3rd Battalion 3rd Marines

3rd Battalion 3rd Marines, abbreviated as (3/3), is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps, based out of Kāne'ohe, Hawai'i. 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines consists of approximately 800 U.S. Marines and United States Navy sailors.[nb 1] Like most battalions of the U.S. Marine Corps, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines is made up of three rifle companies (India, Kilo, and Lima), a Headquarters and Services (H&S) company, and a weapons company. Known as "America's Battalion", the unit falls under the command of the 3rd Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division.[1] The battalion was originally formed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in 1942 and saw action on both Bougainville and Guam during World War II, where it won the first of its Presidential Unit Citations for "gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions"; and the first of its Navy Unit Commendations for "outstanding service". Marines in the battalion were awarded one Medal of Honor and seven Navy Crosses during the war. Following World War II, 3rd Battalion was disbanded until 1951, when it was reformed in California. The battalion was alerted for possible deployment during the 1956 Suez War and the 1958 intervention in Lebanon. In 1965, the Marines of 3rd Battalion were deployed to Vietnam and participated in Operation Starlite, the first major Marine engagement of that conflict. The battalion continued to see major action through the Vietnam War and was rotated back to the United States in 1969. Alumni from its time in Vietnam include Corporal Robert O'Malley the first Marine in Vietnam to be awarded the Medal of Honor, Oliver North, and John Ripley. Around the end of the Vietnam War, 3rd Battalion was deactivated for a second time in 1974.

In 1975, 3rd Battalion was reformed for the third (and last) time at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. During this period, the battalion conducted numerous deployments in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In 1983, 3rd Battalion deployed off the coast of Lebanon for several weeks during a particularly tense period in the civil war. During the 1980s, the battalion was briefly commanded by Charles Krulak, the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps, who nicknamed 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines "America's Battalion" because it was similar to the nickname used by the Dallas Cowboys. 3rd Battalion deployed again in 1990 as part of Operation Desert Shield and saw action at the Battle of Khafji and again during the liberation of Kuwait. In the first two decades of the 21st century the battalion deployed six times overseas as part of the Global War on Terror: three times for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and three times for Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.[2] One Marine from the battalion, Dakota Meyer, was awarded the Medal of Honor during the Global War on Terror. {| class="toc" id="toc"

Contents
[hide] *1 Organization
 * 2 World War II (1942–1945)
 * 2.1 Formation and Deployment (1942–1943)
 * 2.2 Bougainville (1943)
 * 2.3 Guam (1944)
 * 2.4 Iwo Jima and Japan (1945)
 * 3 Early Cold War (1951–1965)
 * 4 Vietnam War (1965–1969)
 * 4.1 Deployment and Operation Starlite (1965)
 * 4.2 Search and Destroy Near Da Nang (1965–1966)
 * 4.3 The DMZ and Khe Sanh (1966–1967)
 * 4.4 Tet and Its Aftermath (1968)
 * 4.5 Taylor Common and Redeployment (1969)
 * 5 Late Cold War (1969–1974, 1975–1990)
 * 6 Gulf War (1990–1991)
 * 6.1 Defending Saudi Arabia (1990–1991)
 * 6.2 Desert Storm, Khafji, and Kuwait (1991)
 * 7 Post Cold-War (1991–2004)
 * 8 War in Afghanistan (2004–2005, 2010–2012)
 * 8.1 Regional Command East (2004–2005)
 * 8.2 Helmand Province (2010–2012)
 * 9 Iraq War (2006–2009)
 * 9.1 Al Anbar Province (2006–2008)
 * 9.2 Task Force Military Police (2009)
 * 10 Unit awards
 * 11 America's Battalion
 * 12 Notable 3rd Battalion Marines
 * 13 See also
 * 14 Notes
 * 14.1 Footnotes
 * 14.2 Citations
 * 14.3 Bibliography
 * 15 External links
 * }

[edit] Organization
The Command and Staff of 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines in 2010.Like many infantry battalions in the Marine Corps, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines consists of five companies: three Rifle Companies, a Headquarters and Service Company (H&S), and a Weapons Company. The rifle companies are designed to act as maneuver elements for the battalion. With attachments they can also be employed independently for short periods of time.[3] Each rifle company ideally consists of six officers and 176 enlisted personnel and is typically commanded by a Captain who is assisted by a First Sergeant.[3] The three rifle companies in 3rd Battalion have traditionally been I Company, K Company, and L Company.[4] Because the Marine Corps uses the NATO phonetic alphabet, these companies are commonly known as India, Kilo, and Lima.[nb 2] Prior to 1956, under the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet, they were known as Item, King, and Love. H&S Company provides combat service support and consists of the battalion staff, including the headquarters element, communications, medical, and service platoons.[5] While not a combat unit itself, H&S provides the battalion with command and control, surveillance, target acquisition, and service support, making the battalion able to function independently without the direct involvement of a higher headquarters (unlike the companies, which have no such capabilities).[5] Weapons Company provides fire support coordination, medium mortars, anti-armor weapons, and heavy machine gun support for the rifle companies. Generally, these elements of Weapons Company are directly employed by the battalion, but may also be attached to the rifle companies.[6] ==[edit] World War II (1942–1945)==

[edit] Formation and Deployment (1942–1943)
3rd Battalion 3rd Marines was activated on 1 June 1942 at New River, North Carolina as the 5th Training Battalion, Division Special Troops, 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force. On 16 June, they were redesignated as the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, Fleet Marine Force. From August to September 1942, 3rd Battalion deployed with the rest of the 3rd Marine Regiment to Tutuila, American Samoa and was reassigned to the 2nd Marine Brigade. In 1943, they were reassigned to the Fleet Marine Force. In May 1943, they redeployed to Auckland, New Zealand and in June, were reassigned to the 3rd Marine Division. From July to August 1943, they redeployed to the island of Guadalcanal to begin training in preparation for the invasion of Bougainville in November.[2]

[edit] Bougainville (1943)
3rd Battalion Marines from Kilo (then-King) Company on Bougainville in 1943.Main article: Bougainville campaignOn 1 November 1943, the 3rd Battalion landed at Cape Torokina with the rest of 3rd Marines, just east of the Koromokina River. While resistance was extremely light, the rough surf and dense jungle (which in many places extended all the way to the water) resulted in numerous landing craft being lost or damaged beyond repair.[7] For the next two weeks, the battalion helped construct a series of trails that linked the beachhead with the advancing units, and made supply much easier.[8] On 16 November the battalion reached the Numa Numa Trail and began probing for Japanese units[9] On 18 November after a sharp firefight near a Japanese roadblock the battalion recovered a Japanese map with valuable intelligence on Japanese defenses.[10] From 19–21 November 3rd Battalion continued probing for Japanese units, which had been identified as elements of the 23rd Infantry Regiment, and engaging in sporadic firefights.[11] In the lead-up to the Battle of Piva Forks, 3rd Battalion was able to seize critical high terrain that would give the Marines the advantage in the upcoming fight. The actual battle, from 22–26 November, saw some of the most vicious close combat experienced in the Pacific War as of that date.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Frank_13-0">[12] 3rd Battalion additionally suffered many casualties from unusually accurate Japanese mortar and artillery fire.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-14">[13] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-15">[14] Two days later, after 27 days of continuous action, 3rd Battalion was moved to a relatively quiet sector on the 3rd Division's flank where it remained for the remainder of the operation.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Rentz_8-1">[7]

In December, the 3rd Marine Division was relieved by the Army's Americal Division and 3rd Battalion left Bougainville for Guadalcanal on Christmas Day, 1943 with the rest of the division.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Frank_13-1">[12] They left behind 36 of their comrades, including Corporal John Logan Jr. and Captain Robert Turnbull (Lima Company), who were both awarded Navy Crosses during the Battle of Piva Forks. 165 other Marines from 3rd Battalion became casualties during the campaign.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Rentz_8-2">[7] After Bougainville, 3rd Battalion conducted numerous training exercises on Guadalcanal from January to May 1944 in preparation for the invasion of Kavieng in April (which was cancelled) and the Marianas in June.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Frank_13-2">[12] While 3rd Marines was designated as the floating reserve for the initial invasion of Saipan, they were ultimately not landed and returned to Eniwetok for a three week stay prior to the invasion of Guam. During the interlude, the Marines of 3rd Battalion were primarily confined to their transport ship, the USS Warren.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16">[15]

[edit] Guam (1944)
3rd Battalion Marines engaging Japanese positions at Adelup Point on Guam with a flamethrower on 21 July 1944.Main article: Battle of Guam (1944)On 21 July 1944, around 0830, 3rd Battalion hit the Asan beaches on Guam. Landing on the extreme left of the entire 3rd Marine Division, their mission was to take Chonito Cliff and Adelup Point, which marked the left flank of the division.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-OBrien_17-0">[16] Within minutes the Japanese defenders opened up with mortars and machine guns, hitting many 3rd Battalion Marines coming ashore. By 0912 battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel (LtCol) Ralph Houser reported many casualties caused by both mortars and sniper fire.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18">[17] Both Kilo and India Companies rushed the Chonito Cliffs but the Japanese defenders (Elements of the 2d Battalion, 18th Regiment and 320th Independent Infantry Battalion) resisted strongly, in some cases rolling grenades down the hillside.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19">[18] Supported by flamethrowers, half-tracks, and armor from the 3rd Tank Battalion, 3rd Battalion fought a bloody, three-hour battle up the side of Chonito Cliff. Houser then ordered Lima Company to flank the cliffs to the north by dashing down an exposed beach road.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20">[19] Having secured Chonito Cliff, the battalion then moved on to Adelup Point. The US Navy sent a destroyer to blast the Japanese caves at point-blank range and 3rd Battalion flamethrowers burned out Japanese soldiers who still remained.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Central_Pacific_Drive.27_Pages_463-456_21-0">[20] After securing Adelup Point, 3rd Battalion finished the day providing flank security for the rest of the 3rd Marines during the Battle for Bundschu Ridge and became the only unit in the regiment to accomplish its objectives by the end of W-Day.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3d_Marines_2-2">[2] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-OBrien_17-1">[16] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Central_Pacific_Drive.27_Pages_463-456_21-1">[20]

The first night of 21–22 July, the Marines of 3rd Battalion came under a concerted counterattack by the survivors of the Japanese 320th Independent Infantry Battalion, as well as the 319th, committed by Japanese commander General Kiyoshi Shigematsu to retake the Chonito Cliffs.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-22">[21] The Japanese managed to infiltrate past many 3rd Battalion units through ravines and dry river beds and briefly threatened to overrun the battalion command post. The fighting was so heavy that parts of the Division Reserve were committed and the destroyer USS McKee was unable to provide close fire support, as the Japanese and Marines were so closely intermingled.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Central_Pacific_Drive.27_Pages_484-485_23-0">[22] However the Marines held firm and managed to repulse the attack by 0830.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Central_Pacific_Drive.27_Pages_484-485_23-1">[22] During the counterattack, a mortarman with Kilo Company, Private First Class (PFC) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Skaggs,_Jr. Luther Skaggs, Jr. ], was critically wounded in the leg by a Japanese grenade. After applying a tourniquet, Skaggs continued to fight for another eight hours before moving unassisted to the rear where most of his leg was amputated. For this he became the first Marine from 3rd Battalion to be awarded the Medal of Honor.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-OBrien_17-2">[16] Over the next two days the 3rd Battalion fought a savage battle with the Japanese defenders for the Chonito Cliffs and Fonte Plateau area, as the battalion struggled to capture the Mt. Tenjo Road. On 23 July, 3rd Battalion seized the last ridge leading to the Fonte Plateau, provoking a heavy Japanese counterattack. LtCol Houser himself was seriously wounded in this engagement and the Executive Officer, Major Royal Bastian, took command.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-OBrien_17-3">[16] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-24">[23] Then 3rd Battalion, now reinforced with tanks, took part in the assault on the Fonte Plateau on 25 July, seizing the key position after just an hour of fighting.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-25">[24] The night of 25–26 July saw the climax of the fighting on Guam when the Japanese launched an all-out counterattack against the Americans. In the 3rd Battalion's sector, Japanese sailors of the 54th Keibitai launched a series of failed attacks against the now-well defended Marine positions. Backed up with artillery, the Marines easily repulsed the Japanese.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-26">[25] Marines from 3rd Battalion securing the town of Agana on Guam on 31 July 1944.On the morning of 31 July, 3rd Battalion proceeded east on the Mt. Tenjo road towards the island capital of Agana, which it liberated the same day after token resistance. By 1045, 15 minutes after its platoons entered the city, 3rd Battalion had reached the central plaza and stopped at the northern outskirts by noon. Resuming the offensive at 1545, 3rd Battalion pushed forward 1,500 yards to seize key road junctions that led to the towns of Finegayan and Barrigada.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27">[26] For the remaining ten days of the campaign, the battalion marched northeast up the coast, encountering occasional Japanese resistance, until the island was declared secure on 10 August. However, the Japanese were not totally defeated. On 7 August, as 3rd Battalion led the regimental advance towards Road Junction 460, Japanese artillery shells began landing among the advancing Marines. After Marines discovered the source of fire, a 75mm artillery piece, the Japanese fled.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28">[27] The final action by 3rd Battalion during the campaign was on 9 August when a nearby battalion came under heavy Japanese tank and infantry attack. Blazing a trail through the jungle, 3rd Battalion rushed towards the action but the Japanese tanks vanished before the battalion could arrive.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-29">[28] Casualties for the 3rd Battalion were twice that of Bougainville, with 300 wounded and 97 killed.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Lodge_30-0">[29]

[edit] Iwo Jima and Japan (1945)
Following the invasion of Guam, 3rd Battalion spent two months conducting 'mopping up' operations on the island until November, when it received orders to prepare for operations against Iwo Jima. From November until February 1945, they took part in a training regimen so serious that a fellow battalion later reported at least 20% of its members were incapacitated due to foot and heat injuries.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Frank_13-3">[12] During the Battle of Iwo Jima, 3rd Battalion, as part of 3rd Marines, was kept offshore as the Expeditionary Troops reserve. However, despite numerous requests from other Marine officers, the 3rd Marines were never landed. After sitting off Iwo Jima in their transport ships for a month, the 3rd Marines were ordered to return to Guam on 5 March 1945.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-31">[30]

Back on Guam, 3rd Battalion began training for a landing on Miyako Jima, an island just south of Okinawa.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Frank_13-4">[12] Those orders were eventually cancelled, but the battalion still saw minor combat in 1945, participating in two operations on Guam designed to capture Japanese soldiers still holding out in the hills. These sweeps took place in April and December 1945.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Frank_13-5">[12] 3rd Battalion also began preparing for Operation Olympic, where as part of V Amphibious Corps, it would have landed at Kushikino, Kagoshima on Kyūshū. After the dropping of the atomic bombs in August 1945, and Japan's surrender, 3rd Battalion was detached from the 3rd Marine Division in November 1945 and deactivated the following month on 12 December 1945.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3d_Marines_2-3">[2] Shortly before it was deactivated, however, 3rd Battalion suffered the dubious honor of having the last American killed in World War II, when PFC W.C. Patrick Bates of Kilo Company was shot by a Japanese sniper on 14 December during a mopping up operation on Guam (three months after the formal end of hostilities).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-32">[31]

[edit] Early Cold War (1951–1965)
3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines arriving in Hawaii, 1953.3rd Battalion 3rd Marines was reactivated at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in August 1951 as part of the 3rd Marine Brigade.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ItemCo_33-0">[32] In February 1952, it took part in Lex-Baker-1, which was the first full-scale Marine-Navy exercise held on the West Coast since 1949. In May, India Company participated in the ground portion of the Operation Buster-Jangle atomic bomb tests in Nevada. In August, part of the battalion took part in an amphibious landing on Lake Washington as part of Seattle's "Seafair." Then in December, 3rd Battalion took part in one of the first exercises at Twentynine Palms, California. The entire 3rd Marine Division, including 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines, was transported more than 280 miles (451 km) by truck between MCB Camp Pendleton and Twenty-nine Palms. During the exercise, Third Battalion made a night airlift using over 60 helicopters.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ItemCo_33-1">[32]

In January 1953, the unit deployed to the Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay on Oahu for six months of training, after which 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines returned to Pendleton. In August 1953, 3rd Battalion deployed to Japan for training operations at Kin Beach, Okinawa and Iwo Jima.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ItemCo_33-2">[32] In October 1956, 3rd Battalion was stationed in Japan when the Suez Crisis broke out.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Frank_13-6">[12] Though initially deployed to the Indian Ocean for possible action in Egypt and the surrounding region, the crisis was ultimately resolved. During this cruise, 3rd Battalion—designated Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 3/3 – visited Brunei Bay, Bombay, Karachi, and Singapore, before returning to Japan.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Frank_13-7">[12] In December 1956, the entire 3rd Marine Regiment was deployed off of Indonesia because of civil strife in that country. In 1958, 3rd Battalion was alerted for possible deployment to Lebanon, but its transports were turned back in the Indian Ocean to Okinawa.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Frank_13-8">[12] Four years later, in 1962, the battalion deployed on the USS Bayfield to the Chinese coast to guard the Taiwanese islands of Quemoy Matsu.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3d_Marines_2-4">[2]

[edit] Vietnam War (1965–1969)
The official emblem for 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines in Vietnam.===[edit] Deployment and Operation Starlite (1965)=== Tank A-32 (attached to 3rd Battalion) during Operation Starlite.Main article: Operation StarliteIn January 1965, the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California deployed for a tour on Okinawa, Japan,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3d_Marines_2-5">[2] where they were redesignated the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines. At the time the Marines of 3rd Battalion expected a typical 13-month deployment followed by a quick return to the States. However the battalion found itself caught up in the initial deployment of Marine units to Vietnam, and landed on 12 May along the coast south of Danang at an airfield called Chu Lai.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-34">[33] The battalion's first major operation in the Vietnam War was Operation Starlite where they teamed up with units of the 7th Marines. Operation Starlite was aimed at destroying the 1st Viet Cong (VC) Regiment, which was preparing to attack Chu Lai from the Van Tuong peninsula.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-35">[34] The fighting began on 18 August when the battalion conducted an amphibious landing just east of the VC positions.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-36">[35] At first the attack was slowed by effective VC delaying tactics. However, 3rd Battalion eventually advanced to the outskirts of the village of An Cuong 2. While attempting to clear the village, India Company came under intense fire from VC defending the village.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-37">[36] When one squad under Corporal Robert E. O'Malley was ambushed, O'Malley jumped into a VC trench and personally killed eight Viet Cong. Wounded three times, O'Malley refused to be evacuated until all his men were safe and was later awarded the Medal of Honor.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-38">[37] India Company then had to fight its way back to the rest of the battalion through other Viet Cong units still operating in the area. Around 1200, an H&S Company supply convoy bound for India Company was ambushed and a force sent to relieve them was also pinned down. The ordeal was covered by journalist Peter Arnett in his article "The Death of Supply Column 21".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-39">[38] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-40">[39] During the afternoon the situation was stabilized and the Viet Cong retreated that night, resulting in a tactical American victory. The United States had 52 Marines killed in Starlite. India Company lost 14 dead, including the company commander, and 53 wounded out of a force of 177 Marines.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-41">[40] Three Navy Crosses were awarded to Marines from the battalion for actions during Starlite, including the battalion commander LtCol Joseph Muir.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Starlite_42-0">[41]

[edit] Search and Destroy Near Da Nang (1965–1966)
Battalion Commander LtCol Joshua Dorsey III (left) during Operation Harvest Moon.Following Starlite 3rd Battalion continued to conduct regular sweeps and low-level (i.e. small unit) combat operations against the Viet Cong (usually the 1st VC Regiment) in the greater Da Nang area. In November they participated in an amphibious operation similar to Starlite called Blue Marlin (II), which was carried out near Hoi An. Contact was irregular as the VC attempted to avoid a drawn-out engagement and the battalion only had three Marines wounded.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-43">[42] Then in December the battalion moved to the Que Son Valley for Operation Harvest Moon, preventing the VC from capturing the town.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-44">[43] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-45">[44] Among the casualties suffered during this period was LtCol Muir, who was killed when he stepped on an IED.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-46">[45] In March 1966, 3rd Battalion participated in Operation Kings, officially a search and destroy mission in the An Hoa region, but really an attempt to create a long-term occupation in a historical Viet Cong stronghold.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-47">[46] However, any progress gained in Kings was immediately negated by the Buddhist Uprising just one week later in Da Nang.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-48">[47] In July, the battalion acted as a blocking force during Operation Macon but did not see significant action.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-49">[48] In August, 3rd Battalion left Vietnam for Okinawa.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-50">[49] The battalion would not be gone long though, and in early October was stationed offshore as BLT 3/3 near the northern portion of I Corps to combat a possible North Vietnamese invasion. The threat never materialized and BLT 3/3 returned to Vietnam later that month.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Frank_13-9">[12] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-51">[50]

[edit] The DMZ and Khe Sanh (1966–1967)
Northern Quảng Trị Province, where 3rd Battalion would operate from late 1966–1968In October 1966, 3rd Battalion was deployed to combat the threat from the North Vietnamese Army in Quang Tri province.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-52">[51] This would be a largely conventional fight, known as the "war against professionals", that would continue until late 1968.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-53">[52] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-54">[53] Supplies would be in constant short supply and Marines were constantly scavenging helmets, clothes, armor, and ammunition from their dead.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-55">[54] In December, the battalion suffered a tragic case of friendly fire when a pair of F-4 Phantoms dropped several bombs in the middle of Mike Company, killing seventeen Marines and wounding a dozen others. Navy Corpsman Donald Rion was awarded a posthumous Silver Star for his efforts to treat the wounded, despite suffering a mortal wound himself.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-56">[55] From February – April, the battalion took part in Operations Prairie II-IV, which were a series of sweeps throughout Quang Tri province.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-57">[56] On 2 March 1967, Lima Company, then under the command of Captain John Ripley, stumbled into a North Vietnamese regiment trying to cross the DMZ. 12 Marines were killed, 28 severely wounded, and nearly every other man in the fight, including Ripley, was hit.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-58">[57] The North Vietnamese suffered heavy casualties and retreated across the border.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-59">[58]

In April, 3rd Battalion participated in a series of bloody engagements near Khe Sanh known as the Hill fights.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NSA_Hill_881_60-0">[59] Activity near Khe Sanh had increased dramatically that spring and on 24 April, Bravo Company 1st Battalion 9th Marines was engaged by elements of the 18th North Vietnamese Army regiment dug in on Hills 881 North, 881 South, and 861. 3rd Battalion, then a hybrid unit with companies from multiple battalions, was sent to assist.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NSA_Hill_881_60-1">[59] 3rd Battalion's commander, LtCol Gary Wilder, believed he was only facing a small North Vietnamese unit and counterattacked.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Schley_61-0">[60] Throughout the 25th, 3rd Battalion launched a series of piecemeal attacks on the hills, only to be repulsed with heavy losses. The 3rd Marine Division committed its reserve to the fighting and took Hill 861 on 26 April.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-62">[61] On the night of 29 April, the North Vietnamese replaced the battered 18th Regiment with the fresh 95th Regiment.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Schley_61-1">[60] The following day the Marines dropped 250 bombs and more than 1300 artillery rounds on Hill 881.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NSA_Hill_881_60-2">[59] Mike Company was allowed by the North Vietnamese to advance partially up the hill before opening fire. By the end of the battle, 46 Marines from the battalion were killed, half of them from Mike Company.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Schley_61-2">[60]

Throughout the late spring and early summer of 1967 the battalion helped keep open Route 9, the supply route between Ca Lu and Khe Sanh.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-63">[62] After a firefight between a North Vietnamese battalion and Mike Company in late July, the road was closed until 1968.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-64">[63] The battalion was also stricken by malaria during this time; 206 3rd Battalion Marines contracted it.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-65">[64] In the fall the battalion was put to work building and defending the McNamara Line, a series of fixed fortifications along the DMZ in an area known as Leatherneck Square (The four corners were Cam Lộ, Con Thien, Gio Linh and Dong Ha).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-66">[65] The North Vietnamese repeatedly attacked the positions and twice 3rd Battalion had to come rescue elements of 2nd Battalion 4th Marines that were in danger of being overrun.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-67">[66] 3rd Battalion would occupy several of those positions through May 1968.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-68">[67] From 29 December to 12 January elements of the battalion participated in the construction and defense of strongpoint Alpha 3.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-69">[68]

[edit] Tet and Its Aftermath (1968)
3rd Battalion conducts a Medevac while operating along the DMZ, 1968.The first major combat for 3rd Battalion in 1968 came on 7 February, about a week after the Tet Offensive began, when Kilo Company engaged a battalion of North Vietnamese near Gio Linh. 29 Kilo Marines were killed, including PFC Robert Quick who was awarded a posthumous Navy Cross for deflecting a North Vietnamese hand grenade. Another 31 were wounded. North Vietnamese losses numbered at least 139, with another 60 graves discovered by 3rd Battalion Marines three days later.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-70">[69] That same month a platoon from Mike Company observed and damaged two North Vietnamese PT-76 tanks near Alpha 3, one of only three times they were encountered during the Vietnam War before 1972.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-71">[70] On 6 March, Mike Company blundered into the 27th Regiment of the 325th North Vietnamese Division and had one-third of the company put out of action in an all-night engagement, including 14 Marines killed.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-72">[71]

In early May the North Vietnamese launched a new offensive known as the May Offensive or ‘mini-Tet’. During that time, on 8 May, 3rd Battalion overran a North Vietnamese regimental command post in Leatherneck Square, suffering 102 casualties including 8 killed.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-73">[72] On 22 May, Lima Company uncovered a North Vietnamese staging area near Alpha 3 and destroyed it in an action that involved elements of three other Marine battalions.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-74">[73] Then on 26 May the battalion was moved east to Dai Do as part of Operation Napoleon-Saline, in response to North Vietnamese pressure on the supply lines to the 3rd Marine Division headquarters at Dong Ha.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-75">[74] By the end of the month, 3rd Battalion had lost 53 Marines and had another 319 severely wounded, a casualty ratio of about one out of every two infantrymen in the field.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-76">[75]

In June the battalion was placed in reserve as a ready-reinforcement unit and consequently saw little combat.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-77">[76] From July to September, 3rd Battalion operated all throughout the I Corps area of operations, moving its command post to ten different locations. Hundreds of Marines were also affected by cellulitis.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-78">[77] Following President Johnson’s halt of the US bombing campaign on 1 November, 3rd Battalion Marines had to watch as the North Vietnamese brazenly pushed large convoys of men and munitions south along the Ben Hai River. In one instance it took three days for the battalion to get approval for a single airstrike on a North Vietnamese convoy.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-79">[78]

[edit] Taylor Common and Redeployment (1969)
3rd Battalion 3rd Marines's command group at Vandegrift Combat Base, 1969.In early 1969, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines was sent south of the DMZ for several months to join Task Force Yankee in Operation Taylor Common near An Hoa. This three-month operation focused on destroying the primary base for North Vietnamese Army forces operating across several provinces and 3rd Battalion was awarded a Navy Unit Commendation for its actions during the operation. Ten Marines from 3rd Battalion were killed during the operation (out of 183 total US fatalities), and American forces captured numerous quantities of North Vietnamese armies and supplies. One Marine, Lance Corporal (LCPL) William R. Prom, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry during Taylor Common.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-80">[79] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-81">[80]

In July 1969, the battalion took part in Operations Virginia Ridge and Idaho Canyon, attempting to stop North Vietnamese infiltrators from the 27th NVA Regiment and 33rd Sapper Battalion from coming through the DMZ.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-82">[81] The operation continued until September, when the 3rd Marine Regiment was ordered to stop operations in preparation for its redeployment back to the United States.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-83">[82] The battalion began to depart on 7 October and had fully arrived at MCB Camp Pendleton by the end of 1969.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3d_Marines_2-6">[2] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-84">[83] Many 3rd Battalion Marines with time still left on their tours of duty were transferred to other units.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-85">[84] 3rd Battalion spent over 1,600 days in Vietnam and conducted 48 combat operations, the most of any Marine battalion in the conflict.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-86">[85] 653 Marines who served in 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines lost their lives during the Vietnam War or were killed while operating with other units. Nearly 2,800 others were wounded.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-87">[86]

[edit] Late Cold War (1969–1974, 1975–1990)
The official emblem for 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines during the 1980s and 1990s.The battalion relocated during October and November 1969 to MCB Camp Pendleton and was reassigned to the 5th Marine Amphibious Brigade. They were again reassigned in April 1971 to the 1st Marine Division. The battalion was deactivated 1 June 1974.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3d_Marines_2-7">[2] 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines was reactivated on 1 October 1975 at MCB Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, and assigned to the 3rd Marine Division. Elements of the battalion deployed to the Western Pacific at various times during the 1970s and 1980s. In February 1980, following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the battalion was deployed to the Persian Gulf on board the USS Okinawa and was also the back-up force during Operation Eagle Claw. This deployment made 3rd Battalion the first American ground unit to enter the region since World War II.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-88">[87]

In the summer of 1983, the battalion was in Mombasa, Kenya as part of the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-89">[nb 3] when the Joint Chiefs of Staff ordered it to the Mediterranean Sea to become part of the Multinational Force in Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War. It arrived on 12 September and spent three weeks off the coast as a reserve force for the 24th MAU on the USS Tarawa (LHA-1), before departing on 9 October for the Indian Ocean because of a crisis near the Strait of Hormuz.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-90">[88]

[edit] Gulf War (1990–1991)
Members of India Company during the Desert Shield/Desert Storm deployment===[edit] Defending Saudi Arabia (1990–1991)=== Main article: Gulf War#Operation Desert ShieldOn 2 August 1990, 3rd Battalion was completing a deployment at Camp Hansen on Okinawa when they were notified to be prepared to immediately redeploy to Saudi Arabia as a response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-91">[89] No sooner had the battalion returned to Hawaii then it was shipped out again to Saudi Arabia as part of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-92">[90] India Company deployed first on 15 August to Singapore to provide onboard security for Maritime Prepositioning ships bound for the port of Al Jubayl.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-93">[91] On 1 September, the rest of the battalion arrived in Dahran.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-94">[92] As one of the first Marine units in country, 3rd Battalion found itself defending a key position at Cement Ridge, about 90 kilometers away from the Kuwaiti border. With orders to hold against any Iraqi attack, 3rd Battalion spent most of the months of August and September digging defensive positions.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-95">[93] In October, 3rd Battalion and 2nd Battalion 3rd Marines were designated "Task Force Taro" and moved to the extreme right flank of the Marine sector, bordering the King Abdul Aziz Brigade of the Saudi Arabian National Guard. Because of their close proximity, Taro was ordered to begin cross-training with the Saudi forces. This cross-training continued through January, when 3rd Battalion was moved forward to defend Al Mish'ab along the Saudi coast and became the northernmost Marine combat force in Saudi Arabia.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ReferenceA_96-0">[94] Tragically during this time the battalion lost two Marines, James Cunningham and Anthony Stewart, who were accidentally killed by negligent discharges.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ReferenceA_96-1">[94] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-97">[95]

[edit] Desert Storm, Khafji, and Kuwait (1991)
Marines of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines searching Khafji for Iraqi stragglers following the battle in the painting "Cleaning up Khafji".Main articles: Battle of Khafji and Liberation of Kuwait campaignOperation Desert Storm began on 17 January 1991, but for the first two weeks 3rd Battalion only conducted sporadic engagements with its Iraqi counterparts across the border.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-CommChron_98-0">[96] That all changed on 29 January, when several Iraqi divisions unexpectedly crossed the border and seized the Saudi town of Khafji, less than 15 kilometers north of 3rd Battalion's position. During the attack the Executive Officer along with the Battalion Sergeant Major drove into the town on a rescue mission looking for two Army soldiers who had been captured. Although they were unable to find them, the Marines from 3rd Battalion did encounter an Iraqi patrol and exchanged rounds with them before escaping.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-99">[97] While Saudi and Qatari units ultimately retook the town, 3rd Battalion played a vital role in both coordinating the attack and blocking further Iraqi advances southward. In addition, several heavy machine guns and forward air controllers from the battalion were shifted over to the Saudis and took place in the assault.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-CommChron_98-1">[96] From 19–21 February, 3rd Battalion moved from Al Mish'ab to the forward assembly areas that it would be using to launch its attack into Kuwait. It was also during this period that 3rd Battalion was given its assignment for the ground offensive. Lacking heavy armor or motorized transport, the battalion (along with 2/3) would infiltrate Iraqi positions along the Saudi border and provide flank security for the rest of the 1st Marine Division to make its assault into Kuwait.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Admire_100-0">[98] On the night of 22 February, 3rd Battalion crossed the border into Kuwait, infiltrating past Iraqi minefields, tank traps, and other obstacles. Like many American units, 3rd Battalion encountered no Iraqi resistance and the biggest threat to the Marines came from friendly fire.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-101">[99] Throughout the ground war, the battalion advanced steadily northwards, encountering no resistance but taking plenty of prisoners. 3rd Battalion arrived outside the Kuwait International Airport around 27 February where a SCUD missile landed near the battalion's command post.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ReferenceA_96-2">[94] Several months later, 3rd Battalion returned to Hawaii, having suffered no combat casualties.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-102">[100] ==[edit] Post Cold-War (1991–2004)== Marines from Weapons Company practice engaging an enemy force while at Camp Fuji, Japan in 1996.Between its participation in Desert Storm and the Afghan War, 3rd Battalion conducted multiple deployments around the Pacific Rim. In August 1991 the battalion participated in Operation Tafakula in Tonga, an international exercise involving elements of the French military and the Tongan defense services.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-103">[101] In 1992 it conducted a Unit Deployment Program (UDP) to Okinawa. In 1993 India Company participated in Operation Golden Eagle in Australia. In 1994 the battalion conducted another UDP to both Camp Hansen on Okinawa and to Camp Fuji in Japan. On 8 June India Company participated in the 50th Anniversary of the Invasion of Saipan.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-104">[102] In October 1994 3rd Battalion was reassigned to the 3rd Marine Division.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3d_Marines_2-8">[2] In 1995 the battalion went to Fort Wainwright, Alaska for Operation Northern Edge, then spent the latter part of the year training at Camp Fuji and Okinawa. In 1997 it conducted another UDP to Okinawa and Pohang, Korea. During that time Weapons Company participated in Exercise Kennel Bear on Guam. Lima Company took part in Operation Valiant Mark with the 1st Guards Battalion of Singapore. In 1998 the battalion participated in Operation Southern Frontier in Australia, Kennel Bear in Okinawa, Forest Eagle/Freedom Banner in Korea, Forest Light on Kyushu, Japan, and Fuji '99. The official emblem for 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines during the Global War on Terror.From 1999–2002, 3rd Battalion conducted operations Crocodile '99 and Tandem Thrust '01 in Queensland and Townsend, Australia, Operation Tafakula in Tonga, and then conducted UDPs to Okinawa in 2000 and 2002. In 2002 the battalion participated in Operation Millenium Edge on Tinian and Guam, then Balikatan 02-2 in the Philippines, Borneo, Brunei, Korea, Australia, and Japan.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-105">[103] In 2003 3rd Battalion became BLT 3/3 on the 31st MEU for the second half of the year. Based on the USS Essex, USS Fort McHenry, and USS Harpers Ferry, BLT 3/3 participated in ARGEX-03 in the Philippines, provided security for President George W. Bush on Bali, Indonesia, and also visited Japan, Australia, East Timor, and Hong Kong.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-106">[104] In May and June 2004 Lima Company participated in Operation Cobra Gold II at Khorat, Thailand and other parts of the battalion participated in Operation Northern Edge JTF-510 in Alaska. In July the battalion took part in the annual exercise of RIMPAC in Hawaii. ==[edit] War in Afghanistan (2004–2005, 2010–2012)==

[edit] Regional Command East (2004–2005)
A Corpsman with Kilo Company in Afghanistan, 2005.Main article: War in Afghanistan (2001–present)In late 2004, 3rd Battalion was notified it would be participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-107">[105] On 31 October, the first Marines left Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii for an eight month deployment to eastern Afghanistan. While serving in Afghanistan, 3rd Battalion conducted Operation Spurs in February 2005, where they were inserted into the Korangal valley and conducted both counterinsurgency and humanitarian operations. In March, 3rd Battalion launched a similar sweep called Operation Mavericks. During their time in Afghanistan, the Marines from 3rd Battalion engaged the Taliban in 22 firefights.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MAW_11-06_108-0">[106] In one of them the battalion suffered its only fatalities for the deployment when LCPL Nicholas Kirven and Corporal Richard Schoener were killed during a three-hour firefight in Alishang which also resulted in twenty-three Taliban killed.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-109">[107] During the fighting, Lieutenant Stephen Boada was awarded the Silver Star for calmly directing bombing runs on Taliban positions, despite having been wounded several times. In May the battalion launched one final operation, Operation Celtics, in the Tora Bora region.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-110">[108] The operation was for the most part uneventful, although NBC news journalist Ron Allen was almost killed while traveling with Kilo Company when his Humvee ran over an IED.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-111">[109]

[edit] Helmand Province (2010–2012)
Marines with Lima Company patrolling through a poppy field in Afghanistan, 2010.Main article: Helmand province campaignIn mid-May 2010 3rd Battalion began deploying to the Nawa-I-Barakzayi District in Helmand Province, relieving the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-112">[110] Partnering with Afghan National Army soldiers from the 215th Corps, the battalion found itself in an area awash with money as the U.S. Agency for International Development was in the process of spending $30 million in an attempt to increase agricultural production (and create jobs for thousands of otherwise-potential Taliban recruits), but was also resulting in tensions between the local community council and tribal elders.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-113">[111] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-OpMako_114-0">[112] In-mid June, Lima Company took part in Operation New Dawn, establishing observation posts in southern Shorshork, an area in between Nawa and Marjeh.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-115">[113] In late July, the battalion suffered the loss of Corporal Joe Wrighstman, who drowned in the Helmand River while attempting to save the life of an Afghan National policeman.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-116">[114] Just days later they had to secure the crash site of Dealer 54, an HMLA-369 helicopter which was shot down near Lashkar Gah while flying a close air support mission for the battalion.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-117">[115] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-118">[116] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ANA_IEDs_119-0">[117] Around this time, India Company conducted Operation Thresher and later Operation Mako in areas of Nawa District under heavy Taliban influence, finding several cache sites and taking some detainees.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-OpMako_114-1">[112] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ANA_IEDs_119-1">[117] In September, while providing pre-election security for the Afghan parliamentary elections the battalion suffered another loss when 1st Lieutenant Scott Fleming was shot and killed.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-120">[118] Nevertheless, on election day Nawa District was the one location in Helmand Province with no reported Taliban attacks. Residents claimed that the Marines from 3rd Battalion had implemented good security measures and encouraged the people to cooperate with the government, preventing the Taliban from firing a single shot.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-121">[119] By the end of 3rd Battalion's deployment in the fall of 2010, Nawa was regarded by many as "a model of counterinsurgency operations and the most stable district" in southern Afghanistan.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-122">[120] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-123">[121] Marines from H&S Company patrolling a marketplace in Garmsir District in 2011.In October 2011, 3rd Battalion deployed again to Helmand Province, this time to the Garmsir District.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-124">[122] Located in southern Helmand, directly south of Nawa District, Garmsir was both a historically infiltration route for Taliban coming from Pakistan, and is considered to have a culture very similar to Pakistan's.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ABPGarmsir_125-0">[123] The deployment was marred by tragedy at the very beginning when the Chief of Police, LtCol Sayfullah Khan Rashidi, (who had previously served as Nawa District's Chief of Police during 3/3's deployment there) was killed along with two other Afghan National Police (ANP) by an IED on 6 November.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-126">[124] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-127">[125] Two days later, Hajji Abdullah Khan, an influential tribal elder with the Nurzai Tribe in the Sar Banadar area, was gunned down by a member of the Andar Tribe following a shura with 3rd Battalion Marines. Afghan Border Police (ABP) were able to arrest the murderer, who was then successfully prosecuted under Afghan law.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ABPGarmsir_125-1">[123] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Stanikzai_128-0">[126] A Taliban commander was also killed in Meyan Pashti around the same time.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Stanikzai_128-1">[126] In mid-December, a squad from Lima Company was able to rescue an entire Afghan family when their car plunged into the Helmand River.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-129">[127] Starting in January 2012, 3rd Battalion and elements of the 215th Corps of the Afghan National Army began a series of airborne assaults at sparsely-populated and historically Taliban-controlled areas in Garmsir.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Tageer_130-0">[128] On 4 January they launched Operation Tageer Shamal (Shifting Winds), aimed at clearing Taliban fighters from the western side of the Helmand River.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Tageer_130-1">[128] On 10 February they followed up with Shahem Tofan (Eagle Storm), a joint effort with the ABP aimed at interdicting smugglers moving through the desert in southeastern Garmsir.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-131">[129] On 17 April, over 2,200 Afghans went to the polls to elect the Garmsir District Community Council, which - due to increases in security - now represented the entire district instead of just the northern part.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-132">[130] Four days later, on 21 April, a suicide bomber killed four Afghan Police in Garmsir; while medevacing the police, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed, killing all four aboard.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-133">[131]

[edit] Al Anbar Province (2006–2008)
Main article: Iraq War in Anbar ProvinceKilo Company Marines patrolling the Haditha Triad in Iraq, 2006.In March 2006, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines conducted its first OIF deployment to Al Anbar province in western Iraq.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MCN_March2006_134-0">[132] They relieved the 3rd Battalion 1st Marines in the Haditha area and were based out of the Haditha Dam. This deployment was particularly sensitive, coming around the same time that news of the Haditha killings (where Marines had killed 24 civilians in the same area the previous November) broke in the United States.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-S.26S6-8-06_135-0">[133] Once it arrived in Iraq, 3rd Battalion was given the mission of "fighting insurgents, working with locals to improve local economy and quality of life, and training Iraqi soldiers."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MCNews8-2-06_136-0">[134] The Battalion was also partnered up with the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade of the 7th Iraqi Army Division.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MCNews8-2-06_136-1">[134] 3rd Battalion attempted to secure Haditha by using an approach of "constant presence". The battalion operated from a series of forward operating bases in the local cities of Haditha, Barwanah, Haqlaniyah, and Baghdadi from which the rifle and weapons companies sent out constant patrols to keep the insurgent groups off balance.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-EndOIF6_137-0">[135] However, the battalion was unable to create a working local police force, due to the overwhelming intimidation by insurgent groups.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-S.26S6-5-06_138-0">[136] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Net_Suspects_139-0">[137] Battalion Commander LtCol Norm Cooling observed, "We didn't have the manpower to control the [main roads] and hold Haditha. The Iraqi Army was as blind as we were. The insurgents killed anyone who spoke to us."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-West182_140-0">[138] One group of 15 police volunteers was murdered by insurgents in Baghdadi in May.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Net_Suspects_139-1">[137] Then in June a Marine mistook a local tribal leader driving near a convoy for a possible suicide bomber and killed him.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MCNews8-2-06_136-2">[134] Another groups of Marines in the same city had more success when they cornered a band of insurgents in the Haqlaniyah Hotel and blew it up.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MCNews6-6-06_141-0">[139] By June, attacks against Marines in Haqlaniyah had become common, with their base getting mortared about twice a week and some insurgents getting close enough to throw grenades over the wall into the base.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MCNews6-13-06_142-0">[140] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-marines2006_143-0">[141] On 3 June three insurgents opened fire on the Haqlaniyah base but were quickly killed after a group of Marines led by Gunnery Sergeant launched a hasty counterattack.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MCNews6-13-06_142-1">[140] In early September, 3rd Battalion launched a second effort to recruit police called Operation Guardian Tiger IV. This recruitment drive was more successful than its predecessors and also detained 30 suspected insurgents.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-marines2006_143-1">[141] On 6 October, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines returned to Kaneohe Bay.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-EndOIF6_137-1">[135] During their time in Haditha the Marines from 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines conducted more than 8,000 patrols, located 54 weapons caches and detained more than 800 suspected insurgents. The battalion had 11 Marines killed and 85 wounded.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-144">[142] Battalion Commander LtCol Nathan Nastase with members of the Karmah City council in Iraq, 2007. Many of these individuals would be killed in June 2008 when a suicide bomber attacked the council.The following year in August 2007, the battalion made its second Iraq deployment, this time to the Fallujah area where they served under the Regimental Combat Team 6 during the closing phases of Operation Alljah. Their mission was to complete the Clear Hold Build operation in the areas of Karmah and Zaidon which the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines and 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines had begun two months earlier.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-TottenLib1_145-0">[143] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-146">[144] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Garma_Marketplace_147-0">[145] Karmah had become an important insurgent stronghold due its proximity both Baghdad and Fallujah. Unlike other cities, Karmah had no definable perimeter to hold, making it easy for outsiders to access. In addition, as insurgents were pushed out of Baghdad by other offensives they found it easy to flee to Karmah.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-TottenLib1_145-1">[143] In early September, Kilo Company moved into a cluster of villages northeast of Karmah that was the last major insurgent staging ground in Anbar. The insurgents fled without firing a shot.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-148">[146] For the first few months the Marines took small-arms and mortar fire nightly.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-149">[147] However kinetic activity dropped to almost nothing after a 20-minute attack on 5 October against the Iraqi Police station in Karmah was repulsed by Jim Lanham, now a First Sergeant.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Marine.27s_Marine_150-0">[148] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-151">[149] By late 2007 the Marines frequently found themselves mediating between sheiks, assisting locals with reconstruction projects, and mentoring the Iraqi police units in the area. One Captain complained that, "On one end I’m fighting, and on the other end I’m disputing between tribal leaders. The other part (is) trying to stimulate the economy. So, it’s a three-block war here and it’s very, very dynamic."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-152">[150] The battalion spent more than $1 million on Karmah, including a city council and a medical clinic.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-153">[151] On 1 December, the battalion staged an elaborate reopening of "Victory Circle", or "The Lollipop", the marketplace in the center of Karmah which had earlier been the scene of fierce fighting between Marines and insurgents.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Garma_Marketplace_147-1">[145] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Marine.27s_Marine_150-1">[148] In February 2008 the battalion rotated back to the United States without suffering a single casualty.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-154">[152]

[edit] Task Force Military Police (2009)
3rd Battalion Humvees staged at Al Asad Airbase as part of Task Force MP.In April 2009 3/3 deployed for a third time to Iraq, this time to Al Asad Airbase in Al Anbar Province. On that deployment they made up Task Force Military Police (TFMP).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-155">[153] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Dogs_156-0">[154] Task Force Military Police was a support unit fulfilling security responsibilities in Anbar Province, including conducting convoy security missions and detainee releases, running regional detention facilities, and also managing the military working dogs in Anbar Province.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Dogs_156-1">[154] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-157">[155] In addition, since November 2008 it had been tasked with securing Combat Outpost Heider in Rabiah, Nineveh Province, as part of Operation Defeat Al Qaeda in the North (OPDAN).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-158">[156] 3rd Battalion was also augmented with Reserve Military Police Marines from MP Company, 4th Marine Division and Reserve Infantrymen from AT Battalion, Rochester NY. These Marines were formed into Alpha Company. In late July, Marines from H&S and Kilo Company operated as Task Force Personnel Recovery where they participated and were responsible for the eventual recovery of a pilot, Navy Captain Scott Speicher, who had been missing in action since the 1991 Gulf War.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-159">[157] President Barack Obama later said he was "grateful to the Marines who pursued the information that led to Captain Speicher's recovery so that he can now come home."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-160">[158] The deployment was mostly uneventful and 3/3 was ultimately relieved by 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines, which was the last Marine infantry battalion to deploy to Iraq.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-161">[159] En route back to the United States one of the companies was detained in Mumbai, India for two days.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-162">[160] The battalion lost one Marine, LCPL Ray Spencer, who died in a nonhostile incident.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-163">[161] ==[edit] Unit awards== Since the beginning of World War II, the United States military has honored various units for extraordinary heroism or outstanding non-combat service. This information is compiled by the United States Marine Corps History Division and is certified by the Commandant of the Marine Corps.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3d_Marines_2-9">[2]

[edit] America's Battalion
According to research by the Marine Corps' History and Museum Division, the name "America's Battalion" originated in the mid-1980s when LtCol Charles Krulak was the battalion's commanding officer. It comes from the nickname "America's Team", which was used by the Dallas Cowboys. Krulak, who was a big Cowboys fan, modified the nickname to apply to 3rd Battalion. According to Krulak, at one point a friend of his sent him a letter addressed to the "Commanding Officer, America's Battalion". With nothing else on the envelope, the United States Postal Service still managed to deliver the letter properly. Krulak commented that "if the U.S. Postal Service recognized 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines as 'America's Battalion,' then they certainly must be." So from then on, he considered it 'official'.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-169">[162] 3rd Battalion is one of two battalions to have the nickname "America's Battalion", the other being 2nd Battalion 8th Marines based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

[edit] Notable 3rd Battalion Marines
Colonel John Ripley commanded Lima Company during the Vietnam War.Main article: List of decorated Marines from 3rd Battalion 3rd MarinesAmong the many decorations for valor and bravery awarded to Marines from 3rd Battalion, five Medals of Honor and over twenty Navy Crosses have been awarded. In 1965, Corporal Robert O'Malley from India Company became the first Marine in the Vietnam War to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Two other Marines from 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines, Robert J. Modrzejewski (1958–1959) and Howard V. Lee (1959–1960), would later be awarded the Medal of Honor in Vietnam while serving with other units. Colonel John Ripley (hero of the bridge at Dong Ha) was in command of Lima Company in 1967, and the company was frequently referred to as "Ripley's Raiders".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-170">[163] One of his platoon commanders was former Major League Baseball player Chuck Goggin.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-171">[164] Oliver North served as a platoon commander in Kilo Company from 1968–1969<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-172">[165] and Frank Tejeda, a Congressman from Texas, was a Kilo NCO for the same period.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-173">[166] General Charles Krulak, the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps served as Battalion Commander from 1983–1985 and is credited with giving 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines the nickname "America's Battalion". In more recent years, War on Terror alumni include Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer, Terminal Lance creator Maximilian Uriarte, The Duffel Blog creator Paul Szoldra, and Castra Praetoria milblogger Michael Burke.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-174">[167] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-175">[168] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-176">[169] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-177">[170]

[edit] See also

 * List of United States Marine Corps battalions
 * Organization of the United States Marine Corps

[edit] Footnotes

 * 1) ^ The United States Marine Corps falls under the United States Department of the Navy. Traditionally, the United States Navy has, and still does to this day, supply the U.S. Marine Corps with both hospital corpsmen and chaplains. See also Marine Corps Operating Forces.
 * 2) ^ For the sake of clarity, their current names are the ones used throughout the article
 * 3) ^ When Marine battalions are deployed on-ship they are referred to as a Battalion Landing Team (BLT).
 * 4) ^ While the NUCs for the Iraq War have not been officially certified on 3/3's website, they have been listed in official Marine Corps Awards Documents: MARADMIN 0320/09 Announcement of approved Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) from May 2009 . Retrieved 2009-05-25. MARADMIN 055/12 Announcement of approved Navy Unit Commendation. Retrieved 2012-02-02. MARADMIN 056/12 Announcement of approved Navy Unit Commendation. Retrieved 2012-02-01. 057/12 Announcement of approved Navy Unit Commendation. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
 * 5) ^ While the MUC for the Afghan War has not been officially certified on 3/3's website, it has been listed in an official Marine Corps Awards Document (MARADMIN 074/07 Awards Update) from February 2007 . Retrieved 18 April 2007.
 * 6) ^ While the MUC for III MEF has not been officially certified on 3/3's website, it has been listed in an official Marine Corps Awards Document (MARADMIN 617/11 Awards Update) from October 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
 * 7) ^ While stars have not been officially awarded to 3/3 for these phases, these are the official campaigns as determined by the Marine Corps and Department of Defense. (MARADMIN 030/12 Awards Update)
 * 8) ^ While stars have not been officially awarded to 3/3 for these phases, these are the official campaigns as determined by the Marine Corps. (MARADMIN 424/11 Awards Update)

[edit] Citations

 * 1) ^ "Third Marine Regiment Home Page". United States Marine Corps. http://www.mcbh.usmc.mil/3mar/index.htm. Retrieved 20 March 2006.
 * 2) ^ a b c d e f g h i j 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines Lineage & Honors
 * 3) ^ a b Fleet Marine Force (1993). "1013g 17 December 1993 Rifle Company, Infantry Battalion, Infantry Regiment, Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force Table Of Organization". United States Marine Corps. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/usmc/to/ground/To1013g.htm. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
 * 4) ^ United States Marine Corps (2010). "Third Marine Regiment – 3d Battalion 3d Marines". United States Marine Corps. http://www.mcbh.usmc.mil/3mar/3dbn/3dbn%203dmar.htm. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
 * 5) ^ a b Fleet Marine Force (1993). "1037f 17 December 1993 Headquarters And Service Company, Infantry Battalion, Infantry Regiment, Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force Table Of Organization". United States Marine Corps. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/usmc/to/ground/To1037f.htm. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
 * 6) ^ Fleet Marine Force (1993). "1027g 17 December 1993 Weapons Company, Infantry Battalion, Infantry Regiment, Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force Table Of Organization". United States Marine Corps. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/usmc/to/ground/To1027g.htm. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
 * 7) ^ a b c Rentz, Major John M. (1946).  Bougainville and the Northern Solomons . Washington D.C.: Historical Branch, Headquarters, United States Marine Corps. p. 166. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-NSols/index.html.
 * 8) ^ Kane, Douglas T. (1963).  History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II Volume II: Isolation of Rabaul . Washington D.C.: Historical Branch, Headquarters, United States Marine Corps. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/II/index.html. . Page 250.
 * 9) ^ Bougainville and the Northern Solomons, Pages 61–62.
 * 10) ^ Bougainville and the Northern Solomons, Page 62.
 * 11) ^ Bougainville and the Northern Solomons, Page 63.
 * 12) ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Benis M. Frank (1968). "A Brief History of the 3rd Marines". Historical Branch, United States Marine Corps. http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/PDF_Files/Pubs/A%20Brief%20History%20of%20the%203D%20Marines%20PCN19000245700.pdf. Retrieved 24 January 2006.
 * 13) ^ Bougainville and the Northern Solomons, Page 67.
 * 14) ^ Volume II: Isolation of Rabaul, Pages 255–263.
 * 15) ^ "APA 53". The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. 1969, 1981. http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/amphib/apa53.txt. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
 * 16) ^ a b c d O'Brien, Cyril J. (1994).  Liberation: Marines in the Recapture of Guam . Washington D.C.: Marine Corps History and Museums Division, United States Marine Corps. p. 45. PCN 19000312600. http://www.nps.gov/archive/wapa/indepth/extContent/usmc/pcn-190-003126-00/index.htm.
 * 17) ^ Shaw, Jr., Henry I.; Nalty, Bernard C.; Turnbladh, Edwin T. (1966).  History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II. Volume III: Central Pacific Drive . Washington D.C.: Marine Corps History and Museums Division, United States Marine Corps. p. 685. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/III/index.html. . Page 462.
 * 18) ^ Central Pacific Drive Pages 445, 464, 483.
 * 19) ^ Central Pacific Drive Page 464.
 * 20) ^ a b Central Pacific Drive Pages 463–456.
 * 21) ^ Central Pacific Drive Pages 483–484.
 * 22) ^ a b Central Pacific Drive Pages 484–485.
 * 23) ^ Central Pacific Drive Page 490.
 * 24) ^ Central Pacific Drive Page 505.
 * 25) ^ Central Pacific Drive Page 509.
 * 26) ^ Central Pacific Drive Pages 536–537.
 * 27) ^ Central Pacific Drive Page 556.
 * 28) ^ Central Pacific Drive Pages 562–563.
 * 29) ^ Lodge, Major O.R. (1954).  The Recapture of Guam . Washington D.C.: Historical Branch, G-3 Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. p. 215. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-Guam/index.html.
 * 30) ^ Colonel Joseph H. Alexander. "The Drive North". Closing In: Marines in the Seizure of Iwo Jima. Marine Corps Historical Center, United States. http://www.nps.gov/archive/wapa/indepth/extContent/usmc/pcn-190-003131-00/sec5a.htm.
 * 31) ^ Nakaso, Dan (23 May 2008). "Gone, yes – but never forgotten". Honolulu Advertiser. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/honoluluadvertiser/access/1709952301.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=May+23%2C+2008&author=DAN+NAKASO&pub=Honolulu+Advertiser&edition=&startpage=B.1&desc=GONE%2C+YES+-+BUT+NEVER+FORGOTTEN. Retrieved 26 May 2008.
 * 32) ^ a b c Dave Tucker. "Memories". Item Co. 3rd Marines 1951–54. Archived from the original on 22 October 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5kjKRBsv4. Retrieved 20 January 2007.
 * 33) ^ Shulimson, Jack; Johnson, Major Charles M. (1978).  U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The Landing and the Buildup 1965 . Washington D.C.: U.S. Marine Corps. p. 261. PCN 19000307600. http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/books/1965/index.cfm?page=0&dir=0001. . Page 35, 236.
 * 34) ^ The Landing and the Buildup 1965, Page 238.
 * 35) ^ The Landing and the Buildup 1965, Page 72.
 * 36) ^ The Landing and the Buildup 1965, Pages 75–78.
 * 37) ^ Lehrack, Otto (1992). No Shining Armor: The Marines At War In Vietnam. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas. p. 398. ISBN 0-7006-0533-9. . Page 48.
 * 38) ^ The Landing and the Buildup 1965, Pages 76–78.
 * 39) ^  The Vietnam era – Google Libri . Books.google.it. 19 August 1965. ISBN 978-0-7614-1693-7. http://books.google.com/?id=3uaVHfytlZIC&pg=PA5&lpg=PA5&dq=%22the+agony+and+death+of+supply+column+21%22#v=onepage&q=%22the%20agony%20and%20death%20of%20supply%20column%2021%22&f=false. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
 * 40) ^ The Landing and the Buildup 1965, Page 78.
 * 41) ^ Otto J. Lehrack (2005). "Operation Starlite: The First Battle of the Vietnam War". Leatherneck Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 November 2006. http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Leatherneck_050815_Starlite,00.html. Retrieved 24 November 2006.
 * 42) ^ The Landing and the Buildup 1965, Pages 93, 96–97, 239.
 * 43) ^ The Landing and the Buildup 1965, Pages 101–109, 240.
 * 44) ^ No Shining Armor Pages 63–65.
 * 45) ^ No Shining Armor Pages 54–55.
 * 46) ^ Shulimson, Jack (1982).  U.S. Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War 1966 . Washington D.C.: U.S. Marine Corps. p. 406. PCN 19000308600. http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/PDF_Files/Pubs/Vietnam/US%20Marines%20in%20Vietnam%20An%20Expanding%20War%201966%20%20PCN%2019000308600.pdf. Page 78-80, 92–93, 96–97.
 * 47) ^ Murphy, Page 69.
 * 48) ^ An Expanding War 1966, Page 205.
 * 49) ^ An Expanding War 1966, Page 284.
 * 50) ^ An Expanding War 1966, Page 306.
 * 51) ^ No Shining Armor, Page 99
 * 52) ^ No Shining Armor, Page 100
 * 53) ^ Telfer, Major Gary; Rogers, LtCol Lane; Fleming, Jr., V. Keith (1984).  U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Fighting the North Vietnamese 1967 . Washington D.C.: U.S. Marine Corps. p. 351. PCN 19000309000. http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/PDF_Files/Pubs/Vietnam/U.S.%20Marines%20in%20Vietnam%20Fighting%20the%20North%20Vietnamese%201967%20%20PCN%2019000309000.pdf.
 * 54) ^ No Shining Armor, Page 109
 * 55) ^ Jim Schueckler and Ken Davis (2006). "Donald Rion, HM3, Navy, Northbrook IL, 10Dec66 13E029". The Virtual Wall. Archived from the original on 5 May 2007. http://www.virtualwall.org/dr/RionDJ01a.htm. Retrieved 15 May 2007.
 * 56) ^ U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Fighting the North Vietnamese 1967, Pages 9–14, 18, 20.
 * 57) ^ No Shining Armor, Pages 121–131
 * 58) ^ U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Fighting the North Vietnamese 1967, Page 14.
 * 59) ^ a b c No Shining Armor, Pages 140–142
 * 60) ^ a b c Jim Schueckler and Ken Davis (2006). "Robert Schley, CPL, Marine Corps, Oregon WI, 30Apr67 18E128". The Virtual Wall. http://www.virtualwall.org/ds/SchleyRJ01a.htm. Retrieved 15 May 2007.
 * 61) ^ U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Fighting the North Vietnamese 1967, Page 39.
 * 62) ^ U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Fighting the North Vietnamese 1967, Pages 128–129
 * 63) ^ No Shining Armor, Pages 143, 153
 * 64) ^ No Shining Armor, Page 150
 * 65) ^ No Shining Armor, Pages 181–183
 * 66) ^ No Shining Armor, Pages 184, 189–190
 * 67) ^ No Shining Armor, Page 203
 * 68) ^ No Shining Armor, Pages 203–207
 * 69) ^ ‘‘No Shining Armor’’, Pages 215–233
 * 70) ^ ‘‘No Shining Armor’’, Page 241
 * 71) ^ ‘‘No Shining Armor’’, Pages 243–252
 * 72) ^ ‘‘No Shining Armor’’, Page 269
 * 73) ^ ‘‘No Shining Armor’’, Page 275
 * 74) ^ ‘‘No Shining Armor’’, Page 279
 * 75) ^ ‘‘No Shining Armor’’, Page 283
 * 76) ^ ‘‘No Shining Armor’’, Page 289
 * 77) ^ ‘‘No Shining Armor’’, Pages 292, 296
 * 78) ^ ‘‘No Shining Armor’’, Pages 307–308
 * 79) ^ Edward Murphy (2003). Semper Fi Vietnam, from DaNang to the DMZ Marine Corps Campaigns, 1965–1975. Presidio Press. p. 256.
 * 80) ^ No Shining Armor, Pages 315–323.
 * 81) ^ No Shining Armor, Page 342.
 * 82) ^ Smith, Charles R. (1988).  U.S. Marines in Vietnam: High Mobility and Standdown 1969 . Washington D.C.: U.S. Marine Corps. p. 420. PCN 19000310300. http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/PDF_Files/Pubs/Vietnam/U.S.%20Marines%20in%20Vietnam%20High%20Mobility%20and%20Standown%201969%20%20PCN%2019000310300.pdf. Pages 141–149.
 * 83) ^ Smith, Page 339
 * 84) ^ No Shining Armor, Page 352.
 * 85) ^ Bob Neener (2005). "USMC Battalions in Vietnam". 3rd Marines in Vietnam. http://www.3rdmarines.net/Vietnam_USMC_Battalions.htm. Retrieved 1 May 2006.
 * 86) ^ "Final Muster: 3/3 KIA VietNam". 33usmc.com. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010. http://33usmc.com/FinalMuster.html. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
 * 87) ^ "The 31st Marine Amphibious Unit in the Arabian Sea During the Hostage Crisis". The Hostage Rescue Attempt In Iran, 24–25 April 1980. James Bancroft. http://rescueattempt.tripod.com/id15.html. Retrieved 24 March 2007.
 * 88) ^ "Marines in Lebanon, 1982–1984". Campaign Chronologies of the United States Marine Corps. History Division, United States Marine Corps. http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Chronologies/Campaign/Lebanon_1982-1984.htm. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
 * 89) ^ Huddleston, Craig S (1 January 1991). "Commentary on DESERT SHIELD". Marine Corps Gazette (Marine Corps Association): 32. Archived from the original on 22 February 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070222195309/http://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/archives.asp. Retrieved 23 November 2006.
 * 90) ^ Maj Charles D. Melson, USMC, Evelyn A. Englander, and Capt David A. Dawson, USMC. "Anthology and Annotated Bibliography". U.S. Marines in the Persian Gulf, 1990–1991. History and Museums Division, United States Marine Corps. http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/usmchist/gulf.txt. Retrieved 26 November 2006.
 * 91) ^ Otto J. Lehrack (2005). America’s Battalion: Marines in the First Gulf War. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press. p. 17.
 * 92) ^ America's Battalion, p. 21
 * 93) ^ America's Battalion, p. 42
 * 94) ^ a b c 3/3 Battalion Command Chronology, January–June 1991. All Battalion Command Chronologies are located at the Grey Research Archives at Headquarters Marine Corps in Quantico, VA.
 * 95) ^ "Crisis At A Glance". Seattle Times. 16 January 1991. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19910116&slug=1260897. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
 * 96) ^ a b 3rd Marines. "Command Chronology 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines January–February 1991". GulfLINK. http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/declassdocs/marines/19961028/100896_sep96_decls1_0003.html. Retrieved 25 November 2006.
 * 97) ^ America's Battalion, p. 125–133
 * 98) ^ BGen John H. Admire (August 1991). "The 3d Marines in Desert Shield". Marine Corps Gazette 75: 81–84.
 * 99) ^ Otto Kreisher (2002). "Persian Gulf War: U.S. Marines' Minefield Assault". Military History Quarterly. http://www.historynet.com/historical_conflicts/3034241.html?page=4&c=y. Retrieved 4 May 2006.
 * 100) ^ America's Battalion, p. 205
 * 101) ^ 3/3 Battalion Command Chronology, July–December 1991
 * 102) ^ 3/3 Battalion Command Chronology, June–December 1994
 * 103) ^ 3/3 Battalion Command Chronology, Jan–Jun 2002
 * 104) ^ 3/3 Battalion Command Chronology, Jul–Dec 2003
 * 105) ^ William Cole (13 August 2004). "Kane'ohe Marines stand by to deploy". The Honolulu Advertiser. http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Aug/13/ln/ln01a.html. Retrieved 23 February 2007.
 * 106) ^ Roger Leo (10 November 2006). "Dangerous Duty". Men At War. http://menatwar.blogspot.com/2006_11_01_archive.html. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
 * 107) ^ Diana Leone (23 July 2005). "Marines ‘didn’t give up and didn’t let us give up’". The Honolulu Star-Bulletin. http://starbulletin.com/2005/07/23/news/story6.html. Retrieved 1 May 2007.
 * 108) ^ "Marines Return to Tora Bora for Operation Celtics" (Press release). American Forces Press Service. 31 May 2005. http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=31529. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
 * 109) ^ "TV crew, Marines escape IED attack" (Press release). Afghanistan Coalition Press Information Center. 29 May 2005. http://www.afghanistannewscenter.com/news/2005/may/may302005.html. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
 * 110) ^ "America’s Battalion takes over Lava Dogs’ area of operations in Helmand" (Press release). United States Marine Corps, Regimental Combat Team 7. 6/11/2010. http://www.usmc.mil/unit/imef/Pages/America%E2%80%99sBattaliontakesoverLavaDogs%E2%80%99areaofoperationsinHelmand.aspx. Retrieved 11/06/2010.
 * 111) ^ Rajiv Chandrasekaran (31 May 2010). "In Afghan region, U.S. spreads the cash to fight the Taliban". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/30/AR2010053003722.html. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
 * 112) ^ a b "Marines, Afghan Army conduct clearing mission in Trek Nawa during Operation Mako" (Press release). United States Marine Corps, Regimental Combat Team 1. 21 September 2010. Archived from the original on 8 October 2010. http://www.marines.mil/unit/imef/Pages/Marines,AfghanArmyconductclearingmissioninTrekNawaduringOperationMako.aspx. Retrieved 11/06/2010.
 * 113) ^ Dan Lamothe (4 October 2010). "1st Recon launches new operation near Marjah". Marine Corps Times. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2010/07/marine_recon_070110w/. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
 * 114) ^ "Marine gives life trying to save Afghan policeman" (Press release). United States Central Command. 21 September 2010. Archived from the original on 26 October 2010. http://www.centcom.mil/news/marine-gives-life-trying-to-save-afghan-policeman. Retrieved 11/06/2010.
 * 115) ^ "Deaths in Afghan helicopter crash". Al Jazeera. 22 July 2010. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/07/2010722133921233803.html. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
 * 116) ^ "‘Dealer 54’ honored on USMC flight line" (Press release). 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. 4/21/2012. http://www.dvidshub.net/news/87033/dealer-54-honored-usmc-flight-line#.T5NFddmCww0. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
 * 117) ^ a b "Marines, Afghan Army combat IEDs in Trek Nawa" (Press release). United States Central Command. 17 August 2010. Archived from the original on 21 October 2010. http://www.centcom.mil/news/marines-afghan-army-combat-ieds-in-trek-nawa. Retrieved 11/06/2010.
 * 118) ^ Sara Carter (11 October 2010). "Search for Marine lieutenant's killer meets Afghan obstacles". San Francisco Examiner. http://www.sfexaminer.com/world/Search-for-Marine-lieutenant_s-killer-meets-Afghan-obstacles-1183204-104732194.html. Retrieved 6 November 2010. <sup class="noprint Inline-Template"> [dead link]
 * 119) ^ Mohammad Ilyas Dayee (21 September 2010). "Helmand Vote Marred by Attacks". Institute for War & Peace Reporting. http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/VVOS-89HPES?OpenDocument. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
 * 120) ^ Rajiv Chandrasekaran (2 November 2010). "U.S. bases shifting to Afghan control". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/01/AR2010110107118.html. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
 * 121) ^ William Cole (12 November 2010). "Marines head out to now safer area". Honolulu Star Advertiser. http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews/20101112_Marines_head_out_to_now_safer_area.html. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
 * 122) ^ "‘America’s Battalion’ arrives in Afghanistan" (Press release). United States Marine Corps. 7 November 2011. http://www.dvidshub.net/news/79644/americas-battalion-arrives-afghanistan#.T5NG6NmCww0. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
 * 123) ^ a b (Press release). United States Marine Corps. 3 February 2012. http://www.marines.mil/unit/1stmardiv/5thregiment/rct5/Pages/AfghanBorderPoliceMarinepartnershipfurthersgovernanceinsouthernHelman.aspx#.T5NqtNmCww0. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
 * 124) ^ "Garmsir citizens, Marines honor fallen police chief" (Press release). United States Marine Corps. 17 November 2011. http://www.dvidshub.net/news/80181/garmsir-citizens-marines-honor-fallen-police-chief#.TsiahVarFR2. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
 * 125) ^ Stanikzai, Zainullah (7 November 2011). "District police chief among 3 dead in Helmand blast". Pajhwork Afghan News. http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2011/11/07/district-police-chief-among-3-dead-helmand-blast. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
 * 126) ^ a b Stanikzai, Zainullah (14 November 2011). "Taliban gun down tribal elder in Helmand". Pajhwok Afghan News. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:6YG7NeKMghcJ:www.pajhwok.com/en/2011/11/14/taliban-gun-down-tribal-elder-helmand+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
 * 127) ^ "Marines plunge into frigid canal to save nine Afghans" (Press release). United States Marine Corps. 14 December 2012. http://www.dvidshub.net/news/81340/marines-plunge-into-frigid-canal-save-nine-afghans#.T5NqmtmCww0. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
 * 128) ^ a b "Afghan, Marine forces clear remnants of insurgency in southern Helmand" (Press release). United States Marine Corps. 10 January 2012. http://www.dvidshub.net/news/82215/operation-tageer-shamal-afghans-marines-extend-presence-west-helmand-river#.T5Nlq9mCww00. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
 * 129) ^ "Operation Shahem Tofan: Afghan Border Police, Marines extend reach toward Helmand border" (Press release). United States Marine Corps. 16 February 2012. http://www.dvidshub.net/news/83916/operation-shahem-tofan-afghan-border-police-marines-extend-reach-toward-helmand-border#.T5Nl3NmCww0. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
 * 130) ^ "Successful elections evidence of governance, growth in Garmsir" (Press release). United States Marine Corps. 19 April 2012. http://www.dvidshub.net/news/86970/successful-elections-evidence-governance-growth-garmsir#.T5NDntmCww0. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
 * 131) ^ "Four U.S. troops confirmed dead in Afghanistan helicopter crash". Los Angeles Times. 20 April 2012. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/04/afghan-helicopter.html. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
 * 132) ^ "Hawaii-based unit, 'America’s Battalion, arrives in Al Anbar Province" (Press release). United States Marine Corps. 20 March 2006. Archived from the original on 22 August 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060822081805/http://www.marine-corps-news.com/2006/03/hawaiibased_unit_americas_batt.htm. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
 * 133) ^ Andrew Tilghman (8 June 2006). "Killings strain Marines’ work in Haditha". Stars and Stripes. http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=37733. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
 * 134) ^ a b c "Security in Haditha Triad city comes one step at a time for Marines, Iraqi soldiers" (Press release). United States Marine Corps. 2 August 2006. http://www.onemarinesview.com/one_marines_view/2006/08/security_in_had.html. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
 * 135) ^ a b "'America's Battalion' wraps up six-month Iraq deployment" (Press release). Marine Corps News. 6 October 2006. http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35503. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
 * 136) ^ Andrew Tilghman (5 June 2006). "U.S. call for Iraqi police in Haditha goes unanswered". Stars and Stripes. http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=37660. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
 * 137) ^ a b "Hawaii-based Marines, Iraqi soldiers net suspects" (Press release). United States Marine Corps, 1st Marine Division. 13 September 2006. http://www.marines.mil/unit/1stmardiv/Pages/2006/Hawaii-based%20Marines,%20Iraqi%20soldiers%20net%20suspects.aspx. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
 * 138) ^ West, Bing (2008). The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq. New York, NY: Random House. pp. 417. ISBN 978-1-4000-6701-5. p. 182
 * 139) ^ "Marines Fight Grenade Attacks, Drive-Bys, IEDs" (Press release). Marine Corps News. 6 June 2006. http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,99862,00.html?ESRC=marine-a.nl. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
 * 140) ^ a b "Insurgent attacks no match for Marines’ resolve" (Press release). Marine Corps News. 13 June 2006. http://www.onemarinesview.com/one_marines_view/2006/06/insurgent_attac.html. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
 * 141) ^ a b "Operation Guardian Tiger IV brings Iraqi police to Haditha Triad Region for the first time in two years" (Press release). Marine Corps News. 15 September 2006. http://www.marines.mil/unit/1stmardiv/Pages/2006/Operation%20Guardian%20Tiger%20IV%20brings%20Iraqi%20police%20to%20Haditha%20Triad%20Region%20for%20the%20first%20time%20in%20two%20years.aspx. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
 * 142) ^ Robert Shikina (21 October 2006). "Comrades share stories and sorrow with families". The Honolulu Star-Bulletin. http://starbulletin.com/2006/10/21/news/story01.html. Retrieved 28 April 2007.
 * 143) ^ a b Totten, Michael J. (24 March 2008). "The Liberation of Karmah, Part I". MichaelTotten.com. http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/2008/03/the-liberation.php. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
 * 144) ^ "'America’s Battalion' continues counterinsurgency ops in Anbar" (Press release). Regimental Combat Team 6 Public Affairs. 1 October 2007. http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?p=283796. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
 * 145) ^ a b "Garma reopens marketplace" (Press release). Regimental Combat Team 6 Public Affairs. 12 December 2007. http://www.centcom.mil/news/garma-reopens-marketplace. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
 * 146) ^ 09:52 am. "K/3/3 moves in on insurgent territory". Leatherneck.com. http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?p=279969. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
 * 147) ^ Mario Loyola (3 September 2007). "The Watchmen". Weekly Standard. http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/058uctlq.asp?pg=1. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
 * 148) ^ a b LCpl Regina A. Ochoa. "A Marine’s Marine". Hawaii Marine. 23 May 2008
 * 149) ^ Geoff Ziezulewicz (24 January 2008). "Marines Work for the Good of Karmah". Stars and Stripes. http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,160659,00.html. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
 * 150) ^ Herschel Smith (27 September 2007). "Small Wars are Still Wars". The Captain's Journal. http://www.captainsjournal.com/2007/09/. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
 * 151) ^ Geoff Ziezulewicz (23 January 2008). "Marines in Karmah have joined the battle for the hearts and minds of Iraqi citizens". Stars and Stripes. http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51833. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
 * 152) ^ Staff Report (27 February 2008). "Family, friends welcome 3/3 Marines back to K-Bay". Marine Corps Times. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/02/marine_battalion_return_022608/. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
 * 153) ^ "150 Kaneohe Marines leave for Iraq150 Kaneohe Marines leave for Iraq". Honolulu Advertiser. 6 April 2009. Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20090406_150_Kaneohe_Marines_leave_for_Iraq.html. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
 * 154) ^ a b "Military working dogs bite into their mission in Iraq" (Press release). United States Marine Corps. 31 May 2009. http://www.dvidshub.net/news/34879/military-working-dogs-bite-into-their-mission-iraq. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
 * 155) ^ "Task Force Military Police finds strength through differences" (Press release). United States Marine Corps. 20 April 2009. http://www.dvidshub.net/news/34760/task-force-military-police-finds-strength-through-differences. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
 * 156) ^ "Anti-terrorism battalion wraps up seven-month deployment" (Press release). United States Marine Corps. 12 May 2009. http://www.marines.mil/unit/1stmardiv/Pages/Anti-terrorismbattalionwrapsupseven-monthdeployment.aspx. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
 * 157) ^ "Marines from Task Force Personnel Recovery (TF MP) of Multi-National Force-West conduct recovery efforts at the crash site of U.S. Navy Capt. Michael Scott Speicher". Navy.mil. http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=74907. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
 * 158) ^ Heussner, Ki Mae (2 August 2009). "Gulf War Mystery Ends: Pilot's Remains Recovered". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=8234354&page=1#.TtqDjVarFR0. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
 * 159) ^ Trista Talton (20 December 2009). "Last grunts in Iraq prepare to come home". Marine Corps Times. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/12/marine_iraq_121909w/. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
 * 160) ^ Burke, Michael (6 December 2009). "Flight of Tears Part 2: The Mumbai Conspiracy". Castra Praetoria: America's First Sergeant in the Twenty-First Century. http://castrapraetoria1.blogspot.com/2009/12/flight-of-tears-part-2-mumbai.html. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
 * 161) ^ Bettina Boxall (12 July 2009). "Marine Lance Cpl. Ray A. Spencer II, 20, Ridgecrest; died in a 'nonhostile incident' in Iraq". LA Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/12/local/me-spencer12. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
 * 162) ^ Robert V. Aquilina (27 July 2001). "America's Battalion". Reference Section, History and Museum Division, United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on 7 November 2006. http://www.mikecompany33.com/americasbattalion.html. Retrieved 24 November 2006.
 * 163) ^ Richard Botkin (2007). "Honoring the warriors". WorldNetDaily. http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54880. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
 * 164) ^ No Shining Armor, Pages 126–127, 162.'
 * 165) ^ Oliver North (9 March 2005).  Oliver North Discusses His Book, ‘War Stories II: Heroism in the Pacific’ . Interview with Renee Giachino. Your Turn – Meeting Nonsense with Common Sense. 1330 AM WEBY. Florida. Archived from the original on 14 December 2006. http://www.cfif.org/htdocs/freedomline/current/in_our_opinion/oliver-north-interview.htm. Retrieved 9 December 2006. Retrieved on 9 December 2006.
 * 166) ^ Richard Duprel (1998). "Frank M. Tejeda". 3/3 Web page. http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54880. Retrieved 25 April 2006.
 * 167) ^ Dan Lamothe (26 November 2010). "MoH nominee says he does not feel like a hero". Army Times. http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/11/marine-dakota-meyer-medal-of-honor-113010/. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
 * 168) ^ James K. Sanborn (26 March 2010). "Caustic comic strip lances enlisted life". Marine Corps Times. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2010/03/marine_terminal_lance_032310w/. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
 * 169) ^ Burke, Michael. "Castra Praetoria: America's First Sergeant in the Twentyfirst Century". http://castrapraetoria1.blogspot.com/. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
 * 170) ^ Szoldra, Paul. "About Us". The Duffel Blog. http://www.duffelblog.com/about/. Retrieved 18 August 2012.

[edit] Bibliography
Darack, Ed (2009).  Victory Point: Operations Red Wings and Whalers – the Marine Corps' Battle for Freedom in Afghanistan . New York, NY: Berkley Caliber. ISBN 978-0-425-22619-3. http://www.victorypoint.info/.

Frank, Benis M. (1968).  A Brief History of the 3rd Marines . Washington D.C.: U.S. Marine Corps. http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/PDF_Files/Pubs/A%20Brief%20History%20of%20the%203D%20Marines%20PCN19000245700.pdf.

Kane, Douglas T. (1963).  History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II Volume II: Isolation of Rabaul . Washington D.C.: Historical Branch, Headquarters, United States Marine Corps. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/II/index.html.

Lehrack, Otto (2005). America’s Battalion: Marines in the First Gulf War. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press.

Lehrack, Otto (1992). No Shining Armor: The Marines At War In Vietnam. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-7006-0533-9.

Lodge, Major O.R. (1954).  The Recapture of Guam . Washington D.C.: Historical Branch, G-3 Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-Guam/index.html.

O'Brien, Cyril J. (1994).  Liberation: Marines in the Recapture of Guam . Washington D.C.: Marine Corps History and Museums Division, United States Marine Corps. PCN 19000312600. http://www.nps.gov/archive/wapa/indepth/extContent/usmc/pcn-190-003126-00/index.htm.

Rentz, Major John M. (1946).  Bougainville and the Northern Solomons . Washington D.C.: Historical Branch, Headquarters, United States Marine Corps. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-NSols/index.html.

Shaw, Jr., Henry I.; Nalty, Bernard C.; Turnbladh, Edwin T. (1966). [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/III/index.html '' History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II. Volume III: Central Pacific Drive '']. Washington D.C.: Marine Corps History and Museums Division, United States Marine Corps. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/III/index.html.

Shulimson, Jack; Johnson, Major Charles M. (1978).  U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The Landing and the Buildup 1965 . Washington D.C.: U.S. Marine Corps. PCN 19000307600. http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/books/1965/index.cfm?page=0&dir=0001.

Shulimson, Jack (1982).  U.S. Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War 1966 . Washington D.C.: U.S. Marine Corps. PCN 19000308600. http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/PDF_Files/Pubs/Vietnam/US%20Marines%20in%20Vietnam%20An%20Expanding%20War%201966%20%20PCN%2019000308600.pdf.

Smith, Charles R. (1988).  U.S. Marines in Vietnam: High Mobility and Standdown 1969 . Washington D.C.: U.S. Marine Corps. PCN 19000310300. http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/PDF_Files/Pubs/Vietnam/U.S.%20Marines%20in%20Vietnam%20High%20Mobility%20and%20Standown%201969%20%20PCN%2019000310300.pdf.

Telfer, Major Gary; Rogers, LtCol Lane; Fleming, Jr., V. Keith (1984).  U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Fighting the North Vietnamese 1967 . Washington D.C.: U.S. Marine Corps. PCN 19000309000. http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/PDF_Files/Pubs/Vietnam/U.S.%20Marines%20in%20Vietnam%20Fighting%20the%20North%20Vietnamese%201967%20%20PCN%2019000309000.pdf.