3rd Battalion, 1st Marines
| 3rd Battalion 1st Marines | |
|---|---|
| File:3-1.gif 3rd Batalion 1st Marines Insignia | |
| Active | March 1, 1941 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | USMC |
| Type | Light infantry |
| Role | Locate, close with and destroy the enemy with fire and maneuver |
| Part of | 1st Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton |
| Nickname(s) | "Thundering Third" |
| Motto(s) | No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy |
| Engagements | Battle of Guadalcanal Battle of Okinawa Battle of Peleliu Battle of Inchon Battle of Chosin Reservoir Vietnam War Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation Phantom Fury |
3rd Battalion 1st Marines (3/1) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Pendleton, California consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors. They fall under the 1st Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division.
Subordinate Units
- Headquarters and Services Company
- Golf Company
- India Company
- Kilo Company
- Weapons Company
History
Beginnings
The 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines was activated on March 1 1941 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and assigned to the 1st Marine Division. In April of that year, they were relocated to Parris Island, South Carolina; the unit was subsequently deactivated in October of that year.
World War II
On February 16 1942, 3/1 was re-activated at New River, North Carolina. In July 1942, they deployed to Wellington, New Zealand and participated in the following World War II campaigns: Guadalcanal, Eastern New Guinea, New Britain, Peleliu and Okinawa. Beginning in April 1946, they participated in the occupation of North China.
Korean War
With the invasion of South Korea, 3/1 was re-activated on August 4, 1950 at Camp Pendleton, California and deployed to Korea in September. Between September 1950 and July 1953, the 3/1 participated in the Battle of Inchon, the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, and fighting on the East Central Front and Western Front. After the war, from July 1953 to April 1955, they participated in the defense of the Korean Demilitarized Zone. In April 1955, the battalion re-located to Camp Pendleton, California.
From October to December 1962, 3/1 was part of the amphibious task force sent to the Caribbean in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Vietnam War
From January 1966 to May 1971, the battalion fought in the Vietnam War, operating from Chu Lai, Da Nang, Thang Binh, Thanh Thu y, CA LU Combat Base and Hoa Vang. In May 1971, they re-located to Camp Pendleton, California.
Persian Gulf War & the 1990s
The battalion deployed to Saudi Arabia in December 1990 in support of Operation Desert Shield and in April 1991, they transitioned to combat operations during Operation Desert Storm. May 1992 brought a short drive up Interstate 5 to Los Angeles to aid local police in Riot Control Operations during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots
February and March of 1995 saw a deployment to Somalia to support Operation United Shield, helping the remaining UN troops evacuate. The next major deployment was in October 2000 to support Operation Determined Response.
Global "War on Terror"
3rd Battalion, 1st Marines deployed to Kuwait in January of 2003 and in March of the year took part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The battalion re-deployed to Camp Pendleton in the summer of 2003, but were deployed back to Iraq in mid-2004 and were based near Fallujah. In November of 2004, it participated in Operation Phantom Fury. The battalion re-deployed back to Iraq in early 2006 and as of March 2006, they are attached to the 7th Marine Regiment in western Iraq and carrying out security and stabilization operations [1].
As of late March 2006, Marines from K/3/1 were under investigation for their actions on November 19, 2005 after Time magazine published an article [2] accusing them of killing 24 innocent and unarmed Iraqi civilians, including 11 women and children. Residents of Haditha in western Iraq claim that the Marines killed 15 civilians in response to the loss of one of their own at the hands of an improvised explosive device. The incident is currently under investigation [3] [4]. According to a 29 May 2006 repot by The Times, lieutenant colonel Jeffrey R. Chessani was the commanding officer and was removed along with captains Luke McConnell and James Kimber. [5]
Awards
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Medal of Honor recipients from 3/1
- Private First Class William Adelbert Foster – Company K - 1945
- Sergeant Elbert Luther Kinser – Company I - 1945
- Private First Class William Bernard Baugh – Weapons Company - 1950
- Major Reginald Rodney Myers, – H&S Company - 1950
- Captain Carl Leonard Sitter – Company G - 1950
- Technical Sergeant Harold Edward Wilson – Company G - 1951