First Composite Radio Company

Fleet Marine Force Pacific

   1st Composite Radio Company has a storied past which begins in World War ll. Due to the    varied names assigned over the years, this narrative will refer to 1st Radio as “The Unit”.

In January, 1962, 42 Marines from 1st Composite Radio Company, FMF, designated as Sub Unit #1, were the first U.S. Marines to participate in the ongoing build-up which was to evolve into the Vietnam War.

On June 16, 1943, the unit was first activated at Linda Vista Camp, Camp Elliott, San Diego, CA as 2nd Radio Intelligence Platoon, Signal Company, Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet. In 1943 and 1944, the unit served at Guadalcanal; Noumea, New Caledonia and Peleliu in the Western Pacific.

In October, 1944, the unit was re-designated as 2nd Separate Radio Intelligence Platoon. Between November, 1944 and January, 1945, the unit relocated to Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, then on March 21, 1945 was deactivated. On June 9, 1945, the unit was reactivated as 2nd Separate Intelligence Platoon, Headquarters Company, Force Signal Battalion, Fleet Marine Force (FMF), attached to Pacific Fleet Radio Unit #128. Again, on September 28, 1945, the unit was once again deactivated. 

The unit remained deactivated until September 16, 1958 at which time it was reactivated at Camp Smith, Territory of Hawaii, as 1st Radio Company, assigned to FMF, Pacific. In June, 1959, 1st Radio Company relocated to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS), Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. On September 8, 1959, the unit was re-designated as 1st Composite Radio Company. Due to the influx of manpower, it was re-designated as 1st Radio Company on September 17, 1963 and again as 1st Radio Battalion on July 14, 1964.

 

As previously stated, beginning in January, 1962, 1st Composite Radio Company deployed a detachment, known as Sub Unit #1 to Pleiku, South Viet Nam for training purposes. Pleiku is located in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam, designated by the military as ll Corps. The Sub Unit, replaced every four months, was assigned to the U.S. Army Security Agency’s 3rd Radio Research Unit (3rdRRU), located at Davis Station, Saigon, SVN. The mission was to gather information about the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army through radio intercept and radio direction finding operations and use that knowledge for both offensive and defensive fighting purposes. Sub Unit #1 at Pleiku was billeted at an Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN) base and shared space with a U.S. Army Military Advisory and Assistance Group (MAAG). The third detachment of Marines sent to Pleiku saw a few members assigned directly to the Army 3rdRRU in Saigon, performing vital direction finding missions in fixed wing aircraft. On May 14, 1963, The Secretary of the Army awarded those Marines assigned to the Army 3rdRRU between January and December 31, 1962, the US Army Meritorious Unit Commendation. 

The fourth detachment of Marines relocated from Pleiku to Phu Bai in l Corps, approximately 8 miles south of the old Imperial City of Hue, in the northern part of Vietnam. Sub Units continued to be sent to SVN until the entire Battalion was deployed at a later date. (Continued)

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