3rd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment
Marine Artillery and the City of Philadelphia have a shared history that stretches through much of the 20th Century. The Marine Corps has roots in Philadelphia beginning with its founding at Tun Tavern on November 10, 1775. Throughout the early history of the Corps, Philadelphia was always a major post.
Today 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines represents one of many incarnations of a Marine Artillery presence in Philadelphia since 1930. Today the flag of 3rd Battalion resides in the Armed Forces Reserve Center, Northeast Philadelphia. From Philadelphia, three artillery batteries are commanded. The battalion is part of the larger 14th Marines, an artillery regiment headquartered in Ft. Worth, Texas. The 3rd Battalion is comprised of over 500 Marines and Sailors and fields eighteen 155mm howitzers each capable of firing various one hundred pound projectiles over ten miles.
In May 1930, the 1st Battalion, 21st Reserve Marines was stood up at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Marines drilled on Thursday nights for no pay and reported for a two week training period each summer with the 10th Marines. Armed with French 75mm guns, the battalion was redesignated the 7th Battalion (Artillery), Fleet Marine Force Reserve in 1935. The Battalion was activated for service on 7 November 1940 and trained in Cuba where it was redesignated the 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines during January 1941. Philadelphia Marines served with 11th Marines throughout the war from Guadalcanal to Okinawa.
The 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines is the senior battalion in 14th Marines. It first became operational as the 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines on 22 July 1942 at New River, North Carolina and was redesignated as the 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines on 22 February 1943 as a direct support artillery battalion within the 4th Marine Division. Originally fielding the 75mm pack howitzer, the battalion would be armed with 105mm howitzers in the spring of 1944. After further training in Southern California, 3rd Battalion embarked upon amphibious shipping in San Diego on 6 January 1944 for the longest shore-to-shore operation in Marine Corps history directly from San Diego to an amphibious assault of the Marshal Islands at the island atoll of Kwajalein.
Landing on the offshore island of Ennuebing on 31 January 1944, 3rd Battalion provided pre-landing bombardment of Kwajalein. Heavy surf conditions lead to the battalion's first combat casualties and the loss of two howitzers. The next morning at 0658, Batteries G, H, and I contributed to the naval and air bombardment of the island of Roi which the 23rd Marines later seized by sunset on 2 February. After the 4th Marine Division had secured the entire atoll, 3rd Battalion redeployed to Maui, Hawaii for refitting with new 105mm howitzers and further amphibious training.
The Marianas Islands were the next objective. 3rd Battalion arrived off the coast of Saipan in amphibious shipping as part of the V Amphibious Corps comprised of the 2d and 4th Marine Divisions. The assault commenced at 0843 on 15 June 1944 and by 1445 the 3rd Battalion was ashore and firing before any other artillery had landed. But June 1944 and by 1445 the 3rd Battalion was ashore and firing before any other artillery had landed. But the fighting would last for 25 days during which 3rd Battalion fired in support of every infantry regiment in 4th Marine Division as well as elements of 2d Marine Division and the U.S. Army 27th Division. Without a break, the battalion was immediately dispatched to the southern portion of Saipan where it was attached to 10th Marines. There it supported pre-landing bombardments of the island of Tinian for two weeks prior to the 4th Marine Division assault on the Tinian on 24 July 1944. 3rd Battalion followed on to Tinian where it participated in the last combat action on the island on 4 August 1944 when by-passed Japanese soldiers attacked Battery I and were handily repulsed. Only with the securing of the island did 14th Marines return to Maui for a well deserved rest.
3rd Battalion next saw action on Iwo Jima where advanced parties landed at 1010 on D-day, 19 February 1945. The Battalion Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. MacFarlane, was wounded that morning and evacuated. Resistance on the beaches kept the battalion from landing until the next afternoon. For the battalion, the battle lasted until 13 March, when the island was secured. 3rd Battalion had experienced its most severe campaign of the war, firing more rounds, and suffering more casualties than any other battle. Following the cancelled preparations in Maui for the invasion of Japan, the battalion was redeployed to Camp Pendleton after 21 months overseas and deactivated on 15 November 1945.
Released from active duty, Marines returned home where many of them continued to affiliate with the Marines Corps through the Organized Marine Corps Reserve. Then, newly joined Marines did not go to "boot camp" but instead received on-the-job training. After World War II, the 1st 155mm Howitzer Battalion was organized in Philadelphia, PA while the 1st 105mm Howitzer Battery was established in Richmond, VA. Both units were activated during the summer of 1950 and promptly dissolved with Marines being assigned to either 11th Marines as it deployed for the landing at Inchon or replacement drafts which followed to Korea. Once again, Marine artillery reserves were off to war. The 1st 155mm Howitzer Battalion was reactivated on 21 November 1951 and by 1955 it had firing batteries activated in Northeast Philadelphia and Upper Darby. In 1962 the Battalion was redesignated 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines and by the early 1970's had reached its current configuration with firing batteries in Trenton, NJ, Reading, PA, and Richmond, VA.
Although not activated during the Vietnam War, the 3rd Battalion trained hard in readiness for activation and world-wide deployment. Training throughout the United States, the battalion also deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Norway to participate in NATO exercises - most recently Strong Resolve 98. In 1985 the 105mm howitzer was replaced with the M198 155mm howitzer, providing the battalion with greater range and killing lethality. In November 1990, the firing batteries of 3rd Battalion were activated for war once again and deployed to liberate Kuwait. Battery H distinguished itself while attached to 1st Battalion, 11th Marines when it conducted direct fire missions against Iraqi positions. Upon the conclusion of Operation Desert Storm, the battalion returned home to a well deserved welcome.
Golf Battery, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines is a direct support Artillery Unit whose mission is to provide trained combat personnel to augment and reinforce the active component in time of war, national emergency and at other times as national security requires. This unit was activated on 1 Mar 1953, and is active to present. 1 March 1953 - 8 September 1954, 3d 155 mm Howitzer Battery, USMCR, Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center, Lamberton Street, Trenton, New Jersey. 9 September 1954 - 1 November 1959, 3d 155 mm Howitzer Battalion, USMCR. 1 November 1959 - 1 July 1962, 3d 155 mm Howitzer Battery, USMCR. 1 July 1962 - 1 September 1966, Battery "L", 3d Battalion, 14th Marines, 4th Marine Division, USMCR 1 September 1966 - Present, Battery "G", 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines, 4th Marine Division, USMCR. The unit relocated to the present address during July 1972. "G" Battery was called to active duty on 7 December 1990 in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and was on active duty until 3 August 1991 while serving with 12th Marines in Okinawa, Japan.
Hotel Battery was first known as the 1st Howitzer Battalion, which was activated in 1947. It was later mobilized for the Korean Conflict in 1950, but was later deactivated in 1952 and resumed training as a Battalion. The battalion was divided into the 1st and the 8th 105 MM Howitzer Batteries in 1962. 1st Battery trained independently and was under operational control of 14th Marines. In 1971 1st Battery was designated as Battery "H", 3rd BN, 14 Marines, 4th Marine Division. Battery "H" also included all personnel of the 8th 105mm Howitzer Battery upon its deactivation. "H" Battery moved to its present location at the Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Training Center in 1973. On 7 June 1989 the Battery was designated as a 155mm Howitzer Battery upon receipt of 6 M198s. On 2 December 1990 Hotel Battery was ordered to active duty in support of Operation Desert Shield. It moved to their initial staging area in Camp Lejeune on 1 January 1991. On 4 January 1991, Hotel Battery arrived by air in Saudi Arabia and joined 11th marines. After the arrival of their equipment, the Battery was attached to 1st Bn, 11th Marines for the duration of Desert Storm. During the ground war the Battery engaged two Iraqi Multiple Rocket launchers (MRL) with Howitzer direct fire and automatic weapons, destroying both. At the conclusion of Desert Storm the Battery returned to the Division Support Area on 9 March 1999 and turned over the equipment for return to Camp Lejeune. On 10 April 1991, the Battery flew out of Saudi Arabia and returned to the United States. The Battery returned to Richmond, Val, on April 14 1991, and was released from active duty.
India Battery, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines is a direct support Artillery Unit whose mission is to provide trained combat personnel to augment and reinforce the active component in time of war, national emergency, and at other times as national security requires. The "Reading Marines" of Battery "I", 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines, 4th Marine Division, form an integral part of the United States Marine Corps Reserve, which has over 200 air/ground units nationwide that make up the "Marine Forces Reserve" team. The Berks County unit is presently configured as a M198 155mm howitzer battery. The unit drills one weekend a month and has one 2 week annual training period which is usually held some time during the summer months.
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