1st Battalion, 8th Marines

Unit Lineage

Activated on 1 April 1940 in San Diego, California, the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines is an infantry battalion currently assigned to the 6th Marine Regiment under the 2nd Marine Division at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Known as "The Beirut Battalion," 1/8 has fought in every major conflict from World War II through the Global War on Terror. The battalion was originally part of the 8th Marine Regiment, which was decommissioned on 28 January 2021 under Force Design 2030.

World War II

1/8 fought across five campaigns in the Pacific: Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa. At Tarawa in November 1943, the 8th Marines assaulted one of the most heavily fortified positions in the Pacific. The regiment seized the atoll in 76 hours of fighting so intense that it reshaped how the Marine Corps planned every amphibious operation for the rest of the war. At Saipan and Tinian, the battalion helped capture the island bases that would be used to launch the air war against mainland Japan. After the Japanese surrender, 1/8 deployed to Nagasaki as part of the occupation.

Cold War Operations

During the Cold War, 1/8 was at the center of multiple crises. In July 1958, the battalion landed north of Beirut during Operation Blue Bat to stabilize Lebanon during a period of political upheaval. In October 1962, 1/8 deployed to Guantanamo Bay during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1965, the battalion participated in the intervention in the Dominican Republic during Operation Powerpack.

Beirut. 23 October 1983.

Battalion Landing Team 1/8 was the ground combat element of the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit, serving as part of the multinational peacekeeping force in Beirut, Lebanon. At 06:22 on Sunday morning, 23 October 1983, a truck carrying 12,000 pounds of explosives crashed through the gates of the BLT headquarters building at the Beirut International Airport and detonated. The blast killed 220 Marines, 18 sailors, and 3 soldiers. Over 100 more were wounded. The majority of the dead were from 1/8. It was the deadliest single-day loss for the Marine Corps since the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. The battalion carries the name "The Beirut Battalion" to this day.

Desert Storm Through the Global War on Terror

In December 1990, 1/8 deployed to Saudi Arabia and served as one of three assault battalions leading the 2nd Marine Division's advance into Kuwait during Desert Storm. During the Global War on Terror, the battalion deployed to Iraq in 2004 as part of Regimental Combat Team 1 and later RCT-7, conducting combat operations across Al Anbar Province including Haditha, Hit, Karmah, and Fallujah. 1/8 was one of the lead battalions during Operation Phantom Fury in November 2004. The battalion later deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2010 and again in 2012, operating in Musa Qaleh and Now Zad.

Gear for the Beirut Battalion

This collection exists for the Marines who served with 1/8 and the families who carry their names. Every t-shirt, hoodie, flag, and accessory honors the battalion's history from Tarawa to Beirut to Helmand. Some of the people buying this gear are honoring someone they lost on 23 October 1983. We built this collection knowing that. Veteran-owned and made in the USA.

Browse our 1/8 Marines t-shirts, long sleeves, hoodies, tank tops, flags, decals, drinkware, and more below. OIF and OEF veteran designs available. Every order ships free at $75+.