April 20th in Marine Corps History.........

[thedrifter]

1861: Viriginia; Fifty Marines sail from the Washington Navy Yard on sloop Pawnee to reinforce the Gosport Navy at Norfolk, Viriginia. The Yard Commander soon surrenders it to Viriginia forces, but the Marine Detachments of Gosport and Washington escape by sea.

1925: Honduras: Marines land at La Ceiba to Protect U.S. interests.

1942: Training; The Fleet Marine Force Training Center is established at Camp Elliot. Although its initial effort is training battalions, it becomes the primary place to train men in individual skills prior to their assignment to a combat unit.

1945: Okinawa; The 6th Marine Division completes the reduction of enemy forces on the Motobu Peninsula.

1946: Force Structure; VMF(N)-544 is deactivated.

1947: Peleliu; A Japanese lieutenant and 26 enlisted men surrender to American forces. Seven more surrender the next day, bringing to an end the last organizes Japanese force on the island.

1952: Korea; MAG-12 shifts to K-6 airfield near Pyongtaek.

1953: Korea; Operation Little Switch, an exchange of sick and wounded prisoners betweeen the two side, begins. Of the 684 U.N. personnel returned, 15 are Marines and 4 are Navy Corpsmen. The rest of Mag-12 (VMA-212 and 323) shift to K-6, near Pyongtaek about 30 miles below the capital.

1953: Training; The 3rd Marine Division begins PACPHIBEX-II, a full-division amphibious exercise that lasts until 10 May. It includes helicopters, simulated use of atomic weapons by both sides, ans a rehersal landing on the Silver Strand at Coronado Island off San Diego.

1953: Mederranean; 2/6 (Reinforced) leaves Morehead City on its way to becoming the landing force of the 6th Fleet. It will return on 26 Otocber.

1965: Vietnam; General Westmoreland authorizes 9th MEB forces to conduct aggressive patrolling and prepare to act as a mobile reaction force. The MEB now numbers 8,600 men.

1967: Operation Prairie IV; The 3rd Marine Division opens a series of search and destroy operations around Dong Ha and Cam Lo. They continue through 31 May, resulting in 489 enemy killed and 9 captured at a cost of 164 Marines dead and 999 wounded.

1967: Chu Lai; A U.S. Army Brigade begins relieving Marine Forces in Southern I Corps Zone for redeployment to the north against NVA Divisions crossing the DMZ.

1974: Vietnam; Hancock arrives in South Vietnamese waters with HMH-463 on board.

Sempers,

Roger