8th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion
8th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion | |
---|---|
Active | |
Country | United States of America |
Branch | United States Marine Corps |
Type | Air Defense/Coastal Defense |
Size | ~800 men |
Part of | V Amphibious Corps |
Engagements | World War II *Gilbert Islands Campaign *Battle of Okinawa |
Commanders | |
Current commander | N/A |
The 8th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (8th AAA Bn) was a
History
The 8th Defense Battalion was commissioned on 1 April 1942 at
On 25 October 1942, the battalion was attached to the
As the war progressed, the Marine Corps removed coastal artillery from the defense battalions in order to form additional heavy artillery units for the Fleet Marine Force.[2] Because of the divestiture of the coastal defense mission, the battalion was re-designated as the 8th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion on 15 June 1944. For the next few months, the battalion continued to train on Kauai.
On 10 March 1945, most of the 8th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion departed Kauai on board the
On 22 October the 8th AAA Battalion embarked upon the USS Meriwether (APA-203) and sailed for the United States. The battalion arrived at San Diego, California on 8 November 1945. On 27 November 1945 the 8th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion was decommissioned.[2]
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 awarded unit citation. The 8th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion has been presented with the following awards:
Streamer | Award | Year(s) | Additional Info |
---|---|---|---|
Presidential Unit Citation Streamer | 17 April - 14 July 1945 | Okinawa | |
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer with one Bronze Star
|
Gilbert Islands, Okinawa | ||
World War II Victory Streamer
|
1941–1945 | Pacific War |
See also
- Marine Defense Battalions
- List of United States Marine Corps aviation support units
Citations
- ^ a b Rottman 2002, pp. 211.
- ^ a b c Rottman 2002, pp. 216.
- ^ Melson 1996a, pp. 7.
- ^ Rottman 2002, pp. 213.
- ^ Melson 1996b, pp. 20.
- ^ Rottman 2004, pp. 88.
- ^ Nichols & Shaw 1955, pp. 200.
- ^ Nichols & Shaw 1955, pp. 305.
References
- Bibliography
- Nichols, Charles S. Jr.; Shaw, Henry I. (1955). Okinawa: Victory in the Pacific (PDF). United States Marine Corps Historical Branch.
- Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle: Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939–1945. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-31906-5.
- Rottman, Gordon L. (2004). US Marine Corps Pacific Theater of Operations 1944-45. Osprey Press. ISBN 1-84176-659-3.
- Web
- Melson, Charles D. (1996a). Condition Red: Marine Defense Battalions in World War II (PDF). Marines in World War II Commemorative Series. Washington, D.C.: Marine Corps Historical Center. OCLC 34920984. Retrieved 2020-05-17. Part 1
- Melson, Charles D. (1996b). Condition Red: Marine Defense Battalions in World War II (PDF). Marines in World War II Commemorative Series. Washington, D.C.: Marine Corps Historical Center. OCLC 34920984. Retrieved 2020-05-17. Part 2