ACTIVATED 1 MAY 1942 AT NEW RIVER, NORTH CAROLINA, AS THE 3RD TRAINING BATTALION, DIVISION SPECIAL TROOPS, 1ST MARINE DIVISION, FLEET MARINE FORCE
REDESIGNATED 17 JUNE 1942 AS THE 2ND BATTALION, 3RD MARINES, FLEET MARINE FORCE
DEPLOYED DURING AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1942 TO TUTUILA, AMERICAN SAMOA, AND REASSIGNED TO THE 2ND MARINE BRIGADE
3RD MARINES REASSIGNED DURING MARCH 1943 TO FLEET MARINE FORCE
REDEPLOYED DURING MAY 1943 TO AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
REASSIGNED DURING JUNE 1943 TO THE 3RD MARINE DIVISION
REDEPLOYED DURING JULY-AUGUST 1943 TO GUADALCANAL
PARTICIPATED IN THE FOLLOWOING WORLD WAR II CAMPAIGNS
BOUGAINVILLE
NORTHERN SOLOMONS
GUAM
IWO JIMA
RELOCATED DURING DECEMBER 1945 TO CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA
DEACTIVATED 31 DECEMBER 1945
1951 1960
REACTIVATED 20 JULY 1951 AT CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, AND ASSIGNED TO THE
3RD MARINE BRIGADE, FLEET MARINE FORCE
REASSIGNED DURING JANUAR 1952 TO THE 3RD MARINE DIVISION
DEPLOYED DURING JULY-AUGUST 1953 TO CAMP FUJI-MCNAIR, JAPAN
REDEPLOYED DURING MARCH 1957 TO CAMP SUKIRAN, OKINAWA
REDEPLOYED DURING MARCH 1958 TO CAMP KINSER, OKINAWA
2ND BATTALION 3RD MARINES
LINEAGE
1942 1998
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HONORS
RELOCATED DURING NOVEMBER 1959 TO CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, AND REASSIGNED TO THE 1ST MARINE DIVISION, FLEET MARINE FORCE
1961 1969
REDEPLOYED DURING JANUARY 1961 TO CAMP SCHWAB, OKINAWA, AND REASSIGNED TO THE
3RD MARINE DIVISION, FLEET MARINE FORCE
DEPLOYED AT VARIOUS TIMES BETWEEN 1961-1967 AS THE
BATTALION LANDING TEAM OF THE SEVENTH FLEET
REDEPLOYED DURING APRIL 1965 TO DANANG, REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
PARTICIPATED IN THE WAR IN VIETNAM, APRIL 1965 OCTOBER 1969,
OPERATION FROM
DA NANG
CAMP CARROLL
QUANT TRI
CAM LO
A SHAU
KHE SANH
RELOCATED DURING OCTOBER 1969 TO CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, AND REASSIGNED TO THE 5TH MARINE AMPHIBIOUS BRIGADE, FLEET MARINE FORCE
1970 1998
REASSIGNED DURING APRIL 1971 TO THE 1ST MARINE DIVISION, FLEET MARINE FORCE
RELOCATED DURING MAY-JUNE 1971 TO KANEOHE BAY, HAWAII, AND REASSIGNED TO THE
1ST MARINE BRIGADE, FLEET MARINE FORCE
ELEMENTS DEPLOYED TO THE WESTERN PACIFIC AT VARIOUS TIMES DURING THE 1970s AND 1980s
1ST MARINE BRIGADE REDESIGNATED 30 AUGUST 1985 AS THE
1ST MARINE AMPHIBIOUS BRIGADE
1ST MARINE AMPHIBIOUS BRIGADE REDESIGNATED 5 FEBRUARY 1988 AS THE
1ST MARINE EXPEDITIONARY BRIGADE
PARTICIPATED INOPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM,
SOUTHWEST ASIA, JANUARY-MARCH 1991
REASSIGNED DURING OCTOBER 1994 TO THE 3RD MARINE DIVISION
16 APRIL 1999____
DATE 
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPSHONORS
AWARDED
2ND BATTALION, 3RD MARINES
PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION STREAMER WITH FOUR BRONZE STARS
WORLD WAR II
GUAM 1944
VIETNAM
1965
1965 1967
1967
1967
NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION STREAMER WITH TWO BRONZE STARS
WORLD WAR II
BOUGAINVILLE 1943
VIETNAM
1968
SOUTHWEST ASIA
1991
MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENTATION STREAMER WITH ONE BRONZE STAR
VIETNAM
1968
1968
ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN STREAMER WITH FOUR BRONZE STARS
WORLD WAR II VICTORY STREAMER
NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE STREAMER WITH TWO BRONZE STARS
KOREAN SERVICE STREAMER
VIETNAM SERVICE STREAMER WITH TWO SILVER STARS
SOUTHWEST ASIA SERVICE STREAMER WITH TWO BRONZE STARS
VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM STREAMER
16 APRIL 1999____
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS