“Walking dead” to deactivate today
1st of the 9th Marines, known in Vietnam as “The Walking Dead” for their high rate of casualties during that war is scheduled to be deactivated today at Camp Lejeune according to the Associated Press, by way of the Stars & Stripes;
Formed during World War I, the battalion had previously been deactivated in 1994 and reactivated in 2007. Its insignia depicts a cloaked grim reaper carrying a scythe.
Retired Marine Col. Wesley Fox, who received the Medal of Honor while leading a company within the battalion in Vietnam, said he resents the deactivation.
“Not a better battalion in the world. I don’t know why they’re the ones who keep getting put on the bench but that’s the way it goes I guess,” Fox said.
The deactivation comes as the Pentagon plans to reduce the size of the Marine Corps by several thousand to 182,000 by 2016 and could cut further. The Corps’ wartime peak in recent years was more than 200,000.
You can read the long and storied history of this legendary Marine unit at their own website, as it once again strolls into history, to be called back to duty when the country calls once again for heart-breakers and life-takers.
Category: Military issues
Rip van Hagel and the Pentagon Princes probably didn’t like that whole grim reaper “Walking Dead” thing. It isn’t professional and there is no room for death in the U.S Military. That isn’t the job of the military anymore.
Climb to Glory…+100 here!
I am a former member of 2/9, 1977-1978. It is the unit I am most proud to have served with. The 9th Marines will be back. The actions of this administration will require a future administration to beef up forces again. Semper Fi, 1/9.
This was the plan when they activated them. All of 9th Marines was stood up as part of the surge, and was never intended to be permanent.
Units are inactivated, not deactivated.
I was attached to them for two deployments. The second pump the Battalion Commander went out of his way to get rid of “The Walking Dead” moniker. Out BLT PT shirts had “Striking Ninth” on them with an Eagle a lightning bolt and a crest.
The “Walking dead” came about During Vietnam, and it was originally one particular company Charlie 1/9 it was used on.
They apparently would drop an Ace of Spades card on enemy KIAs. I do not know if they did anything else but the rumor was that the NVA got a hard on for that particular Company and went as far as having a highly trained group of snipers and Sappers target them specifically. They, allow with the rest of the Battalion started taking high casualties. Though the nickname was later embraced it was initially demoralizing and sort of an insult.
It didnt insinuate that the unit was bad-ass, Quite the contrary, it meant whoever went there was going to be cannon-fodder and the unit was incompetent and did stupid shit that got their Marines killed.
A character in James Webb’s book once made the Statement “1/9..?,, those jerks could get ambushed in South Philly…
Striking Ninth is the regimental moniker. 1/9 Walking Dead, 2/9 Hell in a Helmet, I can’t recall 3/9s moniker.
Is it an entire regiment or just a single battalion? Don’t think I’ve ever heard of 2/9 or 3/9.
It was the entire regiment, though the battalions were assigned to already active Regiments. 2d Marine Regiment, 6th Marine Regiment and 8th Marine Regiment respectively. It had to do with the RCT rotations, and various Bn’s would fall under different regimental HQ’s while stateside. Very confusing, especially when you were the unlucky SOB standing regimental SDO.
For a while, units from 2d CEB were falling under the command of 2d Tanks, due to their Bn Main being deployed. I remember having to tour half of Lejeune as the 2d Tank Bn OOD.