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3rd Battalion, 27th Marines (3/27) was the shortest serving Marine battalion to deploy to Vietnam and was composed of over 400 Marines with non-infantry military occupational skills and over 400 Marines serving a second tour in Vietnam. Upon arriving in Vietnam, the battalion was assigned a patrolling and ambush area in the rocket belt south of the Da Nang and Marble Mountain area. The mission was to interrupt Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) rocket and sapper attacks on the air strip at Da Nang. The battalion reduced the number of attacks on the air strip but suffered a great number of casualties, mostly from land mines and booby traps. In late April 1968, the NVA had moved the 36th NVA Regiment of the 308th NVA Division, three VC battalions, and a rocket battalion into the An Hoa basin and the Go Noi area of Quang Nam Province. Operations commenced against U.S. and South Vietnamese forces right away. As a result of the NVA actions, 

3/27 was in action as part of Operation Allen Brook and on 13 May, India Company, with an 81MM mortar section of Headquarters & Services Company were inserted onto Go Noi island. On 17 May, K and L companies were inserted to support Company I which was in heavy contact with an estimated battalion of NVA. Company K broke through heavy NVA opposition to link up with Company I, which had taken a large number of casualties. Company M, the battalion headquarters, and remaining support personnel joined I, K, and L companies on Go Noi Island the next day. During 18 - 29 May, the battalion was engaged with units of the 16th and 38th Regiments, 308th Division, NVA. Enemy casualties were 288 killed and six prisoners of war and on an unknown number of enemy wounded. The battalion returned to the Cau Ha-Tu area on 28 and 29 May and continued patrolling south of Da Nang until returning to Go Noi for the conclusion of Operation Allen Brook in late July 1968.

During the 204 days involved in combat against VC/NVA forces, 3/27 suffered a casualty from a land mine or booby trap daily. The casualties mounted to over 900 purple hearts (many for second or third wounds) with 177 Marines and seven Corpsmen making the ultimate sacrifice and one still missing in action. Upon their return in September 1968, the battalion participated in a parade given by the city of San Diego. The battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and the Meritorious Unit Commendation for its actions during this period.
 
Location. 38° 32.489′ N, 77° 20.569′ W. Marker is in Triangle, Virginia, in Prince William County. Memorial can be reached from Jefferson Davis Highway (U.S. 1) 0.1 miles south of Joplin Road (Virginia Route 619), on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 18900 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Quantico VA 22134, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers.
At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines (here, next to this marker); 7 December 1941 (here, next to this marker); 9th Engineer Battalion (here, next to this marker); Company H (here, next to this marker); No Sacrifice Forgotten (here, next to this marker); The Basic School (here, next to this marker); Marine Spouses and Children Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Hotel Company, The Basic School (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Triangle.

3rd Battalion, 27th Marines

Fratreus Infinitas—Semper Fidelis

 

— [Brothers Forever—Always Faithful] —

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