Officially Licensed USMC 3rd Bn 27th Marines Patch

3rd Battalion 27th Marines Patch

3rd Battalion, 27th Marine Regiment, United States Marine Corps

The 27th Marine Regiment was activated on 10 January 1944 as part of the massive expansion of the Marine Corps during World War II. The regiment first saw action during the Battle of Iwo Jima, one of the bloodiest engagements in Marine Corps history, where the 27th Marines suffered 566 killed and 1,706 wounded while four of its Marines earned the Medal of Honor. Among the regiment's distinguished members was Jack Lummus, who served with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, and Colonel Donn J. Robertson, who commanded 3rd Battalion during the brutal fighting on Iwo Jima. The regiment was inactivated on 10 January 1946 following Japan's surrender.

The 27th Marines was reactivated on 1 January 1966 during the Vietnam War, initially serving as a replacement pool before being deployed in full in February 1968 in response to the Tet Offensive. The 3rd Battalion deployed from Camp Pendleton to Da Nang by sea and air between 14 and 21 February 1968, with Military Airlift Command planes flying more than 3,300 men of the regiment to Vietnam. The 3rd Battalion was assigned to patrol the rocket belt south of Da Nang and Marble Mountain, tasked with interrupting Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army rocket and sapper attacks on the airstrip. On 13 May 1968, elements of 3/27 joined Operation Allen Brook on Go Noi Island, engaging units of the 16th and 38th Regiments of the NVA's 308th Division.

During its 204 days in combat, the 3rd Battalion suffered a casualty from a land mine or booby trap every single day. The casualties mounted to over 900 Purple Hearts—many for second or third wounds—with 177 Marines and seven Navy Corpsmen making the ultimate sacrifice and one still listed as missing in action. The battalion was composed of over 400 Marines with non-infantry military occupational skills and over 400 Marines serving a second tour in Vietnam, making it the shortest-serving Marine battalion to deploy to the war. The battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and the Meritorious Unit Commendation for its extraordinary heroism.

Perfect For: 3rd Battalion 27th Marines veterans and families, 27th Marine Regiment alumni, Iwo Jima and Vietnam War Marines, Operation Allen Brook participants, and those who honor the sacrifice of Marines who served in the rocket belt south of Da Nang.

From the black sands of Iwo Jima to the minefields of Go Noi Island—honoring the Marines and Corpsmen of 3/27 who gave everything in 204 days of unrelenting combat.