Reserve. The 22nd Marines took part in the Battle of Eniwetok as an element of the 1st Marine Provisional Brigade. The 3rd Battalion was heavily involved in securing the island and had landed in the assaults on both Engebi and Parry Islands as well. However, at Eniwetok the Seabees were committed at 14:25 D-day to eliminate the Japanese on the western side of the island. The Army identifies them as "Marines" recording that they battled long into the night. At 0900 the next morning the Japanese launched a counterattack that reached the Seabee command post before being repulsed. All toll, the U.S.lost 37 while the Japanese lost 800 on Eniwetok. For its actions on Eniwetok the 22nd Marine Regiment received the Navy Unit Commendation. When the Marshall Islands operations were completed the 22nd was sent to Guadalcanal. There it learned that over 1800 men had contracted the slow developing tropical disease Filariasis from the Bora Bora jungles. It manifests as the dreaded Elephantiasis. With the military operations over the Bobcats and A company were released by the Marine Corps (totaling 2 officers and 225 enlisted). The 2 officers and 40 men were what remained of the original A Company, the balance was what remained of the Bobcats.