1st Battalion, 5th Marines

Unit Lineage

The 1st Battalion, 5th Marines traces its origins to 13 July 1914 when the battalion was formed at Vera Cruz, Mexico. Known as "Geronimo," 1/5 is one of the few Marine infantry battalions with a lineage reaching back to World War I. Assigned to the 5th Marine Regiment under the 1st Marine Division, the battalion is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Geronimo has fought in every major American conflict since its first deployment to France in 1917.

World War I

Activated on 25 May 1917, 1/5 deployed to France and fought across the Western Front. At the Battle of Belleau Wood on 6 June 1918, the battalion conducted the first offensive action of the battle, seizing Hill 142 with bayonets fixed under German machine gun and artillery fire. The assault cost 325 casualties. Gunnery Sergeant Ernest A. Janson became the first Marine to earn the Medal of Honor in World War I for his actions that day. The battalion continued fighting through Soissons, St. Mihiel, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive before participating in the occupation of the German Rhineland.

World War II

1/5 fought across the Pacific at Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Peleliu, and Okinawa. At Peleliu on 15 September 1944, the battalion destroyed an entire Japanese tank-infantry counterattack. It was the only instance of open Japanese armored maneuver during the entire months-long battle.

Korea

Reactivated in October 1949, 1/5 deployed to Korea in 1950 and fought to hold the Pusan Perimeter at the Naktong Bulge, helping destroy the North Korean 4th Division. The battalion led the amphibious assault at Inchon and fought eight days of urban combat to retake Seoul. At the Chosin Reservoir, 1/5 fought alongside the rest of the 1st Marine Division through the legendary breakout against ten Chinese divisions.

Vietnam

1/5 deployed to Vietnam in 1966 and served until 1971, operating across Chu Lai, Da Nang, the Que Son Valley, and An Hoa. During the 1968 Tet Offensive, the battalion fought inside the Citadel at Hue City, earning the name "The Citadel Battalion" for its role in some of the most intense urban combat of the war. Future Senator and Secretary of the Navy Jim Webb served as a platoon and company commander with Delta Company during the war.

Desert Storm Through the Global War on Terror

In 1990, 1/5 deployed to Saudi Arabia and formed the left half of Task Force Ripper alongside 1/7 Marines. The task force pushed into Kuwait, seized Al Jaber Airfield, and consolidated at Kuwait International Airport on 27 February 1991. During the Global War on Terror, 1/5 deployed to Iraq multiple times, participating in the 2003 invasion, Operation Vigilant Resolve in Fallujah in 2004, and combat operations in Ar Ramadi in 2005. The battalion has also deployed as a Battalion Landing Team with the 31st MEU across the Western Pacific.

Gear for Geronimo

This collection is for the Marines who served with 1/5 and the families who carry their legacy. Every t-shirt, hoodie, flag, and accessory represents the battalion's history from Belleau Wood to Fallujah. Whether you served with Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, or Weapons Company, this gear is yours. Veteran-owned and made in the USA.

Browse our 1/5 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+.