3rd Battalion, 8th Marines

Unit Lineage

Activated on 1 April 1940 in San Diego, California, the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines was an infantry battalion of the 8th Marine Regiment under the 2nd Marine Division, based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The battalion was deactivated on 28 January 2021 as part of Force Design 2030, the fourth time in its history that 3/8 has been stood down. Over 80 years of service, the battalion earned battle honors from the Pacific to Kosovo to Helmand Province.

World War II

3/8 fought across five campaigns in the Pacific: Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa. At Tarawa, the 8th Marines absorbed devastating casualties crossing the reef under Japanese fire to assault Betio Island. The regiment earned a Presidential Unit Citation for the action. At Saipan and Tinian, 3/8 helped seize the Mariana Islands for the air bases that would bring the war to Japan's doorstep. After the surrender, the battalion deployed to Japan as part of the occupation force.

Cold War and the 1990s

After reactivation in January 1951, 3/8 served throughout the Cold War and was deployed to Lebanon as part of the multinational peacekeeping force, where the battalion relieved 2/8 in December 1982. In 1990, 3/8 participated in Operation Sharp Edge in Liberia, protecting American lives during the Liberian civil war. The battalion deployed to Saudi Arabia for Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Through the 1990s, 3/8 was one of the most globally active battalions in the Marine Corps, deploying to Bosnia, Liberia, the Central African Republic, Haiti, and Kosovo. In June 1999, 3/8 patrolled the streets of Gnjilane, Kosovo as part of Operation Joint Guardian, the NATO peacekeeping mission.

Global War on Terror

After the September 11 attacks, 3/8 was one of the first Marine units to participate in Operation Enduring Freedom. From December 2001 to September 2002, elements of the battalion guarded the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. In January 2005, 3/8 deployed to Ramadi, Iraq, assigned to the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division. The battalion faced constant urban combat against a well-supplied insurgency for six months, losing 17 Marines and sailors killed and sustaining over 240 casualties. The battalion earned a Navy Unit Commendation for the Ramadi deployment. 3/8 returned to Afghanistan in October 2008, operating primarily in Helmand Province, and again in 2012 to Marjah. The 38th Commandant of the Marine Corps, General David H. Berger, previously commanded 3/8.

Gear for 3/8 Marines

This collection is for the Marines who served with 3/8 and the families who carry their legacy. The battalion may be deactivated, but 3/8 has been stood up four times in its history. Every t-shirt, hoodie, flag, and accessory keeps the battalion's name alive from Tarawa to Ramadi to Helmand. Veteran-owned and made in the USA.

Browse our 3/8 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+.