Photo By Cpl. Zachary Nola | William Bussey, a 1st Marine Division Association member and Korean War veteran,...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Marines, sailors, veterans, friends and family joined together to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the 1st Marine Division during a morning colors ceremony in front of the division’s headquarters Feb. 3.
The 1st Marine Division, the oldest, largest, and most decorated division in the Marine Corps, was activated aboard the battleship Texas Feb. 1, 1941.
The Blue Diamond, which has been awarded nine Presidential Unit Citations, has played major roles in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The division’s headquarters element is currently deployed to Afghanistan, and its subordinate units continue to support Operation Enduring Freedom and marine expeditionary units as the ground combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force.
In honor of this year’s anniversary, the division hosted veteran Marines and sailors from the 1st Marine Division Association.
Association members began anniversary events Feb.1, with a memorial service in honor of those Marines and sailors, from the division, who fought at the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War.
Once the service concluded, association members, including some members who fought at the “Frozen Chosin,” were treated to exhibits and displays throughout Camp Pendleton.
These same members, as well as current Marines and sailors of the division, friends and family attended the morning colors ceremony, Feb. 3.
Formations for the ceremony were intentionally kept small, so units preparing for upcoming deployments were not burdened. Another intentional move included each platoon consisting of only noncommissioned officers, and was meant to emphasize the small-unit leadership of the Marine Corps.
“The backbone of the Marine Corps are NCOs,” said Sgt. Maj. Anthony Sammartino, 1st Marine Division sergeant major. “What you see here are noncommissioned officers representing a 26,000 strong division.”
This year’s anniversary highlighted veterans of the Korean War, and Sammartino took time to address those veterans, as well as veterans of other foreign wars, and thanked them for their contribution to the Blue Diamond.
“Whether you were a private, a buck sergeant or a sergeant major, you set a path for the division and for the NCOs of the division,” said Sammartino.
On the same day the division’s rear element was kicking off its celebrations Feb. 1, the unit’s forward element held a ceremony at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan.
More than 6,000 Marines and sailors are currently serving with 1st Marine Division (Forward), and forward commanding general, Brig. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman, took time during that celebration to recognize them.
“Over this past year we’ve gone from a situation where we were reacting to the enemy, to where we are now the ambusher and the enemy fears every day we are on the battlefield,” said Osterman. “I just want to say happy birthday Marines and sailors. You’ve added a wonderful year to the division and its accomplishments. It is one that will go down in history as a year that was very challenging yet very successful.”
| Date Taken: | 02.03.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.03.2011 17:36 |
| Story ID: | 64758 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 169 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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