1st Light Antiaircraft Missile Battalion

1st Light Antiaircraft Missile Battalion
1st LAAM Battalion insignia
Active	20 Jul 1937 – 15 November 1944 12 Jan 1953 – 30 November 1970 11 Mar 1987 – 28 September 1990 1 Sep 1994 – 11 July 1997
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Air Defense
Part of	Inactive
Nickname(s)	Golden Hawks
Engagements	World War II *Battle of Wake Island Vietnam War
Commanders
Current commander	N/A
Notable commanders	Bertram A. Bone

1st Light Antiaircraft Missile Battalion (1st LAAM Bn) was a United States Marine Corps air defense unit equipped with the medium range surface-to-air MIM-23 HAWK Missile System. The battalion was the lineal descendant of the 1st Defense Battalion which gained fame during World War II for its defense of Wake Island early in the war. 1st LAAM also deployed to Vietnam in 1965 providing air defense for the Marine Corps in the I Corps sector. The battalion was last based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona and fell under the command of Marine Air Control Group 38 (MACG-38) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW).