3rd Battalion, 8th Marines
Military unit From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Military unit From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
3rd Battalion 8th Marines (3/8) was an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, was consisted of approximately 1,100 Marines and sailors. The battalion fell under the command of the 8th Marine Regiment and the 2nd Marine Division.
| 3rd Battalion 8th Marines | |
|---|---|
3rd Battalion 8th Marines Unit insignia | |
| Active | November 1, 1940 – March 26, 1946 January 15, 1951 – May 18, 2021 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Marine Corps |
| Type | Light infantry |
| Role | Locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver |
| Part of | 8th Marine Regiment 2nd Marine Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune |
| Motto(s) | "Fortuna Favet Fortibus" "Fortune Favors the Strong" |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | John C. Miller Jr. David H. Berger Robert R. Blackman Jr. |
The mission of the Marine Corps rifle squad is to locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver and/ or repel enemy assault by fire and close combat.
The battalion was activated on November 1, 1940, in San Diego and was assigned to the 2nd Marine Brigade. The 2nd Marine Brigade was re-designated February 1, 1941, as 2nd Marine Division. It participated in the action at the Battle of Guadalcanal, Battle of Tarawa, Battle of Saipan, Battle of Tinian and the Battle of Okinawa. Following the surrender of Japan, they re-deployed during September 1945 to Nagasaki, Japan and participated in occupation of Japan from until February 1946. The battalion was deactivated March 26, 1946.
3/8 was reactivated on January 15, 1951, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, as 3rd and was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division. During the 1960s they participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis from October to December 1962 and Operation Powerpack in the Dominican Republic in 1965.
3/8 went to the Med in January 1979 as part of the 32 MAU. Major Oliver North was 3/8’s S3 officer.
3/8 went to the Med in January 1980 and 1981 as part of the 32 MAU. The company first sergeant Lewis G. Lee would eventually become Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.
The battalion was part of the Multi-Nation Peace Keeping Force in Lebanon from October 1982 to February 1983, and February through October 1984.
Commandant Gen. David H. Berger, former Commanding Officer of 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, released a press statement stating,"Developing a force that incorporates emerging technologies and a significant change to force structure within our current resource constraints will require the Marine Corps to become smaller and remove legacy capabilities". In May 2020, 3rd Battalion was listed as one of the units proposed to be deactivated. U.S. Marine Corps Col. John H. Rochford, the commanding officer of 8th Marine Regiment, and Sgt. Maj. Keith D. Hoge, the sergeant major of 8th Marine Reg., both with 2d Marine Division, cased the regimental colors during a deactivation ceremony on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Jan. 28, 2021.
Presidential Unit Citation Streamer with 2 bronze stars
Joint Meritorious Unit Award Streamer
Navy Unit Commendation Streamer with 1 silver and 2 bronze stars
Meritorious Unit Commendation Sreamer with 2 bronze stars
Marine Corps Expeditionary Streamer with 2 bronze stars
American Defense Service Medal Streamer
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer with 1 silver star
World War II Victory Streamer
Navy Occupation Service Streamer with "Asia" and "Europe"
National Defense Service Streamer with 3 bronze stars
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamer with 1 bronze star
Southwest Asia Service Streamer with 1 bronze star
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