3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines

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3rd Battalion 3rd Marines
3/3's Insignia
ActiveJune 1, 1942 - December 20, 1945
August 1951 - June 1, 1974
October 1, 1975 - present
CountryUnited States
BranchUSMC
TypeLight infantry
RoleLocate, close with and destroy the enemy with fire and maneuver
Size800
Part of3rd Marine Regiment
3rd Marine Division
Garrison/HQMarine Corps Base Hawaii
Nickname(s)"America's Battalion"
Motto(s)"Fortuna Fortes Juvat"
"Fortune Favors the Brave"
EngagementsWorld War II
* Bougainville campaign
* Battle of Guam
* Battle of Iwo Jima
Vietnam War
* Operation Starlite
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Current
commander		LtCol Nathan Nastase
Notable
commanders		Ralph Houser
Charles Krulak
Joseph Muir

3rd Battalion 3rd Marines (3/3) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps, based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and consisting of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors. Known as "America's Battalion", the unit falls under the 3rd Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division.[1] The battalion was originally formed during in 1942 during the Second World War, and saw action on both Bougainville and Guam. Following the war, it 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. Around the end of the Vietnam war, 3rd Battalion was deactivated for a second time in 1974.

In 1975 3/3 was reformed for the third (and last) time at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. During this time, 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. It 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 2004, the battalion deployed overseas again in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and in 2006 to the Haditha Triad in Iraq.[2]

Marines from 3rd Battalion have distinguished themselves in battle and in Marine Corps service — among 3/3 Marines are a Commandant of the Marine Corps, four Medal of Honor recipients, and over twenty Navy Cross winners. The battalion itself has been awarded two Presidential Unit Citations for "gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions" and four Navy Unit Commendations for "outstanding service."

"America's Battalion"

According to research by the Marine Corps' History and Museum Division, the name "America's Battalion" originated in the mid-Eighties when Lieutenant Colonel 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 3/3 as 'America's Battalion,' then they certainly must be. So from then on he considered it 'official'."[3]

History

World War II

3rd Battalion's initial sector of operations on Guam, the area between Chonito Cliff (Foreground) and Adelup Point (Background). The battalion landing area was just off the left side of the photograph.

3rd Battalion 3rd Marines was activated on June 1, 1942 at New River, North Carolina as the 5th Training Battalion, Division Special Troops, 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force. On June 16, 1942, they were redesignated as the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, Fleet Marine Force. In August to September 1942, 3/3 deployed 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. In July to August 1943, they redeployed to Guadalcanal to begin training in preparation for the invasion of Bougainville.[2]

On November 1, 1943, 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.[4] For the next three weeks, 3/3 slowly advanced down the Numa Numa Trail until it was ordered to dig in near Piva Forks on November 17. From November 18 to November 24, it took part in the destruction of the Japanese 23rd Infantry Regiment at the Battle of Piva Forks. Two days later 3/3 was moved over to a relatively quiet sector on the 3rd Division's flank where it remained for the remainder of the operation.[4] In December the 3rd Marine Division was relieved by the Americal Division and 3/3 left Bougainville for Guadalcanal on Christmas Day, 1943.[5] From January to May 1944, 3/3 conducted numerous training exercises on Guadalcanal in preparation for the invasion of Kavieng in April (which was cancelled) and the Marianas in June. While 3rd Marines was designated as the floating reserve for the initial invasions of Saipan and Tinian, it was deployed the following month to the invasion of Guam.

Marines from 3rd Battalion securing the town of Agana on Guam on July 31, 1944.

On July 21, around 0830, 3rd Battalion hit the beaches 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.[6] Supported by half-tracks and armor from the 3rd Tank Battalion, 3rd Battalion fought a bloody three hour battle up the side of Chonito Cliff and became the only unit in 3rd Marines to accomplish its objectives by the end of D-Day.[2] During the first night, 3rd Battalion won its first Medal of Honor when Private First Class Luther Skaggs, Jr., a mortarman with Company K, 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.[6] After securing Adelup Point, 3rd Battalion provided flank securing for 1/3 and 2/3 during the Battle for Bundschu Ridge, the counterattack on the 25th which broke the back of Japanese resistance, and the assault on Fonte Plateau. During these actions, the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Houser was wounded and the Executive Officer, Major Royal R. Bastian, Jr., took command.[6] On July 31, 3/3 proceeded east on the Mt. Tenjo road towards the island capital of Agana, which it liberated the same day after token resistance. For the remaining ten days of the campaing, 3rd Battalion marched northeast up the coast, encountering occasional enemy resistance, until the island was declared secure on August 10.

PFC Luther Skaggs, Jr., Company K, receiving his Medal of Honor from President Truman.

Following the invasion of Guam, 3/3 spent two months conducting mopping up operations on the island until November, when it received orders to prepare for action at Iwo Jima. From November until February 1945, 3/3 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.[5] During the Battle of Iwo Jima, 3/3, as part of 3rd Marines, was kept as the Expeditionary Troops reserve. However, despite numerous requests from other Marine officers, the 3rd Marines spent its time at Iwo Jima sitting offshore on its transport ships. On March 5, General Holland Smith, the Marine commander on Iwo Jima, ordered the 3rd Marines to sail back to Guam.[7] Back on Guam, 3rd Battalion began training for a landing on Miyako Jima, an island just south of Okinawa.[5] Those orders were eventually cancelled, but 3/3 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.[5] 3/3 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, 3/3 was detached from the 3rd Marine Division in November 1945 and deactivated the following month on December 20, 1945.[2]

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.[8] 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, Item CO 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, 3/3 took part in one of the first exercises at Twentynine Palms, California. The entire 3rd Marine Division, including 3/3, was transported more than 280 miles by truck between Pendleton and Twenty-nine Palms. During the exercise, Third Battalion made a night airlift using over sixty helicopters.[8] In January 1953, the unit deployed to the Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station on Oahu for six months of training, after which 3/3 returned to Pendleton. In August 1953, 3/3 deployed to Japan for training operations at Kin Beach, Okinawa and Iwo Jima.[8] In 1956, 3rd Battalion was on a MEU in the Indian Ocean when the Suez War broke out. Though alerted for possible action in Egypt and the surrounding region, the crisis was ultimately resolved. During this cruise, 3/3 visited Brunei Bay, Bombay, Karachi, and Singapore, before returning to Japan.[5] In December 1956, the entire 3rd Marine Regiment was deployed off of Indonesia because of civil strife in that country. In 1958, 3/3 was alerted for possible deployment to Lebanon, but its transports were turned back in the Indian Ocean to Okinawa.[5]

Vietnam War

A Medevac while operating along the DMZ, 1968.

In January 1965, the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California deployed for a tour on Okinawa, Japan,[2] where they were redesignated the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines. At the time the Marines of 3/3 expected a typical 13-month deployment followed by a quick return to the states. However 3/3 found itself caught up in the initial deployment of Marine units to Vietnam, and landed on May 12 along the coast south of Danang at an airfield called Chu Lai.

3/3's first major operation in Vietnam was Operation Starlite, which was also the first major American action in the war. Starlite was an attempt by three Marine battalions — 3/3, 2/4 and 3/7 — to destroy the 1st VC Regiment operating in the Chu Lai area. The fighting began on August 18 and lasted three days. It ended with a Viet Cong retreat, after suffering 600 casualties, versus 52 American dead. 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines suffered 15 dead during the operation, including India Company's commanding officer, Captain Bruce Webb.[9] Webb was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during Starlite while Corporal Robert E. O'Malley, also in India Company, won the Medal of Honor.

3/3's command group at Vandegrift Combat Base, 1969.

3/3 did not see major action again until the fall of 1966 when it moved north to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), but continued to conduct regular combat operations against the enemy. Among the casualties suffered during this period was the battalion commander, Lt. Col Joe Muir. In October 1966, 3rd Battalion was deployed to combat the threat from the North Vietnamese Army in the Quang Tri province. While deployed in Quang Tri, 3/3 fought in such places as the Rockpile, Cam Lo, A-3, Gio Linh, Khe Sanh, and Con Thien. In early 1969, 3rd Battalion was sent south for several months to participate in Operation Taylor Common, west of Danang. While 3/3 returned to the DMZ for the summer of 1969, it was ordered back to the United States in the fall. The battalion began to depart on October 1 and had arrived at Camp Pendleton by the end of 1969.[10]

1969-1990

The battalion relocated during October to 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 June 1, 1974.[2] 3/3 was reactivated on October 1, 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 onboard the USS Okinawa to deter further Soviet expansionism, and was also the back-up force during Operation Eagle Claw. This operation made 3rd Battalion the first American ground unit to enter the region since World War II.[11] In the summer of 1983 the battalion was conducting a training exercise with local forces in Kenya as part of the 31st MAU when the Joint Chiefs of Staff ordered it to the Mediterranean in support of the Multinational Force in Lebanon. It arrived on September 12 and spent three weeks off the coast as a reserve force for the 24th MAU on the USS Tarawa, before departing on October 1 for the Indian Ocean because of a crisis near the Strait of Hormuz.[12]

Desert Shield/Desert Storm

Members of India Company during the Desert Shield/Desert Storm deployment

During the early 1990s, 3rd Battalion was finishing up a deployment at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa when on August 2, at 2am, the commanding officer of the 9th Marine Regiment notified the battalion to be prepared to immediately redeploy to Saudi Arabia as a response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.[13] No sooner had 3/3 returned to Hawaii, then it was shipped out again on August 25, as part of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade, to Al Jubayl in Saudi Arabia.[14] As one of the first Marine battalions in country, 3/3 found itself facing the brunt of the Iraqi Army deployed along the Saudi border throughout the months of August and September. In October, 3/3 and 2/3 were designated "Task Force Taro" and moved to the extreme right flank of the Marine sector, bordering the Saudi Arabian King Abdul Aziz Brigade. Because of their close proximity, Taro was ordered by Major General James M. Myatt (Commanding General, 1st Marine Division) to begin cross-training with the Saudi forces. This cross-training continued through January, when 3/3 was moved forward to defend Al Mish'ab along the Saudi coast and became the northernmost Marine combat force in Saudi Arabia. Operation Desert Storm began on January 17, 1991, but for the first two weeks 3/3 only conducted sporadic engagements with its Iraqi counterparts across the border.[15] That all changed on January 29, when several Iraqi units unexpectedly crossed the border and seized the Saudi town of Khafji, less than 15 kilometers north of 3/3's position. While Saudi and Qatari units ultimately retook the town, 3/3 played a vital role blocking any further Iraqi advance 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.[15]

From February 19-21, 3/3 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 3/3 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 Division to make its assault into Kuwait. As TF Taro's commander, Brigadier General John H. Admire, recalled in his history The 3d Marines in Desert Storm:

"We were encouraged by MajGen Myatt's confidence in assigning us such a critical task with minimum notice and accepted our supporting attack role with the understanding that we would have no armor, no assault amphibious vehicles, no major mechanical or explosive breaching assets. We would simply infiltrate at night on foot, with bayonets and rifles as our principal weapons."[16]

On February 22-23, 3/3 crossed the border into Kuwait, infiltrating past Iraqi minefields, tank traps, and other obstacles. Throughout the ground war, 3/3 advanced steadily northwards, arriving outside the Kuwait International Airport around February 27.[16] Several months later, America’s Battalion, "was able to return home with the enviable record of none killed and none wounded by enemy action in Desert Storm.”[17]

1991-2007

Marines from 3/3 training in Camp Fuji, Japan, 1996

Between its participation in Desert Storm and the War on Terrorism, 3rd Battalion conducted multiple deployments around the Pacific Rim. In October 1994 3/3 was reassigned to the 3rd Marine Division.[2] In 1995 the battalion spent the latter part of the year training at Camp Fuji and Okinawa. It returned again in 1996, 1997, 2000, and 2002. Among the many countries 3/3 visited during this period were Australia, Tonga, the Philippines, Korea, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong.[18]

Patrolling in Methar Lam, Afghanistan in 2005.

In late 2004, 3rd Battalion was given its marching orders for war.[19] On October 31, the first Marines left Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii for an eight month deployment to eastern Afghanistan. The rest of the battalion arrived throughout November. While serving in Afghanistan, 3/3 conducted Operation Spurs in February 2005, where they were inserted into the Korangal Valley and conducted both counterinsurgency and humanitarian operations. In March 3/3 launched a similar sweep called Operation Mavericks. On May 8, the battalion suffered its only fatalities for the deployment when Lance Corporal Nicholas Kirven and Corporal Richard Schoener were killed during a three-hour firefight in Alisang which also resulted in twenty-three Taliban killed.[20] The battalion returned on 2005-06-21.[21]

In March 2006, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines deployed to western Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.[22] They relieved in place 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 broke in the United States. 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."[23] The Battalion was also partned up with the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade of the 7th Iraqi Army Division.[24] Unlike previous units in the Haditha sector, which ran their operations out of the Dam, 3rd Battalion used an approach of "constant presence". It created a series of Forward Operating Bases in the local cities of Haditha, Barwanah, and Haqlaniyah, from which the rifle and weapons companies sent out constant patrols to keep the insurgent groups off balance.[25] During the deployment, in addition to training local Iraqis, the Marines from 3/3 conducted more than 8,000 patrols, located 54 weapons caches and detained more than 800 suspected insurgents. On 2006-10-06, the battalion returned to Kaneohe Bay.[26] The battalion had eleven Marines killed during the deployment.[27]

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 comes from the official 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines webpage and is certified by the Commandant of the Marine Corps.[28]

Streamer Award Year(s) Additional Info
File:Presidential Unit Citation (Navy) Streamer.jpg Presidential Unit Citation with one Bronze Star 1944, 1965-1967 Battle of Guam, Vietnam War
Navy Unit Commendation with three Bronze Stars 1943, 1965, 1968-1969, 1990-1991 Battle of Bougainville, Operation Starlite, Vietnam War, Desert Storm
Meritorious Unit Commendation with three Bronze Stars 1967-1968, 1968, 1983, 2004-2005 Vietnam War, Lebanon, Afghan War[29]
File:Marine Corps Expeditionary Streamer.jpg Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
File:Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer.jpg Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four Bronze Stars 1943, 1944, 1945 Battle of Bougainville, Northern Solomons, Battle of Guam, Battle of Iwo Jima
File:World War II Victory Streamer.jpg World War II Victory Medal 1942-1945 Pacific War
File:National Defense Service Streamer.jpg National Defense Service Medal with three Bronze Stars 1950-1954, 1961-1974, 1990-1995, 2001-Present Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, War on Terrorism
File:Korean Service Streamer.jpg Korean Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with two Silver Stars
File:Southwest Asia Service Streamer.jpg Southwest Asia Service Medal with two Bronze Stars 1990-1991 Desert Shield, Desert Storm
File:Afghan Campaign Streamer.jpg Afghanistan Campaign Medal 2004-2005
File:Iraq Campaign Streamer.jpg Iraq Campaign Medal 2006 Haditha, Al Anbar Province
File:GWOT Streamer.jpg Global War on Terrorism Service Medal 2001-Present
Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Streamer

Notable 3/3 Marines

Main article: List of decorated Marines from 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines

Among the many decorations for valor and bravery awarded to Marines from 3rd Battalion, four Medals of Honor and over twenty Navy Crosses have been awarded. In 1965, Corporal Robert O'Malley from India Company became the first Marine serving in the Vietnam War be awarded the Medal of Honor. Also during Vietnam, Oliver North served as a platoon commander in Kilo Company from 1968-1969.[30] During that same period in 1967, Captain John Ripley (Hero of the Bridge at Dong Ha) was in command of Lima Company, which became known as "Ripley's Raiders".[31] In addition, General Charles Krulak, the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps served as Battalion Commander from 1983-1985 and is credited with giving 3/3 the nickname "America's Battalion"

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Third Marine Regiment Home Page". United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2006-03-20.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines Lineage". 3rd Marine Regiment, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2006-03-20. Cite error: The named reference "3d Marines" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ Robert V. Aquilina (27 July 2001). ""America's Battalion"". Reference Section, History and Museum Division, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2006-11-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b Major John M. Rentz, USMCR (1946). "Bougainville and the Northern Solomons". Historical Branch, Headquarters, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Benis M. Frank (1968). ""A Brief History of the 3rd Marines"". Historical Branch, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2006-01-24.
  6. ^ a b c Cyril J. O'Brien (1994). "Liberation: Marines in the Recapture of Guam". Marine Corps History and Museums Division, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
  7. ^ Colonel Joseph H. Alexander (1994). ""The Drive North"". Closing In: Marines in the Seizure of Iwo Jima. Marine Corps Historical Center, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2006-02-25.
  8. ^ a b c Dave Tucker. ""Memories"". Item Co. 3rd Marines 1951-54. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
  9. ^ Otto J. Lehrack (2005). "Operation Starlite: The First Battle of the Vietnam War". Leatherneck Magazine. Retrieved 2006-11-24.
  10. ^ Otto Lehrack. "3/3/History". Retrieved 2006-11-26.
  11. ^ "The 31st Marine Amphibious Unit in the Arabian Sea During the Hostage Crisis". The Hostage Rescue Attempt In Iran, April 24-25, 1980. James Bancroft. Retrieved 2007-03-24.
  12. ^ "Marines in Lebanon, 1982 - 1984". Campaign Chronologies of the United States Marine Corps. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
  13. ^ Huddleston, Craig S (1991-01-01). "Commentary on DESERT SHIELD". Marine Corps Gazette. Marine Corps Association: 32. Retrieved 2006-11-23. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ 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. Retrieved 2006-11-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ a b 3rd Marines. "Command Chronology 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines Jan-Feb 1991". GulfLINK. Retrieved 2006-11-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ a b BGen John H. Admire (August 1991). ""The 3d Marines in Desert Shield"". Marine Corps Gazette. 75: 81–84.
  17. ^ Otto J. Lehrack (2005). America’s Battalion: Marines in the First Gulf War. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press. pp. p. 205. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  18. ^ Information taken from plaques on wall of Battalion Headquarters, 2007-02-23.
  19. ^ William Cole (August 13, 2004). "Kane'ohe Marines stand by to deploy". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved 2007-02-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ http://starbulletin.com/2005/07/23/news/story6.html
  21. ^ "Yearly Chronologies of the United States Marine Corps - 2004". History Division, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2006-01-25.
  22. ^ Sgt. Roe F. Seigle (2006-03-18). "Hawaii-based unit, 'America's Battalion, arrives in Al Anbar Province". Marine Corps News. #200618115348. Retrieved 2006-03-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/lookupstoryref/20068213451
  24. ^ http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/lookupstoryref/20068213451
  25. ^ http://blogs.usatoday.com/iraq/2006/06/index.html
  26. ^ http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/2DFC49ED482193F2852571FC00416373?opendocument
  27. ^ http://starbulletin.com/2006/10/21/news/story01.html
  28. ^ "3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines Honors Awarded". 3rd Marine Regiment, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  29. ^ MARADMIN 074/07 AWARDS UPDATE
  30. ^ Oliver North (March 9, 2005). "Oliver North Discusses His Book, 'War Stories II: Heroism in the Pacific'" (Interview). Interviewed by Renee Giachino. Retrieved 2006-12-09. {{cite interview}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |callsign= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |program= ignored (help) Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  31. ^ http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54880

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.

External Links

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