Marine Raiders: From World War II Island Raids to Modern Special Operations

Few names in Marine Corps history carry the same mixture of secrecy, courage and legend as the Marine Raiders.

The original Raiders were created during the darkest days of World War II to conduct amphibious raids deep inside Japanese-held territory. Although the units existed for less than two years, their Marines fought in some of the earliest and most difficult battles of the Pacific War.

More than six decades later, the Marine Corps revived the Raider name for its modern special operations forces. Today’s Marine Raiders serve around the world as part of the United States Special Operations Command, carrying forward the legacy established by their World War II predecessors.

Creating the First Marine Raiders

The Marine Raiders were formed in early 1942, only weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II.

American military leaders were searching for ways to strike back while the nation built the forces needed for a larger offensive. President Franklin D. Roosevelt admired the British Commandos and wanted the United States to create similar units capable of launching fast attacks against enemy positions.

The concept was controversial within the Marine Corps. Amphibious warfare and aggressive small-unit operations were already central parts of Marine training, and some senior leaders believed every Marine should be capable of performing commando-style missions.

Despite those concerns, the Corps activated the 1st and 2nd Marine Raider Battalions in February 1942. Two additional battalions were organized the following year.

The Raiders were intended to move quickly, strike isolated enemy positions and withdraw before the enemy could organize a powerful response. Their missions included amphibious raids, reconnaissance, jungle warfare and operations behind enemy lines.

Edson and Carlson

Two officers became inseparably connected to the Raider story: Lt. Col. Merritt “Red Mike” Edson and Lt. Col. Evans Carlson.

Edson commanded the 1st Raider Battalion. An experienced Marine officer and aviator, he emphasized discipline, physical conditioning and aggressive small-unit tactics. His Raiders trained along the East Coast before deploying to the Pacific.

Carlson commanded the 2nd Raider Battalion and introduced ideas influenced by his observations of Chinese Communist forces fighting the Japanese. He promoted cooperation, shared responsibility and extensive tactical discussion among his Marines.

Carlson called this philosophy “Gung Ho,” a Chinese expression he interpreted as meaning “work together.” The phrase became closely associated with his battalion and eventually entered the wider vocabulary of the Marine Corps and American culture.

Carlson also organized his battalion differently from a standard Marine infantry unit. He used small fire teams built around automatic weapons, giving individual Raider units greater flexibility and firepower. The Marine Corps later adopted the four-man fire team throughout its infantry formations.

Edson and Carlson had very different leadership styles, but both demanded exceptional physical fitness, initiative and determination from their Raiders.

The Raid on Makin Island

The 2nd Raider Battalion carried out one of the most famous early American operations of the Pacific War.

On August 17, 1942, approximately 200 Raiders landed on Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands after traveling aboard the submarines USS Nautilus and USS Argonaut. Their mission was to destroy Japanese installations, gather intelligence and divert attention from the American landings underway on Guadalcanal.

The operation quickly became chaotic. Heavy surf swamped boats, equipment was lost and some Marines landed far from their assigned positions. Japanese troops resisted fiercely, and Carlson’s Raiders became involved in a close-range battle across the small island.

The Raiders destroyed Japanese facilities, gathered documents and inflicted serious losses before withdrawing. However, getting back to the submarines proved extremely difficult. Rough seas overturned boats and forced some Marines to remain behind temporarily.

Thirty Raiders were killed during the operation. Nine Marines who could not be evacuated were later captured and executed by the Japanese.

Although the raid produced mixed military results, it provided a badly needed boost to American morale during the opening months of the war. It also demonstrated the bravery of Marines operating far inside enemy-controlled territory with little chance of immediate reinforcement.

Edson’s Raiders at Guadalcanal

While Carlson’s battalion attacked Makin, Edson’s 1st Raider Battalion was fighting in the Solomon Islands.

The Raiders helped seize Tulagi in August 1942 before moving to Guadalcanal. There, Edson’s men were assigned to defend a narrow ridge south of Henderson Field, the vital airfield at the center of the campaign.

On the nights of September 12 and 13, thousands of Japanese troops attacked the Raider and Marine positions. The fighting was savage, often taking place at extremely close range as the Japanese repeatedly broke through portions of the American line.

Edson moved constantly along the ridge, reorganizing defenses, directing fire and encouraging his Marines. The Raiders, joined by Marine parachutists, held their position despite suffering heavy casualties.

The engagement became known as the Battle of Edson’s Ridge or Bloody Ridge. Their defense prevented the Japanese from capturing Henderson Field and helped preserve the American position on Guadalcanal.

Edson received the Medal of Honor for his leadership during the battle. The ridge remains one of the most celebrated battlegrounds in Marine Corps history.

Expanding the Raider Force

The Marine Corps eventually created four Raider battalions and organized them under the 1st Marine Raider Regiment.

The 3rd and 4th Raider Battalions joined the original units in fighting across the Solomon Islands. Raiders operated on Guadalcanal, New Georgia and Bougainville, often moving through dense jungle terrain to attack Japanese forces and secure important positions.

On New Georgia, Raiders participated in difficult operations around Enogai and Bairoko. On Bougainville, they conducted patrols, seized territory and fought to expand the Marine perimeter around the landing beaches.

The Raiders earned an impressive reputation, but the nature of the Pacific War was changing. The Marine Corps increasingly needed full infantry regiments capable of sustaining prolonged operations, rather than small units organized primarily for short raids.

Marine leaders also questioned whether the Raiders’ best personnel should remain concentrated in specialized battalions when experienced Marines were desperately needed across the expanding Corps.

The Raiders Are Disbanded

In early 1944, the Marine Corps disbanded the Raider battalions.

The 1st Marine Raider Regiment was redesignated as the 4th Marines, restoring the name of the regiment lost in the Philippines after the fall of Corregidor in 1942. Former Raiders continued fighting as conventional infantry Marines during the remaining Pacific campaigns.

The original Marine Raiders existed for only about two years, but their influence lasted far longer. They helped develop small-unit tactics, demonstrated the value of highly trained amphibious forces and contributed to the fire-team organization later adopted throughout the Marine Corps.

Their legacy was preserved in unit histories, Raider associations and the memories of the Marines who fought beside them.

The Return of Marine Special Operations

For many years, the Marine Corps did not maintain a permanent force inside the United States Special Operations Command. Marine leaders argued that the entire Corps already served as an expeditionary force capable of responding rapidly to crises.

The wars following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks changed that position. The growing demand for special operations forces led the Marine Corps to create a permanent command that could contribute specialized Marine units to worldwide operations.

Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, commonly known as MARSOC, was activated on February 24, 2006, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

MARSOC initially drew experienced Marines from Force Reconnaissance and other specialized communities. Its Marines deployed alongside other American and allied special operations forces, conducting missions in some of the world’s most difficult environments.

In 2014, the Marine Corps announced that MARSOC’s operational units would adopt the historic Marine Raider name. The designation created a direct link between modern special operations Marines and the Raiders of World War II.

Today’s Marine Raiders

Modern Marine Raiders are organized under the Marine Raider Regiment within MARSOC. The command also includes specialized support and training organizations.

The core Raider operator holds the Military Occupational Specialty of 0372, Critical Skills Operator. Candidates must already be Marines before attempting the demanding assessment, selection and training process.

Those selected receive advanced instruction in weapons, communications, medicine, demolitions, reconnaissance, survival, language and special operations tactics. Raiders must be capable of operating in small teams with limited support, often far from conventional American forces.

Their missions can include special reconnaissance, direct action, counterterrorism, foreign internal defense and assistance to allied military forces. Much of their work involves training and advising partner units so those forces can provide security within their own countries.

Modern Raiders may operate from deserts and mountains to jungles, cities and maritime environments. Their success depends as much on maturity, judgment and cultural understanding as it does on physical strength or weapons proficiency.

Carrying the Raider Legacy Forward

The original and modern Marine Raiders were created during very different periods of American history.

World War II Raiders launched amphibious attacks against Japanese-held islands and fought major ground battles across the Pacific. Modern Raiders conduct highly specialized missions as part of a global special operations force.

What connects them is the expectation that small groups of Marines can operate independently under extreme conditions and accomplish missions requiring initiative, adaptability and courage.

The Raider insignia reflects that connection. Its design includes the Southern Cross constellation, recalling the World War II Raiders’ service in the Pacific, and the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife associated with early commando units.

MARSOC’s motto, *Spiritus Invictus*, means “Unconquered Spirit.”

That phrase captures the history of the Raiders—from the rubber boats approaching Makin Atoll and the desperate defense of Bloody Ridge to modern Marine special operators serving quietly around the world.

The units, equipment and battlefields have changed, but the standard remains the same: Marines prepared to go where they are needed, operate against overwhelming challenges and complete the mission.