US AIRBORNE

In October 1940, the Commandant of the Marine Corps sent a circular letter to all units and stations requesting volunteers for parachutists. To qualify, the volunteer had to be single and aware of the risks of the service. The letter also mentioned that qualified parachutists would receive an unspecified amount of additional pay. The Marine Corps Parachutist Program (the 1st Paramarines, also known as Marine Paratroopers) began on October 26, 1940, when the first group of parachutist trainees arrived in Lakehurst, New Jersey, to begin training as parachutists and parachute riggers. Captain Marion L. Dawson commanded the new school in Lakehurst, New Jersey. Two other officers, 2nd Lieutenants Walter S. Osipoff and Robert C. McDonough, were assigned to lead the first group of Marine parachutists.

On October 26, 1940, Osipoff, McDonough, and 38 men arrived at Lakehurst. The initial training program included 16 weeks of instruction at the Parachute Material School, which ended on February 27, 1941. A Douglas R3D-2 transport plane arrived from Quantico on December 6 and remained until the 21st, allowing the pioneering Marine Paratroopers to make their first jumps during this period. For the remainder of their training, they jumped from a Navy dirigible stationed at Lakehurst. Lieutenant Osipoff, the senior officer, had the honor of making the first jump performed by a Marine parachutist. Upon graduation, each man had completed the 10 required qualification jumps to become a parachutist and parachute rigger. Not all succeeded—several dropped out due to injury or inadequacy.

The majority of these first graduates were designated to stay at Lakehurst as instructors or to serve in the Fleet Marine Force as riggers.

Graduating on February 27, 1941, most of the personnel from this detachment were retained as instructors, and by early 1942, they formed the core of the teaching staff for the parachute training school established at Camp Elliott in San Diego, California, and at Camp Lejeune, New River, North Carolina, and other stations across the United States.

A second detachment assembled at Lakehurst in December 1940, and like the first, underwent training, graduating on February 26, 1941. On March 22, 1941, the second detachment, along with several riggers from the first, arrived in San Diego, where it was organized as the 2nd Parachute Company. On May 1, 1941, the company was renamed Company "A", 2nd Parachute Battalion, under the command of Captain Robert H. Williams.

As more soldiers completed their training, the organization of a full battalion began. At Quantico, Virginia, the organic elements of the 1st Marine Parachute Battalion were formed: Company A on May 28, 1942, and Headquarters Company on July 10, 1941. They were attached to the 1st Marine Division until July 28, 1941, when they were reassigned to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. Meanwhile, in June 1942, Company A of the 2nd Parachute Battalion moved from San Diego to Quantico and was attached to the 1st Marine Division.

Robert H. Williams

On August 15, 1941, the 1st Parachute Battalion, consisting of three parachute companies at Quantico, was activated and transferred from the Wing to the Division Special Troops of the 1st Marine Division. Major Robert H. Williams took command of the battalion. Company A of the 2nd Parachute Battalion was renamed B Company, 1st Parachute Battalion on September 20, 1941, and after the battalion moved to New River, North Carolina, Company C (organized on March 28, 1942) was added, completing the organization of the 1st Parachute Battalion.

The 1st Parachute Battalion trained in Norfolk, Virginia, on June 7, where it embarked on the USS Mizar on June 10 and sailed via the Panama Canal to Wellington, New Zealand, arriving and landing on July 11, 1942. On July 18, it boarded the USS Heywood and sailed to Koro, Fiji Islands, where it participated in rehearsal operations for Guadalcanal.

The 1st Parachute Battalion was attached to the 1st Marine Division and landed on Gavutu Island in the British Solomon Islands on August 7, 1942. Company A, the first assault wave, landed without gunfire, but as they reached the beach, they came under intense rifle and machine gun fire. Company B, the second wave, meanwhile, was under enemy fire while still in the landing craft, and shortly after, the third wave, including Company C and additional units, came under enemy fire while still in the boats. Against heavy enemy fire, the lead element landed on Gavutu and pushed about 75 meters inland, where they were pinned down by fire from hills 148 and 121. The second and third waves landed and were immediately subjected to heavy enemy fire. During the initial moments of the battle, Major Williams was wounded, and command of the battalion passed to Major Charles A. Miller. Company B pushed toward the hill to capture Hill 148, and with the help of Company A, they took Hill 148. By dusk, the battalion had begun sweeping the island. The unit suffered a 20% casualty rate, the highest of any combat unit to land on Guadalcanal. Due to the battalion's exhausted manpower, the unit was attached to Edson's Raider Battalion by General Vandegrift at the end of August on Tulagi.

Merritt A. Edson

On September 8, 1942, the 1st Parachute Battalion, along with the 1st Raider Battalion, both under the command of Colonel Merritt A. Edson, conducted a raid near Taivu, close to the village of Tasimboko, Guadalcanal. The 1st Raider Battalion landed at Taivu Point and began advancing into the village. The lead elements of the 1st Parachute Battalion landed on a beach about 2000 meters east of Tasimboko, without resistance, and flanked and disrupted the enemy's positions to facilitate the advance of the Raider units. After a brief heavy weapons fight, the enemy retreated westward, abandoning their supply base in the village. The Marines entered the deserted village and destroyed food, medical supplies, and military equipment. This action disrupted major Japanese activity in the area, and the success of the raid, with the capture of enemy supplies, had a profound effect on the final "Battle of the Ridge."

After the return from the Tasimboko raid, the 1st Parachute Battalion and the 1st Raider Battalion were ordered to occupy the heights along the ridge, Lunga Ridge, south of Henderson Field, on Guadalcanal. Starting on September 11, 1942, enemy activity in this sector increased, taking the form of a series of small engagements. However, no large-scale attack developed. Despite this, on the night of September 13-14, the enemy made a determined effort to capture the hill overlooking the airstrip. The final Japanese assaults, which lasted all night, were centered around the ridge, but a push on both sides managed to break through and isolate the center. Due to the stubborn resistance put up by the Marine Raiders, the "Paramarines," and support units, along with excellent support from the 11th Marines' batteries, the positions were held overall. Enemy attacks became weaker and less frequent by morning, and when, at daylight, support aviation was able to fly against the Japanese positions, the activity was reduced to sporadic rifle fire and a few machine gun bursts. After the battle, it was found that over 600 Japanese soldiers were killed on the battlefield itself, in addition to those who died from wounds during the retreat westward. The battle, which lasted two days on the ridge, cost the 1st Marine Raiders 135 men and the 1st Marine Parachute Battalion 128. Of these totals, 59 were dead or missing, including 15 paratroopers killed in action. Many of the wounded paratroopers later returned to duty, but by this point, the battalion had been reduced to roughly the size of a rifle company from Edson's Ridge. The 1st Marine Parachute Battalion was relieved by the 7th Marines. On September 18, 1942, the 1st Parachute Battalion withdrew from Guadalcanal and left for Nouméa in New Caledonia, where it remained for a year to reorganize and re-equip for future combat.

At the same time that the 1st Parachute Battalion was being reorganized on the East Coast, the 2nd Parachute Battalion began its training at Camp Elliott in San Diego, California. On July 23, 1941, Company B, 2nd Parachute Battalion was activated and attached to the Division Special Troops, 2nd Marine Division. This company formed the nucleus of the 2nd Parachute Battalion, which was organized on October 1, 1941, under the command of Captain Charles E. Shepard, Jr. Company A was organized on February 7, 1942, and Company C on September 3, 1942.

Victor H. Krulak

The 2nd Parachute Battalion sailed from San Diego on October 20, 1942, and arrived in Wellington, New Zealand, on November 9, camping with other troops from the 2nd Marine Division Special Troops in a camp at Titahi Bay, 20 kilometers north of Wellington. It remained there until January 6, 1943, when it embarked for Nouméa in New Caledonia, where it joined the 1st Parachute Battalion. On April 1, 1943, when it became part of the new organization of the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment, it was reorganized—the A, B, and C Companies were renamed Companies E, F, and G, respectively. Lieutenant Colonel Victor H. Krulak took command of the battalion.

The 3rd Parachute Battalion, with HQ Company and A Company as organic units, was organized on September 16, 1942, under the command of Major Robert T. Vance, and was assigned to the newly created 3rd Marine Division stationed in San Diego, California. Company B was activated on November 10, 1942, and Company C on December 10, 1942.

In January 1943, the 3rd Parachute Battalion was attached to the Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet at Camp Elliott, until its overseas movement in two echelons, on March 5 and 13. On March 27, 1943, all the troops arrived in Nouméa, New Caledonia, where the 3rd Parachute Battalion was stationed at Camp Kiser and continued its training. On April 1, 1943, it became an organic unit of the newly formed 1st Marine Parachute Regiment and was reorganized along the same lines as the 2nd Parachute Battalion. Companies A, B, and C were redesignated as Companies I, K, and L, respectively.

On April 1, 1943, the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment was activated at Camp Kiser in Nouméa, New Caledonia, under the command of Colonel Merritt A. Edson. The regiment consisted of a Regimental Headquarters, Service Company, Weapons Company, and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Parachute Battalions.

The organization of the 4th Parachute Battalion began on April 2, 1943, with the activation of Company B at Camp Elliott in San Diego, California. On July 1, 1943, the remaining elements of the battalion (HQ Company, A Company, and B Company) were formed at Camp LeJeune, New River, North Carolina, with men from the Parachute Training Battalion stationed there. Lieutenant Colonel Marcellus J. Howard took command on that date. On July 6, 1943, the 4th Parachute Battalion arrived at Camp Joseph H. Pendleton the same day, and Company B was transferred from Camp Elliott and attached to the battalion. Six months later, on January 19, 1944, with the Marine Corps' decision to abandon its parachute troops program, the 4th Parachute Battalion was dissolved.

Meanwhile, in the South Pacific, in September 1943, the 1st Parachute Regiment moved from Nouméa to Guadalcanal. Then, in the last two days of September, the entire regiment was transferred to Vella Lavella in the New Georgia Islands group. Initially planned to jump on the heavily defended Japanese airstrips at Kahili and Kara on Bougainville, American planners canceled the jump due to fears of heavy losses. Instead, they opted for diversionary attacks on Choiseul Island, 50 kilometers east of Bougainville. On October 27, 1943, a task force consisting of the 2nd Parachute Battalion, reinforced by a machine gun platoon from the Weapons Company, a boat detachment (4LCP (R) 8s), and as many Experimental Rocket Detachment personnel, landed on Choiseul Island without opposition and began a diversionary raid. After successfully completing the mission of the Bougainville mop-up operation, the force withdrew from the island on November 4 and returned to Vella Lavella. On November 8, command of the 2nd Parachute Battalion passed to Major Marner T. Bigger.

With the return of the 2nd Parachute Battalion, the 1st Parachute Battalion, now commanded by Major Richard Fagan, sailed from Vella Lavella on November 22, 1943, and landed the following day at Empress Augusta Bay on Bougainville Island. Here, it was attached to the 2nd Raider Regiment (later in the Corps Reserve area), thus becoming part of the 1st Marine Amphibious Corps Reserve. On November 27, the 1st Parachute Battalion was assigned the mission of a raid northwest of Koiari on Bougainville, with the aim of disrupting communications, destroying the enemy, their facilities and equipment, and gathering intelligence. On November 29, 1943, the battalion landed near Koiari, but the enemy fire was so heavy that it became evident that the raid could not be successfully completed, and the force withdrew under the cover of naval gunfire from 155mm guns and LCI gunboats.

On December 3, 1943, the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment (without the 1st and 2nd Battalions) embarked from Vella Lavella and landed at Empress Augusta Bay on December 4. On December 5, it engaged in combat on the front of the 3rd Marine Division. Over the next four days, it repelled enemy patrols, ambushes, and sniper fire, and participated in unsuccessful attacks against strong Japanese positions. On December 10, 1943, this force was relieved from its positions by elements of the 9th and 21st Marines and moved to the 9th Marines Regimental Reserve sector, the secondary defensive line. On December 22, the 1st Parachute Battalion, the Weapons Company, and the Headquarters and Service Platoon were attached to the 2nd Raider Regiment, relieving the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Marines around Eagle Creek on Bougainville, and continued to reinforce defensive positions until elements of the 132nd Infantry Regiment, 27th Division, arrived on January 11, 1944. While participating in several bloody actions during the war, they were used as infantry, and no combat parachute jumps were made by the Marines during World War II. Eventually, the need for a parachute corps in the Marines was questioned. The fact that the Marines were generally assigned to attack small, heavily defended islands made them unsuitable for parachute-type assaults, and the lack of the necessary transport aircraft for mass airdrops was a cost factor. During the last part of December 1943.