1st Marine Regiment

Unit Lineage

The 1st Marine Regiment was activated on 27 November 1913 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the 2nd Advanced Base Regiment. It is the oldest infantry regiment in the 1st Marine Division and one of the oldest in the Marine Corps. Based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, the regiment falls under the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force. The 1st Marines' early years were spent in the Banana Wars, including the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico in 1914 and combat operations in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

World War II

Reactivated on 1 February 1941 as part of the 1st Marine Division, the 1st Marines landed on Guadalcanal on 7 August 1942 in the first American ground offensive of the war. The regiment fought at Cape Gloucester in December 1943, assaulting through Suicide Creek and Ajar Ridge. At Peleliu in September 1944, the 1st Marines landed directly into the kill zone at Bloody Nose Ridge. The regiment took such devastating casualties that Colonel Chesty Puller's battalions had to be pulled from the line. The 1st Marines fought again on Okinawa in 1945, battling through Dakeshi Ridge, Wana Ridge, and Shuri Castle.

Korea

Under Colonel Chesty Puller, the 1st Marines made the amphibious landing at Inchon on 15 September 1950 and fought to liberate Seoul. The regiment then moved to the east coast and fought through the Chosin Reservoir campaign. Puller earned the Distinguished Service Cross for his leadership during this period. The 1st Marines remained in Korea through the end of hostilities in 1953.

Vietnam

The 1st Marines deployed to Vietnam in 1966 and operated in the northern provinces of I Corps. In January 1968, the Tet Offensive saw enemy forces overrun the city of Hue. Elements of the 1st Marines, commanded by Colonel Stanley Hughes, fought for over a month to recapture the city in bitter street-to-street combat. The Battle of Hue remains one of the defining urban engagements in Marine Corps history.

Desert Storm Through the Global War on Terror

The 1st Marines deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990 and participated in the liberation of Kuwait during Desert Storm. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the regiment crossed into Iraq and fought through to Baghdad. In November 2004, Regimental Combat Team 1 led the assault into Fallujah during Operation Phantom Fury, the bloodiest battle of the Iraq War and the most intense urban combat Marines had faced since Hue City. RCT-1 cleared the western half of the city in twelve days of house-to-house fighting. The regiment's battalions have deployed repeatedly to Iraq and Afghanistan across Al Anbar Province, Helmand Province, and beyond.

1st Marines Gear

This collection is for Marines who served with the 1st Marine Regiment and the families who stand behind them. Every t-shirt, hoodie, flag, and accessory carries the weight of a regiment that has led the way from Guadalcanal to Fallujah. Veteran-owned and made in the USA.

Browse our 1st 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+.