United States Marine Corps 1st Division
Cachets should be listed in chronological order based on earliest known usage. Use the postmark date or best guess. This applies to add-on cachets as well.
The lineal forebear of the 1st Marine Division is the 1st Advance Base Brigade, which was activated on 23 December 1913 at Philadelphia, PA. The brigade was redesignated on 1 April 1914, as the 1st Brigade, and on 16 September 1935, as the 1st Marine Brigade. The brigade consisted of the Fixed Defense Regiment and the Mobile Defense Regiment, later designated as the 1st and 2nd Regiments, 1st Brigade, respectively. In 1916, while deployed in Haiti, the two regiments were again redesignated, exchanging numerals, to then become the 2nd and 1st Regiments, 1st Brigade. Between April 1914 and August 1934, elements of the 1st Brigade participated in operations in Mexico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, receiving campaign credit for service in each nation. While the 1st Brigade did not serve ashore in the European theater during the First World War, the brigade was awarded the World War I Victory Medal Streamer, with one bronze star, in recognition of the brigade's service during that conflict. On 16 September 1935, the brigade was redesignated as the 1st Marine Brigade and deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in October 1940.
The Brigade was redesignated 1st Marine Division aboard the USS Texas on 1 February 1941. In May 1941, the 1st MARDIV relocated to Quantico, Virginia and Parris Island, South Carolina and in April 1942, the division began deploying to Samoa and Wellington, New Zealand. The division's units were scattered over the Pacific with the support elements and the 1st Marine Regiment transported en route to New Zealand on three ships, the USAT's Ericsson, Barnett and Elliott from Naval Reserve Air Base Oakland to New Zealand, and later were landed on the island of Guadalcanal, part of the Solomon Islands, on 7 August 1942.
The Marines of the 1st Marine Division have fought in every war from Haiti ("Banana Wars" 1914) to Afghanistan (2021) and are currently stationed at MCB Camp Pendleton, CA.
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1938-06-08 |
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The lineal forebear of the 1st Marine Division is the 1st Advance Base Brigade, which was activated on 23 December 1913 at Philadelphia, PA. The brigade was redesignated on 1 April 1914, as the 1st Brigade, and on 16 September 1935, as the 1st Marine Brigade. |
From the Greg Ciesielski collection.
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1940-04-23 |
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1st Marine Brigade |
From the Greg Ciesielski collection.
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1940-10-28 |
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Marine's Letter |
From the Greg Ciesielski collection.
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1941-04-26 |
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First Day of Postal Service |
Chester Knowlson annotated the cover with "FDPS". Add-on cachet by Roger A. Wentworth. From the Greg Ciesielski collection.
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1942-04-03 |
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1st Marine Division (MarDiv) |
Marines mail. From the Greg Ciesielski collection.
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1975-11-10 |
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USMC Birthday |
Cacheted. From the Greg Ciesielski collection.
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