This Month in Marine Corps History:
On October 1, 1997, Colonel Gilda A. Jackson, of Columbus, Ohio, became the first African-American female Marine to achieve the rank of Colonel during a ceremony at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina. Prior to her promotion, Jackson served as the Special Projects Officer of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
On October 5, 1775, the Second Continental Congress held a meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in which they used the word "Marines" on one of the earliest known occasions.
On October 6, 1945, U.S. Marines under the command of Major General Keller E. Rockey accepted the surrender of 50,000 Japanese troops in North China on behalf of the Chinese Nationalist government.
On October 8, 1899, 375 Marines under the command of future Commandant of the Marine Corps George F. Elliott captured the insurgent town of Noveleta, Luzon, in the Philippines during the Philippine Revolution.
On October 9, 1917 the 8th Marine regiment was activated at Quantico, Virginia.
On October 11, 1951, a Marine battalion was flown by transport helicopters to a front-line combat position for the first time when Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron-161 (HMR-161) lifted the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, as a part of Operation Bumblebee, northeast of Yanggu, Korea.
On October 19, 1968, Operation Maui peak ended nearly two weeks after it began 11 miles northwest of An Hoa, Vietnam.
October 23, marks the anniversary of the single deadliest day for the Marine Corps since Iwo Jima in World War II. However, the chain of events that led up to this tragic event began more than a year prior, in June of 1982.
On October 28, 1962, 10,000 Marines of the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade left Camp Pendleton by sea en-route for the Caribbean during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
On October 31, 1919, a Marine and gendarme, led by Sergeant Herman H. Hanneken, disguised themselves as Cacos and entered the headquarters of the Haitian Caco Leader, Charlemagne Peralte, killing Peralte and dispersing his followers. Sergeant Hanneken and Corporal William R. Button were each awarded the Medal of Honor for their respective roles in the mission.
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