Altogether, according to a report of 9 July 1950, the Brigade ground forces reached a total of 266 officers and 4,503 men.[67]
[67] CinCPacFlt disp to CINCFE, 9 Jul 50.
On this same date, the Brigade’s air component amounted to 192 officers and 1,358 men. The principal units were as follows:
| VMF-214 | 29 officers, 157 men, 24 F4U4B aircraft. |
| VMF-323 | 29 officers, 157 men, 24 F4U4B aircraft. |
| VMF(N)-513 | 15 officers, 98 men, 12 F4U5N aircraft. |
| VMO-6 | 15 officers, 63 men, 8 OY and 4 HO3S-1 aircraft.[68] |
[68] Ibid.
Adding the ground force and air figures gives a grand total of 6,319—458 officers and 5,861 men—on 9 July 1950. Before sailing, however, the activation of third rifle platoons and the last-minute attachment of supporting troops brought the strength of the Brigade and its air components up to 6,534.
Most of the equipment came from the great Marine supply depot at Barstow in the California desert. Here were acres of “mothballed” trucks, jeeps, DUKW’s and amphibian tractors dating back to World War II. It has been aptly remarked, in fact, that “there were more veterans of Iwo and Okinawa among the vehicles than there were among the men who would drive them.”[69]
[69] Andrew Geer, The New Breed (New York: Harper, 1952), 2–7. This book about U. S. Marine operations of 1950 in Korea contains an excellent account of the mounting out of the Brigade from Camp Pendleton.
Rail and highway facilities were taxed to the limit by the endless caravan of equipment moving from Barstow to Pendleton and El Toro after being hastily reconditioned and tested. Not all the arms were of World War II vintage, however, and the Marines of the Brigade were among the first American troops to be issued the new 3.5″ rocket launcher.