Five Marines from the battalion were responsible for the only war crime brought to charge against the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War . On 19 February 1970 , in the Son Thang massacre just southwest of Danang , a five-man patrol from the unit executed five women and eleven children . One member of the team was convicted of premeditated murder but had served less than a year in prison The 1st Battalion , 7th Marines was the first unit to man defensive positions in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield in August 1990 . The unit was an integral member of Task Force Ripper . As Desert Shield became Desert Storm , the battalion participated in the diagonal thrust to the perimeter of Kuwait City , spearheading the liberation of Kuwait from Iraq . The battalion returned to Twentynine Palms in March 1991
Son Thang massacre
Son Thang massacre
1st Battalion, 7th Marines