3rd Battalion 1st Marines
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| 3rd Battalion 1st Marines | |
|---|---|
 3rd Battalion 1st Marines Insignia |
|
| Active | March 1, 1941 - October 1941 February 16, 1942 - March 20, 1947 August 4, 1950 - present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | USMC |
| Type | Light infantry |
| Role | Locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver |
| Part of | 1st Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton |
| Nickname | "Thundering Third" |
| Motto | The Bull's Balls Balls of the Corps |
| Engagements | World War II *Battle of Guadalcanal *Battle of Peleliu *Battle of Okinawa Korean War *Battle of Inchon *Battle of Chosin Reservoir Vietnam War *Operation Union *Operation Union II Operation Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom *2003 Invasion of Iraq *Battle of Nasiriyah *Operation Phantom Fury |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
LtCol Watson |
3rd Battalion 1st Marines (3/1) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Horno, at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Nicknamed the "Thundering Third", the battalion consists of approximately 750 Marines and Sailors. They fall under the command of 1st Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division.
Contents |
[edit] Subordinate Units
- Headquarters and Services Company
- Company I
- Company K
- Company L
- Weapons Company
[edit] History
[edit] Beginnings
3rd Battalion, 1st Marines was activated on March 1, 1941 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and assigned to the 1st Marine Division. In April of that year, they were relocated to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina; the unit was subsequently deactivated in October of that year.
[edit] World War II
On February 16, 1942, 3/1 was re-activated at New River, North Carolina. In July 1942, they deployed to Wellington, New Zealand and participated in the following World War II campaigns: Guadalcanal, Eastern New Guinea, New Britain, Peleliu and Okinawa. Beginning in April 1946, they participated in the occupation of North China. The battalion was again deactivated on March 20, 1947 as part of the post war drawdown of forces.[1]
[edit] Korean War
The start of the Korean War saw the reactivation of 3/1 on August 4, 1950 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and their quick deployment to Korea in September. The battalion's first action was at the Battle of Inchon in September 1950. Following the recapture of Seoul, 3/1, along with the rest of the 1st Marine Division, was put back on ship and sailed around to the east coast of Korea. They eventually landed at Wonsan in late October and from there participated in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. During the battle they were the only battalion from the Chesty Puller's 1st Marine Regiment to make it as far north as Hagaru-ri.[2] After the withdrawal from Chosin, the battalion took part in fighting on the East Central Front and Western Front for the remainder of the war. After the ceasefire, from July 1953 to April 1955, they participated in the defense of the Korean Demilitarized Zone. In April 1955, the battalion re-located to MCB Camp Pendleton, California.
From October to December 1962, 3/1 was part of the amphibious task force sent to the Caribbean in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
[edit] Vietnam War
From January 1966 to May 1971, the battalion fought in the Vietnam War, operating from Chu Lai, Da Nang, Thang Binh, Thanh Thu y, Ca Lu Combat Base and Hoa Vang. In May 1971, they re-located to MCB Camp Pendleton, California.
[edit] Persian Gulf War & the 1990s
The battalion deployed to Saudi Arabia in December 1990 in support of Operation Desert Shield and in March 1991, they transitioned to combat operations during Operation Desert Storm. May 1992 brought a short drive up Interstate 5 to Los Angeles to aid local police in Riot Control Operations during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots
February and March of 1995 saw a deployment to Somalia to support Operation United Shield, helping the remaining UN troops evacuate. The next major deployment was in October 2000 to support Operation Determined Response.[3]
[edit] Global War on Terror
3rd Battalion, 1st Marines deployed to Kuwait in January 2003 and in March of the year took part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, including the Battle of Nasiriyah. The battalion re-deployed to Camp Pendleton in the summer of 2003.
The unit then re-deployed to Iraq in mid-2004 and was based near Fallujah. As an effort of the November 2004 on the city of Fallujah, the battalion participated in Operation AL FAJR (pronounced Al Fad-jer). Before the assault commenced, the operation was known as Operation Phantom Fury. 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines was part of the composition of RCT 1. RCT 1 was responsible for clearing the infamous Jolan District among others. Alongside RCT 7, four Marine battalions (including 1/3, 1/8, and 3/5) and two army units reclaimed the city of Fallujah from unrest.
The battalion re-deployed back to Iraq in September 2005 and were attached to 2nd Marine Regiment (known as Regimental Combat Team 2), and on 20 February 2006 were attached to the 7th Marine Regiment (known as Regimental Combat Team 7) in western Iraq, carrying out security and stabilization operations. The Battalion returned to Camp Pendleton at the end of March.[4]
On April 10, 2007, 3/1 deployed as the ground combat element of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. They were ordered into Iraq as part of Operation Phanton Thunder. Operating north of Fallujah and Karmah in the Thar Thar region in AO Anahiem, MARSOB units attached to the MEU were operating for several days before the ground combat element began operating on June 15, 2007. They were to establish a coalition presence in an area that had only had 14 days of coalition presence since the invasion in March 2003. 3/1 finished operations in Iraq after 90 days of operating on September 20, 2007 and soon after re-embarked on the naval strike group and set sail for the United States and returned to Camp Pendleton on November 17, 2007.
3/1 is set to leave for Okinawa in early to mid July 2008 as part of the ground combat element of the 31st MEU.
[edit] Haditha killings
As of December 2006, Marines from Kilo Company (K/3/1) were under investigation for their actions on November 19, 2005 after Time magazine published an article accusing them of killing 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians, including 11 women and children.[5] Residents of Haditha in western Iraq claim that the Marines killed 15 civilians in response to the death of Lance Cpl. Terrazas by an improvised explosive device. The incident is currently under investigation.[6][7] According to a May 29, 2006 report by The Times, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey R. Chessani was the commanding officer and was removed along with Captain Luke McConnell.[8]
[edit] Medal of Honor recipients from 3/1
Marines from the 3/1 have been awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during World War II and the Korean War.
[edit] World War II
- Private First Class William Adelbert Foster – Company K - 1945
- Sergeant Elbert Luther Kinser – Company I - 1945
[edit] Korean War
- Private First Class William Bernard Baugh – Weapons Company - 1950
- Major Reginald Rodney Myers, – H&S Company - 1950
- Captain Carl Leonard Sitter – Company G - 1950
- Technical Sergeant Harold Edward Wilson – Company G - 1951
[edit] Unit awards
[edit] See also
- List of United States Marine Corps battalions
- Close Combat: First to Fight
- Operation Phantom Fury
- Bradley Kasal
[edit] Notes
- ^ Rottman U.S. Marine Corps WWII Order of Battle, p.166.
- ^ Russ Breakout. p.185.
- ^ Operation Determined Response. GlobalSecurity.org.
- ^ Schnell, Cpl. Adam C. "Camp Pendleton-based Marines leave no place for insurgents to hide in western Al Anbar", MarineLink, March 6, 200[[6.
- ^ McGirk, Tim. "Collateral Damage or Civilian Massacre in Haditha?", Time , May 29, 2006. (URL accessed May 29, 2006)
- ^ "US Marines massacred 15 Iraqi civilians: report", The Hindu, March 20, 2006.
- ^ Reuters, March 21, 2006.
- ^ Hamdani, Ali and Ned Parker. "Marines and the 'massacre': a neighbour tells of the aftermath", The Times, May 29, 2006. (URL accessed May 29, 2006)
[edit] References
This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.
- Bibliography
- Russ, Martin (1999). Breakout” – The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea, 1950.. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14029-259-4.
- Rottman, Gordon (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle - Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939 - 1945. Greenwood Publishing Company. ISBN 0-31331-906-5.
- Web
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