USMC 3rd Marine Division MARDIV Patch — Embroidered Patch The Fighting Third — Bougainville to Beirut The 3rd Marine Division has been at the tip of the spear since World War II, fighting across Pacific islands, Vietnamese jungles, and standing watch in the Western Pacific for over eight decades. This patch represents one of the Marine Corps' most deployed and combat-tested divisions, carrying a legacy built on island warfare and sustained forward presence. Activated on September 16, 1942, at Camp Elliott, San Diego, the 3rd Marine Division saw its first combat at Bougainville in November 1943, followed by the brutal campaign for Guam in July 1944 and the hellish Battle of Iwo Jima in February 1945 — where the division fought through the center of the island's heavily fortified defenses. In Vietnam, the division was among the first major ground combat units deployed, operating in the northern I Corps tactical zone from 1965 to 1969 against North Vietnamese regulars along the DMZ. Today, the 3rd MARDIV is headquartered at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan, serving as the ground combat element of III Marine Expeditionary Force and standing as America's force-in-readiness in the Indo-Pacific. Perfect For: Marines who served with 3rd MARDIV, Okinawa-based Marines, III MEF personnel, Iwo Jima and Vietnam veterans, Indo-Pacific security enthusiasts, and anyone who understands that forward-deployed means first to fight. Forward deployed, always ready — the Fighting Third.
