US 1st Marine Division

The 1st Marine Division is the oldest, largest (active duty), and most decorated division in the United States Marine Corps representing a combat-ready force of more than 19,000 men and women. It is one of 3 active duty divisions in the Marine Corps today and is a multi-role, expeditionary ground combat force. Nicknamed "The Old Breed", it provides the ground combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) and is headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

1. The 1st Marine Division was activated on February 1, 1941. It was activated aboard what US ship?

• USS Texas
• USS New Mexico
• USS Arizona

2. On 31 July the entire Marine task force came under command of Vice Admiral Frank J. Fletcher's Task Force 61. The division as a whole would fight in the Battle of Guadalcanal until relieved at 1400 on December 9, 1942. What was the new troops known as?

• Bull Haley's Ranger Division
• Alexander Patch's Americal Division
• Duke Morrison American Division

3. Following the Battle of Guadalcanal, the division's Marines were sent to Melbourne, Australia to rest and refit. It was during this time that the division took the traditional Australian folk song "Waltzing Matilda" as its battle hymn. To this day, 1st Division Marines still ship out to this song being played.

• True or False?

4. The division would next see action during Operation Cartwheel which was the codename for the campaigns in Eastern New Guinea and New Britain. They came ashore at the Battle of Cape Gloucester on and fought on New Britain until February 1944 at such places as Suicide Creek and Ajar Ridge. What was date they came ashore?

• December 1, 1943
• December 26, 1943
• January 5, 1944

5. The next battle for the 1st Marine Division would be the bloodiest yet. They landed on September 15, 1944 as part of the III Amphibious Corps assault on the island. What was the battle called?

• Battle of Colestral
• Battle of Peleliu
• Battle of Pan Zuke

6. The final campaign the division would take part in during World War II would be the Battle of Okinawa. When did they land?

• April 1, 1945
• May 1, 1945
• June 1, 1945

7. Its initial mission was, fighting alongside another division, to clear the northern half of the island - that they were able to do expeditiously. What was the division?

• 6th Marine Division
• 10th Marine Division
• 101st Army Division

8. The Army's XXIV Corps met much stiffer resistance in the south, and in late April the Marine division was moved south where it relieved the Army's 27th Infantry Division.

• True or False?

9. The division was in heavy fighting on Okinawa until June 21, 1945, when the island was declared secure.

• True or False?

10. The 1st Marine Division slugged it out with a Japanese army unit at such places as Sugarloaf Hill and Shuri Castle. What was the Japanese unit they fought?

• Japanese 132nd Army
• Japanese 32nd Army
• Japanese 3rd Army

1st Marine Division Answers

1. USS Texas
2. Alexander Patch's Americal Division
3. True
4. December 26, 1943
5. Battle of Peleliu
6. April 1, 1945
7. 6th Marine Division
8. True
9. True
10. Japanese 32nd Army

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