Sergeant Major Carlos A. Ruiz: From Warehouse Clerk to the Marine Corps' Top Enlisted Leader
When Carlos A. Ruiz enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1993, he could hardly have imagined that one day he would become the highest-ranking enlisted Marine in the entire…
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The Battle of Saipan
On June 15, 1944, thousands of United States Marines came ashore on **Saipan**, beginning one of the most important and brutal battles of the Pacific War. The island was only ab…
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Operation Starlite
On August 18, 1965, thousands of United States Marines launched **Operation Starlite**, a massive assault against the 1st Viet Cong Regiment near Van Tuong, south of the Marine bas…
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Carlos Hathcock: White Feather
Few Marine Corps snipers have become as legendary as **Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Norman Hathcock II**. During the Vietnam War, Hathcock became known for extraordinary patience, fi…
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The 15-Year-Old Marine Killed in Vietnam
When Private First Class Dan Bullock was killed in Vietnam on June 7, 1969, the Marine lying dead on the battlefield was younger than anyone around him realized. He was just **1…
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Edson’s Raiders at Bloody Ridge
In September 1942, the Guadalcanal campaign was barely a month old. The United States Marines held a fragile perimeter around **Henderson Field**, the captured airstrip that had…
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The Marine Corps in the Boxer Rebellion
At the dawn of the 20th century, long before the Marines fought at Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, or the Chosin Reservoir, United States Marines found themselves fighting tho…
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Pierre “Peter” Ortiz: The Marine Who Fought a Secret War
Few Marines lived a life quite like **Pierre “Peter” Julien Ortiz**. Before joining the United States Marine Corps, Ortiz had already served in the French Foreign Legion, fo…
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The Last Marines to Leave Saigon
## April 1975, the Embassy Evacuation, and the Final Hours of the Vietnam War For years, American Marines had arrived in Vietnam by helicopter. On the morning of April 30, 19…
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The Battle of Okinawa: Marines at the Gates of Japan
By the spring of 1945, the United States Marine Corps had fought its way across the Pacific. Guadalcanal. Tarawa. Saipan. Tinian. Peleliu. Iwo Jima. Each battle had moved Ame…
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The Battle of Hue
Before dawn on January 31, 1968, the ancient Vietnamese city of Hue erupted into battle. As part of the massive **Tet Offensive**, thousands of North Vietnamese Army and Viet Co…
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The Marine Corps’ Six-Barreled Monster
It looked like someone had taken a tiny armored vehicle and strapped six enormous rifles to the outside. That description isn't far from the truth. The **M50 Ontos** was one …
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