3rd Marine Division
3rd Marine Division | |
---|---|
Active | 1942–1945, 1952–present |
Country | United States of America |
Branch | United States Marine Corps |
Type | Ground combat element |
Size | Marine Division |
Part of | III Marine Expeditionary Force |
Garrison/HQ | Camp Courtney[1] |
Nickname(s) | "Fighting Third" "Caltrap" |
Motto(s) | Fidelity, Valor, Honor |
Engagements |
|
Commanders | |
Commanding General | Maj. Gen. |
The 3rd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry divisions in the Marine Corps and together with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1stMAW) and the 3rd Marine Logistics Group (3rd MLG) forms the III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF). The division was first formed during World War II and saw four years of continuous combat in the Vietnam War. Today, elements of the 3rd Marine Division are continuously forward deployed and forward postured to carry out the US Government's mission of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific in conjunction with its sister services.
Organization 2024
As of March 2024 the 3rd Marine Division consists of:[2]
- Headquarters Battalion
- 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment
- 4th Marine Regiment (Infantry)
- 12th Marine Littoral Regiment
- 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion
- Jungle Warfare Training Center, Okinawa (Transitioning to TECOM)
History
World War II
The 3rd Marine Division was officially activated on September 16, 1942 at
The division deployed into
The division returned to Guadalcanal in January 1944 to rest, refit, and retrain. The next operation in which the division took part was the Battle of Guam. From 21 July 1944 until the last day of organized fighting on 10 August, the division fought through the jungles on the island of Guam. During these 21 days of fighting, the division captured over 60 square miles (160 km2) of territory and killed over 5,000 enemy soldiers.[6] The next two months saw continuous mopping up operations in which the Marines continued to engage leftover Japanese forces. At the end of the battle the division had sustained 677 Marines killed, 3,626 wounded, and nine missing.[7]
The division remained on the island of Guam for training, until it embarked as part of the landing force for the Battle of Iwo Jima. The 3rd Marine Division was initially in reserve for the battle.[8] However, the division was committed one regiment at a time when the initial regiments that landed there needed to be relieved.
The
After the return to Guam, the division began preparing for the invasion of Japan. This invasion never took place since Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945. The 3rd Marine Division was decommissioned on December 28, 1945 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA.[12][3]
During the war, the 3rd Marine Division had three Seabee Battalions assigned to it. The 25th Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) was posted to
The 25th NCB also landed during the assault on Guam as the shore party to the 3rd Marine Regiment, after which the 19th Marines were deactivated, and the 25th NCB was reassigned. The 62nd NCB was then posted TAD to the 3rd for Iwo Jima. They were in the reserve, but they became the lead battalion in getting airfield No. 1 operational, after of the many casualties taken by the primary assault Seabees,[14] the 133rd NCB.[citation needed]
Korean War
The division was reactivated on 7 January 1952 at Camp Pendleton, California, using the assets of the 3d Marine Brigade activated in June 1951. Immediately after its activation and still in its organizational state, the division began intensive combat training, including new tactics and maneuvers based on lessons learned in the then-ongoing Korean War. During the remaining part of 1952 elements of the division participated in numerous exercises and training problems, including vertical envelopment (helicopter landing), airborne operations and attack, and defense against atomic weapons and missiles.[citation needed]
In August 1953 the division arrived in Japan to support the
Vietnam War
The
In August 1966, the battalions of the
On November 14, 1967, the 3rd Marine Division commander Major General Bruno Hochmuth was killed northwest of Huế in a helicopter crash. Some of the major operations in 1967 and early 1968 in this area were Operation Prairie III, Operation Prairie IV, Operation Hickory I, Operation Cimarron, Operation Buffalo, Operation Kingfisher and Operation Kentucky.
Nearly 8,000 PAVN were killed during this time period. The Marines suffered over 1400 killed and over 9,000 wounded. There were five
During the 1968
During the Vietnam War, the 3rd Marine Division suffered 6,869 men killed in action.[19]
The division departed South Vietnam in November 1969 with more than 20 Marines having received the Medal of Honor and moved to Camp Courtney, Okinawa, where it is presently located.[citation needed]
Saudi Arabia
Following the cease-fire on 28 February 1991, the regiment redeployed to Saudi Arabia and subsequently completed its strategic redeployment to Hawaii two months later.
Afghanistan
In September 2008,
Iraq
From July 2004 through April 2005, Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion 12th Marines, deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were attached to 1st Battalion 3rd Marines and deployed to Fallujah, Iraq participating in Operation Phantom Fury.
Present
3d Marine Division continues to train to respond to contingencies within the Indo-Pacific Region. From March to May 2011, the division participated in humanitarian relief efforts during Operation Tomodachi, providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief in Honshu, Japan. Today, the 3rd Marine Division carries out a variety of tasks to include supporting the US Government policy in the Indo-Pacific region, supporting diplomatic activities, combat training, integrating with other US federal agencies and humanitarian assistance missions.
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 appropriate ribbon of the awarded unit citation. 3d Marine Division has been awarded the following:[20]
Streamer | Award | Year(s) | Additional Info |
---|---|---|---|
Presidential Unit Citation Streamer with one Bronze Star | 1945, 1965–1967 | Iwo Jima, Vietnam War | |
Navy Unit Commendation Streamer with one Bronze Star | 1945, 2002–2003 | Iwo Jima, Western Pacific | |
Meritorious Unit Commendation Streamer | 2004–2005 | Indonesia Tsunami Relief | |
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer with four Bronze Stars
|
Bougainville, Northern Solomons, Guam, Iwo Jima | ||
World War II Victory Streamer | 1942–1945 | Pacific War | |
National Defense Service Streamer with three Bronze Stars | 1950–1954, 1961–1974, 1990–1995, 2001–present | War on Terrorism
| |
Korean Service Streamer | |||
Vietnam Service Streamer with two Silver and one Bronze Stars | April 1965 - May 1969, March - May 1975 | Quang Tri, Quang Nam, Thua Thien, Evacuation Operations in Vietnam and Cambodia | |
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Streamer | |||
Global War on Terrorism Service Streamer | 2001 – present | ||
Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Streamer
|
See also
- List of 3rd Marine Division Commanders
- List of United States Marine Corps divisions
- Organization of the United States Marine Corps
- 25th Naval Construction Battalion (19th Marine Regiment)
References
- ^ Cordero, Jeffrey (26 September 2008). "3rd Marine Division celebrates 66th birthday". U.S. Marines in Japan. United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2008-12-09.[dead link]
- ^ "3rd Marine Division". 3rd Marine Division. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Third Division Disbanded Here". The Pendleton Scout. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. 4 July 1946. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
- ^ Rottman (2002): 134
- ^ Astor and Cohlmia (1948): 80
- ^ Astor and Cohlmia (1948): 162
- ^ Astor and Cohlmia (1948): 168
- ^ a b Astor and Cohlmia (1948). 228
- ^ Astor and Cohlmia (1948): 230
- ^ Astor and Cohlmia (1948): 250
- ^ Astor and Cohlmia (1948): 252
- ^ Rottman (2002): 135
- ^ 71st U.S Naval Construction Battalion, Seabee Museum Archives, Port Hueneme, CA p. 14 [1]
- ^ History of the U.S. Marine Corps in WWII Vol IV- Western Pacific Operations, George w. Garand & Truman R. Strobridge, Historical Branch, G3- Division, Headquarters, U.S.Marine Corps, 1971. p. 594-595|[2]
- ^ "Facts about the Vietnam Veterans memorial collection". NPS.gov. 2010. Archived from the original on 28 May 2010. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
- ^ "Lyndon B. Johnson: Presidential Unit Citation Awarded to Third Marine Division, Reinforced, Fleet Marine Force Pacific". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Archived from the original on 28 September 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ISBN 978-1-481219-46-4. NVA and VC Order of Battle information is located on pages 114-127.
- ^ COL Thomas Pike, Military Records, February 1968, 3rd Marine Division: The Tet Offensive https://www.amazon.com/Military-Records-February-Marine-Division/dp/1481219464/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396477612&sr=1-1&keywords=3rd+marine+division+Pike
- ^ CDR Kenneth Davis, USN (ret), and associates of the Coffelt Database of Vietnam casualties.
- ^ "Lineage and Honors". caltrap.org. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
- Bibliography
- Aurthur, Robert A.; Cohlmia, Kenneth (1948). The Third Marine Division. Washington, D.C.: Infantry Journal Press.
- Coan, James P. (2004-08-10). Con Thien - Hill of Angels. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: The University of Alabama Press. ISBN 978-0-8173-1414-9.
- Pike, COL Thomas F. Military Records, February 1968, 3rd Marine Division: The Tet Offensive. Charleston: Creatspace. ISBN 978-1-481219-46-4.
- Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle – Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-31906-8.
- Web
- 3rd Marine Division official website
- O'Brien, Cyril J. (1994). "Ashore in the North" (brochure). LIBERATION: Marines in the Recapture of Guam. Marine Corps Historical Center. Retrieved 2007-01-01.
- 3d Marine Division Association website
- History of the 3d Marine Division Archived 2009-02-23 at the Wayback Machine
- Jewett, Rus. "Gruntfixer: An accounting of my experiences as a Hospital Corpsman attached to "Ripley's Raiders" Lima Company 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines – 1967".