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North China
Episode166

September 28, 2026

North China E166: Demobilization and the Landing in North China

North China E166: Demobilization and the Landing in North China
26:17
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On 30 September 1945, the 1st Marine Division anchored off the mouth of the Hai River and sailed into a hero's welcome. Crowds packed the banks at Tientsin, cheering veterans of Guadalcanal and Okinawa as they came ashore. Within a week, Marines were taking fire on the roads outside the city.

This episode tracks the Corps' turn from war to an impossible peace: the point system and the race to demobilize almost half a million Marines, the collapse of the old rank structure, and the III Amphibious Corps' arrival in North China to repatriate 630,000 Japanese soldiers and civilians.

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Sources for this episode are listed at historyofthemarinecorps.com

References

  1. Burton, Robert L. Taming the red dragon: Peace operations in North China. Monograph, School of Advanced Military Studies, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, 2014.
  2. Compton, James R. “Marines and Mothers: Agency, Activism, and Resistance to the American North China Intervention, 1945–46.” Marine Corps History Press 8, no. 1 (2022): 21–40. https://doi.org/10.35318/mch.2022080102.
  3. En-Lai, Chou. “Memorandum by General Chou En-Lai to Mr. Tung Pi-Wu.” U.S. Department of State, July 18, 1946. https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1946v10.
  4. Frank, Benis M., and Henry I Shaw. Victory and occupation: History of U.S. Marine Corps operations in World War II. vol 5. Historical Branch, G-3 Division Headquarters, U S Marine Corps, 1968.
  5. Goodwin, Ralph R, Herbert A Fine, Francis C Prescott, and Velma H Cassidy, eds. Foreign relations of the United States, 1946, the Far East: China. Vol. 10. United States Government Printing Office, 1972.
  6. Goodwin, Ralph R, Herbert A Fine, Velma H Cassidy, and Francis C Prescott, eds. Foreign relations of the United States, diplomatic papers, 1945, the Far East, China. Vol. 7. United States Government Printing Office, 1969.
  7. Hough, Frank O. The assault on Peleliu. Historical Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, 2014.
  8. Keiser, Gordon W. The U.S. Marine Corps and Defense Unification 1944-47: The politics of survival. National Defense University Press, 1982.
  9. Kurtz-Phelan, Daniel. The ralph J. bunche library presents: Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, “The china mission: George Marshall’s Unfinished War, 1945-1947.” W. W. Norton & Company, 2018.
  10. Marshall, George C., and Lyman P. Van Slyke. Marshall’s mission to China, December 1945-January 1947: The report and appended documents. Vol. 1–2. 2 vols. University Publications of America, 1976.
  11. Miller, Michael J. From Shanghai to corregidor: Marines in the defense of the Philippines. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, 1997.
  12. Millett, Allan Reed. In many a strife general Gerald C. Thomas and the U.S. Marine Corps 1917-1956. Naval Institute Press, 1993.
  13. Millett, Allan Reed. Semper Fidelis: The history of the United States Marine Corps. Free Press, 1991.
  14. Nalty, Bernard C., Truman R. Strobridge, Edwin T. Turnbladh, and Rowland P. Gill. United States Marine Corps ranks and grades, 1775-1969. Historical Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, 1969.
  15. Perkins, E. Ralph, Fredrick Aandahl, Francis C Prescott, Herbert A Fine, and Velma Hastings Cassidy, eds. Foreign relations of the United States, 1948, the Far East: China. Vol. 8. United States Government Printing Office, 1973.
  16. Pogue, Forrest C. George C. Marshall: Organizer of victory, 1943-1945. Viking Press, 1973.
  17. Prescott, Francis C, Herbert A Fine, and Velma Hastings Cassidy, eds. Foreign relations of the United States, 1949, the Far East: China. Vol. 9. United States Government Printing Office, 1974.
  18. Robertson, Walter S. “Mr. Walter S. Robertson to General Marshall.” U.S. Department of State, July 25, 1946. https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1946v10/d572.
  19. Shaw, Henry I. Opening moves: Marines gear up for war. Washington, DC: History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, 1991.
  20. SHAW, Henry I. United States Marines in North China, 1945-1949. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, 1991.
  21. Sherrod, Robert Lee. History of Marine Corps aviation in World War II. Combat Forces Press, 1952.
  22. Tanner, Harold M. Where Chiang Kai-shek lost China the liao-shen campaign, 1948. Indiana University Press, 2015.
  23. Truman, Harry S. “Statement by the President: United States Policy toward China.” Statement by the President: United States Policy Toward China., December 15, 1945. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/statement-the-president-united-states-policy-toward-china-0.
  24. Tyson, Carolyn A. A chronology of the United States Marine Corps, 1935-1946. Dept. of Defense, Marine Corps, History and Museums Division : for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off, 1977.
  25. Wedemeyer, Albert C. Wedemeyer reports! Henry Holt & Company, 1958.
  26. Westad, Odd Arne. Decisive encounters: The Chinese Civil War, 1946-1950. Stanford University Press, 2003.
  27. Wilt, Alan F. “The Papers of George Catlett Marshall, Volume 5, ‘The Finest Soldier,’ January 1, 1945-January 7, 1947 (Review).” The Journal of Military History 69, no. 1 (2005): 275–76. https://doi.org/10.1353/jmh.2005.0070.

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