2nd Battalion 3rd Marines

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines


caption= 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines insignia
dates= May 1, 1942 - December 31, 1945 July 20, 1951 - present
country=United States
allegiance=
branch=USMC
type= Light infantry
role= Locate, close with and destroy the enemy with fire and maneuver
size=
command_structure= 3rd Marine Regiment 3rd Marine Division
current_commander= LtCol Patrick Cashman
garrison=Marine Corps Base Hawaii
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= "Island Warriors"
patron=
motto= "Fortuna Fortes Juvat" "Fortune Favors the Brave"
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles= World War II *Battle of Bougainville *Battle of Guam Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=

2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines (2/3) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and sailors. The battalion falls under the 3rd Marine Regiment and the 3rd Marine Division.

ubordinate units

* Headquarters and Services Company
* Echo Company
* Fox Company
* Golf Company
* Weapons Company

History

World War II

The 3rd Training Battalion, Division Special Troops, 1st Marine Division was activated on May 1, 1942 at New River, North Carolina. On June 17 of that same year, they were redesignated the ‘’’2nd Training Battalion, 3rd Marines’’’ and in September were deployed to Tutuila, American Samoa and reassigned to the 2nd Marine Brigade. They remained there until they moved to Auckland, New Zealand in May 1943. In June of that year, they were reassigned to the 3rd Marine Division and were again moved to Guadalcanal in July.

2/3 participated in the following World War II campaigns:
*Battle of Bougainville
*Battle of the Northern Solomons
*Battle of Guam
*Battle of Iwo Jima

Vietnam War

2/3 deployed to Da Nang in the Republic of Vietnam in April 1965. They fought in Vietnam from April 1965 until October 1969, operating from DaNang, Camp Carroll, Quang Tri, Cam Lo, the A Shau Valley and Khe Sahn. The battalion made a night helicopter assault in the Elephant Valley south of Da Nang on 12 August 1965, shortly after Marine ground troops arrived in country. In October 1969, the battalion relocated to MCB Camp Pendleton.

The Gulf War and the 1990s

In January 1990, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines deployed to Saudi Arabia and participated in Operation Desert Storm and the Liberation of Kuwait. The battalion was deployed to Southwest Asia from September 1990 until April 1991, when 2/3 returned to Kaneohe Bay.

Global War on Terror and the Iraq War

The battalion deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Haditha region of Al Anbar Province in western Iraq in 2006-2007.cite web
accessdate
url=http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/069DED4D1870A99F8525727800361719?opendocument
archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070930201716/http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/069DED4D1870A99F8525727800361719?opendocument
archivedate=2007-09-03
title=MarineLInk
publisher=United States Marine Corps] In February 2008, the battalion again deployed to Iraq, operating in the vicinity of Fallujah. On June 26, 2008, the commanding officer of 2/3, LtCol Max Galeai and two other Marines from the battalion were killed when a suicide bomber dressed as an Iraqi policeman detonated an explosive vest at a meeting of tribal sheiks in the town of Karmah.cite news
last = Vorsino
first = Mary
title =Suicide bomber kills 3 Hawaii Marines - Battalion commander among suicide bomber's victims
work = The Honolulu Advertiser
date =2008-06-28
url =http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080628/NEWS08/806280336/1001/LOCALNEWSFRONT
accessdate = 2008-06-28] The battalion will return from this deployment in late August/early September 2008.cite news
title =2/3 begins return to Hawaii from Iraq
work = Marine Corps Times
date =2008-08-14
url =http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/08/marine_hawaiireturn_081408/
accessdate = 2008-08-15 ]

Awards

2/3 Medal of Honor recipients

During World War II, PFC Leonard F. Mason, serving with the 2/3, despite being mortally wounded, singlehandly destroyed an enemy machine gun position during the Battle of Guam. Mason was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

During the Vietnam War, PFC Bruce W. Carter threw himself on a grenade to save the lives of fellow Marines. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Unit awards

*Presidential Unit Citation with 2 bronze star
** Guam - 1944
** Vietnam - 1965 - 1967, 1967
*Navy Unit Commendation
** Bougainville - 1943
*Meritorious Unit Commendation
** Vietnam - 1967 - 1968
*Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 4 bronze stars
*World War II Victory Medal
*National Defense Service Medal w/ 3 bronze stars
*Korean Service Medal
*Vietnam Service Medal w/ 2 silver stars
*Southwest Asia Service Medal w/ 2 bronze stars
*Vietnam Cross of Gallantry w/ palm streamer
*Afghanistan Campaign Medal
*Iraqi Campaign Medal
*Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
*Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

ee also

*List of United States Marine Corps battalions
*Organization of the United States Marine Corps

Notes

References

:Marine Corps

;Web
* [http://www.mcbh.usmc.mil/3mar/2dbn/2-3%20INDEX.htm 2/3's official website]