On 16 July General Shepherd and his staff arrived at Guam and set up his
new command post. By direction of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, a base
camp had been built for the Sixth Marine Division on Guam. As soon as
the units had moved into their new areas, construction was begun on
chapels and recreation facilities. A division training order was issued
on 23 July outlining a program to last from 6 August to 15 December
1945.
On 26 July General Shepherd published a letter of gratitude from the
people of Guam to the officers and men of the Sixth Marine Division.
Written on the occasion of “Guam Liberation Day”, 21 July, one year
after the Fourth and Twenty Second Marines had landed on the bloody
beaches near Agat, the letter, signed by several leading Guamanians said
in part:
“On behalf of the people of Guam we take this opportunity, as a token of
everlasting gratitude, to extend our greetings and felicitations to you,
the officers and men of the First Provisional Brigade which formed the
nucleus of the Sixth Marine Division, with its supporting arms and
services, on the first anniversary of D-Day.
“Through popular request, the twenty first of July has been designated
as ‘Guam Liberation Day’. It is fitting and proper that we renew and
reaffirm our loyalty and devotion to our mother country and the cause
for which she stands.”
With general preparations for future combat operations against the enemy
underway, the Sixth Marine Division launched an intensive training
program in August. The main effort of the division was diverted,
however, from 11-15 August to preparing and mounting out Task Group Able
for the forthcoming occupation of Yokosuka Naval Base. This task group
was a headquarters command headed by Brigadier General William T.
Clement which was superimposed over the Fourth Marines (Reinforced),
under the command of Lt. Col. Fred D. Beans. On 16 August, Task Group
Able departed from Guam and three days later joined the Third Fleet.
As a part of the Fleet Landing Force, Task Group Able landed at Yokosuka
Naval Base and Airfield on 30 August. There was no opposition to the
landing. Here it remained as a part of the Sixth Marine Division until
late in November when it passed from the administrative control of the
division to that of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. Its general duties
consisted of demilitarizing the Naval area of responsibility, and in
providing security for the Naval Base and Airfield. On 20 September, all
reinforcing elements of the Fourth Marines and its superior command,
Task Force Able Headquarters, returned to Guam, leaving the regiment
under the operational control of the Eighth Army. By January the force
had been reduced to the Third Battalion; the other two battalions,
Weapons Company, and Headquarters and Service Company departed for the
U. S. to be disbanded. Later a reduced regimental headquarters group
left for Tsingtao to rejoin the division.