Combat· World War II
European Theater (USMC participation)
The Marine Corps fought its main war in the Pacific, so only a small number of Marines served in Europe, the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean.
Even so, their work mattered. Because the Marine Corps was part of the naval service, Marines went wherever Navy ships and bases operated, including the war against Germany and Italy. Marines served across this theater in many roles. Ship's detachments aboard battleships and cruisers manned guns during the major Allied landings in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and France. Marine officers worked as observers and planners on Allied staffs. Others guarded the American Embassy in London and a Navy base in Northern Ireland, ran observer programs with the British, or carried out secret missions with the OSS behind enemy lines. A few Marines were killed serving aboard ship during these operations.
Engagements in this conflict (8) Podcast episodes on World War II
Record no. 587