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. Four parachute operations were planned but never executed: Capturing Villa airfield on Kolombangara as part of Operation Cartwheel to support the New Georgia campaign in July 1943; Capturing the Kahili and Kara airfields on Bougainville in September 1943; Capturing Kavieng in New Britain in April 1944; Capturing a Japanese seaplane base at Rekata Bay, Santa Isabel Island (but the Japanese evacuated the base in September 1943). 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. Four of the 82 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 The modern-day U.S. Marine Corps does not maintain any exclusively dedicated parachute infantry units, though some elite formations are trained and capable of parachute jumps if needed. Ever since the disbanding of the 1st Parachute Regiment in 1944, Marines and sailors have continued to volunteer for paratrooper training at Fort Benning, Georgia. 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