3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines

3rd Battalion 3rd Marines
The official emblem for 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines
Active	1 June 1942 – 20 December 1945 1 August 1951 – 1 June 1974 31 October 1975 – 13 January 2023
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Light infantry
Role	Locate, close with and destroy the enemy with fire and maneuver
Part of	3rd Marine Littoral Regiment 3rd Marine Division
Nickname(s)	"Trinity", "America's Battalion"
Motto(s)	Fortuna Fortes Juvat (English: "Fortune Favors the Brave")
Anniversaries	1 June – Battalion Birthday
Engagements	World War II Pacific War Solomon Islands campaign Bougainville campaign Mariana and Palau Islands campaign Battle of Guam (1944) Volcano and Ryukyu Islands campaign Battle of Iwo Jima Vietnam War Operation Starlite Operation Harvest Moon Operation Macon The Hill Fights Operation Kingfisher Tet Offensive May offensive Operation Taylor Common Operation Virginia Ridge Operation Idaho Canyon Iran Hostage Crisis Operation Eagle Claw Gulf War Battle of Khafji Liberation of Kuwait campaign War on Terror War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Train Advise Assist Command – East Helmand province campaign Nawa Battle of Garmsir Iraq War Haditha massacre Al-Karmah
Commanders
Notable commanders	Ralph Houser Joseph Muir † Charles Krulak

3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, abbreviated as (3/3), was an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps, based out of Kaneohe, Hawaii. Known as either "Trinity" or "America's Battalion", the unit normally fell under the command of the 3rd Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division.^[1] When fully manned, the unit consisted of approximately 1000 U.S. Marines and United States Navy Sailors.^{[nb 1]} Like most 20th century model infantry battalions of the U.S. Marine Corps, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines was made up of three rifle companies (India, Kilo, and Lima), Weapons Company (Machine Gunners, Mortarman, Assaultmen, Snipers and TOW Gunners) and a Headquarters and Services (H&S) company. 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 was awarded its first Presidential Unit Citation and Navy Unit Commendation. Marines in the battalion were also 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 the Vietnam War and participated in Operation Starlite, the first major Marine engagement of that conflict. The battalion continued to see major action through Vietnam and was rotated back to the United States in 1969. Famous alumni from its time in Vietnam include Corporal Robert Emmett 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, the Battalion was deactivated for a second time in 1974.

In 1975, 3rd Battalion was reformed for the third 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, later the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps, who nicknamed 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines "America's Battalion." 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 early 21st century the battalion deployed overseas six times 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. After the 3rd Marine Regiment ended combat operations, following 3rd Battalion's final deployment to Afghanistan in 2012, the unit resumed its deployments throughout the Pacific until 2022. As part of Force Design 2030, 3rd Battalion was deactivated in January 2023.

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