1st Battalion 4th Marines

1st Battalion, 4th Marines
1st Battalion, 4th Marines insignia
Active	1 August 1911 – present
Country	United States
Branch	USMC
Type	Infantry
Role	Locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, and repel the enemies assault by fire and close combat.
Size	1,200
Part of	1st Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Nickname(s)	"The China Marines"
Motto(s)	"Whatever it Takes"
Engagements	Dominican Republic World War II Battle of Corregidor Battle of Guam Battle of Okinawa Vietnam War Operation Prairie Operation Prairie IV Operation Kentucky Mayaguez incident Global War on Terror OIF 2003 OIF 2004 Battle of Najaf (2004) Operation Phantom Fury 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit OIF 2006-2007 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit Marine Rotational Force- Darwin
Commanders
Current commander	LtCol Wolfskin, J.

Dominican Republic

World War II

Vietnam War

Global War on Terror

1st Battalion, 4th Marines (1/4) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California consisting of approximately 800 Marines and sailors. They fall under the command of the 1st Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division.

The battalion was originally activated in April 1911 as the 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment. The battalion first saw combat action in November 1916 in the Dominican Republic where the men of the battalion bravely fought and where 1st Lieutenant Ernest Williams was awarded the battalion’s first Medal of Honor. The mission in the Dominican Republic was to protect foreign lives and property and to provide the “muscle” for a military government whose strategic goal was to bring stability to the troubled island republic. In 1924, the battalion returned to its home base in San Diego, CA. During 1926 to 1927 the battalion guarded American shores in a variety of outposts throughout the Western U.S.

The period from February 1927 to November 1941 was the China era in the battalion and would leave an enduring mark on its history. This service in Shanghai earned the battalion the title “China Marines” and started the practice of using the Chinese dragon in different official and unofficial logos and mast heads. In November 1941 the battalion along with the entire 4th Marines deployed from China to the Philippines.

The outbreak of World War II found the battalion serving as part of the U.S. Forces defending the Philippines. Ordered to the strategic island of Corregidor, the battalion fiercely defended their assigned sectors against overwhelming enemy forces. In the end, General Wainwright, United States Army, ordered the battalion to surrender, in an effort to save lives against the hopeless situation. After the surrender, the battalion ceased to exist. As prisoners the men would endure torture and incredible hardships.