3rd Battalion 7th Marines

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 3rd Battalion 7th Marine Regiment


caption= 3/7 insignia
dates= January 1, 1941
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= USMC
type= Infantry
role=
size=
command_structure= 7th Marine Regiment
1st Marine Division
current_commander=
garrison= Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= The Cutting Edge
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles= World War II
* Battle of Guadalcanal
* Battle of Peleliu
Korean War
* Battle of Inchon
* Battle of Chosin Reservoir
Vietnam War
* Operation Starlite
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Restore Hope
Operation Iraqi Freedom
* 2003 invasion of Iraq
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=

The 3rd Battalion 7th Marine Regiment (3/7) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They are based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms and consist of approximately 800 Marines. The battalion falls under the command of the 7th Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division.

History

World War II

3rd Battalion 7th Marines was activated January 1, 1941 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and was assigned to the 1st Marine Brigade. In February 1941 they were reassigned to the 1st Marine Division. 3/7 participated in the following World War II campaigns:
* Guadalcanal
* Eastern New Guinea
* New Britain
* Peleliu
* Okinawa

After the war 3/7 participated in the occupation of northern China from September 1945 to April 1946and were then deactivated 15 April 1946

Korean War

The battalion was reactivated September 11, 1950 at Kobe, Japan and assigned to the 1st Marine Division. They deployed in September 1950 to the South Korea and participated in the Inchon-Seoul. Following the recapture of Seoul, the 1st Marine Division was pulled out of northwest Korea and sailed to the east coast where they landed at Wonsan and began to march north towards the Yalu River.

The battalion was in Yudam-ni on the evening of 27-28 November 1950 when the Battle of Chosin Reservoir began. On the first evening, the Marines of ‘’How Company’’ were overwhelmed on Hill 1403 by waves of Chinese attackers and were eventually ordered to pull back by the commanding officer (CO), Lieutenant Colonel William Harris [Russ (1999), pp.115-121] The battalion continued to fight on the hills around Yudam-ni for the next few days until December 1 [Russ (1999), p. 305] when the 5th Marines and 7th Marines were ordered to fight their way back to the 1st Marine Division’s main perimeter at Hagaru-ri. The 300+ remaining members of 3/7 [Russ (1999), p. 324] provided the rearguard for the two regiments as they brokeout to Hagaru-ri and were the last Marines to leave the perimeter at Yudam-ni as it was being overrun by Chinese forces [Russ (1999), p. 326] 3/7 consolidated with the rest of the division at Hagaru-ri and took part in the fighting breakout towards Koto-ri where, on December 7, all of the 1st Marine Division’s regiments were together for the first time since the landing at Wonsan in October [Russ (1999), p. 394.] Of note during the battle, on the morning before their arrival at the Koto-ri perimeter, the battalion’s CO, who during the battle was described as “coming apart” [Russ (1999), p. 121] and having an “emotional breakdown and collapse” [Russ (1999), p.168] , disappeared and was never seen again. [Russ (1999), p. 371.]

During the rest of the war 3/7 took part in the fighting on the East Central Front. In October 1951 it performed the first battalion sized combat helicopter air assault in history in Operation Bumblebee. After the war the battalion participated in the defense of the Korean Demilitarized Zone, July 1953 to March 1955.

Vietnam War

The Gulf War and the 1990s

Operation United Shield (Kilo Co., augmented with elements from India Co., Lima Co., and Weapons Co.)

Global war on terror

;1st Tour3/7 took part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. They originally deployed in January 2003, moved north in March and April and then a five-month security assignment doing stabilizing operations in Karbala until September 2003. During the assignemnt, India Company, 3rd Battalion 7th Marines operated in Mahmudiyah, Iraq in support of Task Force Scorpion during July and August 2003. Their training in the Kuwaiti desert and the subsequent invasion was covered in the TV documentary "Virgin Soldiers" which often airs on "Discovery Times" and "Military Channel".

;2nd TourAfter returning to the United States in September 2003, the battalion re-deployed in February 2004 to Al Qaim -- in western Al Anbar Province, abutting the Syrian border. Their area of responsibility included Husaybah, the primary border-crossing point between Syria and Iraq. They returned from that deployment in September 2004.

;3rd Tour3/7 was stationed in Ar Ramadi and made FOB Hurricane Point (HP) and Camp Ramadi their main base of operations. They were faced with daily attacks for the entire deployment.

;4th Tour (OIF 06-08)3/7 was once again stationed in Ar Ramadi and made FOB Hurricane Point (HP) and Camp Ramadi their main base of operations. This was from May to November 2007. They dispersed throughout the city to increase contact with the local residents. Since the prevalence of the Anbar Awakening, 3/7 Marines began conducting counter-insurgency (COIN) missions rather than the more "kinetic" operations on previous tours.

Medal of Honor recipients

:"See also: ."

;World War II
* PFC Arthur J. Jackson - September 18 1944
* PFC Wesley Phelps - October 4 1944

;Korean War
* 2ndLt Robert D. Reem - November 6 1950
* Sgt James E. Johnson - December 2 1950
* 2ndLt George H. Ramer - September 12 1951
* SSgt William E. Shuck, Jr. - July 3 1952
* Pvt Jack W. Kelso - October 2 1952
* SSgt Lewis G. Watkins - October 7 1952
* 2ndLt George H. O'Brien, Jr. - October 27 1952

;Vietnam War
* LCpl Roy M. Wheat - August 11 1967
* HM3 Wayne M. Caron - July 28 1968
* LCpl Kenneth L. Worley - August 12 1968
* LCpl Lester W. Weber - February 23 1969
* LCpl Jose F. Jimenez - August 28 1969
* LCpl James D. Howe - May 6 1970

;Iraq War
* Cpl Jason Dunham - April 22, 2004 [cite news|url=
title=Medal of Honor is first for a Marine since Vietnam
author=Gidget Fuentes
date=November 10, 2006
work=Marine Corps Times
accessdate=2006-11-10]

ee also

* List of United States Marine Corps battalions
* Organization of the United States Marine Corps

Notes

References

:Marine Corps

;Bibliography
* cite book
last = Russ
first = Martin
coauthors =
year = 1999
title = Breakout - The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea 1950
publisher = Penguin Books
location =
id = ISBN 0-14029-259-4

;Web
* [http://www.i-mef.usmc.mil/div/7mar/3bn/ 3/7's official website]