The 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company was activated at Marine Barracks, Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, on 2 March 1951. The unit immediately began training with both shore bombardment exercises and operations with aircraft on board ship. Less than two months later, the first team, consisting, of 6 Officers and 21 enlisted men, was sent on TAD with the 1st Marine Division in Korea. A few months later, another team of 4 officers and 16 enlisted men were sent on TAD to AirFMFPac at Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, California. On 22 September 1951, the company command post was transferred to Marine Corps Supply Depot, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. The depot was later re-designated as Camp Catlin.
From time to time, additional small teams were sent TAD with the lst Marine Division in Korea. These teams were in addition to those of the ANGLICO, lst Signal Battalion, normally a part of the lst Marine Division. Although the headquarters, of the lst ANGLICO remained in Hawaii during the Korean conflict, liaison teams from the company contributed materially to operations in that conflict.
The 1st ANGLICO continued to remain a valuable element of Marine ready forces in the Pacific during the decade following Korea. To maintain its combat readiness, the company participated in many exercises including ANGLEX-54N and Operation ROCKY SHOALS at Fort Lewis, Washington. In October-1955, the 1st ANGLICO was relocated from Camp Catlin to Camp H. M. Smith, Oahu.
With the deployment of Marine combat units to the Republic of Vietnam in early 1965, Sub Unit One of the 1st ANGLICO was activated for overseas duty on a temporary basis on 19 May 1965. Again, the headquarters of the lst ANGLICO remained in Hawaii, this time at Kaneohe Bay, and conducted an extensive program of training implemented by rotation of personnel with the sub unit.
While the basic mission of the 1st ANGLICO was to furnish support for amphibious operations, service in Vietnam has created a collateral mission, that of controlling naval gunfire and direct air support for U. S. Marine, Army, and Allied units engaged in combat operations requiring such support.
Sub Unit One in Vietnam has furnished many small fire control teams, both on a permanent basis and for special operations. By early 1967, more than half the personnel for the 1st ANGLICO were committed in the Republic of Vietnam. Less than one year later, three-quarters of the lst ANGLICO were in Vietnam with Sub Unit one. Since that time, Marines from this unit has worked in support of numerous major operations, including PEGASUS, BOLD MARINER, and IRON MOUNTAIN.
Historical Division Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps Washington, D.C. November 1970
