The 1st Marine Division and Its Regiments

The 1st Marine Division is the direct descendant of the Advance Base Brigade, which was activated on 23 December 1913 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the early years of its existence, the brigade was deployed to a number of troubled areas in the Caribbean. The brigade was employed in a combat capacity in the "Banana
Wars" in Haiti and in the Dominican Republic, and also participated in the landing at Vera Cruz, Mexico.

After a number of redesignations, the organization ultimately received its present designation of 1st Marine Division on 1 February 1941, while stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The unit thus became the first division in Marine Corps history, and its eventual composition included the 1st, 5th, and 7th infantry regiments, and the 11th Marines artillery regiment.