2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines

Unit Lineage

Activated on 1 May 1942 at New River, North Carolina, the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines was an infantry battalion assigned to the 3rd Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division, based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay. Known as the "Island Warriors," 2/3 was deactivated in January 2022 under Force Design 2030. Lieutenant General James Bierman, commander of III MEF, wrote that 2/3 was "one of the finest and storied battalions currently in the Marine Corps." Over 80 years, the Island Warriors fought from Bougainville to Helmand and earned a reputation for breaking the backs of insurgencies.

World War II

On 1 November 1943, 2/3 was the first battalion to reach Bougainville, landing at Blue Beach 2. The battalion fought through the Numa-Numa Trail and the Battle of Piva Forks before the 3rd Marines left the island in December. On 21 July 1944, 2/3 went ashore at Red Beach One during the Battle of Guam, fighting through Chonito Cliff and Bundschu Ridge under fierce Japanese resistance. Private First Class Leonard F. Mason earned the Medal of Honor posthumously on Guam for single-handedly clearing two Japanese machine gun positions. The battalion went on to fight at Iwo Jima in February 1945.

Vietnam

2/3 deployed to Vietnam in April 1965 and served until October 1969. The battalion fought in the Hill Fights at Khe Sanh in the spring of 1967, some of the most intense combat of the early war. A total of 168 Marines were killed in April and May alone. The fighting prompted a congressional investigation into M-16 rifle malfunctions after Marines reported their weapons jamming in combat.

Afghanistan and Iraq

In 2005, 2/3 deployed to Kunar and Laghman Provinces in northeastern Afghanistan. During this deployment, the battalion planned and participated in Operation Red Wings and planned and executed Operation Whalers, which successfully destroyed the enemy cell responsible for the loss of 19 special operations personnel during Red Wings. In 2006, 2/3 deployed to the Haditha region of Al Anbar Province and faced some of the worst fighting in the entire Iraq War. The battalion suffered 23 killed in action from September 2006 to April 2007 and earned the nickname "The Angels of Anbar." Their success in partnering with Sunni leaders contributed to the Anbar Awakening, the turning point of the Iraq War. On 26 June 2008, during a subsequent deployment, the battalion's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Max Galeai, along with Captain Philip Dykeman and Corporal Marcus Preudhomme, were killed by a suicide bomber in Karmah. 2/3 deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2009 and again in 2010.

Gear for the Island Warriors

This collection is for the Marines who served with 2/3 and the families who carry their legacy. The Island Warriors were deactivated in 2022, but the history does not end. Every t-shirt, hoodie, flag, and accessory honors a battalion that fought from Bougainville to the Anbar Awakening. Veteran-owned and made in the USA.

Browse our 2/3 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+.