Marines Archives - TogetherWeServed Blog

Vietnam War – Battle of Ngok Tavak & Kham Duc

Kham Duc Special Forces Camp (A-105), was located on the western fringes of Quang Tin Province, South Vietnam. In the spring of 1968, it was the only remaining border camp in Military Region I. Backup responsibility for the camp fell on the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal), based at Chu Lai on the far side of the province. Battle Of Ngok Begins As Kham Duc Becomes Outpost The camp had originally been built for President Diem, who enjoyed hunting in the area. The 1st Special Forces Detachment...

GWOT – The Battle of 73 Easting

Battlefield Chronicles, Global War on Terror

In late February 1991, the desert along the Iraq–Kuwait border was a wholly unremarkable and barren place. There were no towns to name the coming battle; just wind, dust, and a flat horizon marred only by burning oil wells and the silhouettes of armored vehicles. The Battle of 73 Easting Started as a Map Line To make sense of that emptiness, coalition planners drew a grid across the map. One of those north–south lines, labeled "73 Easting," would become shorthand for the last great tank...

Service Reflections of Capt Al Kyle, U.S. Marine Corps (1967-1971)

Marine Reflections, Vietnam War

My dad and father-in-law were both career Marines – a big-time influence! Also, I had an NROTC scholarship to Duke University, and graduated in 1967. I was a Marine officer for four years, from 1967 to 1971. Before graduation, we were asked our preferences for a duty station. We were given three choices: West Coast, East Coast, or Vietnam, and were guaranteed to get one of our first three choices. HA! Virtually every graduate ended up in Vietnam.

Korean War – Firefight at Outpost 3 (1952)

Battlefield Chronicles, Korean War

"There were 80 of us on that hill when an estimated 600-800 Chinese hit us hard that night. Sixty-six of us were killed, wounded or missing."PFC Edgar "Bart"Dauberman, USMC "Easy"Company, 2d Battalion 5th Marines In the spring of 1952, General James A. Van Fleet, USA, Commander, 8th United States Army in Korea and supreme commander of all Allied Forces in Korea, undertook one of the most audacious operations in the history of warfare. With his Army fully engaged against Chinese and...

WWII – The Defense of Wake Island

Battlefield Chronicles, World War II

In December 1941, as Japan ripped across the Pacific, most American outposts collapsed in days. Guam fell between Dec. 8 and Dec. 10 to a larger Japanese landing force after only brief resistance by a small, lightly armed garrison of sailors and Marines. Wake Island was supposed to be another speed bump. Instead, a few hundred Marines, sailors, and civilian contractors turned it into a two-week fight that delivered the first American tactical victory of the Pacific War and a badly needed...

Send Us More Japs!

Military Myths and Legends, World War II

The defense of Wake Island in December 1941 became one of the only bright spots in a month of disasters for the United States and its Allies in the Pacific. A tiny garrison of Marines, Sailors, Army radiomen, and civilian contractors held out from Dec. 8–23 and even stopped the first Japanese landing attempt cold, sinking two destroyers and inflicting heavy casualties in the process. Early war coverage turned the defenders of the tiny atoll into instant heroes. Wake Island Myth Became A...

Everything You Never Knew About the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

5 Unsung Heroes of the U.S. Marine Corps

Profiles in Courage, World War II

When it comes to famous Marine Corps veterans, everyone remembers Lewis "Chesty" Puller, John Basilone, Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly, and a slew of other legendary devil dogs. But to celebrate the Marine Corps' 250th birthday, it's important to remember that the Corps has no end of heroes, many of whom fade away further and further with time. So we don't forget the Marines who fought with distinction, but may not have been as quotable as Chesty, as political as Smedley Butler, or as smart as John...

Together We Served by Bill Sheehan

Military Book Reviews, Vietnam War

Bill Sheehan has led a fascinating career, working in film and television in New York and Hollywood since 1978. He worked on the film crews for movies like Steven Seagal’s 1990 action hit, “Hard to Kill” and 1984’s “Romancing the Stone.” Sheehan is most proud of his years working for actor-director Michael Landon, in which he not only served on the crew for television staples like “Highway to Heaven” but also often as the first aid medic. Sheehan’s Vietnam Memories in Together We Served...

Service Reflections of SGT Harry C. Craft, U.S. Army (1977-1981)

Army Reflections, Cold War

I had 5 uncles who fought in WWII, and between them, there were 6 Purple Hearts, 1 Silver Star, and 3 Bronze Stars. I used to hear them tell me stories about commanding tanks as a tank commander during the war, and I became very interested in the Army after that. I also had an 18-year-old cousin who joined the Marines in 1969; I saw him in his uniform and knew I had to join the military. He was only 18 when he was killed in Vietnam. He was only there for four months. So, my family has shed their share of blood for this country, and I knew I was obligated, whether I wanted to or not. I could not let my family down. So, 10 days after I got my high school diploma, I reported to Fort Dix, New Jersey, for Basic Combat Training! After training, I was sent to Fort Hood, Texas. I served with the 13th Coscom and the 1st Cavalry Division while there. I also served at Heilbronn, West Germany, and Miesau, West Germany, as well as Fort Pickett, Virginia. I loved the Army and wished I had stayed, but I chose to later join the U.S. Coast Guard, where I retired as a CWO2. But I loved my military career and got to see things I would have never seen and did things I would never have gotten to do.

1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment By A3C Mike Bell

Famous Military Units

"We are obligated to live meaningful and purposeful lives. We will never forget them... We will earn what they have given us." George Benson, LtCol 1/6 USMC, 2012 Initially activated on 11 Jul 1917 at Marine Corps Base Quantico, the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines (1/6), sometimes called “Deathwalkers" or “Comanche" with the mottos “1/6 Hard" (a name derived from its commander at Belleau Wood, Maj. John Arthur Hughes, aka "Johnny the Hard") and “Ready to Fight" is an infantry battalion in the...

General John Kelly’s Speech About Two Heroic Marines

Gulf War, Profiles in Courage

Two years ago, when I was the Commander of all U.S. and Iraqi forces, in fact, the 22nd of April 2008, two Marine infantry battalions, 1/9 "The Walking Dead," and 2/8 were switching out in Ramadi. One battalion in the closing days of their deployment going home very soon, the other just starting its seven-month combat tour. Haerter, Jordan, LCpl Yale, Jonathan Tyler, Cpl Yale and Haerter Form an Unlikely Brotherhood in Ramadi Two Marines, Corporal Jonathan Yale and Lance Corporal...

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