Sixth Marines

	Spoiler Warning
	Plot details follow, read at your own risk.

Phelps' platoon of the Fighting Sixth at Okinawa

The Sixth Marines or the 6th Marines, also known as the Fighting Sixth, is a regiment of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) in which—among others—Cole Phelps, Jack Kelso, Ira Hogeboom, Felix Alvarro and Courtney Sheldon served. The Sixth Marines are mentioned throughout L.A. Noire, as they make heavy appearances in flashbacks.

Background

The Regiment was present at Okinawa during the Okinawa campaign of the Pacific War, and fought many battles such as the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill. According to Courtney Sheldon, they killed over 100,000 Japanese soldiers in just 3 months time.

As the main protagonist of the game, Cole Phelps, served in the Sixth Marines, the regiment's battles are seen through flashbacks, as well as mentioned by Cole Phelps, Felix Alvarro, Ira Hogeboom and Jack Kelso-among others.

Los Angeles

The regiment is of interest to the Los Angeles Police Department in 1947, as the regiment shipped home on the SS Coolridge a great deal of U.S. Army surplus was stolen in what the LAPD calls the "Coolridge Heist".

Known Members

• Cole Phelps - First Lieutenant
• Hank Merrill - Second Lieutenant
• Jack Kelso - First Sergeant
• Ira Hogeboom - Private, Weapons Platoon
• Felix Alvarro - Private or Corporal
• Eddie McGoldrick - Platoon Sergeant
• Patrick Connolly - Private or Corporal
• Chris Majewski - Private or Corporal
• Michael Driscoll - Private or Corporal
• John Higgins - Private or Corporal
• Courtney Sheldon - US Navy Corpsman (Medic)
• Walter Beckett - Private

Weapons

• Browning Automatic Rifle
• M1 Garand
• Thompson M1
• Flame Thrower

Trivia

• Henry Arnett claimed to have been a captain in "The Fighting Sixth" during "The Naked City" Vice case. Though this was a lie, Arnett was unaware that detective Cole Phelps had in fact been a 1st Lieutenant in the 6th Marine Regiment. This suggests that "The Fighting Sixth" were a rather well known regiment at the time.
• Jack was probably a First Sergeant in the USMC on Okinawa. During the "A Different Kind of War" cutscene Jack is called "Sarge" and "Top". In the Marine Corps, Company First Sergeants may be referred to by the nickname of "Top".
• The Sixth Marines, or 6th Marine Regiment is often mistaken for the 6th Marine Division among fans of L.A. Noire. The confusion may be caused because the 6th Marine Regiment (2nd Marine Division) and 6th Marine Division fought in the Battle for Okinawa.
• L.A. Noire portrays the 6th Marine Regiment as having fought at Sugar Loaf Hill during the Battle of Okinawa, while in reality, units of the 6th Marine Division fought for the hill and suffered enormous casualties doing so, while the entire 2nd Marine Division (which includes the 6th Marine Regiment) stayed afloat offshore as amphibious reserve for the duration of the entire Okinawa campaign.
• Marines and former Marines in the game are sometimes referred to as "soldiers," with many references made to the US Army (such as the M1911 pistol being called an "Army .45").  Due in part to the USMC's legendary esprit-de-corps and partly to inter-service rivalry, real-life Marines would consider this the worst of all possible insults, and never EVER call themselves or each other "soldiers." (In one cutscene the Marines refer to withdrawing soldiers as "doggies," a common USMC pejorative for "dogfaces" or Army personnel). 

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