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In 1945, the representatives of fifty countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organization to draw up the United Nations Charter as proposed by the representatives of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States at Dumbarton Oaks, United States in August-October 1944.
President Woodrow Wilson addressed a joint session of the United States Congress on 2 April 1917 and asked Congress to declare war on Germany. He cited Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare and its enticing Mexico into alliance against the United States as justification.
On 4 April, the US Senate voted to support the declaration and the House of Representatives voted to support the Declaration of War against Germany on 6 April 1917.
The USA later declared war on Austria-Hungary on 7 December 1917.
Germany announced on 31 January 1917 that it would pursue unrestricted submarine warfare from the following day - 1 February 1917.
The 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, were the first Marines to be sent to Vietnam, landing on 8 March 1965 to protect the Da Nang Air Base. On 6 May 1965, the 3rd Marine Division opened the Marine Compound at the Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam. By the end of 1965 the division had all its regiments (3rd Marines, 4th Marines and 9th Marines) on the ground.
The United States Navy marks 11 April as the founding day of the US Navy's submarine force. The force was born on 11 April 1900, when the US Navy bought the Holland VI.
The Battle Honours emblazoned on the Queen's Colours of The Royal Irish Regiment are amongst those awarded to our antecedent regiments for their actions from the Nazi invasion of North-West Europe in 1939 to the liberation of North-West Europe in 1945. Included, are actions in North Africa.
The Royal Irish Rangers, formed by an amalgamation of The Royal Iniskilling Fusiliers, The Royal Ulster Rifles and The Royal Irish Fusiliers, came into being on 1 July 1968. Amalgamation Parades were held over midnight 30 June/1 July with the old regiments ceasing to exist on the stroke of midnight as the new regiment was born.
Locations were:
1 R IRISH Norton Barracks, Worcester.
2 R IRISH Lathbury Barracks Gibraltar.
3 R IRISH Gaza Barracks, Catterick.
The North Irish Militia, Lisburn.
The King’s Division Depot The Royal Irish Rangers, St Patrick’s Barracks, Ballymena.
Broadcasting to the nation at 1500 hours on 8 May 1945 from the Cabinet room at Number 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that the Germans had signed a ceasefire at 0241 hours on the 7 May at General Eisenhower's Supreme Allied Command Advance Headquarters in Reims, and that hostilities would officially end at one minute past midnight on 9 May 1945.
The following typically understated reflection on the war's end appears in the regimental history of The Royal Irish Fusiliers and applies equally to all of our former regiments' experiences before VE Day:
Following the issue of the Potsdam Declaration by the USA, UK and China on 26 July 1945, and the rejection by Japan of the demand for its unconditional surrender, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945. On 10 August, the Japanese government offered to accept the terms for surrender of the Potsdam Declaration - but with certain conditions that were not accepted by the Allies. Despite this, the news spread across the world and celebrations began.
