Fourth Marine Division Of World War II
N 38° 32.569 W 077° 20.564
18S E 295826 N 4268646
A plaque to the Fighting Fourth is mounted on a stone wall in the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park in Triangle, VA.
Waymark Code: WMB8NC
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 04/19/2011
Views: 5
Semper Fidelis Memorial Park overlooks the National Museum of the Marine Corps at the Marine Corps Heritage Center in Triangle, Virginia, near Quantico MCB. The 23-acre park has a series of walkways with memorial bricks, commemorative benches, rally points, and monuments erected in honor of various Marine Corps units and organizations. Among the memorials is a brass plaque to the Fighting Fourth. The Fourth Marine Division was activated for fighting in the Pacific Theatre during World War II and was only active for two years, but they participated in the most combat missions in the shortest amount of time of any military unit. The plaque, which is mounted on a stone wall, reads: FOURTH MARINE DIVISION OF WORLD WAR II | [Emblems] | "THE FIGHTING FOURTH" | ACTIVATED 16 AUGUST, 1943 | | DEACTIVATED 28 NOVEMBER, 1945 | COMBAT OPERATIONS | DATES | CASUALTIES | ROI-NAMUR, KWAJALEIN ATOLL, MARSHALL ISLANDS SAIPAN, MARIANAS ISLANDS TINIAN, MARIANAS ISLANDS IWO JIMA, VOLCANO ISLANDS AVERAGE COMBAT STRENGTH 18,500 | 31 JAN. - 8 FEB. 1944 15 JUNE - 9 JULY 1944 24 JULY - 1 AUG. 1944 19 FEB. - 16 MAR. 1945 | 737 5,981 1,906 9,098 TOTAL CASUALTIES 17,722 | HONORS | | MEDAL OF HONOR 12 NAVY CROSS 111 DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL 4 SILVER STAR 646 LEGION OF MERIT 53 DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS 36 NAVY-MARINE CORPS MEDAL 56 BRONZE STAR 2,517 AIR MEDAL 103 PURPLE HEART 14,736 PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION 2 NAVY UNIT CITATION 1 | | THE FOURTH MARINE DIVISION EFFECTED THE MOST COMBAT MISSIONS IN THE SHORTEST TIME OF ANY MILITARY UNIT DURING WORLD WAR II. 31 JANUARY 1944 -16 MARCH 1945 THE FOURTH MARINE DIVISION WAS THE FIRST COMBAT UNIT TO SAIL DIRECT INTO ACTION FROM THE UNITED STATES. BY ATTACKING ROI-NAMUR IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS, IT WAS THE FIRST TO CAPTURE A JAPANESE MANDATED ISLAND WHILE DEFEATING THE ENEMY IN THE SHORTEST COMBAT TIME IN THE PACIFIC CAMPAIGN. BY THE TAKING OF SAIPAN, THE "FIGHTING FOURTH" OBTAINED AIR FIELDS AND ESTABLISHED A PORT OF CALL FOR FUTURE STAGING AREAS OF COMBAT TROOPS. THE "PERFECT AMPHIBIOUS OPERATION" WAS IN THE LANDING ON TINIAN ISLAND WHERE TWO BEACHES OF 65 AND 130 YARDS WERE USED TO LAND THE ENTIRE DIVISION OF COMBAT TROOPS. THE LANDING ON IWO JIMA, VOLCANO ISLAND WAS NOT ONLY THE STRONGEST EFFORT BY THE JAPANESE IN DEFENSE, WITH ONLY 660 MILES FROM TOKYO, JAPAN. THE LOSS GAVE US LANDING FIELDS THAT WERE TO SAVE MANY B-29 BOMBER CREWS RETURNING FROMBOMBING RUNS ON THE JAPANESE MAINLAND. | ADMIRAL CHESTER W. NIMITZ OF CINCPAC SAID IN 1945 AFTER THE TAKING OF IWO JIMA "UNCOMMON VALOR WAS A COMMON VIRTUE" | * SEMPER FIDELIS * |
Property Permission: Public
Access instructions: The Marine Corps Heritage Center in Triangle, VA near Quantico MCB
Access times: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM
Website for Waymark: [Web Link]
Location of waymark: Semper Fidelis Memorial Park at the Marine Corps Heritage Center 18900 Jefferson Davis Highway Triangle, VA USA 22172
Commemoration: 4th Marine Division
Date of Dedication: Not listed
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Visit Instructions: Include a photo containing, at minimum, the monument and your GPSr. We'd prefer a photo containing YOU at the monument, but we understand that some people are camera-shy. Also include a bit about your visit here.
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