User:RekonDog/Sandbox/Marine Corps Test Unit

Marine Corps Test Unit 1

Two atomic bombs were dropped in Japan ending World War II, it was then at this moment that lessons were learned about nuclear weapons which encouraged Colonel Robert E. Cushman, Jr. to question then-Marine Commandant Alexander A. Vandegrift about a feasible massive amphibious landing over small areas subject to potential tactical nuclear weapons.

"The tiny island, the single port, the small area...these will no longer be proper objectives. We must think in terms of 200 miles in width and depth."

Several years later, on July 1, 1954, Commandant Lemuel C. Shepherd activated Marine Corp Test Unit, or MCTU#1 under his staff’s recommendation that the Marine Corps is in need of a ‘specialized’ unit performing missions outside the Fleet Marine Force to develop special tactics, techniques and organizational concepts to the nuclear age, under operational control of the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

General Shepherd appointed Colonel Edward N. Rydalch as the Test Unit's Commanding Officer (CO) and Lieutenant Colonel Regan Fuller as the Executive Officer (XO) over command of 104 Marine officers, 1,412 enlisted, 7 naval doctors and chaplain; and 51 Hospital Corpsmen. Table of Organization: one Headquarters and Service Company; one infantry battalion consisted of four companies; one 75mm anti-tank platoon; one 4.2-inch mortar platoon; one 75mm pack howitzer artillery battery. Furthermore, a Marine Air Wing element attached along with administrative and logistic support at the request from nearby MCAS El Toro.

During the Korean War, helicopters were first used by the Marines in combat. Commandant Shepherd and his staff was interesting into other innovative methods of reconnaissance that could be performed. They recommended planning for a greater mobility and dispersion as well as operating further distances inland from sea. A unit capable of introducing combined supporting arms with heliborne capabilities and make it integral in methods of reconnaissance. Mockups of Sikorsky helicopters made from improvised lumber materials combined with repetitive exercises, by early 1955 the unit became well-organized tasked in heliborne insertions.

In March 1955, MCTU#1 partipated in shot 'Bee' in Operation Teapot, a series of tactical nuclear weapons tests with active nuclear warheads conducted at the Atomic Commission Research test. During exercise "Desert Rock IV", they manuevered near ground zera acting an amphibous battalion landing force in a nuclear environment, simulated in trenches and a mock built-up facility to resemble an urbanized city.

April 1955, Bruce F. Meyers reported to the CO of the Test Unit and was assigned to the unit's Battalion as the Assistant Operations Officer, working under Maj. Bob Bohn. Meyers spent a year cross-trained in the parachutist and pathfinder courses provide by the Navy and Army Colonel Rydalch started making critical changes in the organization to establish elements withing the unit that "validated reconnaissance theories and techniques of all-helicopter assault, not only they apply to the battalion landing team level but to higher levels as well."

This led to the establishment of the Plans and Development (P&D) Section and Reconnaissance Platoon, commanded by Capt Joseph Z. Taylor in September of 1955. He began to assemble and train the Marines who will become the nucleus of 1st Force Reconnaissance Company by bringing fresh submarine and rubber raft experiences to the test unit. Taylor recently returned from reconnaissance exercise (RECONEX) 551 on Iwo Jima aboard the USS Perch (ASPP-313) with 3rd Recon Battalion. Prior to duty abroad in 1950, he served as a reconnaisance company commander under, who is currently the test unit's XO, Regan Fuller's 2nd Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion (who was a Major at that time).

Not until April 1956, the quote requirements has sent a handful of Marines from the unit on Temporary Additional Duty (TAD) to the United States Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia. To prevent anyone from not completing the course and lose Marines, the test unit conducted its own "pre-jump school" with the helping of Sergeant Robert Zweiner, a parachute rigger from an Air Delivery Platoon on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Robert Zweiner became the founder and head of the Parachute Loft (or Paraloft) of 1st Force Reconnaissance Company.

Every Marine has passed the school, earning their silver wings, however, Meyers have being the only one in MCTU#1 with free-fall experience, the Marines were then sent to the U.S. Naval Parachute Unit under the instructions of very highly qualified navy jumpmaster Chief Warrant Officer Lewis T "Lew" Vinsen at the Naval Auxillary Air Station in El Centro, California in July 1, 1956. Due to the free exchange and cross-training cooperation in these efforts. On one jump, Joseph Kittinger, USAF jumped times with the Marines of MCTU#1..

Jump logs during 1956-67 has shown various types of parachutes and different carrier-based aircraft that they have experimented in finding alternative methods in reconnaissance entry, such as the Douglas F3D Skyknights and A-3 Skywarriors, and the Grumman TF-1 Trader, launching the first HALO/HAHO jumps in Marine Corps history.

In 1957, it was decided that a battalion-size force reconnnaissance will be assembled and reorganized from the Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion with a new T/O and T/E that will directly be under Fleet Marine Force yet detachable to the Marine Air-Ground Task Forces and Marine Divisions. On June 18, 1957, The Marines of Test Unit #1 reported to 1st Marine Division, then to Headquarters Battalion to assume command of 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Company. The next day, on June 19, 1957 orders were received to the disbanded test unit at 1st AmphiRecon Company to designated their new command 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific.