Which war was the USMC first to go to? I can't think of one...?

comes from the same place where people think that marines are as well trained as special forces, or that marines were the ones who took normandy (had a marine try to tell me that once), or that they're the best trained. so in other words its from marines being marines: which is having a need to boast, and when they dont have anything to boast about, they make something up, and from having people who dont know better than to call BS.

I was in the Marine Corp for 6 years and Im sure they told me the many places the Corps was first and best. Problem is I never really bought all that bullshit. And now when I read your question, barbary pirates popped up, but I dont think there is any real truth to it. Just propoganda that helps motivate young marines I would guess.

President Thomas Jefferson sent the Marines to the coast of N. Africa where a band of pirates took a US ship. The Marines/Navy actually sunk the US ship rather than let it be used by the Pirates. Thus the Marine Hymn starts (From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli) Tripoli was the city were they went. The Montezuma part just refers to a later war (Mexican War).

Viet Nam.

The 9th MEB was the first combat unit there. They were assigned to guard the airbase in Da Nang Feb 1965. The Armies 173rd AB Brigade (Separate) was the 2nd.

As ALL units on Oahu were involved in the Pearl Harbor attack there were Marines shooting back before the aircraft reached Schofield. Not exactly a deployment for any of them.

Wake Island was also attacked that day. See the link.

The rest were during the Banana Wars period.

SSG US Army 73-82

They were "Officially" the deployed into Vietnam. What they were doing, was protecting Airfields. However, hundreds of U.S. Army "advisors" had been placed in Vietnam long before this, not to mention the United States Special Forces (a term EXCLUSIVE to the Army's "Green Berets"). If you want ammo for a branch rivalry discussion shoot me an e-mail ;). Also, many forget that the Army fought in the Pacific in the Philippines, and decisively defeated the Japanese wherever they were placed. Alexander M. makes a great point.