US Marine Corps In New Zealand Plaque
N 38° 32.574 W 077° 20.563
18S E 295828 N 4268655
A replica of the original plaque in Wellington, NZ commemorating the arrival of the Marines during WW II is mounted on a memorial wall at the Semper Fi Park in Triangle, VA.
Waymark Code: WMEQ6H
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 06/25/2012
Views: 2
With the advent of World War II and the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, it was critical to set up bases in the Pacific theater, especially with the threat of Japan. New Zealand was an obvious choice because of its strategic location and it needed help in strengthening its defenses since some of their forces were engaged in the Middle East. New Zealand was an ideal launching point and for stockpiling supplies. On June 14, 1942, the first Marines arrived at Aotea Quay in Wellington. Over the next two years, 400,000 American troops passed through New Zealand -- the Marine Corps at Wellington and the U. S. Army at Auckland.
In 1955, a plaque
was installed on the Wellington waterfront commemorating the arrival of the Marines. The plaque is on a wall in Frank Kitts Park at Jervois Quay. It was moved from its original location (the actual Marine landing site) and rededicated in 2000.
In 2012, the 70th anniversary of the 'American invasion' of New Zealand, a replica of this plaque was installed on a memorial wall in the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park
next to the National Museum of the Marine Corps at the Marine Corps Heritage Center in Triangle, Virginia, near Quantico MCB. The inscription reads:
THE
UNITED STATES
MARINE CORPS
ARRIVED AT THIS
QUAY IN MAY 1942
AND LEFT FROM
HERE TO SERVE
IN THE PACIFIC
THEATRE OF WAR
It is noted that although the plaque says May 1942, the first troops arrived in June unless there was possibly an advance party.¹
¹ US Marine Corps memorial, Wellington
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