4th Marine Regiment Celebrate 102nd Birthday

Photo By Staff Sgt. Jorge Rosales | Col. David Odom serves cake during the 102nd birthday celebration for 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. Odom, the commanding officer of 4th Marines, was the speaker during the celebration.  

JAPAN

04.13.2016

Story by Lance Cpl. Jorge Rosales 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

CAMP SCHWAB, Okinawa, Japan – Fourth Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force celebrated their 102nd birthday with awards and cake served by Col. David Odom, the commanding officer for 4th Marine Regiment, and Sgt. Maj. Mario Fields, the sergeant major for 4th Marines, during a ceremony here, April 13, 2016.

The ceremony included motivational remarks from Odom and a video describing the regiment’s history, including its birth, deactivation, reactivation and present activity.

4th Marines was established in 1914 and deactivated in 1942, in the Philippines, after Army Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, the commander of U.S. forces in the Philippines under Gen. Douglas MacArthur, surrendered to Japanese forces during WWII. The regiment was later fully reestablished in 1951, and has since fought in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We like to recognize and remember our history,” said Master Gunnery Sgt. Charles A. Walker, the operations chief with 4th Marines. “It’s very important for us to push forward the legacy that has been given to us, to maintain that standard and even increase that reputation of the regiment.”

Walker, who has been with 4th Marines for two years, explained that there has been much success in the past year.

The regiment has conducted multiple off-island exercises throughout the Pacific. It has functioned as the command element of the Marine Air Ground Task Force for several exercises, including Blue Chromite 16 and all iterations of the Korean Marine Exchange Program. The regiment has also served as the ground combat element for various exercises, including Ssang Yong 16, the Marine Corps’ largest amphibious exercise.

The most memorable moment celebrated was during Integrated Training Exercise 2-15, at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Sgt. Antonio Garay, the communications platoon sergeant with 4th Marine Regiment, explained that the regiment was finally allowed to bring its organizational colors back to U.S. soil, 60 years after Wainwright, who commanded a joint force including 4th Marines, surrendered in the Philippines.

After 102 years of existence, 4th Marines has managed to become one of the most challenging but rewarding units to be a part of explained Garay.

“We all understand our mission here with 4th Marines, and that’s what makes us powerful,” said Garay. “I truly believe this is the best regiment.”

• Date Taken: 04.13.2016
• Date Posted: 04.17.2016 20:35
• Story ID: 195464
• Location: JP