Paramarines The Paramarines ( also known as Marine paratroopers ) was a short - lived specialized combat unit of the United States Marine Corps , trained to be dropped from planes by parachute . Marine parachute training which began in New Jersey in October 1940 ended with the parachute units being disbanded at Camp Pendleton , California in February , 1944 . Paratroopers received a significantly increased salary after completing training , so there was no shortage of volunteers , although all were required to be unmarried . Standards of fitness were high , and 40 % failed the training course . History . The first cohort of Marines paratroopers trained at NAS Lakehurst in New Jersey in October 1940 , eventually becoming the 1st Marine Parachute Battalion . They were followed by a second group in December 1940 , forming the 2nd Marine Parachute Battalion . A third class trained at Camp Kearny in San Diego , California in early 1941 , eventually forming the 3rd Marine Parachute Battalion . After the United States entered World War II , the training program was stepped up , and a special training camp and parachute training school was opened temporarily at Camp Elliott in San Diego in May 1942 , next to Camp Kearny , moving to purpose - built accommodation nearby at Camp Gillespie in September 1942 . A second training camp and parachute training school opened at Hadnot Point on the New River in North Carolina in June 1942 , but closed in July 1943 . The 1st Parachute Battalion was attached to the 1st Marine Division for the invasion of Guadalcanal . On 7 August 1942 the unit conducted an amphibious assault on the small island of Gavutu and later seized the neighbouring island of Tanambogo with other Marine units . The battalion later moved to Guadalcanal fighting alongside the 1st Marine Raiders in the Tasimboko raid and the Battle of Edson ' s Ridge . The high casualties suffered by the Marine paratroopers led the battalion to be moved to Camp Kiser in Tontouta , New Caledonia in September . The 2nd Parachute Battalion performed a diversionary raid on Choiseul Island in October 1943 and later joined the 1st and 3rd Parachute Battalion on Bougainville . The three parachute battalions with approximately 3 , 000 members , had become the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment , of the I Marine Amphibious Corps . However , the need for and cost of a parachute corps in the Marines was questioned , as were other specialized elite units , such as the Marine Raiders . The Marine Corps also lacked the transport aircraft required for a massed parachute drop . On 30 December 1943 , Marine Commandant Thomas Holcomb ordered the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment to be disbanded , and along with the Marine Raider units , it officially ceased to exist on 29 February 1944 . Apart from a small group including Peter Julien Ortiz who were parachuted into France as part of an Office of Strategic Services team to support the French Resistance , the Paramarines never dropped by parachute into combat , but were utilized during beach raids in the Pacific campaign , including at Guadalcanal . Paramarines at San Diego were transferred to the 5th Marine Division which landed on Iwo Jima on February 19 , 1945 . Former Paramarines , Cpl . Harlon H . Block and Pfc . Ira H . Hayes , assisted in the raising of the American flag on Mount Suribachi on 23 February 1945 , depicted in Joe Rosenthal ' s iconic photograph . A third former Paramarine , Sgt . Henry O . " Hank " Hansen , had participated in the first American flag - raising earlier that day . Five of the 81 Marine Medal of Honor recipients in World War II , were former Paramarines who were awarded the medal for their heroic actions on Iwo Jima . Modern Day . Marines and sailors have continued to be trained to be paratroopers since World War II . Once a Marine has completed United States Army Airborne School , they are authorized to wear the coveted " Jump Wings " on their camouflage utilities while in garrison . Marines who are awarded the gold Navy & Marine Corps Parachutist Badge often do so as part of their MOS / billet training , such as MARSOC , Force Reconnaissance , Radio Reconnaissance Platoon , EOD , 3rd and 4th ANGLICO , JTAC , Parachute rigger , or as part of a reenlistment incentive . Paramarines in fiction . Though never actually used as such in reality , the Paramarines were mentioned in both the 1944 RKO film " Marine Raiders " and the 1965 John Wayne movie " In Harm ' s Way " . In both movies , a Paramarine airborne assault on a fictional Pacific island sets up the climactic battle at the end . The Paramarines also feature in W . E . B . Griffin ' s book series , The Corps with two supporting characters , Steve Koffler and Lieutenant Macklin passing through the Marine Parachute School at NAS Lakehurst , New Jersey .