Radio Battalion is Born

1st Radio Battalion is Born
January 3rd, 1962, 42 Marine cryptologists (1st Radio Company Fleet Marine Force, Sub-Unit 1) arrived in Pleiku, the Republic of Vietnam for four months. They were the first U.S. Marines to participate in the build-up, which became the Vietnam War.

Their mission was to gather information about the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army through radio intercept and radio direction-finding operations and use that knowledge for both offensive and defensive fighting purposes. They moved from Pleiku to Phu-Ba shortly after arriving in South Vietnam. In 1964, they officially changed their name to the 1st Radio Battalion.

The 1st Composite Radio Company was activated on September 8, 1959, as an element of the Naval Security Group (NAVSECGRU), stationed at MCAS, Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii. On September 17, 1963, it was re-designated as 1st Radio Company, and on July 14, 1964, it was re-designated as 1st Radio Battalion.