3rd Battalion, 1st Marines

3rd Battalion 1st Marines (3/1) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Horno on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Nicknamed the "Thundering Third", the battalion consists of approximately 1220 Marines and Sailors and falls under the command of the 1st Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division.

"3/1" redirects here. For the dates, see March 1 and January 3.
3rd Battalion 1st Marines
3rd Battalion 1st Marines Insignia
Active12 March 1956 – October 1960
16 February 1932 – 20 March 1947
4 August 1950 – present
Country United States of America
Branch United States Marine Corps
TypeLight infantry
RoleLocate, close with, and destroy the enemy through fire and maneuver, and repel enemy assault through fire and close combat.
Size1,200
Part of1st Marine Regiment
1st Marine Division
Garrison/HQMarine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Nickname(s)"Thundering Third"
Motto(s)The Balls of the Corps
EngagementsWorld War II

Korean War

Vietnam War

Operation Desert Storm
 1992 Los Angeles Riots
Operation United Shield
War on Terror

Commanders
Current
commander		LtCol John J. Roma
Notable
commanders		Richard P. Ross Jr.
Foster C. LaHue
Carl W. Hoffman

Subordinate units and current commanders
  • Headquarters and Service Company (H&S Co)
  • Company I
  • Company K
  • Company L
  • Weapons Company

History

Beginnings

3rd Battalion, 1st Marines was activated on 1 March 1941 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and assigned to the 1st Marine Division. In April of that year, they were relocated to Marine Barracks, Parris Island, South Carolina; the unit was subsequently deactivated in October of that year.

3rd Battalion 1st Marines' standard.

World War II

On 16 February 1942, 3/1 was re-activated at New River, North Carolina. In July 1942, they deployed to Wellington, New Zealand and participated in the following World War II campaigns: Guadalcanal, Eastern New Guinea, New Britain, Peleliu and Okinawa. Beginning in April 1946, they participated in the occupation of North China. The battalion was again deactivated on 20 March 1947 as part of the post-war drawdown of forces.[1]

Korean War

The start of the Korean War saw the reactivation of 3/1 on 4 August 1950 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and their quick deployment to Korea in September. The battalion's first action was at the Battle of Inchon in September 1950. Following the recapture of Seoul, 3/1, along with the rest of the 1st Marine Division, was put back on ship and sailed around to the east coast of Korea. They eventually landed at Wonsan in late October and from there participated in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. During the battle they were the only battalion from the Chesty Puller's 1st Marine Regiment to make it as far north as Hagaru-ri.[2] After the withdrawal from Chosin the 1st Marine Division was evacuated from Hungnam. The battalion took part in fighting on the East Central Front and Western Front of the Jamestown Line for the remainder of the war. After the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed, they participated in the defense of the Korean Demilitarized Zone from July 1953 to April 1955. In April 1955, the battalion re-located to MCB Camp Pendleton, California.

From October to December 1962, 3/1 was part of the amphibious task force sent to the Caribbean in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Vietnam War
Older insignia of the 3-1

From January 1966 to May 1971, the battalion fought in the Vietnam War, operating from Chu Lai, Da Nang, Thang Binh, Thanh Thuy, Cửa Việt, Ca Lu, Vandegrift Combat Base, Route 9, An Hoa, and Hoa Vang. In May 1971, they re-located to MCB 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 March 1991, they transitioned to combat operations during Operation Desert Storm. May 1992 brought the battalion up a short drive Interstate 5 to Los Angeles to aid local police in riot control operations during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

February and March 1995 saw a deployment to Somalia to support Operation United Shield, helping the remaining UN troops evacuate. The next major deployment was in October 2000 to support Operation Determined Response.[3]

Global War on Terror

Operation Iraqi Freedom

3rd Battalion, 1st Marines deployed to Kuwait in January 2003 and in March of the year took part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, including the Battle of Nasiriyah. The battalion re-deployed to Camp Pendleton in the summer of 2003.

The unit then re-deployed to Iraq in mid-2004 and was based near Fallujah. They were the main effort in November 2004 during Operation Al Fajr (pronounced Al Fad-jer), the retaking of the city of Fallujah. Before the assault commenced, the operation was known as Operation Phantom Fury. 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines was part of the composition of RCT 1. RCT 1 was partly responsible for clearing the infamous Jolan District among others. Alongside RCT 7, four Marine battalions (including 1/3, 1/8, and 3/5) and various US Army units reclaimed the city of Fallujah from unrest.

The battalion re-deployed back to Iraq in September 2005 and were attached to 2nd Marine Regiment (known as Regimental Combat Team 2), and on 20 February 2006 were attached to the 7th Marine Regiment (known as Regimental Combat Team 7) in western Iraq, carrying out security and stabilization operations. The Battalion returned to Camp Pendleton at the end of March.[4]

On 10 April 2007, 3/1 deployed as the ground combat element of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. They were ordered into Iraq as part of Operation Phantom Thunder. Operating north of Fallujah and Karmah in the Tharthar region in AO Anaheim, MARSOB units attached to the MEU were operating for several days before the ground combat element began operating on 15 June 2007. They were to establish a coalition presence in an area that had only had 14 days of coalition presence since the invasion in March 2003. 3/1 finished operations in Iraq after 90 days of operating on 20 September 2007 and soon after re-embarked on the naval strike group and set sail for the United States and returned to Camp Pendleton on 17 November 2007.

3/1 deployed to Okinawa in July 2008 as part of the ground combat element of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.

3/1 training at Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, Calif., Aug. 29, 2014. 3/1 will become the 15th MEU's ground combat element in October.

Haditha killings

In 2006, Time magazine published an article about an incident that took place on 19 November 2005 in which a group of Marines from 3/1 Kilo Company allegedly killed 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians in the city of Haditha as retribution for an IED attack that killed Lance Corporal Miguel Terrazas.[5][6][7]

An initial Marine Corps communique reported that 15 civilians were killed by the bomb's blast and eight insurgents were subsequently killed when the Marines returned fire against those attacking the convoy. However, other evidence uncovered by the media contradicted the Marines' account, prompting the United States military to open an investigation into the incident.[6]

On 21 December 2006, eight Marines from 3/1 were charged in connection with the incident.[8][9] By 17 June 2008, six defendants had had their cases dropped and a seventh found not guilty.[10] The exception was former Staff Sergeant, now-Private Frank Wuterich, who was convicted of a single count of negligent dereliction of duty on 24 January 2012.[11][12] Wuterich received a rank reduction and pay cut but avoided jail time.[13][14]

Operation Enduring Freedom

In April 2010, 3/1 deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The battalion conducted combat operations in the area, including activity in Koshtay and Safar in Garmsir District,[15] and returned to Camp Pendleton in November 2010.[16]

Medal of Honor recipients from 3/1

Marines from the 3/1 have been awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during World War II and the Korean War.

World War II

Korean War

Notable former members
  • Joseph F. Dunford, Jr.
  • Walter Fillmore, Vietnam War
  • Bradley Kasal
  • Smedley D. Butler
  • Foster LaHue
  • Sean Stokes, Operation Golden Skaters
  • Hospitalman Apprentice Norman John "Doc" Leeson - Company G -Korea 1950 - 1952 (Silver Star - two awards, Purple Heart - two awards)
  • Stephen Easly
  • Jacob Minnger
  • Roy T. Miller
  • Ronald W. McFarland Corporal infantry

Unit awards

A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation. 3/1 has been presented with the following awards:

Streamer Award Year(s) Additional Info
Presidential Unit Citation Streamer with one Silver and four Bronze Stars 1942, 1944, 1945, 1950, 1950, 1951, 1966, 1966–1967, 1967, 1968, 2003 Guadalcanal, Peleliu-Ngesebus, Okinawa, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq
Joint Meritorious Unit Award Streamer 1992–1993 Somalia
Navy Unit Commendation Streamer with two Bronze Stars 1952–1953, 1968, 1990–1991, 2004-2005 Korea, Vietnam, Southwest Asia, Iraq
Meritorious Unit Commendation with three Bronze Stars 1969, 1971, 1987, 2000 - 2001, 2007, 2010 Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan
Marine Corps Expeditionary Streamer 2001 Yemen
American Defense Service Streamer with one Bronze Star 1941 World War II
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer with one Silver and one Bronze Star
Guadalcanal, Eastern New Guinea, New Britain, Peleliu, Okinawa
World War II Victory Streamer 1941–1945 Pacific War
Navy Occupation Service Streamer with "ASIA"

China Service Streamer with one Bronze Star September 1946 – June 1947 North China
National Defense Service Streamer with three Bronze Stars 1950–1954, 1961–1974, 1990–1995, 2001–present Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, War on Terrorism
Korean Service Streamer with two Silver Stars
Inchon-Seoul, Chosin Reservoir, East-Central Front, Western Front
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamer 1992–1993 Somalia
Vietnam Service Streamer with two Silver and two Bronze Stars July 1965 – April 1971, April – December 1975 Chu Lai, Da Nang, Dong Ha, Qui Nhon, Hue, Phu Bai, Quang Tri, Operation New Arrival
Iraq Campaign Streamer 2003-2009 Al Anbar, Fallujah, Haditha, Baghdad, Ramadi, Operation Phantom Fury
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Streamer March 2003 – December 2004, 2015
Global War on Terrorism Service Streamer 2001–present
Korea Presidential Unit Citation Streamer

Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Streamer

Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Civil Actions Streamer

gollark: 𝕌𝕟𝕚𝕔𝕠𝕕𝕖 𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕞𝕒𝕕𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤.
gollark: Did... did you put an umlaut on a `>`?
gollark: Tronzoid is confusion.
gollark: We are all CONFUSION.
gollark: It seems as if there is not.

See also

Notes
  1. Rottman U.S. Marine Corps WWII Order of Battle, p.166.
  2. Russ Breakout. p.185.
  3. "Operation Determined Response". GlobalSecurity.org.
  4. Schnell, Cpl. Adam C. "Camp Pendleton-based Marines leave no place for insurgents to hide in western Al Anbar", MarineLink, 6 March 2006.
  5. McGirk, Tim. "Collateral Damage or Civilian Massacre in Haditha?", Time , 29 May 2006. (URL accessed 29 May 2006)
  6. McGirk, Tim. Collateral Damage or Civilian Massacre in Haditha?, Time. Accessed June 1, 2006.
  7. Suek, Barbara; Mohammed, Faris (25 January 2012). "Iraqi town says justice failed victims of US raid". action news. Associated Press, WPVI-TV/DT. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  8. "Marines charged in Iraqi civilian deaths", Associated Press, December 21, 2006.
  9. U.S. marine faces 13 Haditha murder charges, CBC. Accessed December 21, 2006.
  10. Whitcomb, Dan (18 June 2008). "Charges dropped against Marine in Haditha case". Reuters. Archived from the original on 24 June 2008. Retrieved 19 June 2008.
  11. Tony Perry (25 January 2012). "Marine gets no jail time in killing of 24 Iraqi civilians". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  12. "Marine to serve no time in Iraqi killings case". Fox News. Associated Press. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  13. "Iraqi outrage over U.S. Marine's plea deal in Haditha killings". CNN, January 25, 2012.
  14. Mary Slosson (23 January 2012). "Marine pleads guilty, ending final Haditha trial". Reuters. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  15. Kovach, Gretel C., "Marines expand their influence in southern Afghanistan", Sign on San Diego, 28 August 2010.
  16. Kovach, Gretel C., "Camp Pendleton's Thundering Third Returns", Sign on San Diego, 16 November 2010.

References
 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
Bibliography
  • Russ, Martin (1999). Breakout" – The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea, 1950. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-029259-4.
  • O'Donnell, Patrick (2007). We Were One: Shoulder to Shoulder with the Marines Who Took Fallujah. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81573-7.
  • Rottman, Gordon (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle - Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939 - 1945. Greenwood Publishing Company. ISBN 0-313-31906-5.
Web

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