CAMP COURTNEY, OKINAWA, Japan — Perched along Okinawa’s Pacific coastline, Camp Courtney stands as both a symbol of the United States’ enduring alliance with Japan and a testament to the sacrifices made during World War II. Today, the installation serves as the headquarters for the 3rd Marine Division and III Marine Expeditionary Force, maintaining readiness across the Indo-Pacific region.
Established in 1956, Camp Courtney is one of several U.S. Marine Corps installations on Okinawa. It was developed following the island’s devastating 1945 battle — one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific War. The battle left Okinawa scarred but strategically vital, paving the way for its transformation into a key forward operating location during postwar reconstruction and the early Cold War.
The camp is named after Maj. Henry A. Courtney Jr., a Marine officer posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Battle of Okinawa. On May 14–15, 1945, Courtney led repeated assaults against entrenched enemy positions on Sugar Loaf Hill, inspiring his Marines and securing critical ground at the cost of his own life. His valor and leadership remain a cornerstone of the camp’s identity and heritage.
According to his Medal of Honor citation: “By his brilliant courage, daring tactics, and self-sacrificing devotion to duty, Maj. Courtney inspired his men to heroic endeavor in seizing a vital strong point and contributed essentially to the success of the Okinawa campaign at the cost of his own life.”
Today, Camp Courtney functions as the command hub for III MEF and the 3rd Marine Division, coordinating operations, training, and humanitarian assistance across the Indo-Pacific. The base supports Marines and families through command facilities, housing, and community services, while maintaining strong partnerships with local Okinawan communities.
“Our relationship with the country of Japan is phenomenal,” said Sgt. Maj. Antonio Lopez, senior enlisted leader of Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, and native of California. “Marines volunteer on- and off-duty to assist Okinawan communities and support humanitarian efforts. That relationship has been built over 70 years.”
The connection between the Marines and the people of Okinawa and Japan, underscores how the partnerships formed in the aftermath of World War II have evolved into one of the most enduring alliances in the Pacific. From the command facilities at Camp Courtney, Marines not only oversee regional operations but also maintain the people-to-people connections that help stabilize and strengthen the U.S.–Japan relationship which is the very alliance that makes the base so strategically significant today.
Lopez went on to reiterate that readiness and cooperation remain at the heart of the mission on Camp Courtney.
“Our daily interactions with partners and allies and our daily preparation as a force ensures we bring the most capable force forward, ready tonight or for whatever comes next,” said Lopez. Camp Courtney remains the central nerve center for Marine Corps operations in the Pacific where lessons from past battles directly inform modern military readiness. The same decisive action Courtney embodied in 1945 now guides the Marines responsible for safeguarding stability across the Indo-Pacific.
Nearly eight decades after the battle that reshaped Okinawa, Camp Courtney continues to play a vital role in regional security and stability. Its presence underscores the U.S. commitment to peace and readiness in a region where the lessons of World War II still echo and where the honor, courage and commitment of Marines like Maj. Henry Courtney endures.