By Staff Sgt. Bobbie Curtis, 1st Marine Division
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — The Marines of 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, 7th Marine Regiment, unveiled their new command post aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. Aug. 7, 2015.
The battalion was deactivated in May, 2014 after the Marine Corps began decreasing its footprint in order to comply with lowering its force size to about 175,000 as directed by congress.
Due to the increasing operational requirements around the world, Headquarters Marine Corps authorized the reactivation of 3/4 starting October 1, 2015. The official activation ceremony will take place Sept. 17, 2015, aboard Twentynine Palms.
“The reactivation of 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines offers the Marines and Sailors, veterans, and friends of the battalion an opportunity to celebrate the return of one of the Marine Corps’ most deployed units in Marine Corps history,” said Maj. Jonathan Kenney, executive officer, 3/4.
“Whether one considers the battalion’s experiences in China, the unparalleled challenges endured during WWII, the savage fighting in the jungles of Vietnam, or the iconic downing of the Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad’s Firdos Square, members of 3/4 always performed beyond expectation,” he added.
The battalion was first activated in 1925 in Naval Base San Diego. It has since been deactivated and reactivated seven other times to help the Corps tailor its forces to the mission at hand, including operations during World War II, the Vietnam War, Libya, Panama, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Trans. from E-2/4 to H&S 3/4 in Feb. 1962 to go on our turn at floating in the Pacific. Done all the weapons, machine gun, 106 rr rifle, flame throwers, 3.5 rockets, forte was 81 mm mortars. 2 years in a row was on top gunner team 1st Marine Brigade, Freddy Rhea was my trainer, we always won. No one liked garrison duty much, wanted to be in the field. Menehune Platoon, Pedro Delacerna our company Gunny. 2/4 1st Sgt Cipriano Blas volunteered me to help in company for a couple weeks and told me this was a step up, because I did a good job for him. He was right. He was a P.O.W. in Korea, and met him many years later in Yuma, Az. Retired Sgt/Major, he remembered me, and me him. Great guy, so was Gunny Del.
Semper Fi, Mac !!!! give em’ hell, Darkside !!!
India Co. (2003-2005)
“The Great Fallujah Air Show – April 2004” ????????????????????????
June 1966. Song Ngan River Valley also known as “Helicopter Valley”, because of all the helicopters that were shot down with Marines on board.