1917-1919
Activated 14 August 1917 at Quantico, Virginia as the 3rd Battalion, 6th Regiment
Deployed during October-November 1917 to France and assigned to the 4th Brigade, American Expeditionary Force
Participated in the following World War I offensive campaigns: Aisne Aisne-Marne St. Mihiel Meuse-Argonne.
Participated in the following World War I defensive campaigns: Toulon-Troyon Chateau-Thiery Marabache Limey
Participated in the occupation of the Rhineland, December 1918-July 1919
Returned during July-August 1919 to Quantico, Virginia
Deactivated 20 August 1919
1922-1925
Reactivated 14 June 1922 at Quantico, Virginia as the 3rd Battalion, 6th Regiment and assigned to the 4th Brigade
Participated in Maneuvers at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, June-July 1922 and attached to the Marine Corps Expeditionary Force
Deactivated 10 August 1922 at Quantico, Virginia
Reactivated 12 June 1924 at Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic
Relocated during July 1924 to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Relocated during January 1925 to Quantico, Virginia
Deactivated 1 February 1925
1927-1928
Reactivated April 1927 at Norfolk, Virginia as the 3rd Battalion, 6th Regiment and assigned to the provisional regiment
Deployed during April-July 1927 to Tientsiin, China and reassigned to the 3rd Marine Brigade
Redesignated 4 October 1927 as the 1st Battalion, 12 Regiment
Redesignated 22 April 1928 as the 3rd Battalion, 6th Regiment
Relocated during October 1928 to San Diego, California
Deactivated 10 November 1928
1940-1946
Reactivated 1 November 1940 as San Diego, California as the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines and assigned to the 2nd Marine Brigade
Deployed during May-July 1941 to Reykjavik, Iceland and reassigned to the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade
Returned January-February 1942 to San Diego, California and reassigned to the 2nd Marine Division
Deployed during October-November 1942 to Wellington, New Zealand Participated in the following World War II campaigns: Guadalcanal Southern Solomons Tarawa Saipan Tinian Okinawa
Relocated during September 1945 to Nagasaki, Japan
Participated in the Occupation of Japan, September 1945 to February 1946
Relocated during February-March 1946 to Camp Pendleton, California
Deactivated 27 March 1946
1949-1957
Reactivated 17 October 1949 on board USS Fremont and assigned to the 2nd Marine Division
Relocated during August 1950 to Camp Pendleton, California
Deactivated 11 September 1950
Reactivated 12 September 1950 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and assigned to the 2nd Marine Division
Deployed at various times as Battalion Landing Team 3/6 in the Mediterranean and Caribbean from April 1952 to 1958
1958-2000
Participated in the Landings in Lebanon, July-October 1958
Participated in the Cuban missile crisis, October-December 1962
Participated in the intervention in the Dominican Republic, April-May 1965
Participated in reinforcement of naval base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, October-November 1979
Participated in various training exercises throughout the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's
Placed under the operational control of the 3rd Marine Division at various periods throughout the 1980's and 1990's for deployment to the Western Pacific
Participated in Operation Just Cause, Panama, December 1989-January 1990
Participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Southwest Asia, December 1990-April 1991
Routinely deployed to the Mediterranean as a part of Landing Force 6th Fleet
2001-PRESENT
Participated in Operation Enduring Freedom & Swift Freedom, Afghanistan & Pakistan from November 2001-Febuary 2002
Assigned to the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Anti-Terrorism) as the Anti-Terrorism Battalion (AT) September 2002
Participated in the defense of the American Embassy Kabul Afghanistan, September 2002 to November 2003
Participated in Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, November 2002 to November 2003.
Reassigned to 2D Marine Division November 2003
Deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, assigned to Combined Joint Task force 180/76, May 2004 to December 2004
HISTORY OF THE FOURRAGERE
The Fourragere is a combat decoration instituted by Napoleon for units that distinguished themselves in battle. In 1918, Marines of the 5th and 6th Regiments, by their deeds of valor, inscribed the names of momentous and brilliant battles on the pages of Marine Corps History. They have the single honor of being the only two Regiments in the A.E.F. to receive three citations, two in the Order of the Army and one in the Order of the Corps. The Fourragere and the Croix de Guerre with two palms and one Gilt Star. The first award of the Croix de Guerre came after the Battle of Belleau Wood. The second award of the Croix de Guerre followed shortly after the Battle of Soissons. The final award came after the Battle of Champagne, which opened the western approaches to the Argonne.
Just as individuals are decorated for courageous conduct in battle, so are the colors of an organization decorated to commemorate the deeds of the unit as a whole. American units so decorated are authorized by our government to place on their colors a streamer, one for each award. A unit twice cited with the French Croix de Guerre with Palm is entitled to a braided and knotted cord called the Fourragere in the green and red colors of Croix de Guerre.
The Fourragere becomes a part of the uniform of the unit so cited, and all members of the organization are authorized to wear the decoration on the left shoulder of the uniform, so as long as they remain a member of that organization. Individuals attached to the organization on at least two occasions on which it was cited in Orders of the French Army are entitled to wear the Fourragere at all times, regardless of whether or not they are serving in the unit decorated.
The 3/6 Indian Head Patch
During World War 1 the Fifth and Sixth Marines fighting in France as the Fourth Marine Brigade of the Army's Second Division were forced to wear the Army's uniform. The Marines had only the eagle, globe, and anchor on their soft covers to distinguish themselves from their Army brothers in arms. As this did not sit well with the Marines, a patch was designed to distinguish them from their counterparts. A black shield with one five-pointed star and an Indian head with full war bonnet were selected. It is said that the black was for mourning and respect for their casualties, the shield for defense, and the star for the Second Division Commander, Brigadier General John A. Lejeune, and the Indian for General Lejeune's nickname "Old Indian." Another source says the patch was derived from a U.S. Coin in circulation at the time.
General Lejeune himself gave a somewhat different history as to the origin of the patch in his 1930 autobiography "The Reminiscences of a Marine." He states; "There was no inferiority complex about the Second Division. We knew that we were second to none, but also that we were better than any! So we adopted the star and Indian head as Division Insignia, the Indian head representing it's fighting ability, and the star it's spirit or espirit de corps. It was, I think, the First Division of the A.E.F. (American Expeditionary Force) to wear insignia."
"We carried the idea out, too, to its logical conclusion by providing a different background for each regiment, each battalion, and each separate detachment."
The Sixth Marine Regiment used the same design in a diamond shape instead of a shield. The color of the background on which the star was placed shows the Battalion: black, Headquarters; green, Supply; purple, Machine-gun Company; red, First battalion; yellow, Second battalion; and blue, Third battalion.
The Marines of 3/6 paved their way to fame during 1918 when they participated in action to repel repeated German attacks in the Battle of Belleau Wood and saved Paris from the invading German Army.
The Marines fought so fiercely in Belleau Wood that the German Soldiers came to fear them, and gave them the name Teufel Hunden (Devil Dog).