Posted on Sep 7, 2018
During WW2, how many Marines were stationed on major US ships. Can anybody point me at where I can get that info? Or anybody who knows?
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Posted in these groups: 
Marines
Marines
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 4
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History of U.S. Marine Corps operations in World War II : United States. Marine Corps : Free...
Cover title: History of the U.S. Marine Corps operations in World War II
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Brad Miller, a simple Google search revealed this article on Marine Detachments, but I’m not otherwise knowledgeable of the subject.
SSgt GG-15 RET Jim Lint Maj John Bell MAJ Ken Landgren Cpl Raymond Hottinger
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Detachment
SSgt GG-15 RET Jim Lint Maj John Bell MAJ Ken Landgren Cpl Raymond Hottinger
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Detachment
Marine Detachment or MarDet was a unit of 35 to 55 United States Marines aboard large warships including cruisers, battleships, or aircraft carriers. They were a regular component of a ship's company since the formation of the United States Marine Corps up until the 1990s. Missions of the Marine Detachment evolved over time, and included protecting the ship's captain, security and defense of the ship, operating the brig, limited action ashore,...
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Maj John Bell
I'm not going to claim my answer is the gospel. My understanding is that all ships of the line Cruiser and above had a Marine detachment, and some fleet support ships. The MarDets provided security, manned the brig on ships large enough to have a permanent brig, and were the centerpiece of ceremonial details. I believe that MarDets were ordered to stand down and Marines were returned to the FMF sometime in the late 1990's
The Best point of contact to get a definitive answer would be to contact the Marine Corps Association.
The Best point of contact to get a definitive answer would be to contact the Marine Corps Association.
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Brad Miller
I tried that -- and was appalled at the number of Marines, and how many never came home. But they didn't have a detailed breakdown.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
My assumption is the Marines were assigned ships for transportation to the battlefields.
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Cpl Raymond Hottinger
if i remember the tour of the USS Iowa right the Marines manned/crude the 5" gun batteries on the battleships not sure about the other class of ships though.
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I do not know, but they were mostly on islands fighting. Ships were transport. They did not do 6 month cruises like now.
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Brad Miller
Tarawa, Tinian, Saipan, Okinawa, Iwo Jima -- the history of the Pacific War is written in Marine blood, and it's easy to get information on. But there were Marine detachments on major warships as well, (I knew a couple of Vets, but they didn't remember, after 40 years).
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