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US Marines Fought in Europe Too!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มี.ค. 2023
- The United States Marine Corps is most famous for its actions in the Pacific War, but did Marines also serve in Europe? In this video, we briefly explore USMC operations in the ETO and North Africa, actions that are forgotten today.
Dr. Mark Felton FRHistS, FRSA, is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.o...
Visit my audio book channel 'War Stories with Mark Felton': • One Thousand Miles to ...
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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress; US Marine Corps Archive; Marine Corps University
CORRECTION: The USS Augusta was a cruiser, not a battleship as I incorrectly said in the video.
That was a big swing and a miss.
th-cam.com/video/pKcmNGvaDUs/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for the quick correction
All people make mistakes..No problem (bet the smart one told you in a sek smile..have a great Day Sir
Bruh
I am a U.S. Marine veteran and I want to say thank you Dr Felton for educating me on a subject that not even the Marine Corps taught me.
Semper Fi Jarhead!
Fairly common knowledge to any WW2 history buff that the Marines took part in the failed 1942 Dieppe Raid.
I always thought the Marines would be involved in those operations but this is the first historical accounting of those actions I’ve seen, and I’m a Marine!!
Many thanks Dr. Felton!
When I seen the video I was like yeas “the lost battalion” is finally being brought back alive on history” battle of belleau wood. But then I notice the helmets on those marines and was like “wait marines fought in WWII
Similarly, as a Navy vet from '76-'80 , I never heard of or learned about the USS Indianapolis disaster in WWII. It was only beforehand in '75 when watching the "Jaws" film did I hear the storyline & which I thought was just Hollywood script until my curiosity compelled my own research.
God bless the crew & Captain of USS Indianapolis. ✝️🗽🇺🇲
Dr. Felton, thank you for recognizing my fellow Marines who went before me to lay down their life’s in the defense of freedom. I salute you my good man. (Marine Corps 1988-1992)
you said it well brother ...Semper Fi ( Marine Raider 1984-1988)
did marines spearhead the ground offensive of the gulf war ?
It makes you wonder what them men would think of the American hate in America by disgraceful people
2018 to 2022 Marine MP checking in Rah gentlemen
Thank you for your service from a family that has served from WW2 and in everything in between except for Grenada and Lebanon. I thank you and I am humbled by your call to your fellow Marines.
As a retired Marine and a history buff, I am glad you brought the significant contribution of the Marine in Europe to your channel. The exploits of Col Ortiz in the OSS could be its own video (you did have pictures of him in this video). He was spoke over 10 languages, was born in France, joined the French Foreign Legion in 1939 to fight the Nazis. Escaped via Lisbon and when the US. Joined the Marines was commissioned and served with the OSS in Europe. He had numerous covert missions in occupied France and earned 2 Navy Crosses amoung many other decorations. An unsung hero of the Marine Corps and deserving of recognition.
He also had a Hollywood career and starred with John Wayne.
@@kfeltenberger I'm guessing he could've mopped the floor with John Wayne, too.
Yes, people who don’t know better think the Army fought in Europe and the Marines fought in the Pacific.. Semper Fi, BTW I though there was no such thing as an x-Marine!
Thanks for sharing this!
My father had the gift of languages. Me? I'm lucky if my writing in English has good spelling and punctuation. My oldest son got his gift and his brains. Me? Still wishing I had😂.
My Dad was part of the 49th West Riding Division the( Polar Bear Division) that garrisoned Iceland for a while and he described the American Marines who joined them as a fine body of men, their medical staff were first rate and he credited them with saving a number of his unit who suffered illness and injury, they were very generous too with stores and supplies.
Not mentioned, the 1st Prov Marine Brigade adopted the 49th West Ridings formation sign as their own.
The medical staff were Navy. USMC is part of the USN and doesn't have medical staff.
Yes I saw that, the illustration shows the old type of badge with the bear's head pointed down.
@@nicholasmuro1742 Not true, USMC and USN are different services. But as marines don't have their own medical services, their position is occupied by USN corpsmen.
@@jonasninanmathew9312
Because Marines come under the Dept of the Navy.
A Marine in Europe with the OSS was actor Sterling Haydon.
He grew up on the Maine coast and in Europe took small boats from Italy to Yugosavia.
I'll bet there was a "Plan R for Robert" with those operations.
He was actually something of a high speed badass warrior. Kind of prototypical SF/MARSOC.
Sterling Hayden was also a US Army soldier however he was discharged after being injured.
@@DickWeinerUSA Mustn't forget the authorization code: POE (Purity Of Essence).
@@blindleader42
Don’t forget Captain McClusky…. How’s the Italian food in this Italian restaurant. Try the veal. Badda bing
I had a good friend in high school whose father was U.S. Marine and witnessed the allied invasion of Normandy while on board a ship. From there he went on to the Pacific and I believe was at the Battle of Iwo Jima.
BTW, I'm sending this video to our Marine Corps son who is currently serving in Africa. He loves anything having to do with USMC history.
Ha! Gonna send it my son as well, who is serving on Okinawa. God bless the Corps!
Did he make it back safely? I hope so!
1. Two USMC were killed in a German raid on the Normandy Coast. 2. Take the time to read the story of Ortiz. He had previously served in the French Foreign Legion.
Mr. Felton, as a Brazilian, I've met many veterans (The Smoking Snakes), that fought in Italy, and spearheaded the fight at Monte Cassino. They tell the most amazing stories and I would be grateful if you could share what you know. Thank you!
Would be interesting to learn about the German Brazilians that fought with the Snakes. The tale of 2nd Lieutenant (posthumous) Max Wolff's an interesting one.
I also want to see this
I know nothing of this unit or of their involvement and would also be enlightened to hear about them
That would make a fantastic episode. Not many people know of Brazil's involvement in WW2. I've looked for years in the US for one of their patches, to no avail... It featured a snake smoking a pipe, hence "The Smoking Snake"...
@@sebastiangeller8637 their were also Brazilian-German pilots who became aces
I think it was Smauel E Morrison who relayed a story of a Marine who was written up after the war for wearing the Europe-Africa-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon. He served afloat at D-Day and the new Lieutenant was convinced that no Marines had served in that theater.
I've got a story similar to that one. In a book I've got about American military decorations written in the late 1960's the author, an Air Force staff sergeant, mentioned running into a lieutenant wearing a Pacific Theater ribbon who obviously wasn't old enough to have served in WW2. It turns out he was a boy in the Phillipines (His father was a businessman in Manila and had his family there) and when the Japanese invaded he and his family were interned in a camp for civilians. Believe it or not he was authorised to wear the medal and ribbon and so were all the other interned civilians!
I bet it was a second lieutenant too.
@@diamonddigs6206 We had a joke in the Corps:
"We gotta get Sergeant Smith in a position where he's not responsible for anything. So we can either bust him to private or promote him to second lieutenant!"
Had a similar incident with Desert Shield/Storm.
The US Army loaned the 2nd (Tiger) Brigade 2nd Armor Division to the Marines. After the 100 hour "war" the soldiers came looking for 2nd MarDiv shoulder patches to put on their uniforms as the last unit they served in combat with. We had to tell them we didn't have any an the USMC doesn't use shoulder patches.
A couple years later I was on an Army base for some school or another and saw a soldier with a 2nd MarDiv shoulder patch and immediately knew where he'd earned it ;)
@@gdolson9419 Interesting! Shoulder patches were worn by Marines during the First World War and again in WW2, but shoulder patches were abolished post-war. But as you know shoulder patches for the three Marine divisions and three air wings are still made since there's a market for them but obviously not authorized for wear on the unforms.
Had absolutely no clue Marines fought in Europe! Throughout my USMC career, I've sat through countless classes on battles we've participated in....I've never heard of this interesting bit of little-known history!! Thanks again Dr. Felton and Semper Fi Devil Dogs!!
Rah
@@drott150 I think he meant WW2
@Joe Blow Marines received the moniker "Devil Dogs" from the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood in 1918...over twenty years before the start of WWII. And don't even think of trying to say that you thought "Europe meant WWI"
@@drott150 Devil Dogs came from WWI.
Tough Guy Actor Sterling Hayden Served In the OSS in Europe.
As a former Marine, I learned some Marine history that I had not heard of before, thanks Dr. Felton! On a side note, I went through the Infantry Officer’s course, ( The Basic School) with Peter Ortiz, JR. After quite a bit of prodding, he agreed to tell us about some of his father’s exploits with the OSS…clearly incredibly dangerous and heroic, easily could have been made into a Hollywood movie. Ironically Col. Peter Ortiz, Sr. did appear in several John Wayne cavalry movies and in the WWI movie, “What Price Glory” with James Cagney.
“Former Marine”? What happened devil? Did ya get Admin Sep’d or something 😂
My enormous respect for your service. From me in England UK 💗
You never fail to amaze Dr Felton - as a 5th generation Marine I appreciate you finding out such a great piece of USMC history! Thank you for recognizing the devil dogs!
Fifth gen, wow! Did your ancestors serve in WWI or the Spanish American War? The Banana Wars?
@@RCAvhstape WWI, WWII, Vietnam
Fun fact. If remembering correctly, the U.S. utilized the Marine camouflaged pattern uniform, early in Europe. These were discontinued rather quickly, as they were more easily mistaken for German camo patterned uniforms...
It's possible. The Marines liked the camouflaged uniform but it turned out the fabric used was too heavy for the Pacific climate and was quickly dropped. They did keep the camo helmet covers though.
@@wayneantoniazzi2706 Thanks for the reply Wayne.
I can't remember which book, but it shows a photo of the camo uniforms being utilized in combat by U.S. troops, shortly after the D-Day invasion...
@@bryanme5771 Right, I've got a uniforms of WW2 book that pictured the Airborne's camo uniform and briefly told the story.
It was actually an Army camouflage uniform since it was first developed by the Army Corps of Engineers (although the pattern itself was designed by a civilian). The Marines just took a better liking to it.
@@redaug4212 Thanks for the interesting, additional information...
Sterling Hayden, who later became a Hollywood actor, was a Marine officer attached to the OSS and served in Yugoslavia. You might remember him from The Godfather, The Killing, Dr. Strangelove, and The Asphalt Jungle.
gew1898. He also played the part of Navy Lt. Commander Collier Commanding Officer of a Navy Corsair Fighter Squadron. The name of the movie is, Flat Top. 1952. It's a great movie. Check it out sometime.
@@user-wk2zb4ss1k I haven’t seen that one. I’ll look for it. Thanks for the tip.
My father who passed in 2007 was a World War II veteran. He would occasionally tell some fascinating stories about being in Europe and was on his way to being deployed in Japan when the war ended. He would love all these fascinating stories by Dr Felton! Thx for them....
I did hear about Peter Ortiz(he’s a legend in Marine Corps Lore) and the marines in Iceland but it is shocking that the rest of this stuff is forgotten!
Forgotten or suppressed due to interservice rivalry? Cheers!
*hear (not here)
And that rather thin Marine officer being decorated by (I think) Admiral Stark is Peter Ortiz!
He also shows up in the John Wayne movie "Rio Grande" as Captain St. Jacques.
@@Eidolon1andOnly, we know what he meant. I reckon you have appointed yourself the typo Nazi.
@@filster1934 I take it you have appointed yourself the white knight of the OP, here to defend the bad grammar and make poor excuses for it.
The history of WW2 is amazing, so much to learn everyday!
Michael Corleone's decorations as portrayed in The Godfather had ribbons showing his participation in both the European and Pacific campaigns.
I remember my grandpa (a marine staff sergeant in ww2) telling me about the marines involved before the war began when I was about a 5th grader. But then all throughout school it didn’t really get mentioned. Interesting. But thanks to my grandpas (the other a first sergeant in the army) for their time in Europe and the South Pacific! And all the grandparents who lived through it or lost their lives for us back then. Miss you both very much!
Semper fi. To all my Marine brothers. Thanks for the video. From. Sc
Dr. Felton never disappoints. Excellent video!
Oh yes, they did Professor Felton!! It may not be very well known, but the Marines were in Ireland and England prior to the invasion. The marines in Ireland actually had their own unit patch.
Semper Fi
Mark's doctorate is honorary.
I once purchased and sold a WWII patch for the US Marine Corps Barracks in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. This USMC unit was in support of the US Naval base in that same city.
William Harris: That would have been in Northern Ireland, as part of the UK. The Republic of Ireland was officially neutral during WW2.
@@johnroscoe2406 It's unusual for PhDs to be honorary. He got his from the University of Essex before his academic career at Fudan University in Shanghai: so it's unlikely to have been an honorary degree. But he may not have been called Professor.
You mean Iceland, don't you? Ireland (Eire) was neutral, and although 100,000 Irish nationals served with the British forces, Eire definitely leaned more towards Germany than Britain, hoping to "recover" Ulster in the event of a German victory.
Another piece of fascinating history for us all to absorb and learn !!
Marines Europe ? Whaaat ?! Had no Idea,,
Thank You Sir !!
General George Marshall - "No Marine troops will be deployed to Europe as long as I'm in charge of the US Army". This was largely the reason the US Marines had very minimal participation in that theater.
The main reason US Marines had minimal participation was because they were subordinate to the Department of the Navy, and the Pacific Theater was their top priority. Marshall had little input over the matter whether he actually said that or not. Remember, even with 500,000 men serving in the Marine Corps during WWII, most of the ground fighting in the Pacific was still done by the Army. There just weren't enough Marines to go around.
It's about manpower - there's simply not enough Marine Corps troops for European deployment, and not nearly enough even to fight the Pacific campaigns.
If the War Dept. and the US Navy really wanted a Marine Division deployed in Europe, there's nothing George Marshall can do to stop it. The US Army depend on the Navy to get troops across the Atlantic to North Africa and continental Europe and conduct all amphibious operations in the European theater.
Thank you Mark Felton for another lesson!
There's no sound more exciting to listen to, than a British man with a soft voice, and a good vocabulary.
For the second time we the British, owe so much to our American allies. Having the might of America fighting alongside British, Canadian, Australian, Indian and others from the Commonwealth ensured victory in Europe.
SEMPER FI MARK. Thanks for pointing this out as well. One of my grandfathers was a Marine liason and advisor for the planning of the Normandy landings.
This is a question I've always had since learning about the different theaters of the war. Thank you this video!
Thanks so much for this video Doctor Felton! OOOO-RAH and "Semper Fi!" to you!
In Marine boot camp part of the training are classes in Marine Corps history (They make sure you know it!) but what you covered is something that was left out, at least in my day. It IS covered in the US Marine Museum in Quantico VA however. A great place to visit if you ever get across the pond to the US!
Again, thanks from a former US Marine 1st Lieutenant!
SFMF!
@@oldesertguy9616 Same to you Desert Guy!
Rah
First time I’ve EVER heard mention of marines in Europe. I always learn something new with mark
Yeah my great-uncle was a Montford Point Marine of course he served in the Pacific but this is something you definitely don't hear too much about Marines in Europe during World War II.
Very interesting video. The only other reference to the USMC in Europe that I have seen was in Paul Carrel's book "Invasion: They are Coming!" The book references a USMC Gunnery Sgt. who took a wounded German Lieutenant prisoner at strong point W5 on Utah Beach.
As a Marine I found this insightful Mark. Your research abilities are truly impressive.
I’ve been waiting a long time for Mark Felton to cover this subject.
This is one aspect of military history that's somewhat overlooked about the Devil Dogs fighting in the European theatre of WWII (same for the US Army units in the Pacific theatre) but it's one that's nice to learn about nonetheless. Thanks for bringing this topic forward Mr. Felton!
My uncle was with the 11th Airborne div in the Philippines'.
@@markthompson8656 The raid at Los Baños was an interest event where the Angels (referred to as such by their commanding officer once in regards of their behaviour) took part, as well as their fight in the Philippines. Nice to see the Angels (or Arctic Angels now) have returned. Wonder which other Airborne units will make a comeback (the Golden Talons perhaps).
Not quite the same. Very few Marines in ww2 Europe.
But there were 3x the Army as there were Marines in the Pacific. Marines had 5 divisions. The Army had about 15-20 divisions. 6th mardiv was created for Okinawa, the final ww2 battle.
Not nearly as overlooked as that the term Devil Dog was fictional and made up by the USMC and a news reporter.
I mean there were also a lot of marines in Europe during ww1 so there's that
Great informational video! I also wish more coverage of the US Army in the pacific theater.
Thank you sister Mark Felton oh, I did not know this we always all appreciate your videos and your insights!
Interesting story. USS Augusta was also a cruiser
Thank you Mark for this story. This is something I've actually wondered about for a long time. The Marines are always associated with the Pacific Theater and fighting the Japanese. I've always wondered did any US Marines actually serve in the European theater, thanks for answering that question.
Dr. Felton I appreciate and thank you for acknowledging my Marine brothers who paved the way for me to be one of them. A US Marine.
Well done! I just came across this video and as a Marine veteran, I actually don't recall this part of our history mentioned (while I was serving) with as much detail as was covered in your video. Thanks for sharing. I see you have loads of content on your channel which I'm definitely going to check out. Take a like!
Dr. Felton, Thank you for correcting the record about USMC involvement in the European Campaign. From a retired Devil Dog.
Marines were also part of the US Navy's "Base One Europe" in Northern Ireland where they formed a pipes and drums. The only USMC pipes and drums in history.
As myself and most of my family that has served are US Army Veterans. We thank and honor the Marines for their dedication and service.
I’m an Army veteran as well and appreciate the significant contributions of the Marine Corps. Interestingly the story in the Pacific is almost reversed. It’s a very Marine centric story. The Marines were key to the victory in the Pacific. However, the Army through its shear size was actually engaged in more amphibious assaults than the Marines! Perhaps it was MacArthur’s self promotion or some of the terrible defeats of the Army early in the war. Also the Marines took 10% of all US casualties despite being 5% of the total force - a very high casualty rate. Who knows. Would love to see a follow up video on that subject.
This is great to see this. But I am a Navy Veteran and am trying to figure out how the Marines spearheaded the war in the Pacific. The Marines did 15 landings total always supported by the Navy and the Army, and had at max capacity 6 Divisions. The US Army had 21 infantry divisions plus tank battalions, medical, intelligence and Army Air Corp in the Pacific. I believe the 8th Army did 35 landing in a 5 week period. Actually the US Army did the majority of the Pacific war fighting.
Ive gotta be honest, I never knew about this cool little piece of history.
I did not know this but always wondered. Thank you for sharing.
Another great story, THANK YOU
I’m proud to be a member of this awesome family….👍🏽🇺🇸…
Semper Fi my family
USNA ‘79
Great video Dr Felton . Keep it up 👍👌😎
US Soldiers also fought in Iwo Jima. The US Army 147th Infantry Regiment “The Cave Men”. They fought the Japanese hidden inside the cave network of the island. USMC General Harry Schmidt ego went to his head and declared that the island is safe and only had about 100-300 Japanese Soldiers. He was dead wrong and his Marines paid the price when the Japanese attacked their bivouac site. With the help of the 147th US Army Infantry they were able to blunt the attack. The Soldiers of the 147th Infantry also cleared the tunnels of Mount Suribachi accounted for 6,000 enemies killed.
Thank you. In 1943, my father was 17 years old and ran all the way home from the recruiters office to get written permission from his mother to join the Marines. He served in the 1st Marines in the Pacific, at Pelielu, Okinawa, as China Marine protecting Nationalist trains from Mao's insurgents, and served in Korea. I know that has little to do about Marines serving in the ETO, but I get excited hearing anything about the Corps. Semper fi, Mr. Fenton!
Although I’m not a Marine (I say that with regret and shame)… my Dad was a Marine until the day he died back in 2015.
He was a weapons company Sgt in the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Battalion/5th Marines.( Korea ‘52-56).
* His older brother (my Uncle) was a Marine Corporal , Rifle Squad in the South Pacific… he fought at the Battles of Saipan, Tinian and Guam.
- Therefore, I haven’t earned the right to be considered a Marine’s brother… But I damn sure consider every U.S. Marine as something like a Cousin ! …And I have the utmost respect for every combat Marine veteran.
Thank You Dr Felton, for bringing facts about U.S. Marines fighting in the European theater !!
I have a photo of my marine father on leave, sitting among roman ruins with a buddy, in north Africa, in 1943.
Ooh Rah Dr. Felton! Thank you for this video. SEMPER FI !
My Marine grandfather would have appreciated this episode. Thank You!
I am a former Marine and never knew this. Thanks Mark
Yet another Marine Corps veteran here. (Sgt, 3rd Recon) Thank you for this video!
My great uncle Barney Ross, the famous boxer, fought on Gaudalacanal during the war, he came home a war hero in 1943. I’m glad this is finally being highlighted, as it’s often overlooked.
Thank you for taking the time to research this piece of history. I once has an old friend and fellow Marine who served in the island hopping campaign. I loved to listen to him for hours on the exploits of the young men fighting in the war. He gave a thought provoking theory as to why the Marines were not involved in Europe. He stated many of the Marines he served with were of first generation German descent and wanted to serve their country, but without taking arms against their own family's home country. Again, thank you for your time and work on these discussions.
It was not tied to the national origin of individual Marines as most were born in the United States. Any who had been born in Germany or Austria would have been a rather small minority, spread out between various units. The reason why the Marines were used near exclusively in the Pacific primarily boils down to the nature of the war in that theater, which put the Marines' amphibious expertise in high demand, interservice rivalry, and Admiral King and General Marshall.
Like most naval officers who were itching to avenge Pearl Harbor, King opposed the Germany first strategy and wanted the US Navy to go on the offensive against Japan as soon as possible. To that end he ensured that all the Marines (effectively the navy's army) were allocated for just that. Marshall was the other roadblock. When asked by Field Marshall Alan Brooke at Tehran if any Marines would be used for Normandy he flatly said no, that no Marines would ever be deployed to Europe while he was in charge of the U.S. Army. Marshall still felt some resentment over press coverage of the 4th Marine Brigade during the Battle of Belleau Wood in the First World War, which had been attached to the army's 2nd Infantry Division. The army units of that division had also been heavily engaged but press coverage focused on the dramatic actions involving the Marine brigade, and some army officers (including Marshall) felt slighted. Marshall was content to let King get his way with the Marines.
I grew up in a Marine Corps family ( father, uncles , cousins , WW2, Korea, Vietnam) , and I never knew they fought on the continent. As a matter of fact I can remember asking that as a little kid. Fascinating. As usual Dr. Felton knocks it out of the park! :)
If you ever watch the documentary film This is Korea (here on TH-cam BTW), it is wild to see US Marines fighting so far inland, which as Dr. Felton said they historically didn't often do. They were literally up in the mountains trying to help the Army fellas dislodge the dug-in North Korean forces, at times literally having to drive them out of hidden tunnels with flamethrowers (or just killing them with phosphorus grenades). Seems like Asian troops being masters of ambushes or digging in is universal amongst those nations, not just Japanese or Vietnamese.
As always you have been a great help in explaining after exploring the facts and details to put out another masterpiece of history and how they were involved and fought for their nation. My great Uncle Joe was a Marine on Iwo Jima and the flag picture then to Okinawa and survived to make it home safely and then one evening after the war was clobbered by a drunk driver walking home. He was so close it was a great heart break for the family and my Grandmother. God bless you and great job as always with a enjoyable video to start my morning with. Thank you and God bless.
Mr. Felton, I am so glad that you brought this issue to light , explored, and presented it in a tasteful matter.
Absolutely fascinating, Dr. Felton. Thank you.
Inter-service rivalry is one of the militaries problems. While in Bosnia (1996) the Army put a Marine unit that flew the surveillance drones in the middle of the camp so their flight line/run way was too short. The Marines broke all their toys and went home, but it proved the concept of drone surveillance.
Dr. Felton as a retired Marine I appreciate this lecture. You present historical fact in a way that is interesting and have me coming back for more. Semper Fidelis Sir!!
I knew about the US Marine involvement with the OSS but I did not know of them involved the invasion of North Africa and Operation Dragoon. Thank you for another facinating video!
Semper Fi Mr. Felton and thank you for bringing this important history to light. Served 1967-1971.
Dr. Felton, thank you for your exemplary efforts to share our history with so many others! Semper Fidelis
Thankyou for your service
And conversely the number of US Army soldiers who served in the Pacific. I once met an elderly vet who was quite bitter about the looked over contribution of the US Army involvement in that theater of the war. According to him, the Army had as many beach landings, liberated the Philippines and did more than just mop-up for the Marines.
Nice way to finish a bank holiday weekend.
Love from Perth Western Australia 🇦🇺
Great job on this video.
As always highly informative thank you for the knowledge and education
His doctorate is honorary and he doesn't do any investigating and research that hasn't already been done.
@John Roscoe and???? So what he educates and entertains I enjoy his work take your b.s. elsewhere.
@@michaelbassett2056 Nothing I said is BS. He's not the historian people think he is. And this TH-cam channel is a business, his role is the voice.
@@johnroscoe2406 go touch grass this conversation is terminated.
Fascinating video mark! Thank you !
Semper Fi, Mark!
God bless those who fought that we might be free . Thank You .
A friend of mine from the outdoor club I once belonged to, Luther Eoff, was in the USMC during WW-2. He didn't say much about it other than mentioning Italy once in a while.
Ohhh rahh thank you for the recognition!! Semper Fi (2012-2016)
always been fascinated by the subject of us marines in europe, giving their infamous status as elite troops it always struck me as odd how there was so few involved in the european campaign
It's a common misconception that inter-service rivalry was the reason why Marines did not fight in Europe during WW2, with the exception of very few shipboard Marines or those serving special roles in ETO. Army Gen. George Marshall famously stated that he did not want Marines in Europe. That made for a good quote, but if the War Dept. and the US Navy really wanted a Marine Division or brigade deployed in Europe, there's nothing George Marshall can do to stop it. The US Army depended on the Navy to get troops and logistics across the Atlantic to North Africa and continental Europe and conduct all amphibious operations in the European theater. If the US Navy wanted its Marines to fight in Europe they will have their way.
The main reason why Marines did not fight in ETO all comes down to lack of manpower - there's simply not enough Marine Corps troops for European deployment, and not nearly enough even to fight the Pacific campaigns. The Marines' huge losses in the Pacific by 1944 was so critical that they had to rely on draftees to raise a division to support the invasion of Okinawa.
Good stuff! Thanks for mentioning the Marines for their contributions in Europe during WWII
Thank you
USMC 1977 - 2004
As a Marine veteran this is awesome history to learn
Thank you Dr Felton
As a former USAF Firefighter, we admired Marines who came to our base. And they admired our chow! They ate C and K rations back then when deployed. Never an excellent meal like our hot, fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Lol!
You forgot to mention a USMC officer developed the whole landing plan for D-Day.
Awesome!
I've always wondered about this matter. Thank you.
A Squadron of Marine Corps F4U Corsairs was based in the UK. The unit was considered to be used on attacks on V-1 sites with the mighty mouse rockets. The sites were overrun between the unit was committed to attacks.
We , in Boot Camp, at MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina, were taught that Marines ,indeed , participated in Operation Torch, had a hand in the Dieppe Raid, as well as having Marines in the OSS and in Operation Overlord, aka , " D- Day". Semper Fidelis, Marines. 🇺🇸🇺🇲🦅🌎⚓🪖🎖️💣💥🔥🇺🇸🇺🇲‼️
Dude, the US Army played a huge role in the Asia-Pacific Theater*, I don't know why it gets understated. There was only 6 USMC divisions in total in WW2, but over 20 Army divisions in the PTO. They were often the main (or only) American ground forces in numerous campaigns, in many of the island hopping campaigns they contributed around half the assault forces.
A little known fact is they fought at Iwo Jima too. An Army NG infantry regiment (147th) fought there from the early days until the island was won, and then stayed after the Marines left dealing with remnants of Japanese forces waging a last ditch guerilla war. Of course no one would say Iwo Jima wasn't a USMC battle.
Army Rangers and Airborne forces fought in the PTO too. E.g. 503 PIR jumped into New Guinea and Corregidor.
The USMC contribution in the ETO should be acknowledged, they developed the amphibious warfare doctrine that the Allies used in WW2, drawing on lessons from the failed Gallipoli Campaign in WW1, they deserve credit for that, but if a single Marine battalion fought at Normandy, it'd be famous, because Marines love PR. Even if they did relatively little. That's precisely how they became famous in WW1. They were a relatively small portion of the American forces that fought at Belleau Wood, but are the most famous because they had an embedded reporter who broke OPSEC (as it's called today) to tell the American public all about it.
It's a similar situation to why the Navy SEALs are famous and their exploits are well known. Special Forces (as in, the Green Berets) and SFOD-D (Delta Force), not so much. The Army just doesn't brag as much.
* Off the topic of my head: The Army fought in: Philippines, Okinawa, Aleutian Islands, Papua New Guinea, Guadalcanal, Saipan, Peleliu, Burma, Guam, Iwo Jima.
I have often wondered this. Thank You !
Learnt something today. Job done
I truly don’t understand how you are able to put out such well presented, well researched, and well written videos every couple days, but as a fellow historian, I simply don’t care how you manage to do it.
I’m just along for the ride and I love this channel.
Major Ortiz was true OG pipehitter Semper Fi!
Thanks, Mark.
Thanks Mark. My two brothers are former Marines and they never new Marines fought in the ETO and northern Africa . Semper Fi .
I was just wondering this very fact in the past 24 hours. I hadn't yet taken time to research it. Thank you for the info.
Thank you Mark!!
Iceland! Now, that was strategic. Well done for opening that door for us to peep into what happened then and afterwards and yet how it was almost forgotten. Greetings again from Australia.