In Bosnia, 22 Marines from Marine Corps Security Force Company, Naples, Italy were among the first American troops to arrive. They provided the security for Allied Forces Southern Europe headquartered at Sarajevo. About 2,500 NATO troops would be in place by 19 December taking on the task of peace enforcement in former Yugoslavia from the U.N.
Marines of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations capable) landed in Somalia kicking off Operation Restore Hope, the largest humanitarian relief operation of its kind.
Operation Just Cause was launched in Panama to protect American lives, restore the democratic process, preserve the integrity of the Panama Canal Treaty, and apprehend dictator General Manuel Antonio Noriega. One Marine, Corporal Garreth C. Isaak, was killed and three other were wounded during the operation.
The Marine detachment of the USS Ticonderoga provided shipboard security for three U.S. astronauts, Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans, Harrison Schmitt, and their Apollo-17 space capsule. The astronauts had successfully completed a (then) record lunar stay of more than 75 hours.
Twenty helicopters from Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 162, were rushed to Ceylon onboard the USS Princeton where Marines participated in the rescue and evacuation of flood victims
LtCol Raymond G. Davis led his battalion into Hagaru-Ri, Korea after four days of intense fighting in the mountain passes against a numerically superior hostile force. His battalion, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, helped clear the way for the 5th and 7th Marines, and LtCol Davis was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism.
The Secretary of the Navy, John Sullivan, signed a "Memorandum of Agreement" with the State Department which laid the basis for the modern Marine Security Guard program at U.S. embassies throughout the world.
Japanese forces launched a predawn landing on Wake Island and Wilkes Island, while their carriers launched air strikes against Wilkes, Wake, and Peale islands in support of the landing force. After nearly 12 hours of desperate fighting, the three islands were surrendered.
Japanese aircraft attacked Wake Island within hours of the fateful attack on Pearl Harbor. Marines of the 1st Defense Battalion and Marine Fighter Squadron 211 resisted Japanese invasion attempts for over two weeks before finally succumbing to an overwhelming force.
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack by Japan on the US naval base in Hawaii. The Japanese intended to prevent the US from interfering with their planned offensive in the Pacific. The attack led to the US entering World War II. 109 Marines were killed or missing in the attack, which was 67% of the total US Marine losses. The USS Arizona's Marine Detachment suffered particularly heavy losses, with only 15 of the 88 Marines on board surviving.
Marines at Pearl Harbor were caught off guard by the attack, but quickly organized a response. They set up anti-aircraft guns and machine guns, and posted Marines on the parade ground and sentry posts. They also formed first aid parties to treat casualties and suppress fires at the Navy Yard. Marines were also sent to Hickam Army Air Field to help with anti-aircraft defense and wreckage clearance.
A small detail of Marines under Captain Maurice G. Holmes defeated Nicaraguan bandits near Chuyelite. GySgt Charles Williams was mortally wounded during the fighting. Capt Holmes was later awarded the Navy Cross for gallantry, and a posthumous award was given to GySgt Williams.