlign=top>U.S. military personnel in Vietnam reached 543,300.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>