3rd Reconnaissance Battalion

Organization

The 3rd Recon Battalion consists of approximately 450 Marines and Sailors that falls under the command of the 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Company B was formed from the 5th Force Reconnaissance Company due to the formation of the Marine Special Operations Teams (MSOT) in 2006.

3rd Recon Battalion supports the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit by augmenting a Reconnaissance and Surveillance (R&S) Platoon.

Chronology

World War II

In January–February 1943, they deployed to Auckland, New Zealand.

During the recapture of Guam, the 3rd Marine Division and the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade each had its own reconnaissance company. Major General Lemuel C. Shepherd split the 3rd Division's scout and sniper company into its three platoons to attach each to the brigade's regiments, the 4th and 22nd. The 22nd Marine Regiment's commander, Colonel Merlin F. Schneider, kept his regiment's assigned recon platoon close to the command post (CP). They were used to for rapid deployment on recon missions for the regimental commander, or when not being used on a specific mission, they guarded the CP. Colonel Schneider retired with the rank of Brigadier General after receiving the Navy Cross and Bronze Star.

At night, a landing was made on W-Day, General Shepherd and each of his regimental commanders waited for the usual nightly Japanese counterattacks. The Japanese forces was led by Japanese Colonel Tsunetaro Suenaga of the 38th Regiment from the Imperial Japanese Army's 29th Division. At 2130, Colonel Suenaga probed his attacks at the juncture of the regimental boundaries between the 3rd Marine Division's 4th Marines and the Marine Brigade's 22nd Marines. The enemy charged in force and overran the forward Marine lines and began to penetrate the thinly held rear areas. Using grenades, small arms, mortars, bayonet and close quarters combat, they were able to hold of the attacking Japanese army.

However, one Japanese element during their counterattack managed to reach the 75 mm pack howitzer artillery position before they were ultimately stopped by the gun crews. A Japanese company of infiltrators approached the regimental command post. At this point, the Marine defenders, all hands—clerks, cooks, and supernumeries, rallied around 1st Lt. Dennis Chavez, Jr. recon platoon. They too immediately stopped the Japanese attack. By dawn, the Japanese 28th Infantry Regiment was eliminated. Colonel Suenaga was wounded and later killed in these attacks.

Within the 1st Marine Prov. Brigade, on the night of 25–26 July 1944, Colonel Craig, the commanding officer of 9th Marines and the adjoining 21st Marines were concerned about the front line that was left open. Craig opted to use his regimental scout platoon to help fill the gap between the regiments. At about 2330, a forward operating post reported increased activity. By midnight, artillery and mortar fire bombarded the area starting another major counterattack by the Japanese. As a consequence, the lightly armed scout platoon was forced to fall back.

The last reconnaissance on Guam was conducted by a mechanized reconnaissance-in-force. A force consisted of Alpha, Echo (Scouts), and H&S Company of 3rd Tank Battalion; and I Company of 21st Marines. During the last major actions beginning 3 August 1944, the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines (1/9) had secured a series of roads that junctioned in Finegayan Village, in the northern section of the islands. Lieutenant Colonel Hartnoll J. Withers led the group, moving north-northwest. Two M3 Half-track, two jeeps for communications purposes and one platoon of tanks supported by an infantry platoon were maneuvering toward Road Junction 177.

Their column was immediately hit by heavy concentrated fire from 75-mm and 105-m artillery, tanks, mortars and heavy small-arms and machine guns. The Marines returned fire and after two hours, the Marines managed to destroy two of the 75 mm guns, one Japanese tank, and several machine-gun nests. Recognizing the Japanese held the advantage in terrain and cover, the Marines withdrew their forces back. Later it was determined that the attack was against a full Japanese battalion of Rikusentai, the elite Special Naval Landing Force. Guam was finally declared secured on 10 August 1944, after an intense three-week battle.

In December 1945, they returned to Camp Pendleton, and were deactivated on 31 December 1945.

Vietnam War

The first U.S. military force that landed during the Vietnam War were two Marine units. On 10–14 April 1965, two battalion landing teams (BLT) of 3rd Marine Regiment landed on the beaches of Da Nang in Vietnam unopposed. They were the 2nd and 3rd Battalion from the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade. Their objectives were to secure an airfield at Phu Bai and establish an effective beachhead.

The Marines made their first firefight encounter on 22 April 1965, against a small company of Viet Cong. A patrol of men from Company D of 3rd Recon was scouting 13 kilometers southwest of Da Nang. The Marine patrol was accompanied by a few platoons from the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). After a brief intense exchange of small-arms fire, the outnumbered recon Marines radioed in for support. An infantry company from Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines (BLT 1/3) reinforced the small group of Company D and the ARVN. The combined force was able to push the hostile force back several kilometers before losing them in the heavily foliaged terrain. Two days later on 24 April, a recon squad positioned two kilometers south of Phu Bai fell under a surprise attack by VC as the Marines were setting up defensive positions for the night. Although the firefight lasted for only a few minutes, each side lost two men.

The beachhead was secured a couple of weeks later. In the later afternoon of 7 May 1965, elements of 3rd Recon Battalion arrived at Chu Lai from Da Nang and secured the beachhead's southern flank as BLT 1/4 was setting up several kilometers inland. A few days later, BLT 3/3 arrived from Okinawa, and 3rd Recon Battalion returned to Da Nang.

Actions that summer led to a Marine, 1stLt Frank S. Reasoner, becoming the first Marine in South Vietnam to receive the Medal of Honor. On 12 July 1965, an 18-man patrol from Company A was under fire about 20 kilometers southwest of the Da Nang Air Base. Reasoner, the patrol leader, and his patrol were under a barrage of heavy fire. His radio operator was hit by enemy fire. Reasoner came to the operator's aid as he provided cover, killing two VC and interrupting hostile automatic weapons fire. As Reasoner was about to render hasty first aid to his radioman, he was mortally wounded.

The 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion lost its last full team, call sign "Flight Time", on 4 June 1969. No other full team was lost during the remaining six years of the Vietnam War. The team's "Last Known Activity" report reads:

2 June 1969 Recon Team "Flight Time" from D Company, 3rd Recon Battalion, was inserted on Hill 471 about a kilometer south of Khe Sanh in the Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam. On the night of 3/4 June 1969 the team was attacked by an enemy force and requested both emergency extraction and immediate reinforcement. Communications with the team were lost at 0320. When the reactionary force arrived a little after 0400 they were too late ... the six members of '"Flight Time" were killed in action. Five members of the team were in a small trench; the sixth, was approximately 10 meters further down the hillside. It was apparent from the state of the battle area that "Flight Time" had been overwhelmed in fierce hand-to-hand combat.
—Declassified document: 3/JEK/wjc 5750.6 003A1911969 of 10 July 1969

Team members were 1stLt Michael M. O'Connor, Cpl William A. Buck Jr., Cpl William M. Wellman Jr., LCpl Douglas W. Barnitz, Pfc Robert L. Pearcy and Pfc Harold A. Skaggs.

Interim years, 1974–present

Restructuring of 1st and 3rd reconnaissance Battalions:

1. CMC message 151921Z Jul 74 approved the cadre of 1st Force Reconnaissance Company to zero strength during FY-75

2. MCBUL 5400 Dated 29 Mar 75 directed the restructuring of Company A, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion and Company B, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, replacing one platoon with a deep reconnaissance platoon. The total authorized strength of the deep reconnaissance platoon will be the same as the Battalion Reconnaissance Platoon it replaces, i. e., 1 officer and 23 enlisted.

It also revised the mission statement of the 1st and 3rd reconnaissance Battalion to read as follows: "Conduct ground reconnaissance operation in support of the Marine Division and its subordinate elements and maintain a minimum capability of one combat ready platoon organized, trained and equipped for the conduct of deep reconnaissance operations in support of the landing force."

"The deep reconnaissance platoon will have a platoon headquarters and three 4-man deep reconnaissance teams. The suba and parachute capabilities will be retained in the new platoon. Additionally, the H&S companies will be authorized 23 USMC and 2 USN jump billets for personnel/assigned to the deep reconnaissance platoon."

"2nd Force Reconnaissance Company and the USMCR Force Reconnaissance Company will remain intact with original pre-assault and deep post-assault missions."

The battalion served in the Gulf War including being involved in the Battle of Khafji. In March 2004, elements of Company B deploy to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On 13 February 2005, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion deployed to Iraq to conduct combat operations in the Al Anbar Province, and was the focus of the documentary film Alpha Company: Iraq Diary. From September 2006 to April 2007, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion deployed to Iraq to conduct combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. From April to November 2008, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion deployed to Iraq to conduct combat operations in Al Anbar Province for its third combat tour. In November 2009, elements of the Battalion deployed in support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. In May 2011, the Battalion deployed again to Afghanistan, this time to the Sangin District of Helmand Province. They conducted a Relief-In-Place (RIP) with 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, taking over Patrol Base (PB) Alcatraz and began conducting operations in early June, returning home to Okinawa in fall 2011.

Notable former members