China Marines
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The term China Marines originally referred to those United States Marines from the 4th Marine Regiment who were stationed in Shanghai, China during 1927 - 1941 to protect American citizens and their property in the Shanghai International Settlement during the Chinese Revolution and the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Most of these troops were withdrawn in November 1941, however some them were scheduled to be withdrawn on December 10. The remaining Marines who were the Marine Embassy guards, as well as some US Navy support personnel, for a total of 204 men, were captured by the Imperial Japanese Army and forced into slave labor until they were freed in 1945.
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Later, another group of Marines also referred to as China Marines were those of the 1st and 6th Marine Divisions sent to occupy northern China after the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II from 1945 - 1948.Due to the cheap labor being readily available, China Marines lived relatively comfortable lifestyles, with squads being able to hire a Chinese man to do all of their cleaning
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and errands. When added to the inexpensive goods available on the local economy, assignments to the original China Marines were highly coveted.
With the expansion of the Marine Corps during World War II and the capture of the 4th Marines at Corregidor, the original China Marines were rare and highly regarded.
On January 31, 1996, Marines from the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines, as part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU), Special Operations Capable (SOC), visited Shanghai, China for the first time since World War II. The visit was reported by the L.A. Times in the Feb. 1st edition of that year. Since then, the 31st MEU-SOC has visited China once more on November, 22 2006 during a port visit to Zhanjiang. This visit was documented in the Stars and Stripes Pacific edition.
Every page in the USMC series is unique revealing a piece of information about the United States Marine Corp. On these pages you’ll read some of the interesting history from its people, bases and battles.
We would love to hear about your adventures and see your photos. Please share them with us on USMC-1-Revolutionary War, GC4EXPT. Thanks and Enjoy.
Some things to remember when doing this series
* This is a hiking series. There are dirt roads/washes that will get you close.
* There are 421 caches. 401 prescription bottles hanging in bushes & 20 ammo cans.
* The Geoart is approximately 6 x 6 miles (36 sq miles) – count on being out here a while.
* Let someone know you are out here and when to expect to hear from you.
* This is the desert; home to many animals. Please take care of it.
* Carry out what you take in, don’t leave anything behind.
* Make sure you have plenty of water and snacks.
* Don't rely on good cell phone coverage.
* Most important of all --> Have fun! <--