Fremont in the Mexican War

The American settlers in California had revolted against Mexican rule and established (June 1846) the Bear Flag Republic, under John C. Fremont, before news of the war reached them. On July 2, U.S. Commodore John Drake Sloat landed at Monterey. He proclaimed U.S. jurisdiction on July 7 and two days later occupied San Francisco. However, California was by no means under U.S. control. Mexican authority in California was divided between two rivals, Pio Pico in Los Angeles and Jose Castro in Monterey. Following the American landing, Castro headed south, apparently to attempt reconciliation with Pico and resistance to the United States. However, Commodore Robert Stockton, who replaced Sloat on July 23, sailed down the coast and landed troops under Fremont at San Diego and others near Los Angeles. Pico and Castro fled on August 10.

Heavy-handed martial law administration precipitated a revolt in southern California in September. Led by Jose Maria Flores, the rebels had expelled the Americans from Los Angeles and San Diego by the end of October. On Dec. 6, 1846, Kearny, en route to San Diego, met the rebels in an indecisive action at the Battle of San Pascual. Joining Stockton, who had arrived at San Diego, Kearny defeated a rebel band near Los Angeles on the San Gabriel River on Jan. 8-9, 1847. On January 13, Fremont received the final surrender of the rebels and signed the Treaty of Cahuenga. At the end of the month another American expedition, "half naked and half fed," reached San Diego. The remnant of 500 Mormon volunteers under Phillip St. George Cooke, it had marched from Utah to Sante Fe and across scorching deserts in southern New Mexico and Arizona.

After a bitter dispute among Stockton, Fremont, and Kearny, the last established a provisional government in California. With California secure, the U.S. Navy attempted the conquest of Mexican ports on the Pacific, capturing Mazatlan (Nov. 11, 1847), Guaymas (Nov. 17, 1847), and San Blas (Jan. 12, 1848).

www.militaryeras.com


www.spktraining.com 

United States Occupation of Veracruz

In response to the Tampico Affair, President Woodrow Wilson ordered the U.S. Navyto prepare for the occupation of the port of Veracruz. While waiting for authorization of Congress to carry out such action, Wilson was alerted to a German delivery of weapons for Victoriano Huerta due to arrive to the port on April 21. As a result, Wilson issued an immediate order to seize the port's customs office and confiscate the weaponry. Huerta had taken over the Mexican government with the assistance of the American ambassador Henry Lane Wilson during a coup d'état in early 1913 known as La decena trágica. The Wilson administration's answer to this was to declare Huerta a usurper of the legitimate government, embargo arms shipments to Huerta, and support the Constitutional Army of Venustiano Carranza.

The arms shipment to Mexico, in fact, originated from the Remington Arms company in the United States. The arms and ammunition were to be shipped via Hamburg,Germany, to Mexico allowing Remington Arms a means of skirting the American arms embargo.

]Initial landing

On the morning of April 21, 1914, warships of the United States Atlantic Fleet under the command of Rear Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher, began preparations for the seizure of the Veracruz waterfront. By 11:30 a.m., with whaleboats swung over the side, 502 U.S. Marines from the 2nd Advanced Base Regiment, 285 armed Navy sailors, known as "Bluejackets," from the battleship USS Florida (BB-30) and a provisional battalion composed of the Marine detachments of the Florida and her sister ship USS Utah (BB-31) began landing operations. Plowing through the surf in whaleboats toward pier 4, Veracruz's main wharf, a large crowd of Mexican and American citizens gathered to watch the spectacle. The invaders encountered no resistance as they exited the whaleboats, formed ranks into a Marine and a seaman regiment, and began marching toward their objectives. This initial show of force was enough to prompt the retreat of the Mexican forces led by General Gustavo Mass. In the face of this, Mexican Commodore Manuel Azueta encouraged cadets of theVeracruz Naval Academy to take up the defense of the port for themselves. Also, about 50 line soldiers of the Mexican Army remained behind to fight the invaders along with the citizens of Veracruz.

The battle

The bluejackets were instructed to capture the customs house, post and telegraph offices, while the Marines went for the railroad terminal, roundhouse and yard, the cable office and the powerplant. Soon arms were being distributed to the population, who were largely untrained in the use of Mausers and had trouble finding correct ammunition. In short, the defense of the city by its populace was hindered by the lack of central organization and a lack of adequate supplies. The defense of the city also included the release of the prisoners held at the feared San Juan de Ulúaprison. Although the landing had been nearly unopposed, as U.S. forces marched into the city, Veracruz was quickly becoming a battleground. Just after noon, fighting began with the 2nd Advance Base Regiment under Colonel Wendell C. Nevillebecoming heavily involved in a firefight in the rail yards. While the forces ashore slowly fought their way forward, Admiral Fletcher landed the USS Utah's 384 man bluejacket battalion, the only other unit at his disposal. By mid afternoon, the Americans had occupied all of their objectives and Admiral Fletcher called a general halt to the advance, initially hoping that a cease fire could be arranged. That hope however, rapidly faded as he could find no one to bargain with and all troops in the city were instructed to remain on the defensive pending the arrival of reinforcements.

Damaged entryway to a high school adjacent to the Veracruz Naval Academy.

The senior officers of the 1st Marine Brigade photographed at Veracruz in 1914. Front row, left to right: Lt. Col. Wendell C. Neville; Col. John A. Lejeune; Col. Littleton W. T. Waller, Commanding; and Maj.Smedley Butler.

On the night of the 21st, Fletcher decided that he had no choice but to expand the initial operation to include the entire city, not just the waterfront.^[2] Five additional U.S. battleships and two cruisers had reached Veracruz during the hours of darkness and they carried with them Major Smedley Butler and his Marine Battalion which had been rushed from Panama. The battleship's seaman battalions were quickly organized into a regiment 1,200 men strong, supported by the ship's Marine detachments providing an additional 300 man battalion. These newly arrived forces went ashore around midnight to await the morning's advance.

At 7:45 a.m. the advance began. The Leathernecks adapted to street fighting, which was a novelty to them. The sailors were less adroit at this style of fighting. A regiment led by Navy Captain E. A. Anderson advanced on the Mexican Naval Academy in parade ground formation, making his men easy targets for the cadets barricaded inside. This attack was repulsed with casualties, and the advance was only saved when three warships in the harbor, the USS Prairie (1890), San Francisco (C-5), and Chester (CL-1), pounded the Academy with their long guns for a few minutes, silencing all resistance and killing 15 of the cadets inside.

That afternoon, the First Advanced Base Regiment, originally bound for Tampico, Tamaulipas, came ashore under the command of ColonelJohn A. Lejeune and by 5 p.m., U.S. troops had secured the town square and were in complete control of Veracruz. Some pockets of resistance continued to occur around the port, mostly in the form of hit-and-run guerrilla tactics, but by April 24 all fighting had ceased. A third provisional regiment of Marines, assembled at Philadelphia, arrived on May 1st under the command of Colonel Littleton W. T. Waller, who assumed overall command of the Brigade, by that time numbering some 3,141 officers and men. By then, the sailors and Marines of the Fleet had returned to their ships and an Army Brigade had landed. Marines and soldiers continued to garrison the city until the U.S. withdrawal on November 23rd.

Aftermath

U.S. Army Brigadier General Frederick Funston was placed in control of the administration of the port. Assigned to his staff as an intelligence officer was a young Captain Douglas MacArthur.  While Huerta and Carranza officially objected to the occupation, neither was able to oppose it effectively, being more preoccupied by events of the Mexican Revolution. Huerta was eventually overthrown and Carranza's faction took power. The occupation, however, brought the two countries to the brink of war and worsened US-Mexican relations for many years. The ABC Powers conference was convened in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, on May 20, 1914, to avoid an all-out war over this incident. American troops remained in Veracruz until November 23, 1914.The son of Commodore Azueta, Lieutenant José Azueta, was wounded during the defense of the Naval Academy building. A cadet himself, José Azueta was manning a machine gun placed outside the building, facing the incoming American troops on his own and causing a number of casualties. José Azueta was rescued from the battlefield after sustaining two bullet wounds and taken to his home. After the battle, Admiral Fletcher heard of Azueta's actions in battle and sent his personal doctor to take care of him. However, Azueta refused medical services offered by the occupation army and only allowed local Dr. Rafael Cuervo Xicoy to examine him. Dr. Xicoy lacked medical supplies to assist Azueta properly. Azueta died of his wounds on May 10, México's Mother's Day. During his funeral hundreds of citizens marched holding his coffin on their shoulders to the city's cemetery in open defiance of directives from the occupation army forbidding the right of assembly.

After the fighting ended, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels ordered that fifty-six Medals of Honor be awarded to participants in this action, the most for any single action before or since. This amount was half as many as had been awarded for the Spanish-American War, and close to half the number that would be awarded during World War I and the Korean War. A critic claimed that the excess medals were awarded by lot. Major Smedley Butler, a recipient of one of the nine Medals of Honor awarded to Marines, later tried to return it, being incensed at this "unutterable foul perversion of Our Country's greatest gift"and claiming he had done nothing heroic. The Department of the Navy told him to not only keep it, but wear it.

Boxer Rebellion

Throughout the nineteenth century, China's emperors had watched as foreigners encroached further and further upon their land. Time and again, foreigners forced China to make humiliating concessions. Foreign regiments, armed with modern weapons, consistently defeated entire imperial armies. Now, as a new century was about to begin, Tsu Hsi, empress dowager of the Ch'ing Dynasty, searched for a way to rid her empire of foreign parasites.
Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and Russia all claimed exclusive trading rights to certain parts of China. They were dividing China into "spheres of influence." Some even claimed to own the territory within their spheres. By acquiring the Philippines, the United States became an Asian power too. Now, with a strong base of operations just 400 miles from China, American businesses hoped to take advantage of China's vast resources. The foreign spheres of influence, however, threatened their ambitions.
So while the empress was hoping to close China to foreigners, Americans were looking for a way in. John Hay, now Secretary of State, had an idea. Since public opinion, strained by the Philippines war, would never support the use of force, he decided to negotiate. He sent letters to all the foreign powers and suggested an "Open Door" policy in China. This policy would guarantee equal trading rights for all and prevent one nation from discriminating against another within its sphere.
The nations replied that they liked the concept of the Open Door, but that they could not support or enforce it. Hay's plan had been politely rejected. Nevertheless Hay announced that since all of the powers had accepted the Open Door in principle, the United States considered their agreement "final and definitive."
Empress Dowager Tsu Hsi	Fists of Righteous Harmony While the outside powers bickered over who would control China, Tsu Hsi issued an imperial message to all the Chinese provinces. The present situation is becoming daily more difficult. The various Powers cast upon us looks of tiger-like voracity, hustling each other to be first to seize our innermost territories. . . . Should the strong enemies become aggressive and press us to consent to things we can never accept, we have no alternative but to rely upon the justice of our cause. . . . If our . . . hundreds of millions of inhabitants . . . would prove their loyalty to their emperor and love of their country, what is there to fear from any invader? Let us not think about making peace.
	In northern Shandong province, a devastating drought was pushing people to the edge of starvation. Few people there were thinking about making peace. A secret society, known as the Fists of Righteous Harmony, attracted thousands of followers. Foreigners called members of this society "Boxers" because they practiced martial arts. The Boxers also believed that they had a magical power, and that foreign bullets could not harm them. Millions of "spirit soldiers," they said, would soon rise from the dead and join their cause.
A "Boxer" in 1900	Their cause, at first, was to overthrow the imperial Ch'ing government and expel all "foreign devils" from China. The crafty empress, however, saw a way to use the Boxers. Through her ministers, she began to encourage the Boxers. Soon a new slogan -- "Support the Ch'ing; destroy the foreigner!" -- appeared upon the Boxers' banner.
	In the early months of 1900, thousands of Boxers roamed the countryside. They attacked Christian missions, slaughtering foreign missionaries and Chinese converts. Then they moved toward the cities, attracting more and more followers as they came. Nervous foreign ministers insisted that the Chinese government stop the Boxers. From inside the Forbidden City, the empress told the diplomats that her troops would soon crush the "rebellion." Meanwhile, she did nothing as the Boxers entered the capital.
	Foreign diplomats, their families, and staff lived in a compound just outside the Forbidden City's walls in the heart of Beijing. Working together, they threw up hasty defenses, and with a small force of military personnel, they faced the Boxer onslaught. One American described the scene as 20,000 Boxers
Artillery of International Relief Force to Beijing, 1900	advanced in a solid mass and carried standards of red and white cloth. Their yells were deafening, while the roar of gongs, drums and horns sounded like thunder. . . . They waved their swords and stamped on the ground with their feet. They wore red turbans, sashes, and garters over blue cloth. [When] they were only twenty yards from our gate, . . . three volleys from the rifles of our sailors left more than fifty dead upon the ground. The Boxers fell back but soon returned. Surrounded, the foreigners could neither escape nor send for help. For almost two months, they withstood fierce attacks and bombardment. Things began to look hopeless. Seventy-six defenders lay dead, and many more were wounded. Ammunition, food, and medical supplies were almost gone. Then, shortly before dawn, loud explosions rocked the city. Weary defenders staggered to the barricades, expecting a final, overpowering Boxer attack. But as a column of armed men approached them, they began to cheer. Help had arrived at last.
	After a month of no news from their diplomats, the foreign powers had grown worried. They assembled an international relief force of soldiers and sailors from eight countries. The United States, eager to rescue its ministers and to assert its presence in China, sent a contingent of 2,500 sailors and marines. After rescuing another besieged delegation in Tientsin, the international force marched to Beijing, fighting Boxers and imperial soldiers along the way.
Concise Political History of China, including more about the Empress Dowager and the Boxer Rebellion (Scroll about halfway down the page to get to the section about Tsu Hsi.)	The international troops looted the capital and even ransacked the Forbidden City. Disguised as a peasant, the empress dowager escaped the city in a cart. She returned to the Forbidden City a year later, but the power of the Ch'ing dynasty was destroyed forever.
	Because it had participated in the campaign, the United States participated in the settlement that followed. Hay called for an expanded "Open Door," not only within the spheres of influence, but in all parts of China. He also recommended that the powers preserve China's territory and its government. Other powers agreed, and the Open Door policy allowed foreign access to China's market until World War II closed it once again.

The Air Force Comes Into Existence

On June 20, 1941, Army Chief of Staff Gen . George C. Marshall created the U.S. Army Air Force under Army Regulation 95-5. While that is the official date, the history of the service began  long before 1941.The U.S. Army Signal Corp was first given responsibility for "ballooning, air machines and all kindred subjects," Aug. 1, 1907. It began with one officer, two enlisted men and one civilian. They waited two years for delivery of the first aircraft. March 1913, brought the establishment of the first air squadron in Texas City, Texas. Commanded by then Maj. Benjamin Foulois, the squadron first saw conflict during the infamous Pancho Villa raid in Mexico logging 540 courier and reconnaissance missions. Shortly after the declaration of war for World War I President Woodrow Wilson signed the Aviation Act of 1917, bolstering spending for military aviation. In April of 1918, American pilots recorded their first kill and six weeks later the U.S. Army Air Service was born.

The USAAS was no longer part of the signal corps, rather an independent organization. While its record was impressive during the "Great War," opposition existed to creating a separate Air Force. There was considerable friction within the war department regarding ratio of a separate air component until Congress passed the Air Corps Act July 2, 1926, creating the U.S. Army Air Corp.Foulois was chosen to lead the Air Corp in 1931. As recommended by the Baker Board in 1934, Foulois established General Headquarters, Air Force at Langley Field, Va. The new headquarters was in charge of all tactical units while Foulois continued his charge of providing training and logistics. Army Air Force in World War II By 1938, Germany had become a nation with sizable military power including a particularly modern Air Force known as the Luftwaffe. Gen. Henry "Hap" Arnold was put in charge of the Army Air Corp and watched over its growth as the Luftwaffe led Germany into the second World War.The Luftwaffe changed opinions about air power forever, demonstrating its force against England in the Battle of Britain. In two years, Hap Arnold's Air Corp grew from 21,000 airmen to 354,000. Consequently, so did the number of bases, units and aircraft.

Arnold worked closely with Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall to build up the USAAF. Under the War Power Act of 1941, Marshall was permitted to create the U.S. Army Air Forces June 20, 1941, with Arnold as Chief. In 1942, Arnold's position was changed to Commanding General and subsequently became a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The USAAF was co-equal with the Army Ground Forces and Services of Supply. In addition, Robert Lovett was appointed as the Assistant Secretary of War for Air. Under the direction of Lovett and Arnold, the shape of what is now the modern day U.S. Air Force began to take place. By 1944, there were 16 numbered Air Forces throughout the world.The first four numbered Air Forces were in the United States protecting the eastern and western borders of the nation. The Philippine Department Air Force, which bore the brunt of the Japanese attacks on the Philippines, became the 5th Air Force headquartered in Australia in December 1941. Meanwhile, closer to home, the 6th Air Force was born in Panama in February 1942, and charged with defending the Panama Canal and antisubmarine war. It was previously the Panama Canal Air Force and the Caribbean Air Force. The Hawaiian Air Force became the 7th Air Force in February 1942. The 8th Air Force was headquartered in England flying bombing raids with the RAF Bomber Command. It was activated in February 1942. The 9th Air Force was established in September 1942 and moved to Egypt.India was home to the 10th Air Force which was responsible for operating in China, Burma and India. Formed in Ohio before moving in March of 1942, the 10th became the parent of a small group of American mercenary pilots headed by Brig. Gen. Claire Channault. Channault led the American volunteer group, better known as the "Flying Tigers" on guerilla-style air raids against the Japanese. As part of the China Air Task Force, the Tigers continued to fly missions over the Himalayas known as "the hump" from India to China. In 1942, the CATF was designated the 14th Air Force. Dramatically outnumbered in aircraft, the 14th Air Force disrupted the flow daily of Japanese supplies to China recording a kill ratio of eight-to-one. The 11th Air Force was formed from the Alaskan Air Force to protect the U.S. and Canada and recover the Aleutian Islands from the Japanese. The 12th Air Force was established in August 1942, and immediately moved to England to participate in the North Africa invasion. The 13th Air Force was established in December 1942, and operated out of several locations in the Pacific such as the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, the Philippines, the Marianas, Midway, the Caroline Islands, Iwo Jima, Japan and the Marshall Islands. The 14th Air Force served primarily in China after being established in March 1943. The 15th Air Force was activated in Tunisia, Nov. 1, 1943, and began combat operations the next day. Despite the success of air power, however, the USAAF still struggled for equal status with the other services. In January 1942, Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill created a single unified air command for the Mediterranean Theater. Gen. Carl "Tooey" Spaatz commanded the 12th Air Force and for the first time an air commander was able to use his resources where they were most needed. This proved decisive in the battle over North Africa. Spaatz later became the first Air Force Chief of Staff. With the new Army Air Force structure the importance of air power began to grow. Theater commanders were achieving some success integrating air power into their operation. However, Arnold wanted to demonstrate how important air power is in combat. He formed the 20th Air Force which operated from the Marianas Island. Unlike the other numbered Air Forces, the 20th reported through Arnold directly to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The 20th Air Force, composed of B-29 strategic bombers, was to break the Japanese empire and set the course for a post-war Air Force. The 20th did in fact change the course of modern warfare with the atomic bombing of  Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Aug. 6 and 9, 1945, respectively.In many ways, World War II was the defining moment for the use of air power. Air power changed  the way war is fought. Many lesson were learned--lessons at the expense of thousands of lives and aircraft lost. These lessons were also the foundation of Air Force doctrine and strategy today. National Security Act, 1947 The success of the Army Air Forces in World War II finally led to President Harry S. Truman signing into law the National Security Act of 1947. The act created the Department of Defense with three "executive departments," the Army, Navy and Air Force. It is appropriate that President Truman signed the documents while flying aboard his presidential airplane operated by the USAAF. The Army Air Corps began the war with more than 2,000 members and a few hundred planes. Five years later, the Army Air Force had nearly 2.4 million airmen and nearly 80,000 aircraft. To this day, it is the largest air force ever assembled. Sean Kling www.militaryeras.com

Finally a Living Medal of Honor Recipient

The military has sent the White House a recommendation to award the Medal of Honor to a soldier for bravery in Afghanistan, which could make him the first living recipient since the Vietnam War.

The Army soldier ran through a hail of enemy fire to repel Taliban fighters in a 2007 battle, saving the lives of a half dozen other men, two U.S. officials said Wednesday. They declined to name the soldier.

There is concern, officials say, that early disclosure could place political pressure on President Obama to approve the medal or could cause embarrassment for the soldier if it's not approved.

The nation's highest award for valor has been awarded only six times in the nine years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq -- and all were awarded posthumously.

That small number has prompted member of Congress to ask the Pentagon to examine its policy for awarding the medal, a process that can take years.

60th Anniversary of the start of the Korean War

Several hundred Indian River County residents paused Friday night to pay tribute to veterans of the Korean War by unveiling a new monument at the Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary near Riverside Park in Vero Beach.

The event, which was sponsored by the newly formed Korean War Veterans Association Chapter IRC 318, featured speeches and patriotic songs, all designed to remember the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War.

Daniel P. Stanley, a combat veteran of the Korean War, said the event was a fitting tribute to all veterans, no matter when they served.

“We honor everybody who served,” said Stanley. “We know many came before us in World War II and many came after in Vietnam,” said Stanley. “We appreciate all of their efforts.”

Guest speaker for the dedication ceremony was No Kum-Sok, a former North Korean military pilot who defected to the west by flying a MiG-15 to Kimpo Air Base in South Korea. Kum-Sok, who has changed his name to Kenneth Rowe, said he joined the North Korean Navy as a way to train as a pilot, hoping one day that he could fly his way to freedom.

“I thought that as a naval officer, I would have a better chance to escape,” Rowe said.

After defecting to the allies and providing them with a wealth of intelligence information, Rowe, now 78, moved to America and became a U.S. citizen.

After Rowe’s speech, Hobe Sound resident and Korean War veteran Ed Delaney, called out from the audience, saying he was at Kimpo Air Base when Rowe flew his plane to freedom.

“He was only about 21 years old when he did that,” recalled Delaney, who served as a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. “It was a clear day and I remember seeing this plane coming in the wrong way. He was something else.”

Delaney said Rowe’s defection provided the Americans with a significant amount of intelligence information, and he wanted to meet him personally.

“I really feel that the knowledge we gained from the MiG-15 was one of the reasons that the North Koreans didn’t keep fighting,” said Delaney, who is 81. “I wanted to thank him on behalf of the United States Air Force.”

Peter Popolizio, from the Korean War Veterans Association Chapter 106 in Port St. Lucie, said the new monument on Memorial Island is also a symbol of freedom.

“On this very important day, the beginning of the Korean War 60 years ago, we fought for the freedom of the South Korean people,” said Popolizio. “Today, South Korea is a democracy because of our brave men and women who never shunned their duty.”

Marines before the War of 1812

Historical Perspective on the 1812 Marines

3 June 1783, Marine Lieutenant Thomas Elmwood walked off the Continental Ship Alliance, giving a final salute to an empty ship flying no colors. This signaled the end of the Continental Marines and they passed into history not to be seen again. The Alliance was then sold off for scrap. This event also marked the end of the Continental Navy.

Before Lt. Elmwood left the Alliance, he turned in the last Marine equipment left in Federal service:

• 95 muskets, 13 without bayonets 29 pistols 
• 111 cartouch Boxes 41 cutlasses 
• 1 drum & drum Sticks 1 fife 
• 1 drum Head 2 arms chest with Locks 
• 2 great coats/grey 300 flints

Expended:

• 1 musket, lost overboard 3 pistols, lost overboard 
• 4 pair of pistols lost attempting to bard the ship L'Orient in February 1782. 1 drum destroyed by Drummer, same time. 
• 1 fife, lost by Fifer at same time. 7 cutlasses lost at same time. 
• 3 locks, same time.

During the period from 1783 (when the last fighting ship of the American Revolution was sold) until 1797, our country was without a navy or Marine Corps. During the 1790's American merchant shipping began to be harassed by France and countries in the Middle East.

27 March 1794, Congress commissioned for six ships of war to be constructed in order to safeguard American shipping interests and merchant trade using the high seas. Among these six ships was USS Constitution. Along with the construction of these new ships Congress acted to reestablish the United States Navy and then the United States Marine Corps, both as we know them today. Not until the Naval Act of 1794, for the Betterment of the Service, did the United States Navy (now) appear again with the United States Marine Corps. This congressional action was the first establishment of the now United States military as opposed to the old Continental military.

• April 1796 Congress cuts the above order in half and authorizes only three ships. 
• 10 May 1797 USS United States launched (Navy official). Ship in service for 62 years. Lost at Norfolk, 1861. 
• 1 July 1797 President Adams authorizes Marines on ships. 
• 21 October 1797 USS Constitution launched (Navy official). 
• 3 April 1798 Navy Department enacted. 
• 11 July 1798 The United States Marines are officially established by an act of Congress. The pay is $1.00 per week. They had been organized however, about one year before under the Navy at sea and the Army on land. In 1798, Officers and some enlisted men had to decide whether to stay with the Marines or return to the Army. Some Officers returned. After the War of 1812, more Officers transferred to the Army. 
• November 1798 Marine Band established. One Drum Major, one Fife Major, 32 drums and fifes. 
• 9 July 1799 USS Constitution stands ready to depart Boston with new commanding officer and new Marine CO and XO.

USS Constitution, as part of its 450-man crew, had 55 United States Marines assigned. The first detachment of six marines arrived at Edmond Hart's Shipyard in Boston early in 1794. Their duties were to safeguard the government stores of supplies and the work area for the building of USS Constitution as well as other duties as necessary. When USS Constitution was launched the guard detachment became part of "ships company" and put to sea

When the War known as the War of 1812 finally became a reality, the Marine Corps or "Marine Department" was only twelve years old. Marine levels remained well below the authorized requirements set by Congress. The authorized level in 1809 was 1897. This remained so from the establishment up through the War of 1812. The listed figures for active strength (actual) during the War was:

• 30 June 1812 10 Officers, 483 enlisted men 
• 30 June 1813 12 Officers, 579 enlisted men 
• 30 June 1814 11 Officers, 579 enlisted men 
• 30 June 1815 8 Officers, 680 enlisted men

The authorized level for April of 1814 was set at 2700. Recruiting was a continued problem and authorization levels were never reached.

In 1800 the Navy Yard at Charlestown, Massachusetts was established. The first detachment of Marines arrived from other duties in the Boston area under command of a sergeant. They took up guard details and established one of the oldest Marine Barracks in the United States. The Marine presence continued at the Navy Yard until 1973 when the yard was officially closed as a military installation. The yard now comes under the United States Park Service and is part of the Boston National Historical Park and open to the public. 

www.militaryeras.com

Marines in the 1960's and 70's with M-14

When watching the news today I noticed a great number of M-14 making a comeback in Iraq and Afghanistan. A weapon that was designed 10 years after WW2 ended on the model of the M1 Garand Rifle. Deemed to heavy  by the US military in the mid-1960's it was slowly fazed out of use by the early 1970's. However, many US marines carried M-14 well into the mid-1970's. The weapon stayed in the US Navy's inventory up until the present day. As a matter of fact on Sept. 11th I remember watching the news and seeing a sailor standing guard on a US warship with an M-14.
    The M-14 served the US marines well and it is even noted that famous Marine Sniper , Carlos Hatcock was armed with one. The M-14 Served as a scout sniper weapon and a rear guard weapon. Well, today its made a comeback and its better then ever. The M-16 is often noted as the longest in use service rifle, however the M-14 has been a part of the US arsenal since the years right after the Korean War. Sometimes it does not pay to re-invent something that already works. "The M-14" Serving 3 generations of American fighting men.

WWW.MILITARYERAS.COM

Marines In Vietnam 1969

With the passing of the " Greatest Generation" , a great focus has now towards their children. In a far off end of the world in the 1960's and 70's the baby-boomers fought their war. The war in Vietnam is often portrayed as a bad war and an unjust war by Hollywood. Yet for the men who fought in Vietnam, their service and sacrifice was just as great as their fathers who fought in World War Two and Korea. I had the honor of growing up as the son of a Vietnam Veteran. My father served with Golf Company 2nd Battalion 7th Marines in 1969. a guy who at the age of 19 was awarded three Purple Hearts and yet when he came home was not old enough to legally drink a bear in the state of Pennsylvania . Amazingly he never used the war as a crutch and only spoke on occasion about his combat experience. In the fall of 2010, my new book " Jungle Grunt: The Story of the Men of Golf Company" will be out. It is my hope to enlighten the American people on what it was like to be a U.S. Marine in Vietnam in 1969. That service in Vietnam was not what TV and Film make it out to be, and that the Vietnam Veteran is just as proud to have served as his father was. The story of the men of Golf company 2nd Battalion 7th Marines is a story of brotherhood and bravery. I hope you all enjoy the book and I look forward to it's release.

SPK

WWW.MILITARYERAS.COM