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