THIRD MARINE DIVISION 1948 HC/1st Edition USMC Iwo Jima WWII Semper Fi Solomons!

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THIRD MARINE DIVISION, 1948. Written by First Lieutenants Robert A. Arthur and Kenneth Cohlima, USMCR. Edited by Lieutenant Colonel Robert T. Vance, USMC. Published by the Infantry Journal Press, Washington, D.C.. All pages are present: 399 pages with numerous pages of illustrations, plates, portraits, as well as an index of MOH, Navy Cross, Presidential Unit Citations winners. No dust jacket. Stated First Edition! Approximate Dimensions: 6.25" x 9.25" Condition Description: green cloth hardcover book of the unit history of the Third Marine Division. Unit Symbol on the front cover. Several blemishes on the front cover as well as the rear. Spine is cocked, slightly sunned, but the gilt lettering is still crisp and readable. Front and rear gutters have slight separation and the webbing is visible but the book is firm, secure and in one piece. All pages are attached and there is no writing in the book. The book does have a musty smell normally associated with antiquarian books but it is not overwhelming. Corners are rounded. World War II: The 3rd Marine Division was officially activated on 16 September 1942 at Camp Elliott, San Diego, California. Most of the original members of the division were drawn from the cadre staff of the 2nd Marine Division. The division was initially built around the 9th Marine Regiment, commanded by Colonel Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. who later became the 20th Commandant of the Marine Corps. Major General Charles D. Barrett was the first commanding general of the division. The division echeloned into Auckland, New Zealand between January and March 1943. In June of that year they moved onto Guadalcanal for additional training. 27 September 1943 saw the division land as part of the Battle of Bougainville and fight on the island until their last unit to arrive, the 21st Marine Regiment, embarked on 9 January 1944. During the course of the battle the division had approximately 400 Marines killed. They returned to Guadalcanal in January 1944 to rest, refit and train. The next operation the division took part in was the Battle of Guam. From 21 July 1944 until the last day of organized fighting on 10 August, the division fought through the jungles on the island of Guam. During these 21 days of fighting, the division captured over 60 square miles of territory and killed over 5,000 enemy soldiers. The next two months saw continuous mopping up operations in which the Marines continued to engage left over Japanese forces. At the end of the battle the division had sustained 677 Marines killed, 3,626 wounded and 9 missing.The division remained on the island of Guam for training purposes until they embarked as part of the landing force for the Battle of Iwo Jima. The 3rd Marine Division was initially in reserve for the battle however they were committed one regiment at a time as the initial regiments that landed needed to be relieved. The 21st Marines came ashore on 20 February followed by the 9th Marines and were reinforced by a battalion from the 3rd Marines on 25 February. The Marines of these two infantry regiments, supported by the artillery of the 12th Marine Regiment and tanks of the 3rd Tank Battalion, fought on Iwo Jima until the end of organized resistance on 16 March and the subsequent mopping up operations for the next month. All elements of the Division were back on Guam by 17 April 1945. The fighting on Iwo Jima would cost the 3rd Marine Division 1,131 killed in action and another 4,438 wounded. After the return to Guam, the Division began preparing for the invasion of Japan. This however never took place as Japan surrendered in August 1945. The division was inactivated on 28 December 1945. Present: The 3rd Marine Division is an infantry division in the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler and Okinawa , Japan. It is one of three active duty divisions in the Marine Corps and together with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1stMAW) and the 3rd Marine Logistics Group (3rd MLG) forms the III Marine Expeditionar... read more

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