1st Battalion 8th Marines
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| 1st Battalion 8th Marines | |
|---|---|
 1/8 Insignia |
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| Active | -April 1, 1940 - November 18, 1947 - November 1, 1950 - present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | USMC |
| 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 |
| Nickname | "The Beirut Battalion" |
| Battles/wars | World War II * Battle of Guadalcanal * Battle of Tarawa * Battle of Saipan * Battle of Tinian * Battle of Okinawa Beirut Bombing Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom * 2003 invasion of Iraq * Operation Phantom Fury |
1st Battalion 8th Marines (1/8) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina consisting of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors. Nicknamed "The Beirut Battalion," they fall under the 8th Marine Regiment and the 2nd Marine Division.
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[edit] History
[edit] World War II
Activated April 1, 1940 at San Diego, California the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines was assigned to the 2nd Marine Brigade. The 2nd Marine Brigade was re-designated February 1, 1941 as 2nd Marine Division. The battalion was assigned during December 1941 to 2d Marine Brigade, 2d Marine Division. Deployed during January 1942 to American Samoa and detached from the 2nd Marine Division, they participated in the following World War II campaigns:
It deployed during September 1945 to Nagasaki, Japan, and participated in the occupation of Japan from September 1945 – June 1946. They relocated during June-July 1946 to MCB Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and were deactivated November 18, 1947.
[edit] The 50's through the 90's
The battalion was reactivated November 1, 1950 at MCB Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, as the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines and assigned to the 2nd Marine Division. It deployed to the Mediterranean and the Caribbean at various times from the 1950s through the 1990s. It participated in the landings on Lebanon, July-September 1958, the Cuban Missile Crisis, October-December 1962, and the intervention in the Dominican Republic, May-June 1965.
[edit] Beirut Bombing
The battalion participated as part of the multinational peace keeping force in Lebanon, May – November 1983. On Sunday, Oct. 23, 1983, 1/8 was the main victim of what came to be known as the Beirut Bombing when a truck bomb was detonated at its headquarters at the airport in Beirut.
[edit] Subsequent Operations Including Desert Storm
The battalion participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in Southwest Asia during December 1990 through April 1991. Elements participated in support of Operation Provide Promise and Deny Flight, Bosnia, September – October 1993 and January 1994, Operation Sea Signal, Cuba, June- July 1994, in support of Operation Support Democracy, Caribbean Area, May – July 1994, and Operation Silver Wake in 1997.
[edit] Global War on Terror
In March of 2003 Battalion Landing Team 1/8 departed Camp Lejeune, North Carolina with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The battalion deployed in support of combat operations in Mosul, Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The battalion would also take part in training exercises in Albania and Djibouti in the summer of 2003. Prior to its redeployment elements of the battalion inserted into Roberts International Airport and the port facility in Monrovia, Liberia. Lima company, 1/8 conducted airfield security operations as part of Joint Task Force Liberia in an effort to prevent rebel factions from ousting President Charles Taylor. The battalion would eventually return to Camp Lejeune in late October, 2003
