7th Marine Regiment

7th Marines was formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 14 August 1917. During World War I, the 7th Marine Regiment immediately deployed to Cuba for two years. They were deactivated in the demobilization that followed the war. When the Marine Corps was once again called upon to provide peacekeepers in the Caribbean (1933), elements of the regiment were reactivated and deployed on Naval ships off the Cuban coast. At the end of the crisis, 7th Marines was once again inactivated.

On 1 January 1941, the 7th Marine Regiment was re-activated at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The regiment moved to what is today Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. On 18 September 1942 the regiment, now assigned to the 1st Marine Division, landed in the Solomon Islands on Guadalcanal. For four long months the regiment relentlessly attacked the Japanese defenders and repulsed banzai charges and suicidal attacks. Colonel Amor L. Sims led the regiment during the whole Guadalcanal Campaign and his men annihilated over 6,000 Japanese in 42 separate engagements.[2]

Arriving in Australia in January 1943, the vast majority of the regiment suffered from malaria, wounds or fatigue.

Again and again the regiment was called upon to storm the Japanese-held islands in the Pacific. The Seventh Marine Regiment fought in such places as Eastern New Guinea, New Britain, "Bloody Peleliu" and the island fortress of Okinawa. 7th Marines saw intense fighting on the island of Okinawa under Colonel Edward W. Snedeker where they sustained 700 Marines killed or wounded in the fighting to take Dakeshi Ridge and another 500 killed or wounded in the fighting near Wana Ridge.[3]

After the surrender of Japan, 7th Marines took part in the Occupation of Northern China from 30 September 1945 through 5 January 1947. They returned to MCB Camp Pendleton, California in January 1947 and were reassigned to the 1st Marine Division. The regiment was deactivated on 6 March 1947 as part of the Marine Corps' draw down of forces after the war. 7th Marines however was quickly reactivated on 1 October 1947 but only as a shell of its former self as it consisted of only four companies. Company "C" deployed to China from 2 May through 23 June 1949 to safeguard the withdrawal of Americans and was the last element of Fleet Marine Force to depart China.[4]

Marines watch F4U Corsairs drop napalm as I Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines move in to attack Chinese positions in North Korea.

On 17 August 1950, after the outbreak of the Korean War, the Regiment was reactivated, and on 21 September 1950 the Regiment landed at Inchon, as part of the 1st Marine Division. The regiment fought from Inchon to the Yalu, at The "Frozen Chosin" Reservoir and in the long defense of South Korea until the armistice.

In fall of 1962, substantial parts of the regiment embarked for the Caribbean and possible action in Cuba, aimed at forcing the removal of Soviet nuclear missiles pointed at the United States. As the Cuban Missile Crisis subsided, The Seventh Marines returned to Camp Pendleton, California.

In 1965, the regiment was deployed to South Vietnam. While in service in Vietnam the 7th Marine regiment participated in the following military operations: Operation Starlite, Operation Piranha, Operation Harvest Moon, Operation Mallard, operations Texas and Indiana, Operation Golden Fleece 7-1, Operation Rio Blanco, Operation Shark, Operation Boone, Operation Duval, Operation Desoto, Operation Foster, Tet Offensive, Operation Allen Brook, Operation Mameluke Thrust, Operation Daring Endeavor, Operation Linn River, Operation Meade River, Operation Oklahoma Hills, Operation Taylor Common, Phase I of Operation Pipestone Canyon, the defense of Que Son, Operation Pickens Forest and Operation Imperial Lake. The last elements of 7th Marines departed the Republic of Vietnam 13 October 1970.[5]

In August 1990, shortly after shifting the home of the regimental colors from Camp Pendelton to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, the Marines and sailors of the regiment deployed to Saudi Arabia. They were part of the attack into Kuwait and eventual victory. In August 1991, as a result of the unique organizational changes that occurred in Seventh Marines, and with the addition of 3rd LAR Battalion, 3rd Tank Battalion and Delta Company, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, Seventh Marine Regiment became Regimental Combat Team Seven (RCT-7).

In December 1992, RCT-7 deployed on Operation Restore Hope to relieve famine and return order to Somalia, remaining there for five months.

On 13 August 1993, on the eve of the regiment's 76th anniversary, the regiment formally marked the return to its original designation by changing its name from Regimental Combat Team 7 to 7th Marines (Reinforced).

In August 1996, organizational changes once again designated 3rd LAR Battalion (Formerly LAI Bn) and 1st Tank Battalion as separate battalions in direct support of the 7th Marine's MPF Mission. Also in direct support is Delta Company 3rd AA Battalion who returned to 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion.

In January 2003, the 7th Marines deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On 21 March, the regiment crossed the line of departure into Iraq as it moved to seize and cut off Iraqi units around Basrah. During the course of the next few weeks, the regiment continued the offensive to capture Baghdad and collapse the regime of Saddam Hussein. During much of the attack north, the regiment led the 1st Marine Division in the deepest attack in Marine Corps history.[6] The regiment again deployed to Iraq in February 2004 where they were based at Al Asad Airbase and were responsible for security and stabilization operations in the western desert regions of Al Anbar Province. The regiment's third Iraq deployment came in 2006 where they were again operating throughout Al Anbar and based at Al Asad.

1st Battalion, 3rd Marines and other supporting units from Hawaii were attached to the 7th Marine Regiment in 2004 and 2005 during Operation Phantom Fury to assist with the invasion of Fallujah

The regiment deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Helmand Province, Afghanistan from September 2009 – September 2010. They were based at Camp Dwyer.

The regiment returned to Afghanistan in September 2012 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and remained there until September 2013. They were based at Camp Leatherneck.

In April 2015, 7th Marines took command of the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force from 5th Marines.[7]

Since late-2014, the infantry battalions of 7th Marines (1/7, 2/7, 3/7, & 3/4 after re-activation) have served as the Ground Combat Element for the SP-MAGTF and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

• "Manila John" Basilone, Gunnery Sergeant, WWII
• Jason Dunham, Iraq War
• Herman H. Hanneken, commanding officer, Battle of Peleliu, WWII
• Mitchell Paige, WWII
• Jay Vargas, Vietnam War

• Henry W. Buse Jr., Silver Star, commanding officer, 3rd Battalion, Cape Gloucester operation, WWII
• Odell M. Conoley, Navy Cross, commanding officer, 2nd Battalion, Cape Gloucester operation, WWII
• Julian N. Frisbie, Navy Cross, commanding officer, Cape Gloucester operation, WWII
• Jack P. Juhan, commanding officer, 1953, Korean War.
• Homer Litzenberg, Navy Cross, commanding officer, Battle of Chosin Reservoir, Korean War.
• James Mattis, United States Secretary of Defense, commanding general, 2004-2007, Iraq War
• Herman Nickerson Jr., Army Distinguished Service Cross, commanding officer, Battle of the Punchbowl, Korean War
• Oscar F. Peatross, Navy Cross, commanding officer, 1964-1966, Vietnam War
• Lewis "Chesty" Puller, five Navy Crosses
• Amor L. Sims, two Silver Stars, commanding officer, Guadalcanal Campaign, WWII
• Edward W. Snedeker, Navy Cross, commanding officer, Battle of Okinawa, WWII
• Lawrence F. Snowden, commanding officer, 1966-1967, Vietnam War