1st Battalion 14th Marines
Encyclopedia
1st Battalion 14th Marines (1/14) was a reserve artillery
battalion comprising three firing batteries and a headquarters battery. The battalion was based in Alameda, California
. Its primary weapon system was the M198 Howitzer
. It was part of the 14th Marine Regiment of the 4th Marine Division.
, North Carolina
. It relocated during August 1943 to Camp Pendleton
, California
and was assigned to the 4th Marine Division. During World War II
it participated in the Battles of Kwajalein
, Saipan
, Tinian
and Iwo Jima
. 1/14 redeployed in October 1945 to Camp Pendleton and was deactivated on November 15 of the same year.
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
battalion comprising three firing batteries and a headquarters battery. The battalion was based in Alameda, California
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
. Its primary weapon system was the M198 Howitzer
M198 howitzer
The M198 howitzer is a medium-sized, towed artillery piece, developed for service with the United States Army and Marine Corps. It was commissioned to be a lightweight replacement for the WWII era M114 155mm howitzer. It was designed and prototyped at the Rock Island Arsenal in 1969 with firing...
. It was part of the 14th Marine Regiment of the 4th Marine Division.
Mission
To provide artillery support to a maneuver element or reinforcing fire to another artillery organization.Subordinate units
| Name | Location |
|---|---|
| Headquarters Battery | Alameda, California |
| Battery A | Aurora, Colorado Aurora, Colorado City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the... |
| Battery B | Joliet, Illinois Joliet, Illinois Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing... |
| Battery C | Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two... |
World War II
The battalion was activated on May 1, 1943 at Camp LejuneMarine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is a United States military training facility in North Carolina. The base's of beaches make it a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports allows for fast deployments.The main base is supplemented by five satellite...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. It relocated during August 1943 to Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and was assigned to the 4th Marine Division. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it participated in the Battles of Kwajalein
Battle of Kwajalein
The Battle of Kwajalein was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought from 31 January-3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Employing the hard-learned lessons of the battle of Tarawa, the United States launched a successful twin assault on the main islands of...
, Saipan
Battle of Saipan
The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June-9 July 1944. The Allied invasion fleet embarking the expeditionary forces left Pearl Harbor on 5 June 1944, the day before Operation Overlord in Europe was...
, Tinian
Battle of Tinian
The Battle of Tinian was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands from 24 July 1944 to 1 August 1944.-Background:...
and Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
. 1/14 redeployed in October 1945 to Camp Pendleton and was deactivated on November 15 of the same year.
Reactivation and name changes
The battalion was reactivated on February 1, 1966 at Treasure Island, San Francisco, California, as Headquarters Battery, 14th Marines and assigned to the 4th Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, Marine Forces Reserve. It was redesignated February 1 1967 as Headquarters Battery, 3rd Field Artillery Group, Force Troops. It was redesignated again on September 1 1979 as Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 14th Marines and finally on October 1, 1985 as 1st Battalion, 14th Marines.1990s
1/14 was mobilized during January 1991 in support of Operation Desert Storm and deployed to MCB Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. It demobilized during June 1991 and returned to Treasure Island. It was relocated during February 1992 to Alameda.Global War on Terror
The battalion was mobilized in June 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and for the deployment redesignated as Task Force MP.Decommissioning
1st Battalion, 14th Marines was deactivated on March 24, 2007 and redesignated the 4th Force Reconnaissance Headquarters.See also
- List of United States Marine Corps battalions
- Organization of the United States Marine CorpsOrganization of the United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is organized within the Department of the Navy, which is led by the Secretary of the Navy . The most senior Marine officer is the Commandant of the Marine Corps, responsible for organizing, recruiting, training, and equipping the Marine Corps so that it is ready for...