| 6th Marine Division | |
|---|---|
6th Marine Division insignia |
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| Active | September 7, 1944 – March 31, 1946 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | USMC |
| Type | Infantry division |
| Role | Locate close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver |
| Nickname | The Striking Sixth |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. |
The 6th Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps was a division, primarily infantry, created during World War II for the Battle of Okinawa and the planned invasion of Japan. The division was in existence for only 19 months and was the only Marine division to be formed and disbanded overseas, never to see service in the United States.
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The 1st Provisional Marine Brigade was formed in May 1944, comprising the new 4th and the 22nd Marine Regiments, under the command of BGen Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. The unit's commanding officer was 2nd Lieutenant Wilbur Gerhke of Santa Rosa California. He was awarded the Navy Cross and Distinguished Service Medal for heroism in battle. The unit also included the famous Native American Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr. It fought in the Battle of Guam in July and August.
The division was formed on 7 September 1944 on Guadalcanal, by expanding the brigade. The new 29th Marine Regiment was added to the division, and the artillery components of the three regiments were reorganized as the 15th Marine Regiment.
After training on Guadalcanal, the division fought in the Battle of Okinawa, landing on April 1, 1945 as part of III Amphibious Corps. They initially swept through the northern Ishikawa Isthmus where they met sporadic resistance. Following heavy fighting in the south the division replaced the 27th Infantry Division on the western side of the island. They made steady progress south until May 12, 1945 when on the outskirts of Naha, Okinawa they ran into a low, loaf shaped hill which was soon to be named Sugar Loaf Hill. The hill was part of a complex of three hills that formed the western anchor of General Mitsuru Ushijima's Shuri Line defense.[2] Originally the objective of the 22nd Marines, the 29th would join the fight on May 16. Sugar Loaf would eventually be taken on May 18 at the cost of 2,662 men killed or wounded and another 1,289 men evacuated because of either exhaustion or battle fatigue.[3]
In July, the division was withdrawn to Guam to prepare for Operation Coronet, the invasion of Honshū planned for April 1946. After the Japanese surrendered in August, the 6th Division was sent to Tsingtao, China to accept the surrender of the Japanese forces in that area—less the 4th Marines, which was detached and sent to Tokyo to participate in the formal surrender there. The division remained in China until it was disbanded in Tsingtao on March 31, 1946.
Six Marines from the division have been awarded the Medal of Honor:
A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation. The 6th Marine Division has been presented with the following awards:
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