USMC 2nd BATTALION 9th MARINE RGTt 3rd MARINE DIVISION, VIETNAM WAR PATCH

Description: The size of this patch is 3.25" x 3.25".The 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, were the first Marines to be sent to Vietnam in March 1965 to protect the Da Nang Air Base On 6 May 1965, the 3rd Marine Division opened the Marine Compound at the Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam. By the end of 1965 the division had all its regiments (3rd Marines, 4th Marines and 9th Marines) on the ground.In August 1966, the battalions of the 26th Marines (a 5th Marine Division unit) began arriving for combat duty in South Vietnam attached to the 3rd Marine Division. In October 1966, then commanding general Lewis W. Walt was ordered to establish strong points just south of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The 3rd Division moved its headquarters from Da Nang to Phu Bai in late 1966. At the same time the division was also building outposts along the southern half of the DMZ at Con Thien, Gio Linh, Cam Lộ and Đông Hà. The first major multi-regiment operations against the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) was Operation Hastings in July 1966. Operation Prairie followed in October. This area would come to be known as Leatherneck Square. In late 1967 the headquarters moved again from Phu Bai to Đông Hà in the Quang Tri Province and more outposts were opened. Camp Carroll, Rockpile, Ca Lu and Khe Sanh. The two main enemy divisions the Marines fought were the 320th Division and the 324B Division.On November 14, 1967, the 3rd Marine Division commander Major General Bruno Hochmuth was killed northwest of Huế in a helicopter crash. Some of the major operations in 1967 and early 1968 in this area were Operation Prairie III, Operation Prairie IV, Operation Hickory I, Operation Cimarron, Operation Buffalo, Operation Kingfisher and Operation Kentucky.Nearly 8,000 PAVN were killed during this time period. The Marines suffered over 1400 killed and over 9,000 wounded. There were five Medals of Honor awarded and nearly 40 Navy Crosses given during this period of time. For extraordinary heroism in the Republic of Vietnam from 8 March 1965 to 15 September 1967, the division was awarded the Navy Presidential Unit Citation.During the 1968 Tet Offensive, the division conducted operations along the DMZ with a portion of the division fighting in the Battle of Huế. The operational tempo increased with the initiation of the Tet Offensive in late January 1968. At the time, 3rd Marine Division intelligence estimated the combat strength of PAVN and Viet Cong (VC) forces in the DMZ area was 40,943 troops. The PAVN and VC stepped up their attacks by fire on every combat base in the division area of operations. This included daily attempts at interdiction of naval traffic on the Cua Viet River near Đông Hà. The division had to invest many of its assets to open the Cua Viet River to traffic. BLT 5/l, the Landing Force of SLF B, remained under the operational control (OPCON) of the division throughout February 1968. BLT 3/l continued Operation Saline under operational control of the 1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion with the mission of clearing the area adjacent to the Cua Viet River between Cua Viet and Đông Hà. BLT 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, the Landing Force of SLF A, remained under operational control of the division throughout the month. BLT 2/4 conducted operations in the Lancaster II and Kentucky areas.During the Vietnam War, the 3rd Marine Division suffered 6,869 men killed in action. The division departed South Vietnam in November 1969 with more than 20 Marines having received the Medal of Honor and moved to Camp Courtney, Okinawa, where it is presently located.COMBINED SHIPMENT OF MULTIPLE ITEMS IS REDUCED TO SAVE YOU MONEY.YOUR ITEM WILL BE SHIPPED WITHIN 24 HOURS UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR PAYMENT.FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS ONLY: WE WILL SHIP BY 1st CLASS MAIL. WE REQUIRE BUYERS TO WAIT FOR THE INVOICE BEFORE PAYING.OUR FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT TO US AND WE WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY WITH YOUR PURCHASE. IF YOU FIND SOMETHING WRONG, PLEASE CONTACT US BEFORE LEAVING A NEUTRAL OR NEGATIVE FEEDBACK AND WE WILL TRY TO MAKE IT RIGHT. THANKS FOR YOUR PURCHASE. ENJOY !

Price: 10.45 USD

Location: Grand Prairie, Texas

End Time: 2024-12-24T13:03:09.000Z

Shipping Cost: 1 USD