The 5th Marine Division was a United States Marine Corps infantry division which was activated on 11 November 1943 (officially activated on 21 January 1944) at Camp Pendleton, California during World War II. The 5th Division saw its first combat action during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945 where it sustained the highest number of casualties of the three Marine divisions of the V Amphibious Corps (invasion force). The 5th Division was to be part of the planned invasion of the Japan homeland before Japan surrendered. Assault troops of the 5th Division were included in the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to the V Amphibious Corps for extraordinary heroism on Iwo Jima from 19 to 28 February 1945. The 5th Division was deactivated on 5 February 1946.
The 5th Division was ordered to be reactivated on 1 March 1966 at Camp Pendleton, California, during the Vietnam War. The division, beginning with the reactivation of Regimental Landing Team 26 (RLT 26), was expected to be fully manned within one year; the 5th Division was never in command of the 26th Marine Regiment (26th Marines) in the war. In December, all three infantry battalions of the 26th Marines were fighting in Vietnam attached to the 3rd Marine Division. By June 1967, the 5th Division was ready to deploy anywhere. It was never intended that the 5th Division would go overseas. It was a force in readiness. But in February 1968, General William C. Westmoreland, U.S. Army, commander of U.S. forces in South Vietnam, asked for help because of the all-out Communist Tet Offensive. The 27th Marine Regiment (27th Marines), 5th Marine Division, was airlifted out on 48 hours notice, with 3,700 Marines. In September, it became the first major combat unit to come home from the Vietnam War. The 5th Marine Division formally deactivated on 26 November 1969.
Corporal Rondo G. Abel Private First Class Daniel S. Albaugh Sergeant Walter H. Allen Private First Class Martin L. Anderberg Major John W. Antonelli Private First Class John B. Babich Corporal Barnie O. Baggett Corporal Raymond W. Bahring Platoon Sergeant Paul Balducci Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone Private Calvin J. Bleau Corporal Louis H. Boone, Jr. Captain James C. Brennan Lieutenant Colonel John A. Butler Private First Class D. A. Carson Private First Class Andrew J. Carter, Jr. Captain Donald H. Castle Private First Class Edward J. Coleman 1st Lieutenant Angelo M. Cona Corporal Cleo S. Danford, Jr. Corporal James H. Dixon Private First Class James C. Donnelly Captain Rae E. Duncan Private Wesley Eagle Corporal Charles R. Edgar Private First Class Theodore O. Erickson Lieutenant Colonel Richard Fagan Sergeant Hubert J. Faltyn 2nd Lieutenant Byron E. Fisher Corporal John G. Folsom Assistant Cook Walter J. Fufidio Sergeant Nolan M. Garrett 2nd Lieutenant Martin L. Gelshenen Private First Class William A. Goff Captain Philip R. Gray First Sergeant Harold E. Harper Private First Class Henry A. Harrison, Jr. Brigadier General Leo D. Hermle Corporal Nicolas Hernandez Sergeant Raymond G. Hoffman 1st Lieutenant Thomas D. Hopkins, Jr. Sergeant Donald L. Hull Captain Charles J. Husey Private First Class Paul L. Idoux Corporal Ivan B. Iversen Lieutenant Colonel Chandler W. Johnson Private Harold B. Jones
2nd Lieutenant George C. Jovanovich 1st Lieutenant Jesse P. Julian 1st Lieutenant Frederick A. Kellogg Private First Class C. J. Kelton Private First Class Louis Komnenick Sergeant Claude E. Lauderdale Colonel Harry B. Liversedge Private First Class William S. McCarver Captain James S. McDermott 1st Lieutenant James J. McPoland 1st Lieutenant Thomas G. Mahoney Sergeant John B. Makstutis Private First Class Thomas J. Mayers Private Max E. Melville Captain Edward C. Nelson, Jr. Private Frank L. Palmer 2nd Lieutenant Edward S. Pennell Sergeant Harold G. Pierce Sergeant James J. Powers Sergeant Martin J. Queeney Major Amedeo Rae 2nd Lieutenant Obert C. Richardson Lieutenant Colonel Donn J. Robertson Private First Class Raymond D. Rogers Corporal James S. Ryan Captain Charles S. Sands Sergeant Merritt M. Savage 1st Lieutenant Cedric J. Scheibleman Private First Class Donald E. Schmille Corporal Conrad F. Shaker Private Charles R. Shootman Sergeant George H. Smallwood Major Tolson A. Smoak Private First Class Alfred J. St. Laurent Private Oral L. Tankersly Platoon Sergeant Clifton E. Taylor Platoon Sergeant Ernest I. Thomas, Jr. Sergeant Thorborn M. Thostenson Corporal Harry Towne Platoon Sergeant William T. Unger 1st Lieutenant William H. Van Beest Platoon Sergeant William H. Van Dyke Private Salvador Vargas 2nd Lieutenant Clair H. Voss 1st Lieutenant John K. Wells Private First Class Jasper Willis