15°59′11″N 108°10′27″E / 15.98639°N 108.17417°E / 15.98639; 108.17417
189-534: The Cam Ne incident was a Vietnam War incident in which U.S. Marines burned the huts of South Vietnamese civilians living in the village of Cam Ne in Quảng Nam Province , South Vietnam . The incident became one of the top news stories in the United States about the war. On 2 July 1965 following a Viet Cong (VC) mortar and sapper attack on Da Nang Air Base that destroyed three aircraft and damaged
378-589: A 10-day state visit to the US . President Eisenhower pledged his continued support, and a parade was held in Diệm's honor. But Secretary of State Dulles privately conceded Diệm had to be backed because they could find no better alternative. Between 1954 and 1957, the Diệm government succeeded in preventing large-scale organized unrest in the countryside. In April 1957, insurgents launched an assassination campaign, referred to as "extermination of traitors". 17 people were killed in
567-516: A Headquarters and Service Company (H&S), and a Weapons Company . During the Vietnam War, infantry battalions had a fourth rifle company, which was replaced with Weapons Company in the 1980s. The rifle companies were designed to act as maneuver elements for the battalion. With attachments they could also be employed independently for short periods of time. Each rifle company ideally consisted of six officers and 176 enlisted personnel and
756-403: 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
945-669: A Marxist–Leninist political organization which operated primarily in Hong Kong and the Soviet Union . The party aimed to overthrow French rule and establish an independent communist state in Vietnam. In September 1940, Japan invaded French Indochina, following France's capitulation to Nazi Germany . French influence was suppressed by the Japanese, and in 1941 Cung, now known as Ho Chi Minh , returned to Vietnam to establish
1134-625: A Military Assistance and Advisory Group (MAAG) to screen French requests for aid, advise on strategy, and train Vietnamese soldiers. By 1954, the US had spent $ 1 billion in support of the French military effort, shouldering 80% of the cost of the war. During the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, US carriers sailed to the Gulf of Tonkin and the US conducted reconnaissance flights. France and
1323-565: A psychological warfare campaign which exaggerated anti-Catholic sentiment among the Viet Minh and distributed propaganda attributed to Viet Minh threatening an American attack on Hanoi with atomic bombs. During the 300-day period, up to one million northerners, mainly minority Catholics, moved south, fearing persecution by the Communists. The exodus was coordinated by a U.S.-funded $ 93 million relocation program, which involved
1512-523: A Japanese grenade. After applying a tourniquet , Skaggs continued to fight for another eight hours before moving unassisted to the rear where most of his leg was amputated. For this he became the first Marine from 3rd Battalion to be awarded the Medal of Honor . Over the next two days the 3rd Battalion fought a savage battle with the Japanese defenders for the Chonito Cliffs and Fonte Plateau area, as
1701-597: A Japanese sniper on 14 December during a mopping up operation on Guam (three months after the formal end of hostilities). 3rd Battalion was reactivated at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in August 1951 as part of the 3rd Marine Brigade during the general Marine Corps expansion as a result of the Korean War . In February 1952, it took part in Lex-Baker-1, which was the first full-scale Marine-Navy exercise held on
1890-556: A band of insurgents in the Haqlaniyah Hotel and destroyed it. By June, attacks against Marines in Haqlaniyah had become common, with their base getting mortared about twice a week and some insurgents getting close enough to throw grenades over the wall into the base. On 3 June three insurgents opened fire on the Haqlaniyah base but were quickly killed after a group of Marines led by Gunnery Sergeant Jim Lanham launched
2079-471: A ceasefire with the Viet Minh, and independence was granted to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. At the 1954 Geneva Conference, Vietnam was temporarily partitioned at the 17th parallel . Ho Chi Minh wished to continue war in the south, but was restrained by Chinese allies who convinced him he could win control by electoral means. Under the Geneva Accords, civilians were allowed to move freely between
SECTION 10
#17327874124682268-713: A cluster of villages northeast of Karmah that was the last major insurgent staging ground in Anbar. The insurgents fled without firing a shot. For the first few months the Marines took small-arms and mortar fire nightly. A 20-minute attack on 5 October against the Iraqi Police station in Karmah was repulsed by Jim Lanham, now a First Sergeant . By late 2007 the Marines frequently found themselves mediating between sheiks, assisting locals with reconstruction projects, and mentoring
2457-646: A coordinated uprising in South Vietnam against the government and a third of the population was soon living in areas of communist control. In December 1960, North Vietnam formally created the Viet Cong (VC) with the intent of uniting all anti-GVN insurgents, including non-communists. It was formed in Memot, Cambodia , and directed through COSVN. The VC "placed heavy emphasis on the withdrawal of American advisors and influence, on land reform and liberalization of
2646-707: A firefight at PB Meinert. India Company became involved in fierce firefights engaging the enemy at times just meters away. Throughout India Company's 7-month deployment they only called in 8 friendly evacuations after being engaged in over 92 Firefights and reported 174 enemy KIA. India Company operated out of | COP Spin Ghar | Patrol Base (PB) Jaker | PB Meinert | PB Poole | PB Skullet | PB Swenson | India Company's Marines were highly Awarded for their actions in Helmand during their operations including First Sgt. William Pinkerton awarded The Bronze Star Combat V. First Sgt. Pinkerton led
2835-659: A further three, the United States Marine Corps tactical area of responsibility was extended south of the base to a line 5 miles (8.0 km) south of the Cầu Đỏ River . This area had been a stronghold of the Vietminh during the French Indochina War and remained a VC stronghold. On 12 July, units of the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines operating around Cam Ne received fire from a VC force coming from
3024-401: A hasty counterattack. In early September, 3rd Battalion launched a second effort to recruit police called Operation Guardian Tiger IV . This recruitment drive was more successful than its predecessors and also detained 30 suspected insurgents. This second recruitment effort succeeded in locating an individual named "Colonel Farouk," who would play a key role in the counterinsurgency campaign in
3213-620: A joint effort with the ABP aimed at interdicting smugglers moving through the desert in southeastern Garmsir. On 17 April, over 2,200 Afghans went to the polls to elect the Garmsir District Community Council, which – due to increases in security – now represented the entire district instead of just the northern part. Four days later, on 21 April, a suicide bomber killed four Afghan Police in Garmsir; while medevacing
3402-501: A local VC official. The operation at Cam Ne was filmed by Can and narrated by Safer. The film showed a Marine, armed with a rifle, lighting a hut with his cigarette lighter. No opposition was evident. According to Safer's report, the Marines were under orders to burn to the ground any hamlet from which they received even a single burst of sniper fire. Old men and women who were pleading for the Marines to spare their houses were ignored. The houses and personal belongings were burned. Pleas from
3591-657: A month, the 3rd Marines were ordered to return to Guam on 5 March 1945. Back on Guam, 3rd Battalion began training for a landing on Miyako Jima , an island just south of Okinawa . Those orders were eventually cancelled, but the battalion 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. 3rd Battalion also began preparing for Operation Olympic , where as part of V Amphibious Corps , it would have landed at Kushikino, Kagoshima , on Kyūshū . After
3780-520: A more "modest" winning margin of "60 to 70 percent." Diệm, however, viewed the election as a test of authority. He declared South Vietnam to be an independent state under the name Republic of Vietnam (ROV), with him as president. Likewise, Ho Chi Minh and other communists won at least 99% of the vote in North Vietnamese "elections". The domino theory , which argued that if a country fell to communism, all surrounding countries would follow,
3969-557: A person knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs who did not agree that had elections been held as of the time of the fighting, possibly 80% of the population would have voted for the Communist Ho Chi Minh as their leader rather than Chief of State Bảo Đại. Indeed, the lack of leadership and drive on the part of Bảo Đại was a factor in the feeling prevalent among Vietnamese that they had nothing to fight for. According to
SECTION 20
#17327874124684158-473: A platoon from Mike Company observed and damaged two PAVN PT-76 tanks near Alpha 3, one of only three times they were encountered during the Vietnam War before 1972. On 6 March, Mike Company blundered into the 27th Regiment of the PAVN 325th Division and had one-third of the company put out of action in an all-night engagement, including 14 marines killed. In early May the PAVN launched a new offensive known as
4347-468: A policy of " Vietnamization " from 1969, which saw the conflict fought by an expanded ARVN, while US forces withdrew. A 1970 coup in Cambodia resulted in a PAVN invasion and a US–ARVN counter-invasion , escalating its civil war. US troops had mostly withdrawn from Vietnam by 1972, and the 1973 Paris Peace Accords saw the rest leave. The accords were broken almost immediately and fighting continued until
4536-440: A series of forward operating bases in the local cities of Haditha , Barwanah , Haqlaniyah , and Baghdadi from which its rifle and weapons companies sent out constant patrols to keep the insurgent groups off balance. However, the battalion was unable to create a working local police force, due to the overwhelming intimidation by insurgent groups. Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Norman Cooling observed, "We didn't have
4725-447: A series of bloody engagements near Khe Sanh known as The Hill Fights . Activity near Khe Sanh had increased dramatically that spring and on 24 April, Bravo Company 1st Battalion 9th Marines was engaged by elements of the PAVN 18th Regiment dug in on Hills 881 North, 881 South, and 861. 3rd Battalion, then a hybrid unit with companies from multiple battalions, was sent to assist. 3rd Battalion's commander, LtCol Gary Wilder, believed he
4914-518: A series of sweeps throughout Quảng Trị Province. On 2 March 1967, Lima Company, then under the command of Captain John Ripley , stumbled into a PAVN regiment trying to cross the DMZ. 12 marines were killed, 28 severely wounded, and nearly every other man in the fight, including Ripley, was hit. The PAVN suffered heavy casualties and retreated across the border. In April, 3rd Battalion participated in
5103-531: A series of trails that linked the beachhead with the advancing units, and made supply much easier. On 16 November the battalion reached the Numa Numa Trail and began probing for Japanese units On 18 November after a sharp firefight near a Japanese roadblock the battalion recovered a Japanese map with valuable intelligence on Japanese defenses. From 19 to 21 November, 3rd Battalion continued probing for Japanese units, which had been identified as elements of
5292-547: A single airstrike on a North Vietnamese convoy. In early 1969, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines was sent south of the DMZ for several months to join Task Force Yankee in Operation Taylor Common near An Hoa . This three-month operation focused on destroying the primary base for PAVN forces operating across several provinces and 3rd Battalion was awarded a Navy Unit Commendation for its actions during
5481-512: A three-week stay prior to the invasion of Guam . During the interlude, the Marines of 3rd Battalion were primarily confined to their transport ship, the USS Warren . On 21 July 1944, around 0830, 3rd Battalion hit the Asan beaches on Guam . Landing 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
5670-452: A tour on Okinawa , Japan, where they were redesignated the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines. At the time the Marines of 3rd Battalion expected a typical 13-month deployment followed by a quick return to the United States. However the battalion found itself caught up in the initial deployment of Marine units to South Vietnam , and landed on 12 May 1965 along the Vietnamese coast south of Danang at Chu Lai . 3rd Battalion's first major operation in
5859-550: A week after the Tet Offensive began, when Kilo Company engaged a PAVN battalion near Gio Linh. 29 Kilo Marines were killed, including PFC Robert Quick who was awarded a posthumous Navy Cross for deflecting a PAVN hand grenade. Another 31 were wounded, including PFC Craig Swartz who was wounded three times and received three purple hearts for his service. PAVN losses numbered at least 139, with another 60 graves discovered by 3rd Battalion Marines three days later. That same month
Cam Ne incident - Misplaced Pages Continue
6048-663: Is the most commonly used title in English . It has been called the Second Indochina War since it spread to Laos and Cambodia , the Vietnam Conflict , and Nam (colloquially 'Nam). In Vietnam it is commonly known as Kháng chiến chống Mỹ ( lit. ' Resistance War against America ' ). The Government of Vietnam officially refers to it as the Resistance War against America to Save
6237-475: The 1975 spring offensive and fall of Saigon to the PAVN, marking the war's end. North and South Vietnam were reunified in 1976. The war exacted enormous human cost : estimates of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed range from 970,000 to 3 million. Some 275,000–310,000 Cambodians , 20,000–62,000 Laotians , and 58,220 US service members died. Its end would precipitate the Vietnamese boat people and
6426-807: The 1st Guards Battalion of Singapore. In 1998 the battalion participated in Operation Southern Frontier in Australia, Kennel Bear in Okinawa, Forest Eagle/Freedom Banner in Korea, Forest Light on Kyushu , Japan, and Fuji '99. From 1999 to 2002, 3rd Battalion conducted operations Crocodile '99 and Tandem Thrust '01 in Queensland and Townsend, Australia, Operation Tafakula in Tonga, and then conducted UDPs to Okinawa in 2000 and 2002. In 2002
6615-480: The 1st Marine Division . The battalion was deactivated 1 June 1974. 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines was reactivated on 1 October 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 June 1979, Mike Company was deactivated and Weapons Company was stood up. In February 1980, following
6804-620: The 215th Corps , the battalion found itself in an area awash with money as the U.S. Agency for International Development was in the process of spending $ 30 million in an attempt to increase agricultural production (and create jobs for thousands of otherwise-potential Taliban recruits), but was also resulting in tensions between the local community council and tribal elders. In-mid June, Lima Company took part in Operation New Dawn , establishing observation posts in southern Shosharak, an area in between Nawa and Marjeh . In late July,
6993-415: The 3rd Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division . When fully manned, the unit consisted of approximately 1000 U.S. Marines and United States Navy Sailors. 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
7182-781: The Afghan War , 3rd Battalion conducted multiple deployments around the Pacific Rim. In August 1991 the battalion participated in Operation Tafakula in Tonga, an international exercise involving elements of the French military and the Tongan defense services. In 1992 it conducted a Unit Deployment Program (UDP) to Okinawa. In 1993 India Company participated in Operation Golden Eagle in Australia. In 1994
7371-530: The Afghan parliamentary elections the battalion suffered another loss when 1st Lieutenant Scott Fleming was shot and killed. Nevertheless, on election day Nawa District was the one location in Helmand Province with no reported Taliban attacks. Residents claimed that the Marines from 3rd Battalion had implemented good security measures and encouraged the people to cooperate with the government, preventing
7560-560: The Battle of Iwo Jima , 3rd Battalion, as part of 3rd Marines, was kept offshore as the Expeditionary Troops reserve. However, despite numerous requests from other Marine officers, the 3rd Marines were never landed. According to one 3rd Battalion veteran, some Marines from the battalion came ashore to unload supplies or with other units that they had recently transferred to. After sitting off Iwo Jima in their transport ships for
7749-686: 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. One Marine from the battalion, Dakota Meyer , was awarded the Medal of Honor during the Global War on Terror. After
Cam Ne incident - Misplaced Pages Continue
7938-585: The Battle of Piva Forks . 165 other Marines from 3rd Battalion became casualties during the campaign. After Bougainville, 3rd Battalion conducted numerous training exercises on Guadalcanal from January to May 1944 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 invasion of Saipan , they were ultimately not landed and returned to Eniwetok for
8127-600: The Chief of Naval Operations , ordered the 3rd Marine Regiment to garrison Tutuila, American Samoa , freeing up the 8th Marine Regiment for future combat operations. On 24 August, 3rd Battalion left New River by train for San Diego. On 31 August, the battalion boarded the SS Lurline and began the two-week voyage to Samoa. Upon arriving in Samoa, 3rd Battalion had many of its experienced officers and enlisted transferred to
8316-610: The Châu Đốc massacre at a bar in July, and in September a district chief was killed with his family. By early 1959, Diệm had come to regard the violence as an organized campaign and implemented Law 10/59, which made political violence punishable by death and property confiscation. There had been division among former Viet Minh, whose main goal was to hold elections promised in the Geneva Accords, leading to " wildcat " activities separate from
8505-669: The Cold War between the Soviet Union and US. American military involvement greatly escalated from 1965 until its withdrawal in 1973. The fighting spilled over into the Laotian and Cambodian Civil Wars , which ended with all three countries becoming communist in 1975. After the defeat of French Indochina in the First Indochina War that began in 1946, Vietnam gained independence in the 1954 Geneva Conference but
8694-756: The Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962) played out on television worldwide. It was the closest the Cold War came to nuclear war . The Kennedy administration remained committed to the Cold War foreign policy inherited from the Truman and Eisenhower administrations. In 1961, the US had 50,000 troops based in South Korea, and Kennedy faced four crisis situations: the failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion he had approved in April, settlement negotiations between
8883-707: The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The threat never materialized and BLT 3/3 returned to Vietnam later that month. In October 1966, 3rd Battalion was deployed to combat the threat from the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) in Quảng Trị Province . This would be a largely conventional fight, known as the "war against professionals", that would continue until late 1968. Supplies would be in constant short supply and Marines were constantly scavenging helmets, clothes, armor, and ammunition from their dead. In December,
9072-443: The French Navy and the US Seventh Fleet to ferry refugees. The northern refugees gave the later Ngô Đình Diệm regime a strong anti-communist constituency. Over 100,000 Viet Minh fighters went to the north for "regroupment", expecting to return south within two years. The Viet Minh left roughly 5,000 to 10,000 cadres in the south as a base for future insurgency. The last French soldiers left South Vietnam in April 1956 and
9261-406: The Green Berets , would be effective in a "brush fire" war in Vietnam. 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines#Search and Destroy Near Da Nang (1965–1966) 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
9450-536: The Haditha killings (where Marines had killed 24 civilians in the same area the previous November) broke in the United States. Once it arrived in Iraq, the 3rd Battalion began the mission of "fighting insurgents, working with locals to improve local economy and quality of life, and training Iraqi soldiers." The Battalion was also partnered up with the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade of the 7th Iraqi Army Division . 3rd Battalion attempted to secure Haditha by using an approach of "constant presence". The battalion operated from
9639-456: The Ho Chi Minh trail to supply and reinforce the VC. By 1963, the north had covertly sent 40,000 soldiers of its own People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), armed with Soviet and Chinese weapons, to fight in the insurgency in the south. President John F. Kennedy increased US involvement from 900 military advisors in 1960 to 16,300 in 1963 and sent more aid to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), which failed to produce results. In 1963, Diem
SECTION 50
#17327874124689828-437: The Iran hostage crisis and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan , the battalion was deployed to the Persian Gulf on board the USS Okinawa and was also the back-up force during Operation Eagle Claw . This deployment made 3rd Battalion the first American ground unit to enter the region since World War II. In the summer of 1983, the battalion was in Mombasa , Kenya as part of the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) when
10017-416: The Iraqi police units in the area. One company commander, Captain Quintin Jones, observed that, "On one end I'm fighting, and on the other end I'm disputing between tribal leaders. The other part (is) trying to stimulate the economy. So, it's a three-block war here and it's very, very dynamic." The battalion spent more than $ 1 million on Karmah, including a city council and a medical clinic. On 1 December,
10206-425: The Joint Chiefs of Staff ordered it to the Mediterranean Sea to become part of the Multinational Force in Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War . It arrived on 12 September and spent three weeks off the coast as a reserve force for the 24th MAU on the USS Tarawa (LHA-1) . It departed on 9 October for the Indian Ocean, two weeks before the Beirut barracks bombing . On 2 August 1990, 3rd Battalion
10395-429: The Korean War in June convinced Washington policymakers that the war in Indochina was another example of communist expansionism, directed by the Soviet Union. Military advisors from China began assisting the Viet Minh in July 1950. Chinese weapons, expertise, and laborers transformed the Viet Minh from a guerrilla force into a regular army. In September 1950, the US further enforced the Truman Doctrine by creating
10584-478: The Kuwait International Airport around 27 February where a SCUD missile landed near the battalion's command post. The battalion was on the grounds of Kuwait International Airport preparing to redeploy on order when the cease-fire was announced. After being trucked back south to Jubayl, on about 7 March, 3rd Battalion returned to Hawaii, having suffered no combat casualties and being the first Marine unit to return home. Between its participation in Desert Storm and
10773-477: The May Offensive or 'mini-Tet'. During that time, on 8 May, 3rd Battalion overran a PAVN regimental command post in Leatherneck Square, suffering 102 casualties including 8 killed. On 22 May, Lima Company uncovered a North Vietnamese staging area near Alpha 3 and destroyed it in an action that involved elements of three other Marine battalions. Then on 26 May the battalion was moved east to Dai Do as part of Operation Napoleon/Saline , in response to PAVN pressure on
10962-453: The Nurzai Tribe in the Sar Banadar area, was gunned down by a member of the Andar Tribe following a shura with 3rd Battalion Marines. Afghan Border Police (ABP) were able to arrest the murderer, who was then successfully prosecuted under Afghan law . A Taliban commander was also killed in Meyan Pashti around the same time. In mid-December, a squad from Lima Company was able to rescue an entire Afghan family when their car plunged into
11151-477: The Pentagon Papers , which commented on Eisenhower's observation, Diệm would have been a more popular candidate than Bảo Đại against Hồ, stating that "It is almost certain that by 1956 the proportion which might have voted for Ho - in a free election against Diem - would have been much smaller than 80%." In 1957, independent observers from India, Poland, and Canada representing the International Control Commission (ICC) stated that fair elections were impossible, with
11340-647: The Regimental Combat Team 6 during the closing phases of Operation Alljah . Their mission was to complete the Clear Hold Build operation in the areas of Karmah and Zaidon which the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines and 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines had begun two months earlier. Karmah had become an important insurgent stronghold due its proximity both Baghdad and Fallujah. Unlike other cities, Karmah had no definable perimeter to hold, making it easy for outsiders to access. In addition, as insurgents were pushed out of Baghdad by other offensives they found it easy to flee to Karmah. In early September, Kilo Company moved into
11529-436: The Viet Minh , an anti-Japanese resistance movement that advocated for independence. The Viet Minh received aid from the Allies , namely the US, Soviet Union, and Republic of China . Beginning in 1944, the US Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) provided the Viet Minh with weapons, ammunition, and training to fight the occupying Japanese and Vichy French forces. Throughout the war, Vietnamese guerrilla resistance against
SECTION 60
#173278741246811718-436: The Vietnam War to be awarded the Medal of Honor . India Company then had to fight its way back to the rest of the battalion through other Viet Cong units still operating in the area. Around 1200, an H&S Company supply convoy bound for India Company was ambushed and a force sent to relieve them was also pinned down. The ordeal was covered by journalist Peter Arnett in his article "The Death of Supply Column 21". During
11907-469: The Vietnam War was Operation Starlite where they teamed up with units of the 7th Marines . Operation Starlite was aimed at destroying the 1st Viet Cong (VC) Regiment, which was preparing to attack Chu Lai from the Van Tuong peninsula. The fighting began on 18 August when the battalion conducted an amphibious landing just east of the VC positions. At first the attack was slowed by effective VC delaying tactics. However, 3rd Battalion eventually advanced to
12096-450: The West Coast since 1949. In May, India Company participated in the ground portion of the Operation Tumbler–Snapper 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, 3rd Battalion took part in one of the first exercises at Twentynine Palms , California. The entire 3rd Marine Division, including 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines,
12285-399: The dropping of the atomic bombs in August 1945 , and Japan's surrender , 3rd Battalion was detached from the 3rd Marine Division in November 1945 and deactivated the following month on 20 December 1945. Shortly before it was deactivated, however, 3rd Battalion suffered the dubious honor of having the last American killed in World War II, when PFC W.C. Patrick Bates of Kilo Company was shot by
12474-486: The 1st, 3rd, and 5th Training Battalions, on 16 June they would later become the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions of the 3rd Marine Regiment. The core of the new 3rd Battalion consisted of officers and enlisted men left behind from the 1st Marine Division shortly before it deployed to the South Pacific in April. The rest were recruits fresh off Parris Island . The first two months of 3rd Battalion's existence were spent just getting organized. On 25 July, Admiral Ernest King ,
12663-544: The 23rd Infantry Regiment, and engaging in sporadic firefights. In the lead-up to the Battle of Piva Forks , 3rd Battalion was able to seize critical high terrain that would give the Marines the advantage in the upcoming fight. The actual battle, from 22 to 26 November, saw some of the most vicious close combat experienced in the Pacific War as of that date. 3rd Battalion additionally suffered many casualties from unusually accurate Japanese mortar and artillery fire. Two days later, after 27 days of continuous action, 3rd Battalion
12852-489: The 3rd Battalion were twice that of Bougainville, with 300 wounded and 97 killed. Following the invasion of Guam, 3rd Battalion spent two months conducting 'mopping up' operations on the island until November, when it received orders to prepare for operations against Iwo Jima. From November until February 1945, they 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. During
13041-449: The 3rd Marine Division in Papatoetoe , New Zealand . On 25 August, they moved with the division to a staging area on Guadalcanal, which had become the main U.S. base in the Solomon Islands. For the next nine months 3rd Battalion would conduct advanced training out of Camp Coconut Grove near the Tetere Beach. No fewer than three major amphibious assaults would be planned from here. The invasion of Bougainville , announced on 27 September,
13230-408: 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. Like most infantry battalions in the Marine Corps in the post-Vietnam era, 3rd Battalion consisted of five companies: three Rifle Companies ,
13419-400: The 8th Marine Regiment, prior to that regiment's deployment to Guadalcanal. The Marines lived in small wooden huts called fales . It rained constantly, and the rain bred mosquitoes that carried the disease Filariasis , an intense swelling of the arms and legs. However the 3rd Battalion trained constantly and studied the combat reports coming out of Guadalcanal , so by the summer of 1943
13608-652: The American flag. The President ordered a background investigation on Safer, certain he was working for the Communists. No such affiliation was found. LBJ next ordered an investigation of the Marine officer in charge of the Cam Ne operation, certain Safer must have bribed the Marine to burn Cam Ne. Nothing came of this either. The Pentagon asked CBS to replace Safer as Vietnam correspondent. The Department of Defense began monitoring
13797-581: The British were opposed. Eisenhower, wary of involving the US in an Asian land war, decided against intervention. Throughout the conflict, US intelligence estimates remained skeptical of France's chance of success. On 7 May 1954, the French garrison at Dien Bien Phu surrendered. The defeat marked the end of French military involvement in Indochina. At the Geneva Conference , they negotiated
13986-503: The GVN, on coalition government and the neutralization of Vietnam." The identities of the leaders of the organization were often kept secret. Support for the VC was driven by resentment of Diem's reversal of Viet Minh land reforms in the countryside. The Viet Minh had confiscated large private landholdings, reduced rents and debts, and leased communal lands, mostly to poorer peasants. Diem brought
14175-706: The Helmand River. Starting in January 2012, 3rd Battalion and elements of the 215th Corps of the Afghan National Army began a series of airborne assaults at sparsely-populated and historically Taliban-controlled areas in Garmsir. On 4 January they launched Operation Tageer Shamal (Shifting Winds), aimed at clearing Taliban fighters from the western side of the Helmand River . On 10 February they followed up with Shahem Tofan (Eagle Storm),
14364-482: The I Corps area of operations, moving its command post to ten different locations. Hundreds of Marines were also affected by cellulitis . Following President Johnson's halt of the US bombing campaign on 1 November, 3rd Battalion Marines had to watch as the PAVN brazenly pushed large convoys of men and munitions south along the Ben Hai River. In one instance it took three days for the battalion to get approval for
14553-588: The ICC reporting that neither South nor North Vietnam had honored the armistice agreement. From April to June 1955, Diệm eliminated political opposition in the south by launching operations against religious groups: the Cao Đài and Hòa Hảo of Ba Cụt . The campaign also attacked the Bình Xuyên organized crime group, which was allied with members of the communist party secret police and had military elements. The group
14742-970: The JGSDF) and Okinawa. The battalion sent a composite company, made up of one platoon from each company, to Australia in March 1996 to cross train with the Australian 1st Royal Australian Regiment. In 1997 it conducted another UDP to Okinawa and Pohang , Korea . Some members of the battalion were selected to augment LF Carat. In June Marines from Lima Company 3rd Platoon with augments from 1st, 2nd Platoon, and Weapons Company were recalled for JTF Bevel Edge [not executed] to evacuate American Nationals from Cambodia. During that time Weapons Company participated in Exercise Kennel Bear on Guam. Lima Company took part in Operation Valiant Mark with
14931-402: The Japanese caves at point-blank range and 3rd Battalion flamethrowers burned out Japanese soldiers who still remained. After securing Adelup Point, 3rd Battalion finished the day providing flank security for the rest of the 3rd Marines during the Battle for Bundschu Ridge and became the only unit in the regiment to accomplish its objectives by the end of W-Day. The first night of 21–22 July,
15120-472: The Japanese grew dramatically, and by the end of 1944 the Viet Minh had grown to over 500,000 members. US President Franklin D. Roosevelt was an ardent supporter of Vietnamese resistance, and proposed that Vietnam's independence be granted under an international trusteeship following the war. Following the surrender of Japan in 1945, the Viet Minh launched the August Revolution , overthrowing
15309-677: The Japanese-backed Empire of Vietnam and seizing weapons from the surrendering Japanese forces. On September 2, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the Declaration of independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV). However, on September 23, French forces overthrew the DRV and reinstated French rule. American support for the Viet Minh promptly ended, and O.S.S. forces left as the French sought to reassert control of
15498-484: The Korean War era, 3d battalions typically contained G (George), H (How), and I (Item) companies. H&S Company provided combat service support and consisted of the battalion staff , including the headquarters element, communications, medical, and service platoons. While not a maneuver unit itself, H&S provided the battalion with command and control, surveillance, target acquisition, and service support, making
15687-534: The Marines assumed they carried off their dead. The Marines used great force on August 3 at Cam Ne because they expected it to be occupied by Viet Cong soldiers. They had taken casualties there the previous month. They felt the CBS report was distorted and were critical of CBS for telling only part of the story. On 9 August, another Marine unit operating near Cam Ne came under enemy fire: two Marines were killed and more than twenty were wounded. The Marines decided to complete
15876-463: The Marines began to withdraw and again came under fire from the VC, the Marines then called in an artillery and mortar barrage and four 105mm shells and 21 81mm mortar rounds hit the VC positions. CBS news correspondent Morley Safer was in Da Nang to report on Marine activities. On 3 August Safer joined the Marines headed for Cam Ne. Safer was accompanied by a South Vietnamese cameraman, Ha Tue Can
16065-472: The Marines from 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines conducted more than 8,000 patrols, located 54 weapons caches and detained more than 800 suspected insurgents. The battalion suffered 11 marines killed and 85 wounded. On 6 October, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines returned to Kaneohe Bay. The following year in August 2007, the battalion made its second Iraq deployment, this time to the Fallujah area where they served under
16254-670: The Marines from 3rd Battalion engaged the Taliban in 22 firefights. In one of them the battalion suffered its only fatalities for the deployment when LCPL Nicholas Kirven and Corporal Richard Schoener were killed during a three-hour firefight in Alishang which also resulted in twenty-three Taliban killed. During the fighting, Lieutenant Stephen Boada was awarded the Silver Star for calmly directing bombing runs on Taliban positions, despite having been wounded several times. In May
16443-423: The Marines of 3rd Battalion came under a concerted counterattack by the survivors of the Japanese 320th Independent Infantry Battalion, as well as the 319th, committed by Japanese commander General Kiyoshi Shigematsu to retake the Chonito Cliffs. The Japanese managed to infiltrate past many 3rd Battalion units through ravines and dry river beds and briefly threatened to overrun the battalion command post. The fighting
16632-416: The Medal of Honor. Two other Marines from 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines, Robert J. Modrzejewski (1958–1959) and Howard V. Lee (1959–1960), would later be awarded the Medal of Honor in Vietnam while serving with other units. Colonel John Ripley (hero of the bridge at Dong Ha ) was in command of Lima Company in 1967, and the company was frequently referred to as "Ripley's Raiders". One of his platoon commanders
16821-649: The Nation. It is sometimes called the American War . Vietnam had been under French control as part of French Indochina since the mid-19th century. Under French rule, Vietnamese nationalism was suppressed, so revolutionary groups conducted their activities abroad, particularly in France and China. One such nationalist, Nguyen Sinh Cung , established the Indochinese Communist Party in 1930,
17010-638: The North (OPDAN). In late July, Marines from the battalion operating as Task Force Personnel Recovery participated in and were responsible for the eventual recovery of the remains of a pilot, Navy Captain Scott Speicher , who had been missing in action since the 1991 Gulf War . President Barack Obama later said he was "grateful to the Marines who pursued the information that led to Captain Speicher's recovery so that he can now come home." The deployment
17199-556: The PAVN 27th Regiment and 33rd Sapper Battalion from coming through the DMZ. The operation continued until September, when the 3rd Marine Regiment was ordered to stop operations in preparation for its redeployment back to the United States . The battalion began to depart on 7 October and had fully arrived at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton by the end of 1969. Many 3rd Battalion Marines with time still left on their tours of duty were transferred to other units. 3rd Battalion spent over 1,600 days in Vietnam and conducted 48 combat operations,
17388-458: The PRC also completed its withdrawal from North Vietnam. Between 1953 and 1956, the North Vietnamese government instituted agrarian reforms, including "rent reduction" and "land reform", which resulted in political oppression. During land reform, North Vietnamese witnesses suggested a ratio of one execution for every 160 village residents, which extrapolates to 100,000 executions. Because the campaign
17577-855: The Pentagon considered censoring American journalists reporting from Vietnam, the plans were never adopted. [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps . Vietnam War ≈860,000 (1967) ≈1,420,000 (1968) Total military dead/missing: ≈1,100,000 Total military wounded: ≈604,200 (excluding GRUNK / Khmer Rouge and Pathet Lao ) Second Third American intervention 1965 1966 1967 Tet Offensive and aftermath Vietnamization 1969–1971 1972 Post- Paris Peace Accords (1973–1974) Spring 1975 Air operations Naval operations Lists of allied operations The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975)
17766-528: The State of Vietnam, with Bảo Đại as Emperor, and Ngô Đình Diệm as prime minister. Neither the US, nor Diệm's State of Vietnam, signed anything at the Geneva Conference. The non-communist Vietnamese delegation objected strenuously to any division of Vietnam, but lost when the French accepted the proposal of Viet Minh delegate Phạm Văn Đồng , who proposed Vietnam eventually be united by elections under
17955-471: The Taliban from firing a single shot. By the end of 3rd Battalion's deployment in the fall of 2010, Nawa was regarded by many as "a model of counterinsurgency operations and the most stable district" in southern Afghanistan. In October 2011, 3rd Battalion deployed again to Helmand Province, this time to the Garmsir District . Located in southern Helmand, directly south of Nawa District, Garmsir
18144-514: The US discussed the use of tactical nuclear weapons , though reports of how seriously this was considered and by whom, are vague. According to then-Vice President Richard Nixon , the Joint Chiefs of Staff drew up plans to use nuclear weapons to support the French. Nixon, a so-called " hawk ", suggested the US might have to "put American boys in". President Dwight D. Eisenhower made American participation contingent on British support, but
18333-526: The Vienna summit with Khrushchev, "Now we have a problem making our power credible and Vietnam looks like the place." Kennedy's policy toward South Vietnam assumed Diệm and his forces had to defeat the guerrillas on their own. He was against the deployment of American combat troops and observed "to introduce U.S. forces in large numbers there today, while it might have an initially favorable military impact, would almost certainly lead to adverse political and, in
18522-458: The Viet Cong (usually the 1st VC Regiment) in the greater Da Nang area. Among the casualties suffered during this period was LtCol Muir, who was killed when he stepped on an IED . In November they participated in an amphibious operation similar to Starlite called Blue Marlin (II) , which was carried out near Hoi An . Contact was irregular as the VC attempted to avoid a drawn-out engagement and
18711-416: The advancing Marines. After Marines discovered the source of fire, a 75mm artillery piece, the Japanese fled. The final action by 3rd Battalion during the campaign was on 9 August when a nearby battalion came under heavy Japanese tank and infantry attack. Blazing a trail through the jungle, 3rd Battalion rushed towards the action but the Japanese tanks vanished before the battalion could arrive. Casualties for
18900-630: The afternoon the situation was stabilized and the Viet Cong retreated that night, resulting in a tactical American victory. The United States had 52 marines killed in Starlite. India Company lost 14 dead, including the company commander, and 53 wounded out of a force of 177 marines. Three Navy Crosses were awarded to Marines from the battalion for actions during Starlite, including the battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Muir. Following Starlite 3rd Battalion continued to conduct regular sweeps and low-level (i.e. small unit) combat operations against
19089-591: The attack the Executive Officer, Major Craig Huddleston, along with the Battalion Sergeant Major and part of the battalion's Heavy Machine Gun Platoon, drove into the town on a rescue mission looking for two Army soldiers who had been captured. Although they were unable to find them, the Marines from 3rd Battalion did encounter an Iraqi patrol and exchanged rounds with them before escaping. While Saudi and Qatari units ultimately retook
19278-417: The battalion able to function independently without the direct involvement of a higher headquarters. Weapons Company provided fire support coordination, medium mortars , anti-armor weapons, and heavy machine gun support for the rifle companies. Generally, these elements of Weapons Company were directly employed by the battalion, but could also be attached to the rifle companies. 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines
19467-558: The battalion conducted another UDP to both Camp Hansen on Okinawa and to Camp Fuji in Japan. On 8 June India Company participated in the 50th Anniversary of the Invasion of Saipan . In October 1994 3rd Battalion was reassigned to the 3rd Marine Division. In 1995 the battalion went to Fort Wainwright , Alaska for Operation Northern Edge, then spent the latter part of the year training at Camp Fuji, Hachinoe (Umineko – Forest Light with
19656-603: 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
19845-669: The battalion launched one final operation, Operation Celtics, in the Tora Bora region. The operation was for the most part uneventful, although NBC news journalist Ron Allen was almost killed while traveling with Kilo Company when his Humvee ran over an IED. In mid-May 2010 3rd Battalion began deploying to the Nawa-I-Barakzayi District in Helmand Province , relieving the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines . Partnering with Afghan National Army soldiers from
20034-726: The battalion only had three Marines wounded. Then in December the battalion moved to the Que Son Valley for Operation Harvest Moon , preventing the VC from capturing the town. In March 1966, 3rd Battalion participated in Operation Kings , officially a search and destroy mission in the An Hoa region, but really an attempt to create a long-term occupation in a historic Viet Cong stronghold. However, any progress gained in Kings
20223-961: The battalion participated in Operation Millenium Edge on Tinian and Guam , then Balikatan 02–2 in the Philippines, Borneo , Brunei, Korea , Australia, and Japan. In 2003 3rd Battalion became BLT 3/3 on the 31st MEU for the second half of the year. Based on the USS Essex , USS Fort McHenry , and USS Harpers Ferry , BLT 3/3 participated in ARGEX-03 in the Philippines, provided security for President George W. Bush on Bali , Indonesia, and also visited Japan, Australia, East Timor, and Hong Kong. In May and June 2004 Lima Company participated in Operation Cobra Gold II at Khorat , Thailand and other parts of
20412-789: The battalion participated in Operation Northern Edge JTF-510 in Alaska. In July the battalion took part in the annual exercise of RIMPAC in Hawaii with Company C, 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment on exchange. As part of the exchange, Kilo Company conducted Operation Gold Eagle in Lavarack Barracks, Townsville, Australia. In late 2004, 3rd Battalion was notified it would be participating in Operation Enduring Freedom. On 31 October,
20601-584: The battalion staged an elaborate reopening of "Victory Circle", or "The Lollipop", the marketplace in the center of Karmah which had earlier been the scene of fierce fighting between Marines and insurgents. In February 2008 the battalion rotated back to the United States without suffering a single casualty. In April 2009 3/3 deployed for a third time to Iraq, this time to Al Asad Airbase in Al Anbar Province. On that deployment they made up Task Force Military Police (TFMP). Task Force Military Police
20790-526: The battalion struggled to capture the Mt. Tenjo Road. On 23 July, 3rd Battalion seized the last ridge leading to the Fonte Plateau, provoking a heavy Japanese counterattack. LtCol Houser himself was seriously wounded in this engagement and the executive officer , Major Royal Bastian, took command. Then 3rd Battalion, now reinforced with tanks, took part in the assault on the Fonte Plateau on 25 July, seizing
20979-512: The battalion suffered a tragic case of friendly fire when a pair of F-4 Phantoms dropped several bombs in the middle of Mike Company, killing seventeen Marines and wounding a dozen others. Navy Corpsman Donald Rion was awarded a posthumous Silver Star for his efforts to treat the wounded, despite suffering a mortal wound himself. From February – April, the battalion took part in Operations Prairie II , III and IV , which were
21168-427: The battalion suffered the loss of Corporal Joe Wrighstman, who drowned in the Helmand River while attempting to save the life of an Afghan National policeman . India Company just days later had 3 squads from 3 different platoons ambushed by Taliban fighters in which they had to secure the crash site of Dealer 54, an HMLA-369 helicopter which was shot down near Lashkar Gah while flying close air support supporting
21357-501: The battalion were accidentally killed by negligent discharges . Operation Desert Storm began on 17 January 1991, but for the first two weeks 3rd Battalion only conducted sporadic engagements with its Iraqi counterparts across the border. That all changed on 29 January, when several Iraqi divisions unexpectedly crossed the border and seized the Saudi town of Khafji , less than 15 kilometers north of 3rd Battalion's position. During
21546-563: The beginning of World War II, the United States military has honored various units for extraordinary heroism or outstanding non-combat service. This information is compiled by the United States Marine Corps History Division and is certified by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. According to research by the Marine Corps' History and Museum Division, the name "America's Battalion" originated in
21735-450: The border into Kuwait, infiltrating past Iraqi minefields , tank traps, and other obstacles. Like many American units, 3rd Battalion encountered no Iraqi resistance and the biggest threat to the Marines came from friendly fire . Throughout the ground war, the battalion advanced steadily northwards, spending an entire day traversing the burning oil fields, encountering no resistance but taking plenty of prisoners. 3rd Battalion arrived outside
21924-798: The border. About 500 of the "regroupees" of 1954 were sent south on the trail during its first year of operation. The first arms delivery via the trail was completed in August 1959. In April 1960, North Vietnam imposed universal military conscription for men. About 40,000 communist soldiers infiltrated the south from 1961 to 1963. In the 1960 U.S. presidential election , Senator John F. Kennedy defeated incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon. Although Eisenhower warned Kennedy about Laos and Vietnam, Europe and Latin America "loomed larger than Asia on his sights." In June 1961, he bitterly disagreed with Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev when they met in Vienna to discuss key U.S.–Soviet issues. Only 16 months later,
22113-615: The company's Marines from the front during 16 IED, 19 device, 14 cache finds and captured 6 insurgents. First Sgt. Pinkerton was first to push a squad to the Dealer 54s crash site through heavy Taliban Machine Gun fire and set up a safe perimeter to keep Taliban fighters from getting to downed pilots. Around this time, India Company conducted Operation Thresher and later Operation Mako in areas of Nawa District under heavy Taliban influence, finding several cache sites and taking some detainees. In September, while providing pre-election security for
22302-502: The country . Tensions between the Viet Minh and French authorities had erupted into full-scale war by 1946, a conflict which soon became entwined with the wider Cold War . On March 12, 1947, US President Harry S. Truman announced the Truman Doctrine , an anticommunist foreign policy which pledged US support to nations resisting "attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures". In Indochina, this doctrine
22491-497: The country to the Virgin Mary . In the summer of 1955, Diệm launched the "Denounce the Communists" campaign, during which suspected communists and other anti-government elements were arrested, imprisoned, tortured, or executed. He instituted the death penalty in August 1956 against activity deemed communist. The North Vietnamese government claimed that, by November 1957, over 65,000 individuals were imprisoned and 2,148 killed in
22680-641: The demilitarized zone, between North and South Vietnam. The North Vietnamese Communist Party approved a "people's war" on the South at a session in January 1959, and, in May, Group 559 was established to maintain and upgrade the Ho Chi Minh trail , at this time a six-month mountain trek through Laos. On 28 July, North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao forces invaded Laos, fighting the Royal Lao Army all along
22869-494: The division. Within minutes the Japanese defenders opened up with mortars and machine guns, hitting many 3rd Battalion Marines coming ashore. By 0912 battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Houser reported many casualties caused by both mortars and sniper fire. Both Kilo and India Companies rushed the Chonito Cliffs but the Japanese defenders (Elements of the 2d Battalion, 18th Regiment and 320th Independent Infantry Battalion) resisted strongly, in some cases rolling grenades down
23058-415: The end of 1965, and to 536,000 by the end of 1968. US forces relied on air supremacy and overwhelming firepower to conduct search and destroy operations in rural areas. In 1968, North Vietnam launched the Tet Offensive , which was a tactical defeat but convinced many in the US that the war could not be won. The PAVN began engaging in more conventional warfare . Johnson's successor, Richard Nixon , began
23247-550: The envelope, the United States Postal Service still managed to deliver the letter properly. Krulak commented that "if the U.S. Postal Service recognized 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines as 'America's Battalion,' then they certainly must be." So from then on, he considered it 'official'. 3rd Battalion is one of two battalions to have the nickname "America's Battalion", the other being 2nd Battalion 8th Marines based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune . Among
23436-407: The evening television newscasts. Safer followed up his initial report with additional broadcasts critical of Marine operations in the area. The commander of the Marines in Vietnam, Major General Lew Walt , banned Safer from all of I Corps , the Marine Corps area of responsibility in South Vietnam (the order was later rescinded). In the days that followed, the U.S. media carried additional stories of
23625-664: The extreme right flank of the Marine sector, bordering the King Abdul Aziz Brigade of the Saudi Arabian National Guard . Because of their close proximity, Taro was ordered to begin cross-training with the Saudi forces. This cross-training continued through January, when 3rd Battalion was moved forward to defend Al Mish'ab along the Saudi coast and became the northernmost Marine combat force in Saudi Arabia. During this time two Marines of
23814-528: The first Marines left Kaneohe Bay , Hawaii for an eight-month deployment to eastern Afghanistan. While serving in Afghanistan, 3rd Battalion conducted Operation Spurs in February 2005, where they were inserted into the Korangal valley and conducted both counterinsurgency and humanitarian operations. In March, 3rd Battalion launched a similar sweep called Operation Mavericks. During their time in Afghanistan,
24003-446: The hamlet of Cam Ne 4 (numbered in order to identify it in the complex of six villages of the same name). Patrolling in the area continued during July and into August. Commonplace military procedure for US forces when villages or areas were generally uncooperative or hostile were to burn down the villages and rounding up civilians for deportation to refugee camps in urban areas or RVN-controlled areas. On 3 August, Company D, 1/9 Marines
24192-400: The hillside. Supported by flamethrowers , half-tracks , and armor from the 3rd Tank Battalion , 3rd Battalion fought a bloody, three-hour battle up the side of Chonito Cliff. Houser then ordered Lima Company to flank the cliffs to the north by dashing down an exposed beach road. Having secured Chonito Cliff, the battalion then moved on to Adelup Point. The US Navy sent a destroyer to blast
24381-466: The impact of Marine operations on South Vietnamese civilians around Da Nang. The huts were burned to ensure they would not be reused by VC forces after the Americans moved on. The Viet Cong force estimated to be between 30 and 100 strong had fired upon the Marines as they withdrew from the village. Four Marines were wounded and one Vietnamese child was killed in the fighting. No enemy bodies were found;
24570-681: The insurgency entitled "The Road to the South" to the Politburo in Hanoi. However, as China and the Soviets opposed confrontation, his plan was rejected. Despite this, the North Vietnamese leadership approved tentative measures to revive southern insurgency in December 1956. Communist forces were under a single command structure set up in 1958. In May 1958, North Vietnamese forces seized the transportation hub at Tchepone in Southern Laos near
24759-417: The job of securing the area. On 18 August the Marines returned in force, but this time, the villagers were given full warning. In addition to searching Cam Ne, the Marines built shelters for Vietnamese civilians. The entire village was cleared. No VC were found in Cam Ne and there were no casualties. Over a year later during two Operation County Fair a joint US-ARVN sweep of the village complex (not necessarily
24948-414: The key position after just an hour of fighting. The night of 25–26 July saw the climax of the fighting on Guam when the Japanese launched an all-out counterattack against the Americans. In the 3rd Battalion's sector, Japanese sailors of the 54th Keibitai launched a series of failed attacks against the now-well defended Marine positions. Backed up with artillery, the Marines easily repulsed the Japanese. On
25137-402: The landlords back, people who had been farming land for years had to return it to landlords and pay years of back rent. Marilyn B. Young wrote that "The divisions within villages reproduced those that had existed against the French: 75% support for the NLF, 20% trying to remain neutral and 5% firmly pro-government". In March 1956, southern communist leader Lê Duẩn presented a plan to revive
25326-416: The larger Indochina refugee crisis , which saw millions leave Indochina, an estimated 250,000 perished at sea. The US destroyed 20% of South Vietnam's jungle and 20–50% of the mangrove forests, by spraying over 20 million U.S. gallons (75 million liters) of toxic herbicides; a notable example of ecocide . The Khmer Rouge carried out the Cambodian genocide , while conflict between them and
25515-420: The long run, adverse military consequences." The quality of the South Vietnamese military, however, remained poor. Poor leadership, corruption, and political promotions weakened the ARVN. The frequency of guerrilla attacks rose as the insurgency gathered steam. While Hanoi's support for the VC played a role, South Vietnamese governmental incompetence was at the core of the crisis. One major issue Kennedy raised
25704-430: The manpower to control the [main roads] and hold Haditha. The Iraqi Army was as blind as we were. The insurgents killed anyone who spoke to us." One group of 15 police volunteers was murdered by insurgents in Baghdadi in May. Then in June a Marine mistook a local tribal leader driving near a convoy for a possible suicide bomber and killed him. Another groups of Marines in the same city had more success when they cornered
25893-406: The many decorations for valor and bravery awarded to Marines from 3rd Battalion, five Medals of Honor and over twenty Navy Crosses have been awarded. South Bend mayor John Alden Scott served in the battalion during World War II and was awarded the Silver Star on Bougainville. In 1965, Corporal Robert Emmett O'Malley from India Company became the first Marine in the Vietnam War to be awarded
26082-399: The mid-1980s when LtCol 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
26271-440: The morning of 31 July, 3rd Battalion proceeded east on the Mt. Tenjo road towards the island capital of Agana , which it liberated the same day after token resistance. By 1045, 15 minutes after its platoons entered the city, 3rd Battalion had reached the central plaza and stopped at the northern outskirts by noon. Resuming the offensive at 1545, 3rd Battalion pushed forward 1,500 yards to seize key road junctions that led to
26460-411: The most of any Marine battalion in the conflict. 653 marines who served in 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines lost their lives during the Vietnam War or were killed while operating with other units. Nearly 2,800 others were wounded. The battalion relocated during October and November 1969 to MCB Camp Pendleton and was reassigned to the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade. They were again reassigned in April 1971 to
26649-446: The operation. Ten Marines from 3rd Battalion were killed during the operation (out of 183 total US fatalities), and American forces captured numerous quantities of PAVN supplies. One Marine, Lance Corporal (LCPL) William R. Prom , was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry during Taylor Common. In July 1969, the battalion took part in Operations Virginia Ridge and Idaho Canyon , attempting to stop infiltrators from
26838-446: The other communists and anti-GVN activists. Douglas Pike estimated that insurgents carried out 2,000 abductions, and 1,700 assassinations of government officials, village chiefs, hospital workers and teachers from 1957 to 1960. Violence between insurgents and government forces increased drastically from 180 clashes in January 1960, to 545 clashes in September. In September 1960, COSVN , North Vietnam's southern headquarters, ordered
27027-412: The outskirts of the village of An Cuong 2. While attempting to clear the village, India Company came under intense fire from VC defending the village. When one squad under Corporal Robert Emmett O'Malley was ambushed, O'Malley jumped into a VC trench and personally killed eight Viet Cong. Wounded three times, O'Malley refused to be evacuated until all his men were safe and later became the first Marine in
27216-413: The police, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed, killing all four aboard. In March 2006, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines conducted its first Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment to Al Anbar Province in western Iraq. They relieved 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
27405-505: The port of Al Jubayl . On 1 September, the rest of the battalion arrived in Dahran . As one of the first Marine units in country, 3rd Battalion found itself defending a key position at Cement Ridge, about 90 kilometers away from the Kuwaiti border. With orders to hold against any Iraqi attack, 3rd Battalion spent most of the months of August and September digging defensive positions. In October, 3rd Battalion and 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines were designated "Task Force Taro " and moved to
27594-413: The positions and twice 3rd Battalion had to come rescue elements of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines that were in danger of being overrun. 3rd Battalion would occupy several of those positions through May 1968. From 29 December to 12 January elements of the battalion participated in the construction and defense of strongpoint Alpha 3. The first major combat for 3rd Battalion in 1968 came on 7 February, about
27783-448: The preparation of new guidelines concerning contact between U.S. military forces and Vietnamese civilians. Published in September 1968 nearly 3 years after the event, the rules forbade indiscriminate destruction of populated areas . When possible, villagers were to receive advance warning of upcoming assaults. South Vietnamese troops would accompany the American forces to assist in searching dwellings and communicating with civilians. Although
27972-414: The pro-Western government of Laos and the Pathet Lao communist movement in May, construction of the Berlin Wall in August, and the Cuban Missile Crisis in October. Kennedy believed another failure to stop communist expansion would irreparably damage US credibility. He was determined to "draw a line in the sand" and prevent a communist victory in Vietnam. He told James Reston of The New York Times after
28161-412: The process. According to Gabriel Kolko , 40,000 political prisoners had been jailed by the end of 1958. In October 1956, Diệm launched a land reform program limiting the size of rice farms per owner. 1.8m acres of farm land became available for purchase by landless people. By 1960, the process had stalled because many of Diem's biggest supporters were large landowners. In May 1957, Diệm undertook
28350-448: The region subsequent to 3/3's departure, when the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Marine Regiment , 3/3's sister battalion, continued counterinsurgency efforts in the area of operations. Farouk would prove critical to these continuing efforts. Al Qaeda in Iraq was ultimately defeated in the region, due in great measure to 3/3's returning Farouk, who built a robust police force during 2/3's tenure, to the Haditha region. During their time in Haditha
28539-414: The road was closed until 1968. The battalion was also stricken by malaria during this time; 206 3rd Battalion Marines contracted it. In the fall the battalion was put to work building and defending the McNamara Line , a series of fixed fortifications along the DMZ in an area known as Leatherneck Square (The four corners were Cam Lộ , Con Thien , Gio Linh and Đông Hà ). The PAVN repeatedly attacked
28728-444: The same village as Cam Ne refers to a set of six villages) on 17 March 1966, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines claiming to have killed 2 VC in the village and captured a suspected VC nurse and held 13 others for questioning and found two ARVN deserters. In order to balance its initial, critical reports, subsequent CBS reports presented positive aspects of Marine operations in the Cam Ne area. COMUSMACV General William Westmoreland ordered
28917-630: The supervision of "local commissions". The US countered with what became known as the "American Plan", with the support of South Vietnam and the UK. It provided for unification elections under the supervision of the UN, but was rejected by the Soviet delegation. The US said, "With respect to the statement made by the representative of the State of Vietnam, the United States reiterates its traditional position that peoples are entitled to determine their own future and that it will not join in any arrangement which would hinder this". US President Eisenhower wrote in 1954: I have never talked or corresponded with
29106-415: The supply lines to the 3rd Marine Division headquarters at Dong Ha. By the end of the month, 3rd Battalion had lost 53 marines and had another 319 severely wounded, a casualty ratio of about one out of every two infantrymen in the field. In June the battalion was placed in reserve as a ready-reinforcement unit and consequently saw little combat. From July to September, 3rd Battalion operated all throughout
29295-472: The town, 3rd Battalion played a vital role in both coordinating air and artillery support for the attack and blocking further Iraqi advances southward. In addition, several heavy machine gun Humvees and forward air controllers (FAC's) from the battalion were attached to the Saudi Brigade and took part in the assault. From 19 to 21 February, 3rd Battalion moved from Al Mish'ab to the forward assembly areas that it would be using to launch its attack into Kuwait. It
29484-405: The towns of Finegayan and Barrigada . For the remaining ten days of the campaign, the battalion marched northeast up the coast, encountering occasional Japanese resistance, until the island was declared secure on 10 August. However, the Japanese were not totally defeated. On 7 August, as 3rd Battalion led the regimental advance towards Road Junction 460, Japanese artillery shells began landing among
29673-442: The two provisional states for a 300-day period. Elections throughout the country were to be held in 1956 to establish a unified government. However, the US, represented at the conference by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles , objected to the resolution; Dulles' objection was supported only by the representative of Bảo Đại. John Foster's brother, Allen Dulles , who was director of the Central Intelligence Agency , then initiated
29862-470: The unified Vietnam escalated into the Cambodian–Vietnamese War . In response, China invaded Vietnam , with border conflicts lasting until 1991. Within the US, the war gave rise to Vietnam syndrome , a public aversion to American overseas military involvement, which, with the Watergate scandal , contributed to the crisis of confidence that affected America throughout the 1970s. Various names have been applied and have shifted over time, though Vietnam War
30051-407: The villagers to delay while their possessions were removed were ignored. All rice stores were burned. The day's operation netted four prisoners, all of whom were old men. CBS realized they had an important and powerful story as soon as it was received in New York. CBS News President Fred Friendly confirmed the validity of the story with Safer. The images were shocking, but the network felt the story
30240-456: 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
30429-450: The whole 3rd Marine Regiment was considered experts in jungle warfare. An officer candidate school was opened and many Noncommissioned Officers were given the opportunity to become Lieutenants. By the time the 3rd Marine Division arrived in the South Pacific, 3rd Battalion had already been training for eight months and was prepared for its initial entry into combat. By this time, 3rd Battalion had left Samoa on 23 May and joined up with
30618-409: Was a support unit fulfilling security responsibilities in Anbar Province, including conducting convoy security missions and detainee releases, running regional detention facilities, and also managing the military working dogs in Anbar Province. In addition, since November 2008 it had been tasked with securing Combat Outpost Heider in Rabiah, Nineveh Province , as part of Operation Defeat Al Qaeda in
30807-443: Was activated on 1 June 1942 at New River, North Carolina as the 5th Training Battalion. At that time the Marine Corps was in the middle of an unprecedented wartime expansion, growing from 19,000 men in September 1939 to 100,000 men in February 1942. Because of this, two weeks after the Battle of Midway , the old 3rd Regiment from the Banana Wars was reformed as the 3rd Marine Regiment with three battalions. Initially designated as
30996-409: Was allowed by the PAVN to advance partially up the hill before opening fire. By the end of the battle, 46 marines from the battalion were killed, half of them from Mike Company. Throughout the late spring and early summer of 1967 the battalion helped keep open Route 9 , the supply route between Ca Lu Combat Base and Khe Sanh. After a firefight between a PAVN battalion and Mike Company in late July,
31185-406: Was also during this period that 3rd Battalion 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 on foot in darkness and provide right flank security for the rest of the 1st Marine Division to make its assault into Kuwait. On the night of 22 February, 3rd Battalion crossed
31374-417: Was an armed conflict in Vietnam , Laos , and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union and China , while South Vietnam was supported by the United States and other anti-communist nations. The conflict was the second of the Indochina Wars and a major proxy war of
31563-509: Was both a historically infiltration route for Taliban coming from Pakistan , and is considered to have a culture very similar to Pakistan's. The deployment was marred by tragedy at the very beginning when the Chief of Police, LtCol Sayfullah Khan Rashidi, (who had previously served as Nawa District's Chief of Police during 3/3's deployment there) was killed along with two other Afghan National Police (ANP) by an IED on 6 November. Two days later, Hajji Abdullah Khan, an influential tribal elder with
31752-462: Was completing a deployment at Camp Hansen on Okinawa when they were notified to be prepared to immediately redeploy to Saudi Arabia as a response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait . No sooner had the battalion returned to Hawaii then it was shipped out again to Saudi Arabia as part of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade . India Company deployed first on 15 August to Singapore to provide onboard security for Maritime Prepositioning ships bound for
31941-402: Was defeated in April following a battle in Saigon . As broad-based opposition to his harsh tactics mounted, Diệm increasingly sought to blame the communists. In a referendum on the future of the State of Vietnam in October 1955, Diệm rigged the poll supervised by his brother Ngô Đình Nhu and was credited with 98% of the vote, including 133% in Saigon. His American advisors had recommended
32130-476: Was deployed off of Indonesia because of civil strife in that country. In 1958, 3rd Battalion was alerted for possible deployment to Lebanon, but its transports were turned back in the Indian Ocean to Okinawa. Four years later, in 1962, the battalion deployed on the USS Bayfield to the Chinese coast to guard the Taiwanese islands of Quemoy and Matsu . In January 1965, the 2nd Battalion 1st Marines at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton , California deployed for
32319-433: Was divided into two parts at the 17th parallel : the Viet Minh , led by Ho Chi Minh , took control of North Vietnam, while the US assumed financial and military support for South Vietnam, led by Ngo Dinh Diem . The North Vietnamese began supplying and directing the Viet Cong (VC), a common front of dissidents in the south, which intensified a guerrilla war from 1957. In 1958, North Vietnam invaded Laos , establishing
32508-648: Was first proposed by the Eisenhower administration . John F. Kennedy , then a senator , said in a speech to the American Friends of Vietnam : "Burma, Thailand, India, Japan, the Philippines and obviously Laos and Cambodia are among those whose security would be threatened if the Red Tide of Communism overflowed into Vietnam." A devout Roman Catholic, Diệm was fervently anti-communist, nationalist, and socially conservative. Historian Luu Doan Huynh notes "Diệm represented narrow and extremist nationalism coupled with autocracy and nepotism ." Most Vietnamese were Buddhist , and alarmed by Diệm's actions, like his dedication of
32697-434: Was first put into practice in February 1950, when the United States recognized the French-backed State of Vietnam in Saigon , led by former Emperor Bảo Đại, as the legitimate government of Vietnam, after the communist states of the Soviet Union and People's Republic of China recognized the Democratic Republic of Vietnam , led by Ho Chi Minh, as the legitimate Vietnamese government the previous month. The outbreak of
32886-445: Was former Major League Baseball player Chuck Goggin . Oliver North served as a platoon commander in Kilo Company from 1968 to 1969 and Frank Tejeda , a Congressman from Texas, was a Kilo NCO for the same period. In 1979, James Mattis served as commander of Kilo Company during the battalion's deployment aboard a MEU in the Indian Ocean. Charles Krulak , the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps , also commanded Lima Company during
33075-439: Was immediately negated by the Buddhist Uprising just one week later in Da Nang. In July, the battalion acted as a blocking force during Operation Macon but did not see significant action. In August, 3rd Battalion left Vietnam for Okinawa. The battalion would not be gone long though, and in early October was stationed offshore as BLT 3/3 near the northern portion of I Corps to combat a possible North Vietnamese invasion across
33264-412: Was important and should be shown. The incident was broadcast on CBS Evening News on 5 August 1965. Reaction to the Cam Ne report was immediate and powerful. CBS was inundated with calls and letters critical of this negative portrayal of American military personnel. The day after the film was broadcast, U. S. President Lyndon Johnson telephoned CBS President Frank Stanton to complain the report insulted
33453-414: Was killed in a US-backed military coup , which added to the south's instability. Following the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, the US Congress passed a resolution that gave President Lyndon B. Johnson authority to increase military presence without a declaration of war. Johnson launched a bombing campaign of the north and began sending combat troops, dramatically increasing deployment to 184,000 by
33642-406: Was mainly in the Red River Delta area, 50,000 executions became accepted by scholars. However, declassified documents from Vietnamese and Hungarian archives indicate executions were much lower, though likely greater than 13,500. In 1956, leaders in Hanoi admitted to "excesses" in implementing this program and restored much of the land to the original owners. The south, meanwhile, constituted
33831-521: Was mostly uneventful and 3/3 was ultimately relieved by 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines , which was the last Marine infantry battalion to deploy to Iraq. En route back to the United States one of the companies was detained in Mumbai , India for two days. The battalion lost one Marine, LCPL Ray Spencer, who died in a nonhostile incident. With the exception of Weapons Co. who was deployed back to Fallujah under 1st Battalion 7th Marines. To assist in combat operations, and turn over to Iraq authority. Since
34020-475: Was moved to a relatively quiet sector on the 3rd Division's flank where it remained for the remainder of the operation. In December, the 3rd Marine Division was relieved by the Army's Americal Division and 3rd Battalion left Bougainville for Guadalcanal on Christmas Day, 1943 with the rest of the division. They left behind 36 of their comrades, including Corporal John Logan Jr. and Captain Robert Turnbull (Lima Company), who were both awarded Navy Crosses during
34209-489: Was only facing a small PAVN unit and counterattacked. Throughout the 25th, 3rd Battalion launched a series of piecemeal attacks on the hills, only to be repulsed with heavy losses. The 3rd Marine Division committed its reserve to the fighting and took Hill 861 on 26 April. On the night of 29 April, the PAVN replaced the battered 18th Regiment with the fresh 95th Regiment. The following day the Marines dropped 250 bombs and more than 1300 artillery rounds on Hill 881. Mike Company
34398-425: 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,
34587-553: Was sent to Cam Ne in support of Operation Blastout with orders to destroy the VC forces and their fortifications, including any structures from which they received fire. As the Marines moved into Cam Ne they were met with sporadic fire, wounding one Marine, but the VC withdrew. The entire village was extensively entrenched and fortified and the Marines found 267 Punji stick traps, 3 grenade booby traps and 6 anti-personnel mines. The Marines then proceeded to destroy 51 huts and 38 trenches, tunnels and fighting positions. With dusk approaching
34776-407: Was so heavy that parts of the Division Reserve were committed and the destroyer USS McKee was unable to provide close fire support, as the Japanese and Marines were so closely intermingled. However the Marines held firm and managed to repulse the attack by 0830. During the counterattack, a mortarman with Kilo Company, Private First Class Luther Skaggs, Jr. , was critically wounded in the leg by
34965-413: Was stationed in Japan when the Suez Crisis broke out. Though initially deployed to the Indian Ocean for possible action in Egypt and the surrounding region, the crisis was ultimately resolved. During this cruise, 3rd Battalion—designated "Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 3/3" – visited Brunei Bay , Bombay , Karachi , and Singapore, before returning to Japan. In December 1956, the entire 3rd Marine Regiment
35154-400: Was the first. On 1 November 1943, the 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. For the next two weeks, the battalion helped construct
35343-506: Was transported more than 280 miles (451 km) by truck between MCB Camp Pendleton and Twenty-nine Palms. During the exercise, Third Battalion made a night airlift using over 60 helicopters. In January 1953, the unit deployed to the Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay on Oahu for six months of training, after which 3rd Battalion returned to Pendleton. In August 1953, 3rd Battalion deployed to Japan for training operations at Kin Beach, Okinawa and Iwo Jima. In October 1956, 3rd Battalion
35532-442: Was typically commanded by a Captain, assisted by a First Sergeant . Following the 1980s reorganization, the three rifle companies in 3rd Battalion were Company I, Company K, and Company L. Because the Marine Corps uses the NATO phonetic alphabet , in 3rd Battalion these companies were commonly known as India, Kilo, and Lima. Prior to 1956, under the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet , they were known as Item, King, and Love. During
35721-465: Was whether the Soviet space and missile programs had surpassed those of the US. Although Kennedy stressed long-range missile parity with the Soviets, he was interested in using special forces for counterinsurgency warfare in Third World countries threatened by communist insurgencies. Although they were intended for use behind front lines after a conventional Soviet invasion of Europe, Kennedy believed guerrilla tactics employed by special forces, such as
#467532