3rd Battalion, 4th Marines (3/4) or (V34) is an infantry battalion of the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
. Nicknamed "Thundering Third" and "Darkside," it is based at the
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, and consist of approximately 1,000 Marines. The unit currently falls under the command of the
7th Marine Regiment,
1st Marine Division
The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...
, but — along with its two sister battalions — is hosted by the
3rd Marine Division
The 3rd Marine Division is a division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry division ...
, at
Camp Schwab in
Okinawa, Japan
is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan. It consists of three main island groups—the Okinawa Islands, the Sakishima Islands, and the Daitō Islands—spread across a maritime zone approximately 1,000 kilometers east to west ...
, when training in
jungle warfare
Jungle warfare or woodland warfare is warfare in forests, jungles, or similar environments. The term encompasses military operations affected by the terrain, climate, vegetation, and wildlife of densely-wooded areas, as well as the strategies a ...
. The 3rd falls under the
4th Marine Regiment at such times.
Subordinate units
* Headquarters and Service Company
* Fires and Reconnaissance Company
* Company I (India Company)
* Company K (Kilo Company)
* Company L (Lucky Lima Company)
* Company M (Mike Company) - Currently in use as a Remain Behind Element for combat replacements of forward deployed elements.
History
Early years
The battalion was first activated in 1925 at Naval Base San Diego, California. Since its initial inception in 1925, this unit has had several periods of activation.
World War II
On May 1, 1941, at
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
,
Philippine Islands
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
became the First Separate Marine Battalion, Navy Yard, Cavite. Relocated during December 1941 to
Corregidor
Corregidor (, , ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of Cavite City and thus the province of Cavite. It is located west of Manila, the nation's capi ...
, Philippine Islands. Redesignated January 1, 1942, to the Third Battalion, Fourth Marines, Corregidor, Philippine Island. The
4th Marine Regiment participated in the
Battle of Corregidor
The Battle of Corregidor (; ), fought on 5–6 May 1942, was the culmination of the Empire of Japan, Japanese Philippines campaign (1941–1942), campaign for the conquest of the Commonwealth of the Philippines during World War II.
The Bat ...
from January to May 1942. The unit was ordered to surrender by
Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright on May 6, 1942, an order with which Colonel
Samuel L. Howard, the commanding officer of the 4th Marines, agreed. Colonel Curtis, the regimental executive officer, ordered Captain Robert B. Moore to take the regimental colors outside and burn them rather than allow them to fall into enemy hands. Once the order was carried out, Colonel Howard wept and said, "My God, and I had to be the first Marine officer ever to surrender a regiment." After this 4th Marines temporarily ceased to exist.
On February 1, 1944, four
Marine Raider
The Marine Raiders are special operations forces originally established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious warfare, amphibious light infantry warfare.
Despite the original intent for Raiders to serve ...
battalions were amalgamated into a re-established 4th Marine Regiment, bearing the name and honors of the original 4th Regiment lost in the Philippines in 1942. The 1st, 4th, and 3rd Raider Battalions became respectively the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions, 4th Marines. The 2nd Raider Battalion became the regimental weapons company. Forming part of the
1st Provisional Marine Brigade and later
6th Marine Division, the 4th Marines fought in the battles of
Guam
Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
and
Okinawa
most commonly refers to:
* Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture
* Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture
* Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself
* Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
.
Vietnam War
On April 14, 1965 3rd battalion 4th Marines was deployed to an area near
Chu Lai
Chu Lai is a seaport, urban and industrial area in Núi Thành District, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam. The city is served by Chu Lai International Airport. It is also the site of the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (Vietnamese: ''Khu Kinh Tế M� ...
,
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
. Two companies were sent north to
Phu Bai to secure a small airfield just 8 miles south of
Huế
Huế (formerly Thừa Thiên Huế province) is the southernmost coastal Municipalities of Vietnam, city in the North Central Coast region, the Central Vietnam, Central of Vietnam, approximately in the center of the country. It borders Quảng ...
City. First contact was made on April 22 southwest of Da Nang with a
Vietcong
The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the Communism, communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vi ...
(VC) unit. The Marines at Phu Bai made their first contact on April 24. Both sides lost two men. These patrols continued until the whole battalion re-deployed back to
Okinawa
most commonly refers to:
* Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture
* Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture
* Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself
* Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
on December 24, 1965. In March 1966, the battalion returned to the Phu Bai, Huế City areas. They participated in company and platoon size patrols and ambushes against the VC in the
Thừa Thiên–Huế Province till the end of June 1966. At that time the entire Battalion moved north and just south of the
DMZ
A demilitarized zone (DMZ or DZ) is an area in which treaties or agreements between states, military powers or contending groups forbid military installations, activities, or personnel. A DZ often lies along an established frontier or boundary ...
, in the Song Ngan River Valley also known as "Helicopter Valley", because of all the helicopters that were shot down with Marines on board. There they participated in
Operation Hastings
Operation Hastings was an American military operation in the Vietnam War. The operation was a qualified success in that it pushed the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces back across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). As the PAVN clearly did not f ...
which was a multi-battalion operation that ran from July 15 to August 3, 1966. This was the first major Marine campaign against the
People's Army of Vietnam
The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), officially the Vietnam People's Army (VPA; , , ), also recognized as the Vietnamese Army (), the People's Army () or colloquially the Troops ( ), is the national Military, military force of the Vietnam, S ...
(PAVN). A total of 8,000 Marines participated in this large operation. It stop the PAVN from further advancing into South Vietnam. The PAVN
324B Division losses were put at 824 killed and 17 POW's. Total Marine losses were put at 126 killed and 448 wounded. Capt.
Robert J. Modrzejewski and SSgt.
John J. McGinty were both awarded the Medal of Honor for their action and leadership during this time. This operation was also the most costly of the war to this point.
In August 3/4 was back in Phu Bai again running patrols and ambushes in search and destroy missions. Early September the battalion moved its headquarters north to
Đông Hà
Đông Hà () is the capital of Quảng Trị Province, in the North Central Coast region, the Central of Vietnam. As of 2024, the city's population is approximately about 164,228 people. It is located north of Huế and south of Đồng ...
. On September 22, 1966, the battalion was again in action against the 324B Division in
Operation Prairie
Operation Prairie was a U.S. military operation in Quảng Trị Province, South Vietnam that sought to eliminate People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Over the course of late 1965 and early 1966 the Viet ...
which ran from August 3 to October 27, 1966. Fighting for Hill 400 and Hill 484 and also called
Mutter's Ridge in the Razor Back Mountains, a heavily fortified Nui Cay Tri ridge. It was very costly for both sides, losses were put at nearly 1,300 PAVN killed and total Marine losses were put at 200 killed and over a 1,000 wounded.
Captain James J. Carroll was later posthumously awarded a Navy Cross for valor on Hill 484.
Photojournalist
Larry Burrows took a large collection of ''
Time-Life
Time Life, Inc. (also habitually represented with a hyphen as Time-Life, Inc., even by the company itself) was an American multi-media conglomerate company formerly known as a prolific production/publishing company and Direct marketing, direct ...
'' photos during the operation. The most recognizable is a
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
winning photo, taken on Hill 400, showing wounded Gunnery Sergeant Jeremiah Purdie being guided by a
Hospital Corpsman Darrell Hinde as he reaches out to Lance Corporal Paul Holland Mitchell who was also seriously wounded and waiting to be treated. The photo called "Reaching Out" is shown in many special ''Time-Life'' issues.
At the end of 1966 the 4th Marine Regiment was pulled out of the DMZ and sent south to participate in
Operation Chinook around Huế. When that operation ended the battalion went into a rebuilding stage.
On January 31, 1967
Operation Prairie II started. On February 27 L/3/4 and a tank platoon was involved in a battle near Hill 48 to save a recon team that ran into a PAVN Regiment. On the 28th other Marine companies including M/3/4 were brought in for ground operation. When the operation ended total casualties for both sides were put at 93 marines killed, 483 wounded and the PAVN losses were put at 694 killed. Prairie II ended on March 18, but
Operation Prairie III started the next day. The battalion was pulled back to regroup and rebuild. For the next couple of months the battalion worked Route 9 guarding lines near
Cam Lo,
The Rockpile and
Camp Carroll, which was the largest concentration of artillery pieces in northern
I Corps. July and parts of August it was time for the battalion to spend time in the "Barrel",
Con Thien
Con Thien (Vietnamese: Cồn Tiên, meaning the "Hill of Angels") was a military base that started out as a U.S. Army Special Forces camp before transitioning to a United States Marine Corps combat base. It was located near the Vietnamese De ...
. On September 4 the battalion was ambushed just south of Con Thien with heavy casualties. 3/4 was pulled back for rebuilding its manpower. Some of the other major Operations in 1967 were
Operation Hickory
Operation Hickory was a search and destroy operation conducted by the 3rd Marine Division in the area around Con Thien, Quảng Trị Province known as Leatherneck Square from 18 to 28 May 1967. Operation Hickory was the first authorized incu ...
(May 18 to May 28),
Operation Kingfisher (July 16 to Oct 31) and
Operation Kentucky near
Con Thien
Con Thien (Vietnamese: Cồn Tiên, meaning the "Hill of Angels") was a military base that started out as a U.S. Army Special Forces camp before transitioning to a United States Marine Corps combat base. It was located near the Vietnamese De ...
in the western area of
Leatherneck Square in the latter part of 1967 and in January 1968. Other operations the battalion participated in 1968 and 1969 were
Operation Lancaster II (Jan 21 to Nov 25, 1968), and
Operation Robin (2–19 June) along Route 9 southeast of
Khe Sanh.
After November 6, 3/4 was the last infantry battalion of the 3rd Marine Division left in South Vietnam. On November 24, 1969, the battalion
sailed from Vietnam to Okinawa.
1980s & 1990s
Reassigned January 1983 to 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, NC. January 1984 deployed to Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan returning to Camp Lejeune in the summer of 1984. Became the Marine Corps first "MARSOC" qualified Special Operations Capable Battalion as part of the 26th Marine Amphibious Unit in 1985 and then deployed November 1985 to the Mediterranean aboard the USS Guadalcanal. April 15th, 1986 participated in Operation El Dorado Canyon, Libya. The first Marine unit in combat in
Panama
Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
during
Operation Just Cause
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
was India Company, 3/4. They landed in Panama on April 6, 1988, and by April 10 were engaged in combat with clandestine units from
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
. Some might have been from the 7th Company of the Panamanian Defense Forces, known as the "Macho de Monte" or "mountain machos", a special ops / guerrilla warfare unit named after a sort of aggressive wild boar.
1996–1997 saw the battalion participate in Operation Hunter Warrior (Sea Dragon). The objective of the operation was to test experimental gear, weapons and other equipment essential to a Marine Rifle Squad. In 1998 the battalion was transferred from Camp Pendleton, California, to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in 29 Palms, California. There they worked back to full battalion strength and prepared for deployment to
Camp Schwab,
Okinawa
most commonly refers to:
* Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture
* Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture
* Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself
* Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
in 1999–2000.
During this time the battalion also completed the summer and winter warfare training packages at Marine Corps Cold Weather Training Bridgeport, Ca.
Global War on Terrorism – Iraq

3/4 deployed to
Kuwait
Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
in January 2003 and went on to participate in the
2003 invasion of Iraq. The group was led by Lt. Col. Brian P. McCoy. They were the first U.S. Marine unit to enter
Baghdad
Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
. This battalion was shown in the
famous scene of the statue of Saddam in
Firdos Square being pulled down. The battalion redeployed to Iraq in March 2004 and subsequently took part in
Operation Vigilant Resolve while attached to the
1st Marine Regiment. They subsequently deployed to Fallujah, Iraq in January 2005 and provided oversight for Iraq's first national election in decades. 3/4 deployed again in September 2006 to the Al Qaim region in the Euphrates River Valley of Iraq, in Western Al Anbar Province, conducting counter insurgency combat operations and support and security operations. 3/4 saw heavy fighting throughout the deployment. The Marines were spread out in individual platoon-sized combat outposts along the river side, where fighting was especially intense, particularly in the first half of their extended 9-month deployment. Around Spring time in the second half of the Marines' deployment, the fighting turned to more small scale ambushes and IED attacks conducted by the enemy, who had become increasingly affected by losses in manpower and equipment in the large scale fighting that took place throughout the Fall and Winter months of 2006 and 2007. The battalion suffered 12 KIA, and over 100 WIA during the nearly 9-month deployment, which was due to being extended for the Troop Surge in early 2007. After returning home to Twentynine Palms in late May, 2007, the battalion again deployed in early 2008 to Al Anbar with dual missions of carrying out combat operations, training Iraqi security forces, and supervising the Iraqi peacekeeping effort. Their area of operations reached from Haditha to Hit, becoming the largest area any military unit had controlled in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The battalion also became the first U.S. military unit to reach 5 straight Iraq deployments and returned from their deployment in early September 2008. They are also one of only two Marine battalions with eight straight combat deployments, the other being 3/7.
Global War on Terrorism – Afghanistan
The battalion deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan for the first time from October 2009 to May 2010. The battalion participated in
Operation Cobra’s Anger, the first major offensive of the war after President Obama announced a troop surge to the country. The battalion was deployed in large swath of area between the Helmand and Farah Provinces which included places such as Now Zad, Deleram, Golestan and Bakwa.
In April of 2011 to October 2011, Lima, Kilo and Weapons companies, along with other supporting units, deployed to the dangerous Upper Gereshk Valley in
Helmand Province
Helmand (Pashto language, Pashto/Dari language, Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering ...
,
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
. The Marines were ordered to keep
Taliban
, leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders
, leader1_name = {{indented plainlist,
* Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013)
* Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016)
* Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
forces pinned down in the 'green zone' around the
Helmand River
The Helmand river (Pashto/Dari: ; Ancient Greek: Ἐτύμανδρος, ''Etýmandros''; Latin: '), also spelled Helmend, or Helmund, Hirmand, is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primary watershed for the endorheic Sistan Basin. It o ...
so that work on nearby
Route 611 could continue uninterrupted. Over the next six months, five Marines were killed in action (Staff Sergeant Leon H. Lucas, Corporal Paul W. Zanowick, and Lance Corporals Mark R. Goyet, Jason D. Hill, and Christopher L. Camero) and many more wounded in the face of repeated enemy attacks on patrols. In October, with work completed on Route 611 and their mission accomplished, the battalion withdrew from the valley and returned to the United States.
In March 2013 the battalion deployed to Helmand province, operating primarily in and around Camp Leatherneck, along with platoons pushed out to the Sangin and Now Zad areas. The battalion returned home in October 2013, completing their 8th OEF/OIF combat deployment, the most of any USMC battalion since 2001.
Marine Unit Deployment Program
The battalion deployed in 2017 from April to October to Darwin Australia under the Marine Corp's Unit Deployment Program as
Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D). Multinational training programs were executed with participants from Australia, Japan, France and elements from the United States Army and the United States Special Operations Command. During the deployment 3rd Battalion 4th Marines established itself as a
Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF). Supporting elements came from tilt wing and rotary wing helicopter squadrons, logistics units, and engineering elements. The mission of the MAGTF was to build cohesion with the
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the Armed forces, military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia and its national interests. It consists of three branches: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and the Royal Aus ...
and the United States Marine Corps. The most notable exercise was Talisman Sabre.
Special Purpose MAGTF
In October 2018 V34 deployed to CENTCOM AOR to relieve V37 across five countries. Portions of which were conducted under enemy pressure. Marines spent time in Syria prepping CBRN gear, coordinating assault support for the battalion's forward companies and certifying and inspecting training ranges. They supported exercise CUNNING SEAHOURSE in Jordan. Marines conducted SME exchanges in Kuwait with the Kuwaiti military. The company that supported Task Force Spartan conduced a convoy to Fallujah, Iraq to support a key leader engagement for the task force commander. V34 redeployed to MCAGCC in March 2019 after conducting RIP/TOA with 1/7.
Special Purpose MAGTF Customs and Border Patrol
1 January 2020 V34 entered the execution phase and deployed to the Southern California border in order to conduct observation and reporting operations in support of the Southwest Border Mission. V34's AOR consisted of western border of Imperial Beach, CA and stretched east along the southern border to the eastern border of El Centro, CA. In March, V34 conducted a RIPTOA with V35 and transferred the SWBM AOR and redeployed to MCAGCC.
UDP-West Okinawa
The battalion deployed to Camp Schwab Okinawa Japan in October 2022. Lima Company began preparation for their departur to Republic of Korea where they would conduct an exchange with the ROK Marine Corps. Kilo Company went to mainland Japan in January in 2023 along with Weapons Company to participate in Fuji Viper 23.2. On Camp Schwab India Company served as the Alert Contingency MAGTF(ACM) for III MEF. The battalion also participated in Stand-In Force Exercise and Jungle Warfare Exercise 23 on the island of Okinawa.
Infantry Battalion Experiment & Force Design 2030
As a part of Force Design 2030 V34 was tasked with experimenting with the design ofn the infantry battalion. Changes included dispersing Weapons Company into the line companies, implementing a maturity quotient where GySgt's were platoon sergeants, SSgt's as squad leaders and MSgt's as Ops Chiefs. Other changes included adding the first ever Cyber Officer at the infantry battalion, adding an Influence Officer and Influence Chief, adding Signals Intelligence/ Electromagnetic warfare, and increasing the amount of Small UAS systems organic to the battalion. After an intensive 18 month workup between 29 Palms, Camp Pendleton and the Army's National Training Center the battalion deployed to Okinawa Japan once again.
[https://thundering-third.org/ 3d Battalion, 4th Marines Association]
3/4 Medal of Honor recipients
*
Robert J. Modrzejewski
*
John J. McGinty III
*
Donald E. Ballard
Notable personnel
*
Lou Diamond
*
Jack Coughlin
*
Joshua Sweeney
*
David Zien
*
David Furness
*
Carlos A. Ruiz
*
Micheal Barrett
Micheal P. "Mike" Barrett (born April 5, 1963) is a retired United States Marine who served as the 17th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, succeeding Carlton W. Kent on June 9, 2011. As the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Barrett was the hi ...
See also
*
Operation Vigilant Resolve
*
Organization of the United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is organized within the Department of the Navy, which is led by the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV). The most senior Marine commissioned officer is the Commandant of the Marine Corps, responsible for organizing, recr ...
*
List of United States Marine Corps battalions
Notes
References
;Bibliography
*
;Web
3/4's official website*
U.S. Marines launch major Afghan offensive
External links
3d Battalion, 4th Marines Association
{{1stMarDiv
Infantry battalions of the United States Marine Corps
1st Marine Division (United States)