Tour of Duty — The Cruisebook of 3/1 in Vietnam

The Third Battalion, First Marines deployed to the Far East from August, 1965 through September, 1966. It spent most of that time training in Okinawa, then in combat in Vietnam, where the battalion suffered heavy casualties. A cruisebook, the equivalent of a high school or college yearbook, was produced for the cruise.

Simon Gregory, who commanded Lima Company for a brief period early in 1966, has generously made a copy of the cruisebook available on CD ROM. The following links provide access to high-resolution PDF images of various sections of the cruisebook.

The files can be viewed on-line or downloaded and printed. There are no copyright issues. Each file is identified as to contents. These are large files — 1.7MB to 5MB — which will be slow to download even if you use a dial-up modem.

Don’t bother looking for a photo of me, Bob Ingraham, the webmaster: In the fall of 1965 I had to have a hernia repaired at the U.S. Army Hospital at Camp Kue, Okinawa. During my week-long absence (hernia surgery was a big deal in those days), a photographer visited Camp Schwab to take individual and group photos of the entire battalion minus me, and apparently minus other men as wel; I assume that they were ill or were on training exercises or other duties outside the camp on that day.

• Part 1: Title page, casualty list, message from J.R. Young, 3rd Battalion Commander

• Part 2: Battalion Officers & Staff NCOs, Medical Staff, and Chaplain

• Part 3: Cruise map and miscellaneous photographs

• Part 4: The Companies’ title page, H&S Company Headquarters, 81mm Mortar Platoon, Headquarters Platoon, 106mm Platoon

• Part 5: Service Platoon, Communications Platoon, Flame Thrower Section, and miscellaneous photographs

• Part 6: India Company Headquarters, 1st Platoon, 2nd Platoon, 3rd Platoon, Weapons Platoon, and miscellaneous photographs

• Part 7: Kilo Company Headquarters, 1st Platoon, 2nd Platoon, 3rd Platoon, Weapons Platoon, and miscellaneous photographs

Note: Cpl. Wayne P. Patrick, 1st Platoon, is incorrectly identified as Cpl. William P. Patrick. His photograph is second from the right in the first row, page 69. Wayne served with K/3/1 from August 1965 until April 1, 1966 when he was transferred to the 4th Marines.

• Part 8: Lima Company Headquarters, 1st Platoon, 2nd Platoon, 3rd Platoon, Weapons Platoon, and miscellaneous photographs

• Part 9: Mike Company Headquarters, 1st Platoon, 2nd Platoon, 3rd Platoon, Weapons Platoon, and miscellaneous photographs

• Part 10: 3/1 history & miscellaneous photographs

NOTE: The following (Parts 11-15) consists of photographs of Hong Kong, Japan, and the Philippines, where 3/1 personnel went on R&R. Part 16 consists similar photographs and includes a two-page spread showing 3rd Battalion at its final inspection at Camp Schwab, Okinawa, in mid-January, 1966 before embarking on U.S.S. Paul Revere for the Philippines and then South Vietnam. Click here to see a small colour version of this inspection photograph.

• Part 11: Miscellaneous photographs

• Part 12: Miscellaneous photographs

• Part 13: Miscellaneous photographs

• Part 14: Miscellaneous photographs

• Part 15: Miscellaneous photographs,

• Part 16: Miscellaneous photographs, including a two-page spread showing 3rd Battalion at its final inspection before embarking for the Philippines and then Vietnam. Click here to see a small colour version of this photograph.