Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Pays Tribute to Ten-Year Anniversary of Battle of Fallujah with Five New Memorial Scholarships

ALEXANDRIA, VA, November 11, 2014 – In recognition of the tenth anniversary of the Battle of Fallujah, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation – the Nation’s oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to military children – has established and named five memorial scholarships in honor of the five battalions that served in the Battle of Fallujah. The battalions were instrumental in securing the Iraqi province of Fallujah from thousands of insurgents resulting in the loss of 62 Marines and hundreds wounded in the bloodiest battle in the Iraq War and the bloodiest battle involving American troops since the Vietnam War.

In 2004, Fallujah, Iraq had become a stronghold for nearly 3,000 Iraqi extremists. In the joint American, Iraqi, and British combat mission, military forces took to the streets of Fallujah going courtyard by courtyard, house by house, and room by room while undergoing constant gun fire and attack, continuing to charge forward with the sole objective to fight insurgent forces and gain control of the city – ultimately achieving success.  

“The Battle of Fallujah was a victory in the history books, but it came at a heavy price. The Marine Corps and our free world are shaped by the seminal battles of the Corps and those willing to serve in such times. We owe an immeasurable debt to these Marines,” said Margaret B. Davis, President and CEO of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. “The future scholarship recipients of the Battle of Fallujah Memorial Scholarships will honor the significant sacrifice and heroism of the Marines who so valiantly fought and won the mission. Marines like veteran Sgt Robert ‘RJ’ Mitchell, who was severely injured in the Battle of Fallujah, when he repeatedly braved enemy fire to administer first aid and evacuate wounded Marines pinned down in a ‘Hell House.’ Just as Sgt Mitchell was there for the Marines in Fallujah, the Scholarship Foundation will be there for his children.”

Each Battalion’s Memorial Scholarship is valued at $50,000. The Scholarship Foundation will begin awarding the following scholarships in the 2015-16 academic year.

• 3d Battalion, 1st Marines Division Battle of Fallujah Memorial Scholarship
• 1st Battalion, 8th Marines Division Battle of Fallujah Memorial Scholarship
• 1st Battalion, 3d Marines Division Battle of Fallujah Memorial Scholarship
• 3d Battalion, 5th Marines Division Battle of Fallujah Memorial Scholarship
• 3d Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Battle of Fallujah Battalion Memorial Scholarship

The Scholarship Foundation’s Battle of Fallujah Memorial Scholarships carry on not only the renowned legacy and sacrifice of each Battalion, but represent the unwavering commitment of our military to preserve our freedom at home and abroad.