This Month's History Lesson, the Marine Corps Way: March

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=3 width=570><TBODY><TR><TH colSpan=2>This Month's History Lesson, the Marine Corps Way: March</TH></TR><TR align=middle><TH colSpan=2></TH></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 1 March 1960:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The Beaufort (South Carolina) Auxiliary Air Station was redesignated a Marine Corps Air Station.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 2 March 1776:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Raid on New Providence, Bahamas.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 2 March 1867:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Colonel Jacob Zeilin, 7th Commandant of the Marine Corps, became the first Commandant promoted to Brigadier General.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 2-4 March 1943:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Allied land-based planes inflicted decisive defeat on Japanese attempt to reinforce New Guinea, sinking entire convoy in Battle of the Bismarck Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 3 March 1809:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Five-year enlistments in the Corps replaced the previous three-year terms.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 3 March 1871:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Navy Medical Corps established.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 3 March 1931:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Star Spangled Banner made U. S. National Anthem.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 4 March 1801:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The Marine Band performed at a Presidential Inauguration for the first time.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 5 March 1942:</TD><TD vAlign=top>U. S. Navy Construction Battalions (Seabees) formed.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 5 March 1947:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The 7th Marine Regiment disbanded at Camp Pendleton following their return from China. Personnel and equipment were transferred to the 3rd Marine Brigade.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 6 March 1932:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marine Band leader John Philip Sousa died at age 79 in Reading, Pennsylvania.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 6 March 1944:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines assault Talasea on New Britain (secured 8 March 1944).</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 6 March 1965:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Beginning of Vietnam Defense Campaign.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 7 March 1945:</TD><TD vAlign=top>U.S. troops took Remagen Bridge and crossed the Rhine.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 7 March 1951:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The 1st, 7th, and 11th Marine Regiments commenced operations against enemy forces at Hongchon, Korea.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 8 March 1942:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Japan invaded New Guinea (Lae, Salamaua, Finschhafen).</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 8 March 1944:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Japanese launched counteroffensive on Bougainville, smashed by Marines 24 March.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 8 March 1965:</TD><TD vAlign=top>First ground forces (3/9) landed at Red Beach, Da Nang, Vietnam.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 9 March 1782:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines served with General Clark.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 9 March 1847:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Expeditionary Marines landed and seized Vera Cruz, Mexico, during the Mexican War.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 9 March 1942:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Java fell to Japan concluding Netherlands Indies Campaign.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap> 9-10 March 1945:</TD><TD vAlign=top>U.S. B-29s fire-bombed Tokyo at night in the most savage air raid in history (including later atomic bombings).</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>10 March 1783:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines in fighting tops of the USS Alliance helped defeat HMS Sibyll.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>10 March 1945:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Mindanao in Southern Philippines invaded.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>11 March 1853:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines from the USS Cyane landed at San Juan del Norte, Nicaragua.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>12 March 1824:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines of the Boston Barracks quelled a Massachusettes State Prison riot.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>13 March 1911:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Atlantic Landing Force of 688 Marines landed at Guantanamo Bay.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>13 March 1945:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 9th Marine Regiment attacked through "Cushman's Pocket," Iwo Jima. This was the last strongpoint of enemy resistance on the island.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>14 March 1905:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The first Marine military attaché was appointed to Legation at Peking, China.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>15 March 1944:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marine medium bombers struck Japanese positions at Rabaul.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>16 March 1922:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines guarded the U.S. mail during a national crime wave.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>16 March 1945:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Iwo Jima secured.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>17 March 1918:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The 5th Marine Regiment was the first Marine unit to move into WW I front-line trenches.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>18 March 1945:</TD><TD vAlign=top>MAG-14 flew air support for U.S. Army landings at Panay, Philippines.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>19 March 1928:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marine planes bombed a bandit group at Nueve Segovia, Nicaragua. This was the first use of close air support.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>20 March 1943:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marine "Avengers" conducted the first aerial mine-laying mission.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>20 March 1944:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines seized Emirau Island in Bismarck Archipelago.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>21 March 1945:</TD><TD vAlign=top>General A. A. Vandergrift, 18th Commandant of the Marine Corps, became the first Marine four-star general on active duty.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>22 March 1952:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Six new Marine battalions and Marine air groups were activated on the West Coast, giving the Corps the full authorized limit of three divisions and three wings.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>23 March 1815:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines assisted the USS Hornet's capture of the HMS Penguin off Tristan de Cunha.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>24 March 1944:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The 22nd Marine Regiment captured Ebon and Namu Atolls in the Marshall Islands.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>25 March 1804:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The Secretary of the Navy approved the first formal uniform of the Marine Corps.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>25 March 1863:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines with Farragut's squadron engaged Confederates at the Battle of Vicksburg in Mississippi.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>26 March 1943:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Battle of Komandorski Island, Aleutians.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>26 March 1944:</TD><TD vAlign=top>WW II, Marines of 1stProMarBrig landed on Kili island and Namorik Atoll, Marshall Islands.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>27 March 1953:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The 1stMarDiv defeated communist Chinese in the Battle for "Vegas" Hill in Korea.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>28 March 1870:</TD><TD vAlign=top>129 Marines seized and destroyed illicit distilleries in "Irishtown" (Brooklyn), New York.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>28 March 1918:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines were placed under the command of French Marshall Foch in WW I.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>29 March 1917:</TD><TD vAlign=top>Marines garrisoned St. Croix to deny harbor to German submarines.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>30 March 1966:</TD><TD vAlign=top>The 7th Marine Regiment terminated Operation Indiana in Vietnam.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>31 March 1801:</TD><TD vAlign=top>LtCol W. W. Burrows, 2nd Commandand of the Marine Corps, and President Thomas Jefferson selected the site of Marine Barracks, 8th& I, Washington, DC.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>