1st Battalion, 3d Marines (1/3) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Nicknamed the "Lava Dogs", the battalion consists of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors and falls under the command of the 3d Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division.
Content
The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 found the Marine Corps woefully equipped and under strength. Several units deactivated at the end of the Second World War were quickly reactivated, and on 10 July 1951, 1st Battalion, 3d Marines was reactivated at Camp Pendleton, California. The battalion readied itself for war on the Korean Peninsula and embarked for the Far East in the summer of 1953. However, by the time it set sail in August, an armistice had been signed ending the fighting. Despite this fact, 1/3 deployed to Japan where it became a garrison force. Its permanent home was changed in March 1957 when it was moved to Okinawa. While stationed in the Far East the battalion engaged in numerous training exercises in Japan, the Philippines and Korea.