___January – The Marine Corps took delivery of it's first AH-1W Sea Cobra fight simulator whose primary manufacturer was the CAE-LINK Corporation. The $32 million dollar training device for both pilot and copilot could simulate the firing of all the various types of ordnance carried on the AH-1W and obtain target results. Additionally, various regions worldwide could be graphically depicted for the pilot in order to conduct terrain flying.
___January – Two prototypes of an air defense variant of the Marine Corps' light armored vehicle (LAV) were received. The LAV-AD, the seventh variant of the Marine Corps LAV family, could better counter low-altitude fighters and helicopters. The Armament Systems Division of General Electric was awarded an $18 million contract last summer to complete development of the light armored vehicle air defense system.
1 January – The strength of the U.S. Armed Forces was 1,773,996 of whom 183,563 were Marines.
4 January – The Commandant of the Marine Corps convened a study group to review the organization of Headquarters Marine Corps. The group was chaired by Lieutenant General Robert J. Winglass, USMC (Retired) and included a senior military or civilian representative from each department or division of the Headquarters. The Winglass Study Group" made a comprehensive assessment of the Headquarters organization and took into account earlier surveys, analyses, and reports.
11 January – The Secretary of the Navy signed a new Department of the Navy (DON) instruction on sexual harassment. The instruction, SECNAVINST 5300.26B, defined sexual harassment and delineated the department's policy. It applied to all DON members, both military and civilian, and stressed resolution at the lowest level.
12 January – After five weeks of ground operations in Somalia, a U.S. Marine was shot and killed during a gun battle near the airport in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. The Marine was the first American combat death in the military operation aimed at ensuring the delivery of food and humanitarian relief supplies to thousands of people in the famine-stricken country.
14 January – Mrs. Jane V. E. Blakeney, longtime head of the Decorations and Medals Branch of Headquarters Marine Corps, died at the age of 94. Mrs. Blakeney was an enlisted Marine from 1918 to 1922 and was a civilian employee with the Decorations and Medals Branch for 34 years. She is best known for book, Heroes, U.S. Marine Corps, 1861-1955, published in 1957.
14 January – Retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel William W. McMillan, Jr., USMC who represented the U.S. as a pistol shooter in six Olympics, six World Championships and four Pan Am Games, was inducted into the U.S. International Shooting Hall of Fame in Houston, Texas. The 64 year-old veteran earned the following honors during his 27-year pistol career: 11 gold, nine silver, and three bronze international medals as well as two team world records.
15 January – After more than 11 consecutive days of rain, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton succumbed to torrential flooding which left areas of the largest Marine amphibious base under as much as 15 feet of water. The base was officially closed 17 - 21 January to non-essential personnel. General Walter E. Boomer, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, visited on 21 January to assess the estimated $70 million in damages.
18 January – Approximately 850 Marines from 3d Battalion, 9th Marines left Somalia. An additional 1,900 Marines from the 1st Force Service Support Group and Marine Aircraft Group 16 left later in the month. The number of U.S. forces remaining in the country was just over 19,000, with the total coalition figures standing at 33,430 troops from 22 other countries. Marine missions would be assumed by these coalition forces. Military relief operations to Somalia were in progress since August 1992 when Operation Provide Relief was initiated to provide food to Somalia via U.S. military aircraft. Operation Provide Relief was absorbed under Operation Restore Hope last December.
20 January – President Bill Clinton was inaugurated as the nation's 42nd President of the United States. Over a thousand Marines stationed in and around the Washington, D.C. area were assigned to the many ceremonial and behind-the-scenes duties. Marine Corps participation was highlighted by "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Corps Band, which played at the Capitol immediately before and after President Clinton took his oath of office.
20 January – Les Aspin became Secretary of Defense replacing Richard B. Cheney. Sean O'Keefe stepped down as secretary of the Navy and Admiral Frank Kelso II, the chief of naval operations, would serve as acting Navy secretary until a new one was appointed.
28 January – In Somalia, the logistics responsibility transferred from the Marine Corps to the U.S. Army. The transition would be conducted from the 1st Force Service Support Group (FSSG) to the newly established Unified Task Force Support Command. The 1st FSSG provided the bulk of logistics support since their deployment in December 1992.
28 January – Ceremonies at Headquarters Marine Corps honored Sergeants Anthony N. Lee and Barbara L. Meinke as 1992 male and female athletes of the year. Sergeant Lee won honors through his impressive showing as a Greco-Roman wrestler in the 136.5lb class and Sergeant Meinke for her distinguished marksmanship achievements.
29 January – Following days of negotiation, President Clinton accepted a compromise agreement on his plans to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military. The president directed the secretary of defense to conduct a review of the Department of Defense (DOD) policy that excluded homosexuals from military service and prepare a draft executive order based upon that review by 15 July 1993. Current DOD personnel policies on this issue would remain in effect except for specific changes that included the removing of questions regarding sexual orientation from future versions of the induction application.
___ February – General Colin Powell, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made a decision to assign a special-purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force. The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) would make history a month later when it would become the first carrier to sail for a six-month deployment with a complement of 600 combat Marines. The concept of putting Marines on board carriers was from the Navy's new strategy paper, "...From the Sea," which emphasized projecting power ashore rather than fighting naval battles on the open ocean.
13 February – On this date in 1943, the Marine Corps opened its ranks to allow women to enlist in the Corps. The peak strength of the Marine Corps Women's Reserve reached 19,000 during World War II, 50 years ago.
16 February – Retired Sergeant Major Leland D. Crawford, the ninth Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, died of cancer at his home in San Diego on his 63rd birthday. The highly decorated Sergeant Major enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1951. He served as Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps from 1979 to 1983.
25 February - 11 March – Approximately 3,500 Marines and sailors from the II Marine Expeditionary Force, 2d Marine Regiment, 2d Force Service Support Group, and Marine Aircraft Group 40 participated in Exercise Battle Griffin 93. The NATO exercise included sea, air, and land operations in Norway above the Arctic Circle.
___March – Secretary of Defense, Les Aspin, directed the military services to begin early retirement programs for selected active-duty members with more that 15, but less than 20 years of service. The program is part of President Clinton's defense conversion initiative and was designed to help service members who are affected by the force reduction transition to civilian life.
1-18 March – Approximately 10,000 Marines participated in Exercise Team Spirit 93, a joint/combined training exercise held in the Republic of Korea (ROK). Team Spirit involved more than 100,000 troops from all four U.S. combat services plus South Korean forces, and was the largest exercise planned for the year. It was designed to improve defensive readiness of U.S. and ROK forces through joint and combined operations.
8 March – Major General Carl A. Youngdale, USMC (Retired) died at the age of 80 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The decorated general served as an artillery officer in World War II and the Korean War. He also served two tours in Vietnam. Major General Youngdale retired in 1972, after 36 years of active service.
12 March – President Clinton visited sailors and Marines on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt for his first visit to U.S. forces as commander in chief. The president toured the ship, observed flight operation, and gave a brief speech before several hundred crewmembers assembled on the hangar deck.
12 March – Several Marine Corps installations were included in a list of recommendations for closing, realignment, or disestablishment of U.S. military bases forwarded to the Base Closure and Realignment Commission by Secretary of Defense, Les Aspin. A total of 31 major military installations were recommended for closure, while 12 others were recommended for alignment. The commission would make its recommendations to the President and Congress by 1 July.
15 March – Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 173 was deactivated in response to the mandated structure reduction of Marine aviation. MWSS-173 was attached to Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing.
18 March – The National Toxics Campaign Fund, a non-profit environmental group, delivered a report to Congress and the White House. It stated that thousands of Persian Gulf War veterans may have been exposed to radiation from American weapons tipped with depleted uranium. The radiation might be the cause of unexplained illnesses reported by hundreds of Southwest Asia veterans.
29 March – The Senate Armed Services Committee opened hearings on homosexuals in the Armed Forces. The committee tailored the hearings to deal
initially with five major subject areas: legal questions on a change in the present policy, effects on unit cohesion, experiences of foreign countries, views of a broad cross section of military personnel, and views of the individual service chiefs and senior DOD officials.
31 March – The Commandant of the Marine Corps appeared before the House Armed Services Committee to present the Navy Department Posture Statement and testify on behalf of the FY 94 budget.
20 April - 25 May – More than 20,500 service personnel of the U.S. Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard, along with allied forces, participated in Exercise Ocean Venture 93 held in Puerto Rico. It was designed to demonstrate the ability of continental U.S.-based forces to operate in a joint/combined environment.
22 April – The II Marine Expeditionary Force stood up its first Small Craft Company located within Headquarters Battalion, 2d Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. In recent years, riverine operations expanded rapidly and necessitated the acquisition of 35-foot riverine assault craft and trained personnel. The company consisted of two officers and 140 enlisted Marines.
23 April – The Department of Defense Inspector General released the final, 208-page report of the investigation into the allegations of sexual assault and other violations committed during the 1991 Tailhook convention held in Las Vegas. The report charged 117 officers with offenses ranging from indecent assault to conduct unbecoming an officer. 90 people, 83 women and seven men, were found to have been assaulted during the convention.
28 April – Secretary of Defense, Les Aspin, announced a revised policy on the assignment of women in the armed forces, turning around some of the recommendations made by the Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces that released its report during November 1992. The policy decision directed the military services to open more specialties and assignments to women. It would permit women Marines to compete for assignments in all aircraft, including aircraft engaged in combat missions.
30 April – Marine Aircraft Group 32 at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina, deactivated as a result of downsizing requirements in the Marine Corps. Originally activated in 1943, the group served in the Pacific during World War II, then in North China before deactivating in 1947. The group reactivated in 1952. Elements of the group participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
30 April – Marine Corps Security Force Company, Brunswick, Maine was disestablished. The unit was active from 1943 - 1946 and 1959 - 1993. It was named Marine Barracks, Naval Air Station, Brunswick, Maine until 1987 when it was redesignated.
___May – Another round of Congressional hearings kept the issue of homosexuals in the military in the forefront during the month. One highlight of the Senate hearings held in Washington on 11 May was the emotional testimony of Colonel Frederick C. Peck, USMC, who testified in support of the ban only days after learning of his son's homosexual identity.
3-28 May – Marines of the 35th Marine Expeditionary Unit participated in Exercise Cobra Gold in Thailand. The 13th in a series, the exercise was designed to maintain and improve Thai and U.S. combat readiness.
4 May – Lieutenant General Robert B. Johnston passed the command of the U.S.-led Somali relief operation, Restore Hope, to Turkish Lieutenant General Cevik Bir. The ceremony finalized the transition of what was once a primarily American intervention of more than 30,000 troops to a multi-national peacekeeping force projected to reach 28,000. Approximately 4,000 Americans would remain in Somalia as part of the United Nations force.
6 May – General Carl E. Mundy, Jr., Commandant of the Marine Corps, officially opened the Marine Corps Research Center at Quantico, Virginia. The $12 million facility would improve the Corps' ability to collect, store, retrieve, and disseminate information pertaining to the art and science of warfighting.
7 May – President Bill Clinton was treated to an evening of ceremonial pageantry and musical fanfare as guest of honor at an Evening Parade conducted at historic Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. It was the President's first official visit to a Marine Corps installation. Prior to the start of the parade, the nation's
42nd President and first lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton, attended a garden reception held in their honor at the Home of the Commandant, which was hosted by General Carl E. Mundy, Jr. and his wife, Linda.
18 May – A Naval Board of Inquiry determined that a fatal 1992 crash of the V-22 Osprey at Quantico, Virginia, was most likely the result of maintenance errors and engine housing design flaws, not tilt-rotor technology. The embattled aircraft was then cleared for further testing. The entire fleet of test aircraft had been grounded since last July following the crash. Marine Corps officials reiterated their confidence in the V-22 as the best replacement for the current fleet of medium-lift helicopters.
19 May – Four Marines were killed when a VH-60N helicopter from Marine Helicopter Squadron (HMX) 1, the Presidential support squadron, crashed. The helicopter was conducting a routine maintenance flight from Marine Corps Air Facility, Quantico, Virginia, when it crashed into a heavily wooded, unpopulated area. The VH-60N Black Hawk helicopters assigned to HMX-1 were then grounded pending an investigation of the crash.
20 May – Marine Observation Squadron (VMO) 2 was deactivated as part of the Corps' on-going program to retire the OV-10 Bronco. The aircraft had served the Marine Corps since the Vietnam War. The deactivation of VMO-2, based at Camp Pendleton, California, would leave the Corps with 12 Broncos in VMO-1 at New River, North Carolina. VMO-1 would be scheduled for deactivation later this year.
26 May – Retired Major General Oscar F. Peatross, USMC, died in South Carolina after a long illness. The decorated general participated in the famous raid on Makin Island, in World War II. He later saw action in the Korean War and Vietnam War. He was 77 years old.
5 June – Lieutenant General Edward J. Miller, (Retired), died at the age of 71 at his home in Carlsbad, California. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1942 and rose to the rank of lieutenant general from which he retired in 1980. The decorated general served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
9-30 June – Marines of the I Marine Expeditionary Force participated in Exercise Native Fury 93 held in Kuwait. The exercise provided valuable training for Marines, many of whom had not dealt with Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) operations before. MPF is one of the Corps' most important assets for getting Marines deployed and equipped quickly anywhere in the world.
11 June – Marine Air Control Squadron (MACS) 5, located at Beaufort, South Carolina, was deactivated due to a reduction in Marine air control squadrons from six active and two reserve squadrons to three active and one reserve squadron. MACS-5 was active since 1944.
20 June – The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) returned to Mogadishu, Somalia, to stand ready to assist United Nations forces in maintaining peace in
the war-torn country. Earlier this month, the 24th MEU was ordered to cut short Exercise Eager Mace 93-2 in Kuwait to respond to possible contingency operations in Somalia.
23 June – In an effort to alleviate the Marine Corps' shortage of tanks, an agreement was made for the Corps to receive 50 M1A1 tanks from the Army. The additional 50 tanks would bring the Marine Corps total up to 271.
26 June – This date marked the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the World War I battle for Belleau Wood. In its first offensive action of the war, the 4th Brigade was sent in to help block an aggressive German drive directed toward Paris. In 20 days of gallant fighting, the Marine brigade met and defeated the German enemy.
27 June – The Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission completed its deliberations and votes for the 1993 round of base closures. The most significant item for the Marine Corps was the closure of Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, California.
___July – The Marine Corps Pistol and Rifle Teams accomplished a clean sweep of all individual and team championships at the annual National Championships conducted at Camp Perry, Ohio. This clean sweep marked only the fourth time since the Camp Perry national matches were instituted in 1903 that the Corps accomplished this feat -- 1921, 1927, 1956, and 1993.
8 July – The first fully operational, radar equipped AV-8B Harrier II Plus entered world service when Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Leffler, commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 542, landed the new night attack aircraft at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point. The new aircraft integrates a major radar upgrade that would improve the Harrier's bombing accuracy and air-to-air combat capability. 27 Harrier II Pluses were scheduled to be received over the course of the next 18 months.
10-25 July – Approximately 5,000 Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Special Operations personnel participated in Exercise Tandem Thrust 93 in the areas surrounding and including Guam, Tinian, and Farallon de Medinilla Islands. The joint task force exercise was designed to emphasize response to regional crises and low- to medium-intensity conflict.
13-21 July – More than 13,000 U.S. Atlantic Fleet sailors and Marines participated in Fleetex 3-93 in the western Atlantic Ocean. The exercise provided realistic at-sea training, and prepared units to make deployments overseas as cohesive battle groups in support of U.S. national security interests.
14 July – The USS Iwo Jima was decommissioned after over 30 years of service in a ceremony at Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia. The ship was named for the
World War II battle during which three Marine divisions ousted 20,000 entrenched Japanese troops. The Iwo Jima was commissioned 26 August 1961, and it was the first ship specifically designed as an amphibious assault ship from the keel up.
17 July – A detachment of Marines from the 2d Marine Division participated in Exercise UNITAS XXXIV, an annual joint-combined series of exercises conducted by the U.S. and South American military forces lasting four to five months. Held each year since 1959, the exercises were designed to improve the interoperability of U.S. and South American forces.
19 July – President Bill Clinton announced the new policy regarding homosexual conduct in the armed forces. The new policy, also known as "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue," directed that homosexual conduct would be grounds for separation, yet sexual orientation would not be a bar to entry in to the military or continues service unless manifested by homosexual conduct. It came following nearly six months of extensive review at the highest levels of government, and would become effective on 1 October.
22 July – Eight F/A-18D Hornets from Marine Fighter Attack (All Weather) 533 arrived at Aviano Air Base, Italy, to participate in an extension of Operation Deny Flight: the enforcement of the no-fly zone over Bosnia-Herzegovina launched by NATO officials in conjunction with the United Nations on 12 April. Secretary of Defense, Les Aspin, approved an order 14 July directing U.S. aircraft to deploy and join NATO's planned air support to the U.S. Protection Force in Bosnia.
22 July – John H. Dalton was sworn in as the 70th Secretary of the Navy after being unanimously confirmed by the Senate the previous day. He is a graduate of the Naval Academy and was a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve.
29 July – A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Vietnam Women's Memorial in Washington, D.C. The memorial would recognize the commitment, honor, and sacrifice of women veterans of the Vietnam War. General Colin L. Powell, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was the keynote speaker. Over 265,000 military women served in Vietnam.
___August – Due to the diminished communist threat worldwide and projected naval base closures, Marine Corps Security Force (MCSF) Battalion Atlantic and MCSF Battalion Pacific would consolidate during FY93 into a single MCSF battalion headquarters at Norfolk, Virginia. The new battalion would be responsible for all MCSF activities.
___August – Beginning this month, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense honored World War I veterans with commemorative medals. The VA and veterans service organizations were locating some 30,000 - 50,000 veterans of World War I alive, the youngest being in the 90s. The medal was based on the World War I Victory Medal.
___August – As of this time, there were 64 Marines serving in Somalia in support of Operation Continue Hope. Of those 64, 50 were from the fleet antiterrorism security team (FAST) company with Marine Corps Security Force Battalion, Atlantic. The company was assigned in direct support of the U.S. State Department efforts in Somalia.
6 August – A Medal of Honor presented for valor during the Civil War to Corporal Miles M. Oviatt was returned to the Marine Corps. The medal is one of 17 Medals of Honor presented to Marines during the Civil War. Of these 17, it is one of only three known to exist and the only one in the Marine Corps Museum, Washington, D.C. The medal was given to the museum by Corporal Oviatt's great-granddaughter, Mrs. Mary P. Livingston of Bloomington, Indiana. It was accepted on behalf of the Commandant by Lieutenant General Robert B. Johnston, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
11 August – President Clinton announced that General John Shalikashvili, USA, the current NATO commander, would succeed General Colin L. Powell, USA, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Marine General Joseph P. Hoar was one of the leading candidates for the appointment.
11 August – Defense Secretary Les Aspin reversed a new Marine Corps directive that would have barred enlistment of married recruits after 1995. Following this adverse reaction, the directive was canceled and a new directive was issued. The policy reversal focused concern on the critical dependency question and its relationship to readiness. The Secretary of Defense would initiate a Department of Defense wide comprehensive study of first-term enlistment issues.
16 August – On this date, 50 years ago, the 4th Marine Division was activated at Camp Pendleton, California, and participated in the following World War II campaigns: Marshall Islands, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima. The division deactivated on 28 November 1945. It reactivated 14 February 1966 as the Corp's reserve division.
20-27 August – Marines and sailors teamed up for Operation Tafakula 93, a joint international exercise involving elements of the French armed services and the Tongan defense services. The operation included amphibious movement and assault in three Tongan island groups.
20 August – The gymnasium at the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany, Georgia was rededicated in a ceremony to honor the first enlisted Marine of World War II awarded the Medal of Honor. Sergeant Clyde Thomason had been an Albany resident prior to reenlisting after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He died while serving with the 2d Raider Battalion during the August 1942 raid on Japanese-occupied Makin Island in the Gilberts.
___September – During FY93 the Corps bought approximately 1,460 high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWVs) from AM General Corporation at a total cost of more than $50 million. This buy completed the two-year acquisition cycle for 2,560 HMMWVs begun in FY92 -- the largest buy for the Corps since the initial purchase of over 14,000 HMMWVs in the mid-1980s.
1 September – Following more than five months of detailed study and analysis, the Department of Defense announced results of its Bottom Up Review leveling off the Marine Corps at 174,000 active Marines and 42,000 Reserve personnel while ensuring the Corps retains the capability to remain the nation's premier force-in-readiness. The review was a comprehensive look at the U.S. Armed Forces and overall military strategy in the post Cold-War era.
8 September – The carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) sailed into port following an historic six-month deployment with a crew that included 600 Marines and 10 Marine helicopters. The Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force was put on board as part of the Navy's new adaptive force packaging concept.
15 September - 5 October – Marines and sailors of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade and the Naval Support Element from Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, California, participated in Exercise Ke A'o Koa (warrior training) in Hawaii. The exercise involved a maritime prepositioning force in-stream off-load of equipment and supplies from a Maritime Prepositioning Ship.
17 September – As two Marines flew in their F/A-18 Hornet over Bosnia-Herzegovina, they collected enough flight time to push the F/A-18 Hornet over the two-million-hour mark. The milestone took ten years to reach and included the flight times of all McDonnell Douglas F/A-18s in service worldwide.
27-28 September – Following a series of mishaps that killed 13 people, the Commandant of the Marine Corps ordered all Marine aircraft grounded for two days. The standdown came in the wake of six accidents involving Marine aircraft in a six-week period. The standdown was used to review safety procedures, and affected all Marine aircraft except those in Europe under NATO command and the helicopters used by President Clinton.
30 September – Marine Observation Squadron (VMO) 1 at Marine Corps Air Facility, New River, North Carolina, and Marine Medium Helicopter Training Squadron (HMT) 301 at Marine Corps Air Station, Tustin, California, deactivated. VMO-1 was activated in 1943 and HMT-301 was activated in 1966. Both squadrons were decommissioned as part of the Marine Corps' strength reduction.
1 October – The U.S. Atlantic Command, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, assumed operation control of all CONUS-based forces of the Army's Forces Command and the Air Force's Air Combat Command. These additional forces added almost 400,000 military personnel to the roles of the U.S. Atlantic Command, already responsible for the operational control and training of the Navy's Atlantic Fleet and the Corps' Marine Forces Atlantic Command.
1 October – The command element of the 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) activated at Camp Pendleton, California. It established a Reserve MEB command element on the West Coast identical in organization and mission to the 2d MEB command element on the East Coast.
1 October – General Colin L. Powell, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff retired after serving four years in that position. He would be replaced by Army General John M. Shalikashvili.
7 October – After the deaths of 14 U.S. soldiers in Somalia, President Clinton announced the deployment of additional 1,700 soldiers and 104 armored vehicles to Somalia. Additionally, he directed an aircraft carrier and both the 13th and 22d Marine Expeditionary Units (Special Operations Capable) to
positions off the Somali coast. The deployment of additional forces was to provide more protection for U.S. units supporting United Nations forces in Somalia.
18 October – More than 600 Marines of Marine Forces Caribbean deployed to Naval Air Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It was in response to President Clinton's call up of a standby force and to the United Nation's naval embargo of Haiti.
23 October – Ceremonies at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and Arlington National Cemetery marked the 10th anniversary of the terrorist bombing of Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. The tragedy claimed 241 American servicemen, 220 of whom were Marines.
23 October - The USS Russell (DDG 59), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer was christened at Pascagoula, Mississippi. The ship was named for Major General John H. Russell, 16th Commandant of the Marine Corps (1934-1936), and his father Rear Admiral John H. Russell, USN. It was build by the Ingalls Shipbuilding division of Litton.
24 October – The 24th Marine Corps Marathon ended in tragedy when a 58-year old New Jersey man, Julius Becza, became the marathon's third fatality in the past eight years. Frenchman Dominique Bariod placed a controversial first place with a time of 2:23:52. Although Bariod was discovered to have cut three corners in the marathon, officials ruled that Bariod would not be disqualified and would remain winner of the men's division. Holly Ebert from Ogden, Utah, finished the race with the first-place time of 2:48:41 in the women's division.
31 October – The TV program, 60 Minutes, broadcasted a report on minority officers in the Marine Corps, which generated strong reactions. Although the show's producers received detailed information from HQMC and interviewed the Commandant for two hours, they elected to use only a segment of the interview that seemed to intimate poor minority performance in the Corps.
10 November – This date marked the 218th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. In his birthday message, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Carl E. Mundy, Jr. stated that the actions today's Marines are tomorrow's legends, to be celebrated by future generations.
11 November – The Vietnam Women's Memorial was dedicated in a ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The bronze statue was designed and sculpted by Glenna Goodacre and depicts three women and a wounded soldier. It honors the thousands of women who served in Southeast Asia. Vice President Al Gore was the keynote speaker.
11 November – President Clinton signed an FY94 defense appropriations bill of $242 billion, a decrease of $13.5 billion from last year's bill. The Marine Corps would receive $8.7 billion of this in direct appropriations, a decrease of $346 million from last year's level.
11 November – General Robert E. Hogaboom, who retired as Chief of Staff of the Marine Corps in 1959, died at the age of 90 at his home in St. Mary's City, Maryland. A veteran of World War II and the Korean War, General Hogaboom served 34 years in the Marine Corps.
15 November – Groundbreaking ceremonies for the memorial to Korean War prisoners of war took place in Angels Gate Park, San Pedro, California. The
memorial was designed by sculptor Terry Jones, and was conceived by The Chosin Few, survivors of battle for the Chosin Reservoir.
19-20 November – The 50th anniversary of the World War II battle for Tarawa was commemorated in the Republic of Kirabati. Marines of the III Marine Expeditionary Force as well as World War II veterans participated in the ceremony. Lieutenant General Henry C. Stackpole, III, Commander, Marine Forces Pacific, was the guest speaker.
22 November – Congress signed off on a bill to give veterans with "Persian Gulf Syndrome" the benefit of the doubt that their ailments are service-connected. The bill would also ensure that the veterans have high-priority access to inpatient, outpatient, and nursing home care from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
7 December – The Marine Corps first fast food chow hall officially opened at Twentynine Palms, California. The newly renovated facility would serve 2,700 meals a day. It would be the only dining facility of its type in the Marine Corps.
20 December – Secretary of Defense, Les Aspin, announced that a comprehensive study of factors affecting the readiness of first term service members found no statistical link between marital status and readiness. The report was initiated in August after the Corps tried to phase out over a two-year period the practice of enlisting first-term, married recruits, citing severe deployment difficulties.
22 December – The Department of Defense issued new regulations that would enable homosexuals to serve in the military so long as they keep quiet about their sexual orientation and refrain from engaging in homosexual acts. The policy allows service members to acknowledge homosexual feelings and sympathies, provided that they can demonstrate that they are not engaging in homosexual conduct. The new regulations would take effect on 5 February. They codify the Administration's compromise policy dubbed, "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue," which was challenged by the Supreme Court.
31 December – The strength of the U.S. Armed Forces was 1,675,269 of whom 176,613 were Marines.
Reference Branch
USMC History Division