1:8

• 1st Battalion, 8th Marines (1/8) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps, part of the 2nd Marine Division based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. • World War II Service: 1/8 was activated in 1940 and fought in some of the fiercest battles in the Pacific, including Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa. • Tarawa Landings: During the Battle of Tarawa in 1943, 1/8 was among the first assault waves to hit the beaches, enduring heavy casualties from Japanese defenders. • Cold War Deployments: The battalion had multiple deployments to the Mediterranean and Caribbean during the Cold War, serving as a ready force for crisis response. • Beirut Barracks Bombing (1983): 1/8 was the main unit housed in the building destroyed by a suicide truck bomb in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 220 Marines from the battalion—the deadliest single-day loss for the Corps since Iwo Jima. • Operation Desert Storm: 1/8 participated in the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, advancing on Iraqi positions as part of the ground assault. • Operation Iraqi Freedom: The unit deployed multiple times to Iraq, participating in major actions such as the Battle of Fallujah in 2004, where it fought intense urban combat. • Nickname: 1/8 is commonly known as "The Beirut Battalion," a tribute to its sacrifice and service in Lebanon. • Notable Alumni: Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Rafael Peralta served with 1/8 before being reassigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, where he was killed in Iraq. • Motto: The battalion's motto is "Fortune Favors the Brave," embodying its legacy of courage and sacrifice in battle.