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.
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 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.
NOTE: The Adobe Reader may be required to read PDF files. It is available as a free download at the Adobe website.
The files may load through your web browser. If you cannot see the entire image, click on the "Attachments" tab at the left of your screen.
Once you have downloaded the files, they can be viewed on-line or printed.
Each of the following files is identified as to contents. Be forewarned: These large files—1.7MB to 5MB—will be slow to download even if you have a high-speed Internet connection. If you have a dial-up connection, please contact the webmaster.
(NOTE: Parts 11-14 consist only of stock photographs of Hong Kong, Japan, and the Philippines, where 3/1 personnel went on R&R. Part 15 consists of the same type of photographs, but includes a photo of the final inspection of 3rd Battalion before its departure from Camp Schwab, Okinawa.)