bulletin of the marine corps historical …...major general gardner appointed me as director of the...
TRANSCRIPT
REORGANIZATION, RELOCATION, AND REBIRTH...FROM DESIGN TO DEDICATION...IT’S ALL ABOUT HONORPROFILES OF MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS... SOMALIA RELIEF ADDED TO SERIES...CHRONOLOGY 2004FIELD HISTORY FOCUSED ON COLLECTION...DISPATCH FROM IRAQ 2007...COMBAT ART PROGRAM
BULLETIN OF THE MARINE CORPS HISTORICAL PROGRAMHISTORICAL BULLETIN VOLUME 32, NUMBER 2 2007
PASSTHIS
ISSU
EON
TOANOTHER
MARIN
E
Dedication of theNational Museum
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for public release; distribution isunlimited.
PCN 10401220100
HISTORYDIVISION
DIRECTOR EMERITUSBGen Edwin H. Simmons, USMC
(Ret)
DIRECTORDr. Charles P. Neimeyer
Secretary to the DirectorMrs. Jeanne Riffe
CHIEF HISTORIAN Mr. Charles D. Melson
HISTORIES BRANCHMr. Charles R. Smith (Branch Head);Dr. Nathan S. Lowrey; Mr. PaulWestermeyer; Mrs. Wanda F. Renfrow
HISTORICAL REFERENCE BRANCHMr. Danny J. Crawford (Branch Head);Mr. Robert V. Aquilina; Ms. Lena M.Kaljot; Ms. Kara Newcomer; Ms.Annette D. Amerman; Mrs. SheliaBoyd
ORAL HISTORY BRANCHDr. Fred H. Allison (Branch Head); Mr.Robert Taglianetti
FIELD HISTORY BRANCHCol Michael D. Visconage (OIC); FieldHistorians: Col Stephen Evans; ColPatricia Saint; LtCol David Benhoff;LtCol Kurt Wheeler; LtCol CraigCovert; Maj Jeffrey Riley; Maj AlexDurr; Maj Daniel Sparks; Maj ValerieJackson; Maj Joseph Winslow; CaptCameron Wilson; 1stLt Mark Newman;CWO-4 Michael Sears; CWO-3 WilliamHutson; WO-1 Michael Fay; MSgtRobert Yarnall; Sgt Kristopher Battles;LCpl Michael Satkovich
EDITING AND DESIGNMr. William S. Hill
FORTITUDINE STAFFSenior Editor: Col Patricia SaintAssociate Editor: Maj Valerie JacksonGraphic Designers: Mr. William S. Hill;Maj Alex Durr
Marine Corps History Division3079 Moreell Avenue
Quantico, Virginia 22134Telephone (703) 432-4877
Motto of the United States Marine Corps in the 1812 eraHistorical Bulletin Vol. 32, No. 2 2007
“We can only know who we are by being certain of who we have been.”
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT THE COVER
About the Cover: History Division CombatArtist Major Alex Durr painted a watercol-or of the National Museum of the MarineCorps dedication ceremony held on 10November 2006. During the ceremony,President George W. Bush announced thatCorporal Jason L. Dunham would receivethe Medal of Honor posthumously.Profiled left to right are Lieutenant GeneralJames F. Amos, Commanding General,Marine Corps Combat DevelopmentCommand; General Peter Pace, Chairmanof the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and GeneralMichael W. Hagee, 33d Commandant ofthe Marine Corps.
2 Fortitudine,Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007
REORGANIZATION, RELOCATION, AND REBIRTH...FROM DESIGN TO DEDICATION...IT’S ALL ABOUT HONORPROFILES OF MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS... SOMALIA RELIEF ADDED TO SERIES...CHRONOLOGY 2004FIELD HISTORY FOCUSED ON COLLECTION...DISPATCH FROM IRAQ 2007...COMBAT ART PROGRAM
BULLETIN OF THE MARINE CORPS HISTORICAL PROGRAMHISTORICAL BULLETIN VOLUME 32, NUMBER 2 2007
PASSTHIS
ISSU
EON
TOANOTHER
MARIN
E
Dedication of theNational Museum
Memorandum from the Director: Reorganization, Relocation, and Rebirth ofFortitudine
Dr. Charles P. Neimeyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Museum Dedication: From Design to Dedication,A Project Management View
Col Patricia Saint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Touring the Museum: It’s All About Honor, Courage and Commitment
Lin Ezell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Oral History: Profiles of Medal of Honor Recipients
Fred H. Allison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9History Writing: Somalia Relief Effort Added to Humanitarian Series
Charles R. Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Marine Detachment Arizona
Col Richard D. Camp, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Marine Corps Chronology: 2004 Annual Chronology (Part I)
Kara R. Newcomer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Field History: Focused on Collection
LtCol David A. Benhoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Dispatch from Iraq: February 2007
LtCol Kurt Wheeler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Combat Art: Combat Art Program
Maj Alex Durr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Commemorative Namings: Fallen Marines from Operations Enduring and IraqiFreedom HonoredRobert V. Aquilina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Gray Research Center: The Library of the Marine Corps
Carol E. Ramkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19In Memoriam: Former Assistant Commandant Passes
Robert V. Aquilina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20A Tribute: Museum Director, Historian, Marine
Col Avery Chenoweth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
This bulletin of the Marine Corps historical program is published for Marines, at the rate of onecopy for every nine on active duty, to provide education and training in the uses of military andMarine Corps history. Other interested readers may purchase single copies or four-issue sub-scriptions from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office. The appro-priate order form appears in this issue.
Gen Leonard F. Chapman, Jr.24th Commandant of the Marine Corps
will most likely renew enthusiasm andinterest in Marine Corps history soplease also visit our new—but tempo-rary—quarters located across the lawnfrom Breckinridge Hall in Quantico,Virginia. In a few years, the Divisionhopes to move into our own wing ofthe Gray Research Center. The wingwill be appropriately named after thefather of the modern Marine Corpshistorical program and HistoryDivision Director Emeritus, BrigadierGeneral Edwin H. Simmons, USMC(Ret).
Dr. Neimeyer holds a M.A. and aPh.D in American History from
Georgetown University and an addi-tional M.A. in national security affairsfrom the Naval War College. Dr.Neimeyer retired as an artillery lieu-tenant colonel with 20 years of activeservice. �1775�
Fortitudine, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007 3
Memorandum from the Director
Dr. Charles P. Neimeyer
After a hiatus of nearly two years,History Division is pleased to
announce the spring issue of its bul-letin, Fortitudine. Our staff hopesthat the re-birth of our traditionalDivision publication will make it awelcomed arrival for all who honorand revere Marine Corps history.
And just like the revampedFortitudine, the History Division haslikewise undergone significant organi-zational changes since 2005.
First, the Division now operatesunder the direction of Marine CorpsUniversity President, Major GeneralDonald R. Gardner, USMC (Ret). Theformer organizational structure thatconsolidated all three components ofthe historical program (history,archives, and museums) in Building58 at the Washington, D.C. Navy Yardis no more. The Division relocatednear its parent command at MarineCorps Base Quantico, Virginia as aseparate entity. The archives sectionmoved to the Alfred Gray ResearchCenter where all of the Marine Corpsrelated archives are retained for easieraccess to this treasure trove of schol-arly historical material. The newlydedicated National Museum of theMarine Corps was built just outsidethe gates of Quantico and falls underthe aegis of the University. In summa-ry, the Division will collaborate with-in the education command and willcontinue its collection, documenta-tion, and promotion of the official his-tory of the Marine Corps.
Second, the Division has a newdirector—me, Charles P. Neimeyer.Major General Gardner appointed meas Director of the History Division on11 December 2006. Since my retire-ment from the Marine Corps in 1996, Ihave been involved in professionalmilitary education more than tenyears. I have served as a professor ofnational security affairs and Dean of
Academics at the U.S. Naval WarCollege and as a professor of govern-ment at Regent University following ashort stint as Provost of Valley ForgeMilitary Academy and College.
Third, the History Division that Inow oversee will transition into a sub-stantially different operation than theone former director, Colonel John W.Ripley, so ably supervised until 2005.In conjunction with our reorganiza-tion and relocation, the Division’sintent is to focus on additional “histo-ry-centric” publications in variousmedia formats to satisfy expandedcustomer interests. Our five branch-es—writing, field history, oral history,reference, and editing and design—will strive to balance our historicalstudies and analysis with an increasedrelevance on today’s active dutyMarine.
Over the next several months, theDivision plans to expand its repertoireof customers to include liaison withfellow University or training staff whopresently use or desire to integratemore history into their curriculum.Our objectives are to produce timelyand relevant battle studies, occasionalpapers, and other assorted historicallyrelated material for general use withinand outside the Marine Corps.
Due to the highly successful open-ing of the National Museum of
the Marine Corps on 10 November2006, public interest in the history ofour Corps has never been higher. Forthose of you who have not been ableto see the new museum, I highly rec-ommend that you eventually do. Injust the first month of operation, themuseum has received more than70,000 visitors—many of whom hadheretofore only a cursory knowledgeof who we are and what the MarineCorps means to the nation.
The fanfare of our new museum
Reorganization, Relocation, andRebirth of Fortitudine
Keeping CurrentAs examples of the newly-
focused balance, the Divisionworked last fall with The BasicSchool staff to publish a pock-et-size Small Unit Actions thatwill serve as a “read-ahead” forall incoming Basic School-bound second lieutenants,while U.S. Marines in Iraq,2003: Anthology andAnnotated Bibliography waspublished in January 2007.The staff is presently workingon the study, The Battle ofKhafji, and a more generalwork that will focus on theexperience of the Marine Corpsduring the entire Gulf War(1990-1991) in conjunctionwith a series of Global War onTerrorism monographs.
4 Fortitudine, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007
A Seven-Year JourneyThe vision to build a museum was
explored in 1979. Twenty-sevenyears later on the 231st anniversary ofthe Corps, Marines in Dress BlueAlphas eagerly awaited the officialopening dedication of the NationalMuseum of the Marine Corps (NMMC)in Quantico, Virginia.
The dedication ceremony was host-ed by the Marine Corps HeritageFoundation and was held on Friday,10 November 2006, on the 135-acresite. It began with the introduction ofthree senior Marine Corps leaders,(Generals Peter Pace, Michael W.Hagee, and James F. Amos as por-trayed on the cover) followed by a 21-gun salute to President George W.Bush. The Marine Corps band played"Hail to the Chief" as the Presidentwalked purposefully toward the podi-um to address about 10,000 digni-taries, guests, sponsors, families, and
fellow veterans. Former Marine JimLehrer, Pubic Broadcast Station broad-caster, was the first speaker. FourMarine FA-18 Hornets screechedacross the sky for a fly-over tribute,and the ceremonial rituals and wordsthat followed honored all Marineswho served in the past and those whocontinue to proudly wear the uni-form.
For the attendees, the historicalevent was marked with pride, honor,and personal sentiment. For themuseum staff who had worked ardu-ously for years, the reflectivemoments warranted celebration forthe completion of a major milestone,particularly for Director, Lin Ezell, andDeputy Director and NMMC projectmanager, Colonel Joseph C. Long.
Ms. Ezell was appointed museumdirector in 2005. Her impressiveresume includes 21 years in seniorpositions with the Smithsonian
Institution’s National Air and SpaceMuseum and her most recent exper-tise as program manager for the plan-ning, design, and construction of theSteven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, whichopened near Dulles InternationalAirport in 2003.
Colonel Long began leading theproject team in 1999 as a reserve offi-cer who was hand-selected for athree-year “special works” billet thateventually transitioned to his currentcivilian position. He reported directlyto the Assistant Commandant of theMarine Corps who chaired the muse-um’s Executive Steering Committee.Colonel Long attributes this seniorleadership relationship and endorse-ment as a key factor that contributedto the project’s success. The seven-year journey from design to openingwould prove to be a project manag-er’s ultimate challenge. As ColonelLong explained: “It was a learning
Museum Dedication
From Design to DedicationA Project Management View
by Col Patricia SaintSenior Editor
Night view of the entrance to the National Museum of the Marine Corps which opened 10 November 2006 Photo courtesy of NMMC
Fortitudine, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007 5
curve. I joined the museum staff andearned a master’s degree in how tobuild a museum.” Homework, Homework,Homework
The Marine Corps HeritageFoundation invested in a demograph-ics study prepared by George MasonUniversity that revealed 70 percent ofthe potential museum visitors wouldhave no former ties to the MarineCorps family and an estimated250,000 people would tour the facilitywithin the first year. Colonel Longworked with the museum staff to inte-grate this marketing data into a strate-gic plan to determine which Marinestories, artwork, and artifacts wouldbe selected from a collection exceed-ing 60,000 pieces; together the wordsand visual images would tell the storyfrom a Marine’s perspective. ColonelLong traveled extensively with thecontract design team to investigateand to learn from other museumexperiences before constructionbegan and exhibits were created. Hisglobal tour included historical sitesspanning from Iwo Jima to Illinois toSan Diego boot camp so the designteam would gain an understandingand appreciation of the “green cul-ture.” During his travels, ColonelLong cultivated a panel of mentorswho he referred to as his “kitchencabinet” which shared their “lessonslearned” throughout the project.
A Few ChallengesAfter the storylines were crafted,
one of the project’s biggest challengeswas the transformation of more than1,800 pieces of text, photos, and arti-facts into memorable exhibits fromdifferent historical eras. Lookingback, Colonel Long would have hireda dedicated exhibit manager for themonumental task. The successfulintegration of immersion and interac-tive displays coupled with traditionalstatic “behind the glass” showcaseshas generated positive public com-ments that will hopefully inspirepatrons for return visits.
The museum’s impressive architec-ture and steep-angled steel spire thatilluminates the sky above Interstate 95at night is definitely an eye-catcher.The spire mirrors the Iwo Jima Islandflag-raising by five Marines and asailor on Mount Suribachi duringWorld War II. As the designers, archi-tects, and contractors resolved how tostrengthen the foundation to provideadditional support for the glass coneof circular walls that represents thecornerstone of the facility, ColonelLong continued to address, resolve,and manage a multitude of other hur-dles. One such hurdle was the devel-opment and oversight of an accept-able security plan that would allowfor general public access. Since themuseum site is located outside MarineCorps Base Quantico’s main gate,internal and external security mea-sures demanded an extended walk-way to the main doors and a parkinglot easement from traffic flow of at
least 150 feet from Route 1 andInterstate 95. Phased Oversight
Throughout phase one, the muse-um staff consisted of eight Marinesand 30 civilians with a mix of histori-cal, educational, and artistic back-grounds and talents. Colonel Longused Microsoft Project™ software andcontinually reviewed managementreports to monitor progress. As phasetwo launches, the museum staff willincrease by 10 people and face newchallenges. They will forge aheadwith new plans, ideas, priorities, andtimeline, yet fully realize the NationalMuseum will always be a monumen-tal work-in-progress. Although theproject is now in its “operation andmaintenance” phase, its genuine mea-surement will always be the steadystream of new and repeat visitors whowill honorably pay tribute to “TheFew, The Proud.” q1775q
Corporal Jason L. DunhamThe most memorable words spoken by
President George W. Bush noted a special trib-ute to a fallen Marine from Operation IraqiFreedom. He profiled the courageous acts ofCorporal Jason L. Dunham who threw himselfon a grenade to save two fellow Marines. Asthe President continued with the heroic story,he announced that the young 25-year-old NewYork native would be awarded the military’shighest award, the Medal of Honor. CorporalDunham’s parents were honored two monthslater during a special Medal of Honor flag cer-emony in the museum’s Leatherneck Gallery.You can learn more about Corporal Dunham onthe Headquarters Marine Corps website athttp://www.usmc.mil.
Corporal Jason L.Dunham served withCompany K, 3dBattalion, 7th Marines,based in TwentyninePalms, California.
Museum Project Timeline
• 1952 Major John Magruder III,USMCR, under the direction of MarineCorps Commandant General Lemuel C.Shepherd, Jr., created a Marine Corpsexhibit at the Smithsonian’s Hall of Militaryand Naval History
• 1979 Marine Corps HistoricalFoundation explores idea to build muse-um
• 1980s Congress authorizes eachService to develop a national center toretain service history
• 1999 Marine Corps HeritageFoundation begins planning and fundrais-ing for the National Museum of the MarineCorps and the Marine Corps HeritageCenter; Col Joseph C. Long joins the pro-ject
• 2001 Fentress Bradburn Architectswin design contract and Christopher-Chadbourne and Associates awarded con-tract
• 2003 Campaign to raise 36.5 millionlaunched and groundbreaking held atMarine Corps Base Quantico; more than60 million was raised
• 2005 Marines dedicate museum siteand Lin Ezell announced as NationalMuseum director
• 2006 Official museum openingdedication; Phase 1 highlights 118,000square feet; 20,000 yards of concrete used;1,500 tons of rebar; 1,300 tons of steel; 2/3acre of glass in the skylight; 210 feet tall;1,000 used from a collection of 60,000 arti-facts; 14 authentic aircraft on display; 11major ground vehicles
It takes a monumental structure topreserve the “larger than life” story of
U.S. Marines. The National Museum ofthe Marine Corps invites visitors towalk in the boot prints of Marines:from the sands of Iwo Jima, throughthe snow of Chosin Reservoir, and onHill 881 South. During the first 12weeks, more than 150,000 visitorsfound the machines, relics, and per-sonal equipment of war, along withstories about epic battles and heraldedwarriors. The all-pervasive message isthat it takes “every Marine” to accom-plish any given objective. This muse-um is not about heroes and giants. It‘sabout every Marine.
The museum’s design is evocative ofthe World War II flag-raising scene onIwo Jima, and its galleries are dramaticand energetic. The central most space,Leatherneck Gallery, is circular like thebuilding itself. Two concentric outercircles accommodate eight galleries inthe 120,000-square-foot first phase.
The architects and exhibit designerschosen for the National Museum teamwalked the German trenches andwheat fields of Belleau Wood, France.They entered Japanese tunnels andgun emplacement on Guam, Saipan,and Tinian, and they stood atop Mt.
Surabachi on the exact place where thefamous flag-raising took place. Theyexperienced boot camp and lived for afew days on board ship. For Marineson the design team, the new museumwas about much more than steel, glass,and concrete. It was about capturingthe resolve, spirit, and discipline ofMarines.
Architects at Fentress Bradburn ofDenver translated their experiencesinto a distinctive design. A gleamingcentral mast reaches up 210 feet, sur-rounded by a cone of glass.Christopher Chadbourne andAssociates of Boston partnered withthe architects and the Marine Corps tocreate a theatrical exhibit design. In2003, general contractor CentexCorporation broke ground on 135acres near Marine Corps Base,Quantico in Virginia.
A dynamic public-private partner-ship was forged to build the museum.The Marine Corps Heritage Foundationraised the funds needed for buildingthe complex and oversaw constructionwith the assistance of Jacobs FacilitiesInc. The Marine Corps funded thework of the architect and the exhibitsdesigner. Design and Production, Inc.,of Lorton, Virginia, was selected by the
Marines to turn the exhibit drawingsinto immersive reality.
Leatherneck Gallery The artifacts, vignettes, testimonials,
and images in this space honor thecontributions of every Marine and high-light core messages of the museum, toinclude innovation and advances intechnology. Suspended overhead arefamous aircraft flown by Marines: a“Jenny” biplane, two Corsairs, and aHarrier “jump jet.” On the ground, aSikorsky helicopter disembarks Marinesonto a Korean War position, and anamphibious tractor abuts a log wall atTarawa. The terrazzo floor paints apicture of oceans, surf, sand, and earth,representing the expeditionary natureof the Marines, while a ship’s superstructure reminds us of the strongNavy-Marine Corps partnership. On thetravertine marble walls, eight large por-traits of Marines and 10 famous quotesbeckon the visitor to contemplate andexplore.
The Early YearsAlong “Legacy Walk,” visitors get a
quick introduction to Marine Corps his-tory, including the promise of fouradditional galleries that will be built in2009-2010 to relate the history of theservice from 1775 to 1939. Marinesfrom the colonial period are perchedhigh atop a ship on the “fighting tops,”ready to defend and protect. Two-timeMedal of Honor recipient Dan Dailycan be seen scaling the Tartar Wall inPeking in 1900. “Every Marine aRifleman” is the theme captured for theperiod 1914-1918, but a U.S. Marinelocked in hand-to-hand combat with aGerman soldier reminds visitors thatwar can be intensely human.Overhead a DH-4 aircraft takes flightinto the 1920s.
Uncommon Valor:Marines in World War II
This gallery honors the sacrifices andaccomplishments of America’s“Greatest Generation.” “UncommonValor” recalls hard-fought battles
6 Fortitudine, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007
Touring the Museum
It’s All About Honor, Courage and Commitmentby Lin Ezell
Director, National Museum of the Marine Corps
Leatherneck Gallery features classic aircraft in action. Photo by Kelly Turner, NMMC
Fortitudine, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007 7
the combatants are found, from thesimple to the sophisticated: artillery,sharpened bamboo stakes, small arms,and booby traps. Stories of compas-sion at Hue City are scripted next toaccounts of firefights. Wall murals anddioramas deliver stories about combatoperations, significant contributions tothe war, individual Marines, specialunits, morale, and air support.
An A-4 aircraft and the ever-presentHuey helicopter represent the air war.A six-barreled Ontos and a capturedSoviet 122mm gun from DeweyCanyon hunker down realistically inthe midst of the fighting.
To the sounds of a pilot talking to aMarine on the ground, visitors embarkon a trip by CH-46 helicopter to Hill
881 South near Khe Sanh. Small armsfire hits the helicopter, and the crewchief instructs everyone to, “Get out!”Prop wash blows on the passengers’necks as they enter the hot landingzone.
Making MarinesAll Marines remember their drill
instructors. In “Making Marines,” visi-tors step inside the process used bydrill instructors to transform youngmen and women into Marines. Fromthe hometown recruiting station tograduation, visitors are immersed in thememorable experiences that forgerecruits and officer candidates into pri-vates and lieutenants.
Listen to the thoughts of waryrecruits during that first bus ride to thetraining depot. Stand on the famousyellow footprints and visit the barber-shop where “it all gets taken away.”But the most important experience islearning how to solve problems, not onyour own, but as a unit. Before grad-uation, try your marksmanship skills atthe M-16 laser rifle range.
Combat ArtDuring World War I, years before the
Marine Corps adopted an officialCombat Art Program, Colonel John W.Thomason produced a powerful seriesof battlefield sketches that laid agroundwork that continues to define aMarine combat artist. Thomason usedthese field drawings to illustrate FixBayonets!, his personal recollectionsfrom the trenches of France in the“Great War.”
against a formidable opponent in thePacific. These gripping stories are toldwith the help of tanks, artillery pieces,fighter aircraft, small arms, and theeveryday “junk on a bunk” thatbelonged to the individual Marine.Exhibits highlight innovation in tactics,equipment, special units, WomenMarines, racial integration, the CodeTalkers, and Navy corpsmen.
In one immersive exhibit, visitors aretold of their pending mission in a ship’sbriefing room just before they board aHiggins Boat for the assault on IwoJima. Motion, sound, and video pro-vide a realistic experience. Close byalways on exhibit is one of the originalflags raised on Iwo Jima. The first andsecond flags will be rotated, so thatone is always on exhibit and one “rest-ing” in storage. In a poignant display,some 6,000 small eagle, globe, andanchor insignias, along with U.S. Navyand U.S. Coast Guard insignias, repre-sent the cost in human lives to take thatone island.
Send in the Marines:The Korean War
The “forgotten war,” fought by thou-sands of Americans more than 50 yearsago against a determined enemy, isrecalled in this gallery. The innovativeuse of helicopters to support the war isdemonstrated by the presence of alooming Sikorsky aircraft, but it isGeneral MacArthur’s strategic end runto attack the enemy rear at Inchon thatis the first major scene. The floorshakes as visitors ride up to the seawall with the Marines. A Pershing tankis discovered fighting in war-tornstreets of Seoul. On Toktong Pass inthe Chosin Reservoir visitors encounterMarines who are cold, tired, and shortof ammunition.
In an exhibit that reflects on theuneasy “see-saw” war, visitors canboard a landing craft and explore abunker, while a Panther jet flies over-head. A sobering walk by a prisoner ofwar cage reminds us of the high priceof war.
In the Air, on Land and Sea:The War in Vietnam
Marines and their Allies fought insur-gents and North Vietnamese forces inhamlets, urban areas, jungles, and ricepaddies. In a recreated Vietnamese vil-lage, weapons and equipment used by
Photo by Eric Long, NMMC
One of the two flags raised on MountSuribachi, Iwo Jima.
Inside the Vietnam Gallery immersion exhibit of Hill 881Photo courtesy of NMMC
The official Marine Corps Combat ArtProgram originated in 1942. Its missionwas simple: keep Americans informedof their Marines’ actions overseas.Several Marine combat artists tradedtheir World War II sea bags for highlysuccessful careers in fine art, includingTom Lovell, John Clymer, and HarryJackson. During the Korean conflict,Marine and civilian artists went intocombat to record the experiences ofleathernecks under fire. John Groth’spassionately expressive ink drawingshelped Americans at home appreciatethe frozen hell endured by theirMarines in Korea. In 1966, artists wentto war in Vietnam. The Marine Corpsdeployed dozens of Marine and civilianartists to Southeast Asia and in subse-quent places such as Lebanon, Iraq,Afghanistan, Norway, Grenada, Haiti,Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan,Bahrain, Cuba, Somalia, and Peru.Gifted artists continue this traditiontoday wherever the Global War onTerrorism takes Marines.
The Marine Corps Combat ArtCollection includes more than 350artists and nearly 8,000 pieces of fineart. The Combat Art Gallery at thenew Museum exhibits approximately90 works, including paintings complet-ed just months ago.
Global War on TerrorismMarine Corps photographers capture
powerful images that add depth and
detail, personality and emotion to bat-tlefield scenes. Their work also helpscommanders in the field who needimages to help them make real-timedecisions. Since World War II, photog-raphers armed with rifles and cameraequipment have been documentingeverything the field units do—from eat-ing in makeshift mess halls to chargingthrough combat zones. At the peak ofthe program during World War II, 600Marine combat photographers con-tributed to documenting the war andMarine Corps life. Today, 400 person-nel are assigned to Combat Camera,
working in Afghanistan, Iraq, andwherever else Marines are deployed.
Their work gives visitors a glimpseonto contemporary fields of battle, pre-cipitated by the acts of terrorism suf-fered by the United States on 11September 2001. q1775q
8 Fortitudine,Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007
Marine Corps Art Collection
Frank Earle Schoonover’s depiction of close fighting in Belleau Wood in 1918 wasused as an illustration in a time before photography and motion picture couldcapture battle field action.
Marines in every clime and place were depicted by Sgt Tom Lovell to illustrate the1843 parley of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, USN, with a tribal chief inLiberia.
Marine Corps Art Collection
The National Museum also displaysmore practical art forms, to includethis famous James Montgomery Flagpainting used as a “First in the Fight”recruiting poster.
Marine Corps Art Collection
Fortitudine,Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007 9
“No, no, no—watch his hand!”Corporal Jason Dunham yelled
to two of his buddies from CompanyK, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, as theywrestled with an Iraqi insurgent out-side the town of Karabilah in April2004. In the enemy’s hand was agrenade with the pin already pulled;probably a British-made “Mills Bomb.”When the Iraqi dropped it, Dunhamonly had that span of time to make adecision. Dunham dove and slammedhis Kevlar helmet over the grenade, itexploded, and shrapnel pierced hisskull.
Corporal Dunham died four dayslater at Bethesda Naval Hospital. On11 January 2007, Corporal Dunham’sparents proudly accepted the Medal ofHonor in recognition of their son’sheroic action. Dunham was the 297thMarine who has received this highestaward for bravery and valor.
Medal of Honor recipients are dis-tinguished for their exceptional acts ofbravery in the face of extreme dangerand willingness to jeopardize theirpersonal safety. On rare occasions,the Medal has been awarded to pio-neers such as Brigadier GeneralWilliam “Billy” Mitchell, USA, for hissignificant military aviation contribu-tions.
Not all decisions, like Dunham’swere instantaneous decisions. Otherrecipients had time to think about it,evaluate the risks, yet they still madea decision that risked life and limb todestroy the enemy and protect fellowMarines. Like Marine LieutenantJefferson J. DeBlanc’s decision whenhe was flying a Wildcat fighter duringWorld War II, escorting Marine dive-bombers flying back to Guadalcanal.He had done his duty; the bomberswere safely off target and headedhome and the bombers had tail gun-ners for self-defense. He calculatedthat his aircraft had just enough gas tomake it back to Guadalcanal whenover the radio came the call, “Zeros!”They were behind him, barely visible;
nevertheless they were bearing downon the bombers. He saw no otherfighters respond. He turned hisWildcat around, knowing he wouldrun out of gas before he reachedhome base even if he were fortunateenough to survive the dogfight againstnumerous adversaries. He made aradio call, “I’ll be in a rubber boatbetween the Russell Islands andMunda, come and look for me in themorning.”
Corporal Hershel Williams of the23d Marines at Iwo Jima is an
example of a Marine subjected toextreme danger for an extended peri-od, who deliberately and repeatedlymade life-imperiling decisions. Over afour-hour period on 23 February 1945,Corporal Williams continuouslyattacked Japanese pill boxes with aflamethrower and demolition chargesin the face of hellish machine-gun fire.He returned repeatedly during a three-day span to friendly lines only formore gas for his flamethrower or moredemolition charges.
Similarly, Captain Jay R. Vargas,company commander of Company G,2d Battalion, 4th Marines, at Dai Do,South Vietnam, in 1968 repeatedlyexposed himself to withering enemyfire that wounded him three times,while aggressively leading his Marinesin attacks against a well-defended andnumerous enemy.
Perhaps Marine rifleman PrivateHector Cafferata’s, experience puts itin perspective best. At 0100 at theChosin Reservoir, in bone chillingweather, he was jolted awake whenout of the darkness a Chinese assaultbounded toward the Marines’ line. Hecame out of his sleeping bag andimmediately was face to face withChinese soldiers. Unable to hold inthat position the Marines fell back. Hedropped in a wash, “with a bunch ofwounded and dead Marines,” in it.And that’s where he stayed. In socksand a light jacket, until daylight, all hedid was, “shoot and shoot and shoot.”It was automatic he said, hesitationmeant, “you or your buddy are gonnabe dead.” Cafferata continued: “Youknow, Marines, we have a motto. Wetake care of our own. If you’re in asituation that I was in, you havewounded with you, you have deadwith you, you know you have to holdthe line. So that’s what Marines aresupposed to do.” Corporal Dunhamand the other Medal of Honor Marines
Oral History
Profiles of Medal of Honor Recipientsby Fred H. AllisonHead, Oral History
The Medal of Honor is a bronzemedallion hanging from an anchorsewn to a sky-blue ribbon.
Heroes Captured on TapeIn August 2006, Commandant of
the Marine Corps, General Michael W.Hagee, hosted a two-day event inWashington, D.C., in honor of the 20living Marines who had received theMedal of Honor. Recognizing theirsignificance for Marine Corps history,General Hagee invited historians fromMarine Corps University, supported byMarines and technicians from HQMC’sAudio Visual Section, to record oralhistory interviews. The historians col-lected 11 digital video interviews thatcaptured the varying backgrounds andwartime experiences, and most impor-tantly, an understanding of how andwhy they made the decisions that ledto the actions of the Medal of HonorMarines. Edited versions of their inter-views will appear as pod casts on theHistory Division’s website in the nearfuture and Corporal Hershel Williams’is already featured on Leatherneck’swebsite. The historians also will pro-vide the interviews to the NationalMuseum of the Marine Corps.
10 Fortitudine,Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007
would have agreed. These Marines are not supermen,
rather they are humble, dedicatedMarines. And like Corporal Dunham,
there was a time in their past, when inthe face of daunting odds, they madea decision, a profound decision thatplaced the well-being of others ahead
of their own. Corporal Dunham’sunselfish decision cost him his life, butit saved the lives of two fellowMarines. q1775q
New Publications
Somalia Relief Effort Added to Humanitarian Seriesby Charles R. Smith
Head, Histories Branch
Ethiopian-backed governmentoffensive defeats Islamist group;
Warlords are back; and U.S. SpecialOperations forces strike Somalia. Onceagain stories about this east-Africancountry’s struggle with anarchy are onAmerica’s front pages. The situationhas not changed much in 16 years.The circumstances then and America’sresponse are the subject of the HistoryDivision’s recent addition to the ongo-ing U.S. Marines in HumanitarianOperations series, Restoring Hope: InSomalia with the Unified Task Force,1992-1993, by Colonel Dennis P.Mroczkowski, former officer in chargeof the Division’s field history branch.
In January 1991, as Somalia fell intosectarian and ethnic warfare followingthe collapse of the central govern-ment, regional warlords drawing onclan loyalty established independentpower bases. This situation led to astruggle over food supplies with eachclan raiding the storehouses anddepots of the others. Coupled with adrought, these actions brought famineto hundreds of thousands of the coun-try's poor. Although international relieforganizations set up refugee camps toprevent widespread starvation, theycould not handle the massive aid andthe logistical and security structureneeded to distribute it. Food donationsnever reached the country’s poor,because warlords confiscated and dis-tributed or sold it for their own pur-poses. The general misery was com-pounded by the continued brutality ofthe Somali clans toward their rivalsand the sporadic outbreaks of fighting.The most visible elements of the suf-fering – pictures of starving, fly-cov-ered children with bloated bellies –appeared nightly on American televi-sion screens.
In early 1992, the United Nations
President George H. W. Bush orderedUnited States forces to deploy toSomalia. Their mission was to ensurethat relief supplies reached the peoplewho needed them thus breaking thecycle of starvation and saving lives.
The operation, codenamed RestoreHope, began on 8 December 1992
under the direction of Unified TaskForce Somalia, or UNITAF. I MarineExpeditionary Force formed the bulkof the headquarters, with augmenta-tion from all the Services. Commandedby Marine Lieutenant General RobertB. Johnston, UNITAF included U.S.and allied troops under U.S. ratherthan United Nations direction. MarineCorps and Navy special operationselements moved into Somalia in theearly morning hours of 9 December,with the first 1,300 Marines arriving byamphibious assault vehicles, air-cush-ioned landing craft, and helicoptersdirectly to Mogadishu airport. Luckily,the diplomatic groundwork had beenlaid for U.S. troops to arrive withoutSomali resistance. Thereafter, Somaliwarlords quickly agreed to cooperatewith each other, at least for a time, andwork with U.S. troops to establish arelatively secure environment.
The 10th Mountain Division, basedat Fort Drum, New York, was the U.S.Army component of UNITAF. Coalitionforces included large componentsfrom France, Italy, Belgium, Morocco,Australia, Pakistan, Malaysia, andCanada. During the operation, morethan 38,000 soldiers from 23 differentnations and representatives from 49different humanitarian relief opera-tions worked together to put food intothe mouths of the starving Somali peo-ple.
Heavily armed UNITAF units rapid-ly established security in their assigned
reacted to the worsening Somaliaplight by approving Resolution 751,which authorized United Nationshumanitarian relief operations.Almost immediately, a small group ofpeacekeepers deployed to the countryand tried to sort out the confusingarray of clans, roving private armies,and relief organizations, all competingover the distribution of relief supplies.While some progress was made in themajor towns, significant amounts ofthe supplies destined for the interiorstill were being hijacked.
In response to the worsening famine,the United States assisted the relief
efforts by airlifting food from nearbyKenya to remote airfields in the interi-or of Somalia for distribution, thusbypassing congested ports and reduc-ing the need to send out easily lootedconvoys. The American relief effortwas thus a limited attempt to use itslogistical expertise without employingits military forces on the ground.
As distribution problems continued,
Fortitudine,Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007 11
sectors. Although an uneasy trucebetween the clans was created as aprecondition to establishing a militaryand relief presence in the interior, itwas not the U.S. mission to disarm orattack the factions. UNITAF forceswere neutral and in Somalia only toensure that relief supplies flowed.They achieved this mission quickly,and by late December the port and theairport reopened and relief suppliesbegan move ashore and into the inte-rior.
Despite some setbacks and a fewviolent incidents, the relief missionwent well from January until May1993, when UNITAF turned overresponsibilities in Somalia to UnitedNations forces. It seemed that life forthe average Somali was taking onsome measure of normalcy. Marketsreopened, travel increased, and therewas even some hope of restarting aSomali national police force;Operation Restore Hope had succeed-ed in its goal of bringing an end to
mass starvation. It also provided usefullessons, notes the author. “The menand women, Marines, soldiers, sailors,and airmen who served in RestoreHope were challenged to replace anar-chy and fear with order and security.They faced situations that were thennovel, but have since become familiar.Their efforts made them…think in newdirections to solve the problems ofhumanitarian operations conducted insupport of sometimes obscure andlimited national goals.” �1775�
Marine Detachment Arizonaby Col Richard D. Camp, Jr.
Operational Director, National Museum of the Marine Corps
On 14 November 2005, theCommandant of the Marine
Corps dedicated a memorial to honorthe memory of the Marine DetachmentUSS Arizona on 7 December 1941. Ofthe 88 Marines, 73 were killed inaction, 52 of whom remain entombedin the ship. The others are buried inthe National Memorial Cemetery of thePacific. The memorial consists of a 36-foot flagpole embedded in a seven-sided concrete base inscribed with thenames of the 88-member detachmenton seven bronze plaques. It is locat-ed on a point of land between the USSArizona Memorial Visitors Center andthe USS Bowfin Submarine Memorialand Park.
Among the dignitaries attending theceremony was Colonel John “Jack” H.Earle, Jr., the 91-year-old formerdetachment commander—and one ofonly two survivors of that Day ofInfamy. The other survivor, formerWarrant Officer Lamar S. Crawford,currently lives in Texas.
Jack Earle assumed command on 6December 1941. He had receivedorders weeks earlier but had not beenable to carry them out because of thefleet’s operational schedule. “MajorAlan Shapley met me on the quarter-deck late in the day and formallyintroduced me to the ship’s captain ashis relief.” However, before the offi-cial change of command, the two hadto complete the time-honored invento-ry of the detachment’s clothing andproperty. At 2100, they found them-selves in the bowels of the ship, “hot
as hell, working up a powerful thirst.”Shapley suggested they go ashore fora beer at the officer’s club. Later,Shapley suggested, “Jack, why don’tyou go home to your wife and comeback in the morning.” Earle saidsomewhat tongue in cheek that,“Because Alan Shapley wanted a beer,I’m alive today.”
Early the next morning, Earl wasawakened by a banging on his apart-ment door. “I jumped out of bed, hur-ried to the door and found my neigh-bor shouting excitedly, ‘Pearl Harbor
Warrant Officer Lamar S.Crawford
Eighty-five-year-old LamarCrawford is the only survivorwho was on the Arizona at thetime of the attack. He was oneof 12 Marine survivors whosebattle station was located in sec-ondary aft. Crawford, whoworked in the detachment’soffice, compiled the officialmuster role of Arizona’sMarines.
Photo courtesy of the National Archives
Motor launch rescues a survivor from the water alongside the USS West Virginiaduring the Pearl Harbor attack.
is under attack!’ I rushed to the lanaiand saw black puffs of anti-aircraft fireover the harbor.” The two rushed intothe street, flagged down a cab andraced for naval base. After a franticride through the streets of Honolulu,Earle’s taxi screeched up to the maingate, where several heavily armedMarine sentries warily scrutinized afrenzied crowd of returning service-men, many of whom wore civilianclothes. Earle remembered one Navyofficer had a great deal of trouble con-vincing the guards to let him inbecause of his Asian features. He wasan All-American athlete at the NavalAcademy, but they still weren’t buyinghis story.
Earle made his way to the fleetlanding. “It was a mess,” he recalled.“Flames and smoke hung over battle-ship row. Oil covered the water—some of it on fire. Arizona was burn-ing like crazy; a huge cloud of blacksmoke billowed skyward. WestVirginia, next to my old ship theTennessee, was burning furiously.One of the first things I saw was aJapanese aerial torpedo lying on thebeach. An admiral wandered aroundin a daze, saying ‘Ain’t this a mess!’ Asailor finally led him away. Manysmall boats nudged into the pier, call-ing out the names of their ship to pickup stranded shipmates. I noticedimmediately that no boat came in
from the Arizona.”Earle caught a boat to Ford Island,
“which the Japanese had bombed thebejesus out of,” and made his way tothe closest point abreast of Arizona.“I found the surviving members of thedetachment in a bomb shelter. Theywere a dazed, bedraggled-lookingbunch, soaking wet, no shoes, missingparts of uniforms—and mentallyexhausted.” By this time the mainattack was over, although, “the oddJapanese plane continued to fly over.”With the Arizona nothing but a blaz-ing wreck, Earle took his men to hisold ship, the Tennessee, which waspinned against the quay by the WestVirginia. “We walked across the
fresh-water pipe that fed the battle-ships. My old shipmates greeted mewarmly, because they thought I hadbeen killed.” First Sergeant Roger M.Emmons of the Tennessee was thank-ful to see Earle again. “It was a greatshock to us when we learned howmany of the Arizona’s Marines hadbeen killed. Most of the survivors hadsore guts caused by the shock ofbombs exploding in the water as theyswam ashore.”
From the Tennessee, Earle couldsee “bodies floating in the harbor andaround the ship—lots and lots of bod-ies—a grisly sight!” Recovery of theremains started almost at once.“Initially, small boats would snare thelegs and haul them to the landing.However, after being in the water fora while, the bodies deteriorated soanother method was used. A wirescoop was attached to the bow, like astreetcar bumper, which was rununderneath the body. It was then lift-ed and taken ashore.” Earle and thesurvivors remained on board theTennessee for several days beforebeing transferred to the MarineBarracks and reassignment. Jack Earlerequested assignment to flight trainingand, after receiving his wings, flewDouglas SBD Dauntless dive-bomberwith Marine Air Group 24 onBougainville and the Philippines.
q1775q
12 Fortitudine,Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007
Pearl Harbor survivors and their family and friends throwflowers into the USS Arizona well during a floral tribute atthe USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The cere-
mony took place on 7 December 2006 in honor of the fallenSailors and Marines of the sunken battleship on its 65thanniversary. Photo by SFC James E. Foehl, USA
Photo by PO1 Bennett,USN
USS Arizona Memorial from above inPearl Harbor, Hawaii. Notice the oilslick that still leaks from the hull to thisday.
The Annual Chronology of theMarine Corps serves as a valuable
source of information on significantevents and dates in contemporaryMarine Corps history. Since 1982, theHistorical Reference Branch of theMarine Corps History Division hascompiled the yearly chronology byresearching numerous primary andsecondary sources each week. Thefollowing excerpts highlight entriesfrom the first half of the 2004Chronology including the ongoingOperations Iraqi and EnduringFreedom. To view past annualchronologies as well as the complete2004 Chronology, please visit theFrequently Requested section of theHistory Division’s website at www.his-tory.usmc.mil.
1 January – The strength of the U.S.Armed Forces was 1,462,779 of whom177,030 were U.S. Marines.
14 January – The first step of the mas-sive troop rotation in the Persian Gulfregion for the next major phase ofOperation Iraqi Freedom began as thecombat gear for the deploying Marinesgot underway. Marines were set toreplace returning army units and assistin the rebuilding of Iraq. Thousandsof Marines from both the I MarineExpeditionary Force and II MEF werescheduled to deploy to the conflictedregion by February 2004.
9 February – The Korean DefenseService Medal was authorized for anyService member who served in Koreafor 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecu-tive days after 28 July 1954 to a futureundetermined date. MARADMIN120/04 spelled out all qualifying crite-ria for Marines as well as the proce-dure to acquire the medal.
23 February – 50 Marines from a spe-cial detachment of the 4th MarineExpeditionary Brigade landed in theHaitian capital of Port-au-Prince to
took three days. Marines were sched-uled to replace the departing Armyunits in safety and stability operationsin Iraq.
20 March – Marine Major GeneralJames N. Mattis, commander of theCamp Pendleton-based 1st MarineDivision, formally assumed responsi-bility of the Al Anbar and NorthernBabil provinces from the Army’s 82dAirborne Division. The relief-in-placeceremony bequeathed to the MarineCorps the majority of the volatileSunni Triangle region north and westof Baghdad, an area where Americanforces had been under nearly dailyattacks from insurgents.
Fortitudine,Vol. 32, No.2, 2007 13
secure the U.S. Embassy and helpevacuate American citizens from thestrife-torn country. Six days later,Haitian President Jean-BertrandAristide resigned and PresidentGeorge W. Bush ordered more U.S.Marines into the country to be theleading element of a multinationalinterim force.
11 March – The I MarineExpeditionary Force HeadquartersGroup completed the longest convoyin the unit’s history after traveling over800 km from staging areas in Kuwaitto Forward Operating Base St. Mere,Iraq. The trek to the U.S. Army’s 82dAirborne Division’s area of operation
Marine Corps Chronology
2004 Annual Chronology (Part I)by Kara R. NewcomerReference Historian
Photo by LCpl Kevin McCall
Company L, 3d Battalion, 8th Marines, secure the perimeter of a school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, prior to delivering donated school supplies. This effort, knownas Operation Homework, was part of the larger Operation Secure Tomorrow.
again in Fallujah and in Najah afterinsurgents fired upon Marines ringingthe cities and a Marine patrol wasambushed. Most of the insurgentswere members of the rebellious clericMoqtada Sadr’s Mahdi Army and wereusing mosques to hide in. Warplanesand attack helicopters were called into help destroy suspected strongholdsthat were not considered sacred sites.
29 April – The National World War IIMemorial opened to the public. Theofficial dedication took place a monthlater during Memorial Day weekendwith thousands of veterans present towitness the historic moment and par-take in the weekend’s events. Thememorial was built in a prominentspace on the National Mall, squarelybetween the Lincoln Memorial andWashington Monument.
7 May – The Marine Corps suffered itsfirst combat casualty in Afghanistansince Operation Enduring Freedombegan in October 2001. CorporalRonald R. Payne’s death came daysafter the 22d MEU pushed into aregion south of Kabul that still har-bored Taliban militia and establishedForward Operating Base Ripley to sup-port combat and civil-military opera-tions primarily in the Oruzganprovince.
5 June – Seven Kuwaiti Islamic extrem-
5 April – Marines from 2d Battalion, 1stMarines, and 1st Battalion, 5th Marines,shut down access to the volatile Iraqicity of Fallujah in the opening days ofOperation Vigilant Resolve. The pur-pose was to isolate and seek out insur-gents holing up in the city followingthe murder and mutilation of fourAmerican contractors. The bitter fight-ing throughout the month left numer-ous Marines dead or wounded andwith no real peace after the Marineswere ordered to scale down attacksand eventually withdraw from the citybefore an all-out offensive could belaunched.
14 April – The 22d MEU (SOC) com-pleted its move into Afghanistan. TheMarines came under operational con-trol of Combined Joint Task Force 180and were to assist in operations tohelp stabilize the country. Sadly, only10 days later, three Marines wereinjured when a roadside bomb explod-ed alongside their convoy near the vil-lage of Daylanor in the Kandaharprovince.
16 April – The 4th Marine Regimentcelebrated its 90th birthday. The regi-ment was activated in 1914 at PugetSound, Washington, but celebrated itsbirthday in its current location of CampSchwab, Okinawa.
26 – 28 April – Firefights erupted once
ists were convicted of involvement inthe 8 October 2002 attack on Marinesparticipating in urban assault trainingon the Kuwaiti island of Failaka thatleft one Marine dead and anotherwounded. None received more thanfive years jail time and the lightest sen-tence was probation. The actual gun-men were killed in the attack andnone of those convicted were foundguilty of the most serious charges ofconspiring with the perpetrators.
9 June – Marines from WashingtonD.C., along with members of the otherarmed forces, accompanied the bodyof the 40th President of the UnitedStates, Ronald Reagan, to the CapitolRotunda where he laid in state until 11June. President Reagan passed away5 June at the age of 93 at his home inBel Air, California. In accordance withhis wishes, he was flown to D.C. forfuneral services before being returnedto California for private burial at theRonald Reagan Presidential Libraryand Museum.
12 June – Marines killed more than 80insurgents during a three-week assaultin southern Afghanistan. The assaulton the Taliban stronghold was ademonstration that there was norefuge for terrorists, especially on theeve of Afghanistan’s first free electionsthat were scheduled for late 2004.
25 June – Nearly 2,000 Marines, mostfrom 3d Battalion, 8th Marines, and itsregimental staff, officially ended theirpeacekeeping mission in Haiti andbegan returning home to NorthCarolina after a U.N. peacekeepingforce began arriving to take over.Two Marines were shot and woundedduring the mission.
28 June – The U.S. led coalition trans-ferred sovereignty two days early tothe interim Iraqi government. Thesurprise early handover was done inthe hopes that it would decreaseinsurgents’ chances to sabotage Iraq’sstep toward self-rule. Two days later,Marines raised the American flag overthe new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad,marking the first time the Americanflag has flown there in 13 years.
�1775�
14 Fortitudine, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007
Gen Michael W. Hagee and others pay their respects to the 40th President RonaldW. Reagan, on his way to lie in State at the Capitol.
a series of battle studies and mono-graphs are presently being written forfuture publication.
Acombination of the increasedoperational tempo, a variety of
missions, and an inventory of quicklydeteriorating legacy equipment neces-sitated a major upgrade to support thefield history’s tools-of-the-trade.These requirements were met throughthe acquisition of new “ruggedized”laptops, hardened and sealed digitalcameras, and a new suite of digitalrecorders and software. More thanever before, the field history membersare fully equipped for the importanttask of collecting and disseminatinghistory in the digital age. To date,field historians have captured morethan 6,000 recorded oral interviews,thousands upon thousands of pho-tographs, more than 3,000 artifacts for
the National Museum of the MarineCorps, and countless documents forthe archives that will support theGWOT collection.
The dedication and personal sacri-fices levied to collect and documentthese historic events will ensure thedeeds and accomplishments of thedeployed and fallen Marines in theGlobal War on Terrorism will never beforgotten. q1775q
Since the last issue of Fortitudine,Reserve Marines who comprise the
History Division’s field history branchhave maintained an aggressive globaldeployment schedule to captureMarine Corps “history in the making”in support of the Global War onTerrorism. With trips to Cuba, Horn ofAfrica, Afghanistan, Bahrain, and Iraq,a rotation of field historians and com-bat artists teamed up to travelthroughout designated area of opera-tions. They conducted interviews anddocumented the Marine Corps storythrough a mixed-media collection ofwords, sketches, paintings, and pho-tos.
The prolonged wartime operationaltempo further prompted the Divisionto expand its collection efforts to writeGWOT-focused publications rangingfrom articles to battle studies andmonograph's. Marine CorpsUniversity endorsed the HistoryDivision commitment by authorizingadditional reserve augmentation. TheDivision deployed members from itsIndividual Mobilization AugmenteeDetachment to collect target inter-views and also welcomed 12 addition-al Individual Augmentees from otherReserve sources who stepped forwardwith year-long mobilization orders.The temporary flux of reserves willsupport the short and long-term writ-ing projects and the oral history andcombat art programs. During 2006, 16articles or edited interviews were pub-lished in the Marine Corps Gazette,Leatherneck, and the Marine CorpsAviation Association Yellow Sheet, and
Fortitudine, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007 15
Field History
Focused on Collectionby LtCol David A. Benhoff
Field Historian
Historians Around the World
Field Historian LtCol CraigCovert and Combat Artist WO-1Michael Fay returned safely inMarch 2006 from approximatelysix months on-the-ground inIraq. 1
Field Historian Maj JeffreyRiley and Combat Artist Maj AlexDurr departed in June 2006 fora five-month Iraqi 2 tour.Replacements LtCol KurtWheeler and Sgt Kris Battles 3who continued the coverageinto 2007.
Other GWOT deploymentsincluded CWO3 Bill Hutson’svisit to the Horn of Africa 4 aspart of Command Joint TaskForce Horn of Africa; CaptCameron Wilson’s two-weekdeployment to Bahrain 5 to doc-ument the participation of the24th Marine Expeditionary Unit,Special Operations Capable inthe Non-combatant EvacuationOperation of Lebanon; and,finally, LtCol Timothy Crowley’sback-to-back deployments thatbegan with a six-week trip todocument Marine operations inAfghanistan 6 in October andNovember, immediately trailedby his trip to cover Marineefforts at Guantanamo Bay, 7Cuba, with CWO-4 Michael Searsand WO-1 Michael Fay.
LtCol Timothy Crowley in Iraq
See number placement in side bar
Dispatch from Iraq: February 2007by LtCol Kurt Wheeler
Field Historian
halls and from weapons systems tochurch services. We have gatheredhundreds of documents and thou-sands of electronic files which, ontoday’s “digital battlefield,” might oth-erwise never make it out of Iraq to theMarine Corps’ archives.
Much has changed on the modernbattlefield. Commanders watch real-time aerial images of their battle spaceon huge video screens in their combatoperations centers and events aretracked via on-line chat sessionsinstead of on “yellow canaries.”Troops are equipped with modernindividual equipment such as boots,packs, and clothing that employ 21stcentury fibers and resins instead of theWorld War II or Vietnam vintage gearwhich was issued until recently.Marines are given the latitude to weartheir equipment in the way that bestsupports their individual mission ver-sus a “one size fits all” standardization.
Some things, however, have notchanged. The esprit, motivation andwill to engage the enemy foundamong today’s Marines would bequickly recognized by Marines ofother eras. Everywhere we travel, weare inspired by the morale of the
Combat Artist Sergeant Kris Battlesand I are headquartered at Camp
Fallujah in the Al Anbar Province ofIraq where we cover the I MarineExpeditionary Force. Our mission is toconduct oral history interviews, takephotos, collect documents and arti-facts, and produce works of combatart which capture the experiences andcontributions of the Marines here dur-ing Operation Iraqi Freedom 05-07.
Sergeant Battles has been on decksince October 2006 and will be hereuntil January 2007; I arrived inNovember 2006 and will remain untilMarch 2007. During our time on theground here we have covered a sig-nificant portion of the Multi-NationalForce West area of operations in west-ern Iraq. Collectively we have visitednearly every major Marine base anddozens of smaller outposts. Midwaythrough the tour, more than 420 oralhistory interviews have been conduct-ed, ranging from young Marines ontheir first deployment to General offi-cers whose careers began back in theVietnam era. Between the two of uswe have taken more than 7,000 pho-tos capturing every aspect of life inIraq; from fighting positions to chow
Marines we encounter. In unit afterunit, their leaders share the sameobservation; the busier Marines areand the tougher their missions, thehigher their morale. Most of today’syoung Marines joined the service after9/11 and knew exactly what theywere signing up for, and they havegotten it in spades. Vast numbers oftroops have done two deployments,three tours are not uncommon, andwe have encountered a number whoare on their fourth combat touralready. Senior Marine leaders such asMEF G-7 Colonel F. Mark Cancian,whose career spans 36 years describetoday’s force as, “The best I have everseen.”
The most satisfying part of our mis-sion is the opportunity to capture
the individual achievements ofMarines and collective accomplish-ments of the Corps in a difficult anddangerous fight. Relatively little of IMEF’s great progress in Al Anbar isbeing reported to the American peo-ple due to the media’s fixation onBaghdad. It is a privilege to documentthe challenges and achievements ofthe Marine Corps in OIF for the histo-ry books and for near-term audienceslike Fortitudine readers. q1775q
16 Fortitudine,Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007
Combat Artist Sgt Kris Battles in Iraq
LtCol Kurt Wheeler in action in Iraq
The Combat Art Program and itsartists are actively engaged in por-
traying how Marines fight, work andhonor the deeds of others during the“Long War” against terrorism. Threecombat artists are currently mobilizedwith the Field History Branch to cap-ture and share our Marines’ story visu-ally through their paintings, sketches,sculptures, and photographs. Eachcombat artist deployed forward thispast year, and collectively they visitedAfghanistan, Iraq, and Cuba to captureMarines in action.
Combat Art can trace its roots backto prehistoric cave paintings depictingthe hunt. Perhaps, it may be part ofour nature to draw and paint our mostdramatic, life threatening, and horrificscenes and yet the collection is lessfull of this and more full of portraits ofwarriors. Between intensities, duringthe calm, is the time for reflection andremembrance.
The Marine Corps Combat ArtProgram can trace its roots back to the“Great War.” Some of the earliestpieces in the more than 8,000-itemcollection include a pen and ink draw-ing from 1825. Officially, the programwas created in 1942 under the guid-
Fortitudine,Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007 17
ance of General Robert L. Denig. Hedeployed artists, both civilian andMarines throughout the Pacific theaterto depict the Leathernecks’ experi-ences in World War II. Although, fewin number, Combat Artists were againdeployed to the Korean Conflict.During the Vietnam War, the MarineCorps Combat Art Program saw resur-gence under the guidance of thenCommandant, General Wallace M.Greene, Jr., and through the directionof Colonel Raymond Henri, himself aveteran from World War II.
In the 1980s, Vietnam veteran,Combat Artist and reservist, MajorJohn “Jack” Dyer was deployed toLebanon, where he documented thedestruction caused by a suicidebomber to the Marine Barracks. MajorDyer’s dark, raw and stark watercolorsof Marines on duty and the aftereffects of the bombing reflect on thescale and magnitude of the destructioncaused by the terrorist. It is only fittingthat this scene was our first in the lat-est edition of 22 Combat Art Printspublished by the Marine CorpsUniversity. This current set of printsincludes the Marines’ involvement inSomalia, Haiti, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Retired Marine and former combatartist, Charlie Grow, serves as theCurator of Art at the National Museumand he is assisted by Mrs. JoanThomas. The art collection andCombat Art Gallery at the museum arein extremely “good hands” betweenthe two of them. q1775q
Combat Art
Combat Art Programby Maj Alex Durr
Combat Artist
Profiles of Field History’sCombat Artists
Major Alex Durr took a leave-of-absence from his flying dutiesas a commercial pilot withAmerican Airlines and deployedto Afghanistan and Iraq in 2006in support of the Marine CorpsCombat Art Program. One ofMajor Durr’s most challengingassignment while deployed waspainting the mural of IraqiBrigadier General KhodeiriObeid Abbas Al Janadi,Fallujah’s former Deputy Chiefof Police. The chief wasgunned down by insurgentsJune 19. Maj Durr was commis-sioned to do the piece by ColLarry Nicholson, RCT-5’s com-mander, to honor a “Son ofFallujah” who was killed protect-ing the city and people heloved.
Warrant Officer Michael Fay,currently our most experiencedcombat artist, will be having aone-man show of his artworkentitled: “Fire and Ice” at theJames A. Michener Art Museumin Doylestown, Pennsylvania,opening on 7 July 2007. On dis-play will be more than 70 worksdepicting Marines in the “LongWar.”
Recently-deployed Marinecombat artist, Sergeant KrisBattles has returned with notonly some outstanding artwork,but also has created an informa-tive online journal.
A painting by combat artist Maj Alex Durr of an AH-1W “Cobra” escorting a“Cas-A-Vac” CH-46 inbound to the field hospital at Balad, Iraq.
Marine Corps Art Collection, Maj Alex Durr
Aspecial responsibility of theHistorical Reference Branch of the
Marine Corps History Division is theadministration of the Marine CorpsCommemorative Naming Program.The purpose of this program is tohonor the memory of heroic andnoteworthy Marines and other mem-bers of the Naval service by the nam-ing of bases, camps, buildings, streets,and other facilities in their honor.Since 1976, more than 500 Marineshave been recognized by the namingof a facility in their honor.
Upon receiving a request from aMarine command to commemorativelyname a particular facility, theReference Branch reviews the submit-ted letter and accompanying docu-mentation to ensure the appropriate-ness and completeness of the request.The History Division then prepares aspecial package, along with a recom-mended response, for theCommandant of the Marine Corps,who personally reviews and approvesevery commemorative naming action.
A continuing trend in recent yearshas been requests from Marine com-mands to name facilities in honor ofMarines and other members of theNaval service who had direct associa-tion with the requesting Marine com-mand, most often by virtue of havingserved in the unit. In this regard, theHistory Division has noted a sizeableincrease in the number of Marinecommands wishing to name facilitiesin honor of fallen Marines fromOperations Enduring Freedom andIraqi Freedom.
As of January 2007, theCommandant of the Marine Corpsapproved the following Commemor-ative Naming actions in honor ofMarines who gave their lives for Corpsand country in Afghanistan and Iraq:
25 July 2003 – CMC approved the
naming of the Branch Medical Clinic atMCRD San Diego, in honor of HospitalCorpsman Second Class Michael V.Johnson, USN, who was killed inaction on 25 March 2003 in Iraq, whileserving with the 3d Battalion, 5thMarines.
7 October 2004 – CMC approved thenaming of a multiuse facility aboardMCB Camp Pendleton, in honor ofGunnery Sergeant Jeffrey E. Bohr, Jr.,who was killed in action on 10 April2003 in Iraq, while serving with 1stBattalion, 5th Marines.
7 February 2005 – CMC approvedthe naming of a new Amphibious DiveFacility aboard MCB Camp Pendleton,in honor of First Sergeant EdwardSmith, who was killed in action on 4April 2003 in Iraq, while serving with2d Battalion, 5th Marines.
8 July 2005 – CMC approved thenaming of the 31st MEU HeadquartersBuilding at Camp Butler, Okinawa, inhonor of Sergeant Rafael Peralta, whowas killed in action on 15 November2004 in Iraq, while serving with 1stBattalion, 3d Marines.
15 August 2005 – CMC approved thenaming of a new school at MCB CampLejeune, in honor of Sergeant MichaelE. Bitz, who was killed in action 23March 2003 in Iraq, while serving with1st Battalion, 2d Marines.
15 August 2005 – CMC approved thenaming of the Staff Non-Commissioned Officers AcademyBarracks at MCU, Quantico, in honorof Gunnery Sergeant Phillip A. Jordan,who was killed in action 23 March2003 in Iraq, while serving with 1stBattalion, 2d Marines.
30 August 2005 – CMC approved thenaming of the Dining Facility atMCAGCC, Twenty-nine Palms, inhonor of Private First Class Chance R.Phelps, who was killed in action 9
April 2004 in Iraq, while serving with3d Battalion, 11th Marines.
5 October 2005 – CMC approved thenaming of the Staff Non-Commissioned Officers Club at MCBCamp Lejeune, in honor GunnerySergeant Terry W. Ball, Jr., who waskilled in action 12 June 2005 in Iraq,while serving with 3d Battalion, 8thMarines.
1 November 2005 – CMC approvedthe naming of a Military Police Annexat MCAS Miramar, in honor of LanceCorporal Jeffrey C. Burgess, who waskilled in action 25 March 2004 in Iraq,while serving with Marine WingSupport Squadron 374.
8 November 2005 – CMC approvedthe naming of the Marine CorpsIntelligence Activity Annex on MarineCorps Base, Quantico, in honor ofLance Corporal James E. Swain, whowas killed in action 15 November2004 in Iraq, while serving with 3dBattalion, 1st Marines.
15 March 2006 – CMC approved thenaming of an office suite at the Navyand Marine Corps Reserve Center,Norfolk, in honor of Sergeant BradleyJ. Harper, who was killed in action on3 August 2005 in Iraq, while servingwith 3d Battalion, 25th Marines.
17 April 2006 – CMC approved thenaming of a chapel at MCAS Miramar,in honor of Religious ProgramSpecialist First Class Jose M. Felix,USN, who died of cancer on 1February 2004. He had deployedtwice to the Middle East in support ofOperation Iraqi Freedom.
7 June 2006 – CMC approved thenaming of the Marine Corps ReserveTraining Center, Pasadena, in honor ofSecond Lieutenant James P.Blecksmith, who was killed in actionon 11 November 2004 in Iraq, whileserving with 3d Battalion, 5th Marines.
18 Fortitudine,Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007
Commemorative Namings
Fallen Marines from Operations Enduring andIraqi Freedom Honored
by Robert V. AquilinaAssistant Head, Historical Reference Branch
20 December 2006 – CMC approvedthe naming of a street at MCB CampButler, in honor of Captain Sean L.Brock, who was killed in action on 2February 2005 in Iraq, while servingwith the 1st Marine Division.
20 December 2006 – CMC approvedthe naming of a CommunicationTraining Facility at MCB CampLejeune, in honor of Corporal RamonaM. Valdez, who was killed in action on23 June 2005 in Iraq, while servingwith the 2d Marine Division. q1775q
21 August 2006 – CMC approved thenaming of a building in the 25 Area ofMCB, Camp Pendleton, in honor ofMaster Sergeant Brett E. Angus, andStaff Sergeant William D. Richardson.Both Marines were killed in action on26 November 2005, while serving withMarine Wing Support Squadron 372.
2 October 2006 – CMC approved thenaming of the Expeditionary FightingVehicle Maintenance Facility at NavalConstruction Battalion, Gulfport, inhonor of Corporal David S. Stewart,
and Lance Corporal Kevin G.Waruinge. Both Marines were killedin action on 3 August 2005 in Iraq,while serving with 4th AssaultAmphibian Battalion.
1 December 2006 – CMC approvedthe naming of a Weapons TestingFacility at MCB Quantico, in honor ofStaff Sergeant Abraham G. Twitchell,who was killed in action on 2 April2006 in Iraq, while serving withCombat Logistics Battalion 7, I MarineExpeditionary Force.
Fortitudine,Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007 19
Gray Research Center
The Library of the Marine Corpsby Carol E. Ramkey
Director, Library of the Marine Corps
The General Alfred Gray ResearchCenter houses the Library of the
Marine Corps, which serves as a valu-able source for research on militaryscience and Marine Corps related top-ics.
The library staff serves the MarineCorps University students, faculty andstaff; active, former, and retiredMarines; historians; researchers; andthe general public from all over theworld who are looking for sources onmilitary science, doctrine, operationsand heritage. The staff is committedto helping students find answers toquestions about military science andmilitary history.Archives and Special CollectionsBranch
The Archives and SpecialCollections Branch is the home of unitcommand chronologies. Did you everwonder where those “CCs” went afterthey left your unit? Well, they livehere in the Archives. If you havequestions about what a unit was doingat a particular time, this is where youcome to find the answers. TheCommand Chronology collectionspans Marine Corps history fromVietnam to the present. Some materi-als are classified or restricted in someway, but many are not, and can pro-vide insight into the activities andoperations of units at battalion-orsquadron-level over time or at specifictimes. They generally do not containinformation below the company level.
Command Chronologies are a majorsource for the preparation of unit lin-eage and honors, which areresearched and prepared by theHistory Division. Command chronolo-gies record unit commander and unitdesignation changes, and are a linch-pin of historical research about theMarine Corps.
The Archives also maintains thepersonal papers of Marine CorpsCommandants. These collections pro-vide a fascinating glimpse into thelives of the men who have led theCorps. In addition, the Audio-VisualInformation Repository holds thou-sands of photos, slides, filmstrips,
films and videos. You can view filmsof Marines’ actions at Belleau Wood,departing for China in 1927, and theamphibious landing at Tarawa, amongothers on the web site.
The Archives collects the diaries,letters, memoirs and oral histories ofMarines of all ranks. Their personalstories show how they served theMarine Corps and how the MarineCorps shaped them and changed theirlives.
Do you have letters, diaries, pho-tos, videos or emails about your expe-riences in the Marine Corps? Wouldyou like to become part of MarineCorps history? If so, please contactthe Library at 703-784-4685 or visit theWeb site at:http://www.mcu.usmc.mil/MCRCweb/library.htm.
In future editions of Fortitudine,specific resources and collectionsavailable at the Library of the MarineCorps will be highlighted. q1775q
As well as first-class research andstudy materials, the Gray ResearchCenter and Library boasts attractiveand modern surroundings for stu-dents at the Marine Corps Universityand for outside scholars. Located at theintellectual heart of the Marine Corps,it serves as a focal point for militarystudies.
Inviting interior of the central atriumof the Library
Division on Okinawa in 1969, andlater was assigned as Chief of Staff,11th Marine Expeditionary Brigade. InVietnam, he served as Deputy G-4,and later as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4, III Marine Amphibious Force. InDecember 1970 he was assigned asthe plans officer for Headquarters,Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, and laterbecame Commanding Officer, CampH. M. Smith, Hawaii.
Promoted to brigadier general inSeptember 1972, his assignments as ageneral officer included duty as theMarine Corps Liaison Officer in theOffice of the Chief of Staff of Navaloperations; command of the 2dMarine Division at Camp Lejeune in1976; and in 1978, Deputy Chief ofStaff for Manpower, HeadquartersMarine Corps. He assumed duty asAssistant Commandant of the MarineCorps and Chief of Staff on 1 July1979. General McLennan retired fromthe Marine Corps on 1 July 1981.
Lieutenant GeneralHarold A. Hatch,died 19 February2006, in AtlanticBeach, Florida, atthe age of 81. TheAvon, Illinois, nativeenlisted in the activeduty Marine Corps Reserve inDecember 1942. He rose to the rankof master sergeant, before receiving aregular commission as a Marine sec-ond lieutenant in 1949.
During the Korean War, he servedas Commanding Officer of the Marinedetachment aboard the USS Saint Paul(CA-73). He had subsequent tours ofduty during the 1950s at Quantico,Camp Pendleton, Camp Lejeune, andthe Marine Corps Recruiting StationRichmond.
During the Vietnam War, he servedfirst as a battalion executive officerwith the 9th Marines. He then wasassigned as the Commanding Officerof the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, and
In Memoriam
Former Assistant Commandant Passesby Robert V. Aquilina
Assistant Head, Historical Reference Branch
Readers of Fortitudine will recog-nize the “In Memoriam” section of
the bulletin, which reports on thepassing of some of the more promi-nent former Marines, or individualswho had a unique impact on MarineCorps history. We regret that spacelimitations preclude the inclusion ofadditional worthy entries, and in thisregard, our readerships’ attention isdirected to the monthly “InMemoriam” section of Leatherneckmagazine.
General KennethMcLennan, whoserved as AssistantCommandant of theMarine Corps from1979 to 1981 underGen Robert H.Barrow, 27th CMC,died 20 September2005 in Encinitas, California, at the ageof 80. A native of Vancouver, B.C.,Canada, he enlisted in the MarineCorps Reserve in January 1943, andwas commissioned a second lieu-tenant, 18 July 1945.
He participated in combat opera-tions in Korea from January-July 1953,while serving with the 3d Battalion,5th Marines. By the close of theKorean War, he was the commandingofficer of Company I. He was inte-grated into the regular Marine Corpsin March 1953.
Peacetime assignments followingthe war included tours of duty atCamp Lejeune, Quantico, and CampPendleton, where he commanded the3d Battalion, 7th Marines. He latercommanded 1st Battalion, 9th Marineson Okinawa, and 3d Battalion, 5thMarines during a second tour at CampPendleton. He was Director, ServicesDivision, and later, Head, Warehouseand Traffic Branch, Material Division,Marine Corps Supply Center, Albany,Georgia, from 1964-1966.
During the Vietnam War, he servedas Division Inspector, 3d Marine
received a Bronze Star. Following hisreturn, he commanded 2d ServiceBattalion and 8th Marines at CampLejeune. As a general officer, heserved from 1971-1974 as DeputyChief of Staff, Headquarters, FleetMarine Force, Pacific. He then wasassigned as Commanding General atCamp Butler, Okinawa. Later, heserved as Fiscal Director of the MarineCorps, and in 1977 was appointed asDeputy Chief of Staff for Installationsand Logistics, at Headquarters MarineCorps. He was promoted to lieu-tenant general in 1981, and retiredfrom the Marine Corps on 1 October1984.
Major GeneralJames R. Davis,died 1 August 2005in San Marcos,California, at the ageof 66. TheParkersburg, WestVirginia, native enlisted in the MarineCorps in 1960, and was later selectedfor commissioning in the MeritoriousNoncommissioned Officer Program.Upon completion of Officer CandidateSchool, he was commissioned a sec-ond lieutenant in April 1964.
During the Vietnam War, he servedas an advisor to a Vietnamese infantrybattalion. He later was assigned as aninstructor with the U.S. Army SpecialWarfare School, Fort Bragg, NorthCarolina. In 1979, he commanded the1st Reconnaissance Battalion, and in1981, was assigned as executive offi-cer of the 7th Marines. During 1983,General Davis was ordered to Korea,where he became the Officer inCharge of the Marine Detachment,Pohang, Korea under Commander,U.S. Naval Forces, Korea. He latercommanded Headquarters and ServiceBattalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot,San Diego, and in 1986 assumedduties as the Commanding Officer,Recruit Training Regiment.
He was selected for promotion to
20 Fortitudine, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007
brigadier general in December 1989,and was assigned duty as President,Marine Corps University in Quanticoin June 1990. He was promoted tomajor general in April 1993, and sub-sequently assumed his final assign-ment before his retirement later thatyear, as Commanding General, MarineCorps Recruiting Command,Headquarters, Marine Corps.
Major General DavidBarker, died 15January 2006, at theage of 76. TheN e e d h a m ,Massachusetts nativewas commissioned aMarine second lieu-tenant on 1 June 1951, and followingcompletion of The Basic School, wasordered to Korea for duty with the 1stMarine Division. He participated incombat operations in Korea as a mem-ber of the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines,and was awarded a NavyCommendation Medal with Combat“V.” He later commanded an artillerybattalion with the 2d Marine Divisionat Camp Lejeune.
During the Vietnam War, he servedfirst as a plans officer, then later as theCommanding Officer of the 3dBattalion, 12th Marines. He was trans-ferred to Headquarters, Fleet MarineForce Pacific in December 1967. From1974-1975, he commanded the 12thMarines on Okinawa, prior to subse-quent assignments in the OperationsDivision at Headquarters, MarineCorps. He was promoted to brigadiergeneral in April 1977. He wasassigned duty as the CommandingGeneral, Marine Corps Base, CampLejeune In June 1978, and was pro-moted to major general in May 1980.He retired in 1987, following his lastassignment as Commanding General,4th Marine Division (Rein), NewOrleans, Louisiana.
Major General Lowell E. English, died26 September 2005 in San Diego,California, at the age of 90. Born inFairbury, Nebraska, he was commis-sioned in July 1938 as a Marine secondlieutenant. During World War II, heparticipated in combat operations onGuadalcanal, Bougainville, and Guam,
Fortitudine,Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007 21
where he was award-ed a Bronze Star withCombat “V.” He latercommanded 2dBattalion, 21stMarines on Iwo Jima,and was awarded theLegion of Merit withCombat “V.” He was wounded duringthis campaign, and evacuated to theUnited States for hospitalization.
Post-war assignments included atour of duty at the U.S. NavalAcademy at Annapolis as BattalionOfficer, and later as Head of theAcademic Section, ExecutiveDepartment. He then served for threeyears at the U.S. Military Academy atWest Point as an instructor in MilitaryPsychology and Leadership.
During the Korean War, he com-manded 3d Battalion, 1st Marines, andsubsequently served as the regiment’sexecutive officer. In July 1953, he wasappointed liaison officer to the U.S.Eighth Army and was awarded a sec-ond Legion of Merit with Combat “V.”
Promoted to brigadier general in1963, he was assigned two years laterto be the Assistant Commander of the3d Marine Division, in Vietnam.Returning in 1967 to the United States,he was promoted to major general,and assumed his final assignment asCommanding General, MCRD SanDiego. General English retired fromthe Marine Corps in 1967.
Major GeneralKenneth J. Houghton,died 27 March 2006in La Jolla, California,at the age of 85. TheSan Francisco,California, native wascommissioned aMarine second lieutenant inSeptember 1942. During World War II,he saw action at Tarawa, the MarshallIslands, and Saipan.
Following the war, he saw a tour ofduty as Commanding Officer of theMarine Detachment aboard the USSAtlanta. He then served as a riflecompany commander and divisionReconnaissance Company commanderwith the 1st Marine Division.
During the Korean War, he earnedhis first Silver Star Medal and Bronze
Star Medal with Combat “V,” and goldstar in lieu of a second Bronze StarMedal with Combat “V” while servingin reconnaissance units with both the1st Provisional Marine Brigade and the1st Marine Division.
Following several post war assign-ments at Fleet Marine Force Atlantic,Norfolk, and at Quantico, he servedfrom 1959-1961 as CommandingOfficer, 3d Battalion, 5th Marines. Hethen attended the U.S. Army WarCollege, Carlisle Barracks,Pennsylvania, before subsequentassignments at Headquarters MarineCorps, and later, with the Joint Chiefsof Staff, as an Action Officer, J-3Division. During the Vietnam War, hecommanded the 5th Marines during1967 in combat operations in theRepublic of Vietnam. During the sixmonth period in which he command-ed the regiment, he was awarded theNavy Cross, a gold star in lieu of a sec-ond Silver Star Medal, and two goldstars in lieu of a second and thirdPurple Heart. He also was awardedthe Legion of Merit with Combat “V.”
He was advanced to the rank ofbrigadier general in August 1968, andassumed duties as Deputy AssistantChief of Staff, G-1, Headquarters,Marine Corps. In March 1970, he wasassigned Chief of Staff, Fleet MarineForce, Pacific. He was promoted tomajor general on 2 April 1973, andlater commanded the 1st and 3dMarine Divisions. In the later assign-ment, he also assumed command ofthe III Marine Amphibious Force,Okinawa. His last assignment was asCommanding General, MCRD SanDiego. General Houghton retiredform the Marine Corps on 1 November1977.
Colonel Reginald R.Myers, a Medal ofHonor recipientfrom the KoreanWar, died 23October 2005 inWest Palm Beach,Florida, at the age of85. The Boise, Idaho, native served inthe Army Reserve before accepting anappointment in September 1941 as asecond lieutenant in the Marine Corps.
During World War II, he participat-
22 Fortitudine,Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007
U.S. Naval Reserve. Shortly thereafter,he was awarded the Medal of Honorin person from President Harry S.Truman.
Joseph J. Rosenthal,whose immortalphotograph of thesecond flag-raisingatop MountSuribachi on IwoJima during WorldWar II earned him aPulitzer Prize, died20 August 2006, at the age of 94. Thefifth of six children born to Russianimmigrants, he began his photojour-nalism career as an office boy in SanFrancisco with the NewspaperEnterprise Association. After gainingdarkroom experience, he soonbecame an accomplished news pho-tographer. Eventually, his consider-able talents resulted in his appoint-ment to be the San Francisco bureaumanager of Wide World Photos. Heattempted to enlist in the ArmedForces at the outbreak of World WarII, but failed the physical. After man-aging to enter the Maritime Service, hespent a year photographing shipboardlife in Europe and North Africa. Hewas then offered an opportunity tocover combat operations in the Pacificfor Associated Press, and was presentat the invasions of Peleliu, Angaur,and Hollandia.
Landing on D-Day, 19 February
1945 at Iwo Jima, he was present fourdays later at the historic raising of thesecond flag atop Mount Suribachi,when he took the photo which wouldbecome not only the symbol for themost successful war bond drive ofWorld War II, but would also laterserve as the model for the MarineCorps War Memorial in Arlington,Virginia.
After the war, Rosenthal continuedhis career as a general assignmentphotographer for the San FranciscoChronicle, but continued to appear atnumerous Marine Corps functions. Hewas the recipient of many accoladesand honors, including a life member-ship in the Marine Corps CombatCorrespondents Association. Heretired in 1981. In September 2006, hewas posthumously awarded aDistinguished Public Service Medal forservice to the Marine Corps and hiscountry. q1775q
ed in numerous combat operationswhile serving as the CommandingOfficer of the Marine detachmentaboard the USS Minneapolis. He alsoserved with the 5th Marines during theassault on Okinawa, and later in thepost-war occupation of NorthernChina.
During the Korean War, he servedas Executive Officer, 3d Battalion, 1stMarines, and was awarded the BronzeStar Medal with Combat “V” for hero-ism during the 15 September 1950landing at Inchon. He was laterawarded a Gold Star in lieu of a sec-ond Bronze Star Medal for his actionsin helping to rescue two woundedMarines during the same campaign.
He earned the Medal of Honor foractions on 29 November 1950 duringthe Chosin Reservoir campaign, when,after his Marines successfully assaultedand captured a critical hill, he consis-tently exposed himself to sustainedenemy fire while directing artillery andmortar fire and setting up emplace-ment to defend the position occupiedby his Marines. His beleaguered forcekilled more than 600 enemy soldiersand wounded numerous others.Colonel Myers retired from active dutyin the Marine Corps on 1 May 1967.
Hospital ApprenticeFirst Class Robert E.Bush, USN, whoreceived the Medalof Honor for hero-ism during theOkinawa campaign,died 8 November2005 in Tumwater, Washington, at theage of 79. After leaving high school atthe age of 17 to enlist in the Navy, hecompleted boot camp and medicaltraining, and joined the 5th Marines inDecember 1944. On D-Day atOkinawa, he heroically exposed him-self to intense enemy fire andgrenades, while administering to awounded Marine officer. Bush fireda pistol and carbine at advancingenemy soldiers, while continuing toaid the wounded officer. As a result,Bush suffered multiple shrapnelwounds, a shattered arm, and a blind-ing eye injury. After lengthy hospitalstays recovering from his wounds, hewas discharged in July 1945 from the
Marine Corps HistoryDivision now Located
at Quantico
The Marine CorpsHistorical Center located
on the Washington NavyYard in Washington, D.C.,closed its doors permanent-ly on 31 August 2005. TheHistory Division and all itsholdings are now locatedon Marine Corps BaseQuantico, Virginia, as partof the Marine CorpsUniversity. Historicalresearchers should contactthe History Division prior tovisiting the new facilities toensure resource availabilityprior to visiting.
Joseph Rosenthal’s famous second flagraising photo from Iwo Jima.
Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 113162
Fortitudine, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007 23
Our Comrade Brooke Nihart hasfought his last campaign and wentwest this morning at 6:30a.m. If thereis a Valhalla I am sure that is where henow is.
BGen Edwin H. Simmons
Retired U.S. Marine Colonel F.Brooke Nihart, of Green Spring
Village in Springfield, Virginia, died 30August 2006, at Fairfax Hospital.
A two-war veteran, Colonel Nihartwas a noted military historian,weapons expert, and military museumdirector. After 26 years of active duty,he became an editor of The ArmedForces Journal before assuming theduty of Deputy Director for Museumsin the History and Museums Divisionat the Navy Yard, where he served foranother 19 years.
Born in Los Angeles in 1919, Nihartattended public schools before gradu-ating in political science and econom-ics from Occidental College in 1940,and commissioned through thePlatoon Leaders Class.
Immediately assigned active duty,he graduated from the Basic School atPhiladelphia. Short assignments ininfantry units followed before the out-break of World War II. LieutenantNihart then served as a gunnery offi-cer on board the aircraft carrier USSSaratoga (CV-3), when it unsuccess-fully tried to assist Wake Island imme-diately after Pearl Harbor. That wasfollowed by other shipboard andinfantry-amphibious training assign-ments and schooling. He taught bothU.S. Marine and Army units amphibi-ous landing tactics. In 1945, MajorNihart was executive officer of 1stBattalion, 1st Marines, in the battle forOkinawa. Following that, he wasassigned to the forces in North China.
During the Korean War, LieutenantColonel Nihart commanded 2dBattalion, 1st Marines, receiving theNavy Cross for a fierce nighttime bat-tle against North Korean forces late inSeptember 1951 at the Punchbowl, insoutheastern North Korea.
In 1953, while heading the Personal
Affairs Branch, Personnel Departmentat HQMC, he was tasked as the Marinemember of the Department ofDefense’s Advisory Committee onPrisoners of War. There, he wrote thebasic draft for the Code of Conduct ofU.S. prisoners of war, which has beenin effect up to the present.
In 1959, he served as military attachéat the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon,
Burma, before returning to CampPendleton to command the 7thMarines. In 1963, having completedall amphibious and command andstaff schools, Colonel Nihart attendedthe Department of State’s top levelSenior Seminar in Foreign Policy.
Before he retired in 1966, Niharthad won several gold medals in bothpistol and rifle matches, and alsoearned an international reputation as amilitary weapons expert.
One of his most prestigiousappointments was as AmericanRepresentative on the executive boardof the International Association ofMuseums for Arms and MilitaryHistory.
While serving as the DeputyDirector for Marine Corps Museumsfrom 1972 to 1991, Nihart oversaw thedevelopment of the Marine CorpsMuseums System, and in 1977 wasdirectly responsible for the establish-
ment of the museum in the MarineCorps Historical Center in theWashington Navy Yard. The followingyear saw the opening of the MarineCorps Aviation Museum at Quantico,and he guided it through its transitionto the Marine Corps Air-GroundMuseum. He also nurtured newMarine Corps museums at the ParrisIsland Recruit Depot in SouthCarolina, and both the San DiegoDepot and the former El Toro AirStation in California. He led the pro-gram that provided hundreds of his-torical exhibits to other museums,commemorations, and Marine unitsthroughout the United States andoverseas and directed more than 25special exhibitions at the museum inthe Navy Yard.
Colonel Nihart wrote prolifically,contributing regularly to Armed ForcesJournal, Military Collector andHistorian, Fortitudine, Naval InstituteProceedings, Navy’s Almanac, SeaPower, CAMP, Leatherneck, and theMarine Corps Gazette. With the latter,he became a 60-year club contributor.Most recently, he contributed toSemper Fi: The Definitive IllustratedHistory of the U.S. Marines publishedin 2005. During the month of hisdeath, his last article was published inthe Marine Corps Gazette.
Colonel Nihart’s personal decora-tions include the Navy Cross, twoBronze Stars with Combat “V”, AirMedal, Defense Meritorious ServiceMedal, Meritorious Service Medal, andthe Navy Commendation Medal.Among other awards are theDistinguished Service Award for hislong-time service and assistance increating the National Museum of theMarine Corps and the Gen O.P. Smithaward for Semper Fi, both from theMarine Corps Heritage Foundation.Colonel Nihart established an awardin his own name at the Marine CorpsUniversity at Quantico for outstandingmilitary writers.
Colonel Nihart was laid to rest on 7November 2006 at Arlington NationalCemetery. �1775�
A Tribute
Museum Director, Historian, Marineby Col Avery Chenoweth (Ret)
24 Fortitudine,Vol. 32, No. 2, 2007
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