11th Marine Regiment

Unit Lineage

The 11th Marine Regiment is the artillery regiment of the 1st Marine Division. Known as "The Cannon Cockers," the regiment is based at Camp Las Pulgas on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Activated on 3 January 1918 during World War I, the 11th Marines was originally planned as a light artillery regiment but was converted to infantry and sent to France as part of the 5th Marine Brigade. The regiment's current iteration was activated on 1 March 1941 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and has provided fire support to the 1st Marine Division's infantry regiments in every conflict since. The primary weapon systems are the M777A2 155mm howitzer and the M142 HIMARS rocket launcher.

World War II

The 11th Marines landed on Guadalcanal in August 1942 and played a decisive role in the Battle of the Tenaru and the Battle of Bloody Ridge, where massed artillery fire broke Japanese assault waves against the Marine perimeter. The regiment fought at Cape Gloucester, providing fire support during the capture of the Japanese aerodrome. At Peleliu in September 1944, the 11th Marines employed both conventional and direct fire techniques, eventually firing rounds directly into the mouths of enemy cave positions in the Umurbrogal Pocket. On Okinawa in 1945, the regiment provided counter-battery fire that suppressed Japanese attempts to retake positions already seized by the infantry.

Korea

The 1st Battalion deployed to Korea in August 1950 as part of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade and fought to defend the Pusan Perimeter. The regiment supported the landing at Inchon, the liberation of Seoul, and the Chosin Reservoir campaign. At Chosin, the artillerymen of the 11th Marines fired their howitzers until Chinese infantry reached the gun line, then picked up rifles and fought as infantrymen. The regiment supported operations along the East Central and Western Fronts through the end of the war.

Vietnam

Beginning in August 1965, the 11th Marines deployed to Vietnam and served until 1971. The regiment operated in dispersed batteries across I Corps, providing fire support from positions at Da Nang, Chu Lai, Con Thien, Khe Sanh, Dong Ha, and Quang Nam. The artillerymen frequently defended their own positions against enemy ground attacks. Vietnam saw a dramatic increase in the helicopter employment of artillery for both displacement and resupply, and the 11th Marines was at the center of those innovations.

Desert Storm Through the Global War on Terror

The 11th Marines deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990 and provided fire support during the liberation of Kuwait. During Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, the regiment's batteries supported the 1st Marine Division's advance to Baghdad. At Fallujah in 2004, the 11th Marines provided precision fires in an urban environment where every round had to avoid civilian casualties. Batteries from the regiment have deployed repeatedly to Iraq and Afghanistan, providing fire support across Al Anbar Province and Helmand Province. In 2010, the regiment deployed to Helmand as part of 1st Marine Division (Forward), Task Force Leatherneck, supporting counterinsurgency operations across multiple districts.

11th Marines Gear

This collection is for the Cannon Cockers who served with the 11th Marine Regiment and the families who carry their legacy. Every t-shirt, hoodie, flag, and accessory honors the artillery regiment that has provided steel rain for every campaign the Old Breed has fought. Veteran-owned and made in the USA.

Browse our 11th Marines t-shirts, long sleeves, hoodies, tank tops, flags, decals, drinkware, and more below. OIF and OEF veteran designs available. Every order ships free at $75+.