'Walking Dead' Marine battalion to be deactivated

Pioneer Press ^ | 8-28-14 | Jonathan Drew

[TurboZamboni]

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Decades before the television show, a Marine Corps battalion decorated for extensive combat in World War II and Vietnam earned the nickname the "Walking Dead."

Now the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, which also saw action in Iraq and Afghanistan, is being deactivated during a ceremony Friday at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The step comes as top U.S. military and political leaders are moving to trim the size of America's military after more than a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Marine Corps historians say the battalion appears to have gotten the nickname because of its high rate of casualties during the Vietnam War. But the unit also has a reputation for heroism that included Medal of Honor recipients at Guam and Iwo Jima during World War II and two in Vietnam.

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.

[donozark]

4th Brigade 101st Airborne inactivated. Ditto 1st Cav. Others to follow. We are cutting key units. That sorry sack of Somalian sheep-shit will destroy our military just as he has our nation.

[ken5050]

Mega kudos on your superb alliteration!!!!!

"...sorry sack of Somalian sheep-shit..."

Love it!!!!JUST! FRIGGIN'! AWESOME! dude..

Have a Great Labor Day weekend..

[Lazamataz]

'Walking Dead' Marine battalion to be deactivated

Military walkers don't deactivate easily.

[DaveA37]

Deactivate another marine battalion? We can’t have any “real” fighting type military anymore, can we? Better to have a bunch of “fags” out there instead of real troops who share a fox hole to survive versus those who want to be “with” one another.

[onedoug]

Too much tradition. What a surprise.

[Mears]

How incredibly sad.

Cousin,brother,and son -—USMC.

Semper Fi !

.

[SkyDancer]

[Nifster]

Seems that O is getting rid of the military and building up his civilian corps.... he is preparing to become dictator for life

[reefdiver]

Soon obama will be deactivated, The Walking Dead will be back

[oh8eleven]

Now the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment ... is being deactivated during a ceremony Friday at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Have never been to a unit deactivation, but in the spring of '67, I was with 13th Marines and had the honor of participating in the formal activation of the 5th Marine Division at Pendleton.
A great parade followed by many, many parties.