The 2d Marine Division and Its Regiments

8/7/2019 The 2d Marine Division and Its Regiments

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COVER: LAVs of the 2d Marine Divisionmove past burning oil wells in Kuwait.


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PC N 190 00319 30 0

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U .S . Government Printing Offic eInternet : bookstore .gpo .gov Phone : (202) 512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-225 0Mail : Stop SSOP. Washington, DC 20402-000 1ISBN 0-16-050817-7


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Table of Contents2d Marine Division2d Marine Division Commanding Generals02d Marine Division lineage22d Marine Division Honors4The 2d Marine Division Patch5The 2d Marines6Commanding Officers, 2d Marines42d Marines Lineage72d Marines Honors9The 6th Marines0Commanding Officers, 6th Marines86th Marines Lineage16th Marines Honors4The 8th Marines5Commanding Officers, 8th Marines48th Marines Lineage68th Marines Honors9The 10th Marines0Commanding Officers, 10th Marines810th Marines Lineage010th Marines Honors3

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late spring of 1941, the division consisted of threeinfantry regiments, the 2d, 6th, and 8th Marines ; a nartillery regiment, the 10th Marines; service, med-ical, and engineer battalions; and transport, service ,tank, signal, chemical, and antiaircraft machine gu ncompanies .

Each of the three infantry regiments in the newdivision brought a wealth of Marine Corps combattradition. The 2d Marines had landed at Veracruz ,Mexico, in 1914, and at Haiti in 1915 . The 6thMarines had fought in France during World War I ,and had seen action in the Dominican Republi cand Cuba in 1924. The 8th Marines had mannedthe Texas border during 1917-1918, and had fough tin Haiti during the early 1920s .

As the threat of war intensified, the 6th Marines ;the 2d Battalion, 10th Marines; and reinforcingtank, medical, service, and engineering unitsformed the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade . Theysailed for Iceland during May and June 1941 t ocounter the threat of an anticipated German inva-sion. The 2d Engineer Battalion was similarlydetached and sent to Hawaii in the fall of 1941 ,where it helped to defend Pearl Harbor during theJapanese attack of 7 December .

Department of Defense Photo (USMC) A6205 4LtGen Alexander A . Vandegrift, right, command-ing general of all Southwest Pacific Marineforces, confers with MajGen Julian C. Smith, thecommanding general of the 2d Marine Division ,near Wellington, New Zealand, September 1943

Marines assault a bombproofshelter just off the beach at'1arawa on 20 November 1943 .Department of Defense Photo (USMC)A6393 0

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Immediately after the outbreak of war, the 2dMarine Division, in conjunction with U .S . Armyunits, was assigned the mission of defending th eCalifornia coast against possible Japanese invasion .Similarly, the 8th Marines, reinforced by other unit sfrom the division, was designated part of a new 2 dMarine Brigade, which sailed from San Diego on 6January 1942 to assume the defense of AmericanSamoa. After the immediate danger of invasion hadpassed, the division was relieved of its defensiv eduties, and began the task of reforming into a namphibious assault organization. The 9th Marinesbecame part of the division for a few months . On1 April 1942, the 6th Marines, back from Iceland ,rejoined the division .

By late summer of 1942, the 2d Marine Divisionwas ready to participate in the first United Statesground offensive of World War IIthe Guadalcana lcampaign. In early August 1942 the 2d Marines ,along with supporting elements and 1st Marine

Division units, landed on Tulagi, Gavutu, andFlorida Islands, distinguishing themselves in bitterfighting during the opening days of the Guadal-canal operation. The 8th Marines arrived onGuadalcanal early in November 1942, and the 6t hMarines in January 1943. Now fighting for the firs ttime as a full division, the 2d Marine Division, inconjunction with Army units, succeeded in drivingthe Japanese back to the westernmost part of th eisland. Combat operations on Guadalcanal includ-ed tank-infantry attacks and point-blank artiller yfire, along with grenade and small arms assaults .Organized enemy resistance collapsed early inFebruary 1943 . By the end of that month, all unit sof the 2d Marine Division (with the exception ofthe 3d Battalion, 18th Marines, and the Seabee bat -talion of the engineer regiment) embarked forNew Zealand, to begin eight months of rehabilita-tion and retraining.

The 2d Marine Division, commanded by MajorA 2d Marine Division patrol, using a demolition charge, flushes out a stubborn Japanese soldier dur-ing the rugged fighting on Saipan on 24June 1944 Department of Defense Photo (USMC) A83282

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Marines from the 2d Division wade ashore on Tinian in late July 1944 .General Julian C. Smith, opened the drive throughthe Central Pacific with an assault on Betio Islan dat Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands, in the earl ymorning hours of 20 November 1943 . The ensuing76 hours at Tarawa saw some of the fiercest fight-ing in Marine Corps history. Withering defensivefire from Japanese machine guns and mortarsinflicted heavy Marine casualties during the land-ing, making it difficult to secure a toehold . OnD+1, the Marines began to move inland . Despiteintense resistance, Betio was secured by 2 3November. Five days later the entire atoll was infriendly hands. The battle for Tarawa was the firstreal Navy and Marine Corps test of amphibiou sassault doctrine and techniques, which would b erefined during subsequent operations in th ePacific. At Tarawa, the 2d Marine Division sufferedmore than 3,000 casualties . In December 1943, thelast elements of the division sailed from Tarawa torejoin the parent unit now located on the island ofHawaii .

On Hawaii, the 2d Marine Division began inten-sive training to prepare for its next operation . Byearly May 1944, the division learned that its nextmission, in conjunction with the 4th Marine

Division and the U .S . Army's 27th Infantry Divi-sion, would be the assault and seizure of Saipa nand Tinian in the Mariana Islands. The capture ofthe Marianas was central to allied strategy in th eCentral Pacific campaign . The islands would pro -vide air and sea bases to bring the war directly t oJapan .

On 15 June 1944, assault waves of the 6th and8th Marines landed on the southwestern beache sof Saipan, against moderate resistance . Japanesemortar fire began to build up, however, as thedefenders reacted to the initial landings. TheMarines pushed steadily forward against stiffenin gresistance. The remaining elements of the 2d an d4th Marine Divisions were landed on the followingday. Later, the Marines would encounter a systemof well-defended caves and a last-ditch Japanes ecounterattack, but after three weeks of fighting,the island was declared secure on 9 July 1944 . Theseizure of Saipan led to construction of the firstbase in the Pacific for B-29 bombing missionsagainst the Japanese home islands .

On 24 July 1944, elements of the 2d Marin eDivision conducted a successful offshore feint nea rTinian Town, while units of the 4th Marine Division

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landed on the northwest beaches ofTinian . The 2dMarine Division landed on the following day an djoined forces with the 4th Marine Division to elim-inate Japanese resistance from the southern end o fthe island. After elements of the 2d MarineDivision successfully repulsed Japanese banza iattacks on 1 August, organized resistance on theisland ceased. The 2d Marine Division unitsreturned to Saipan to resume mopping-up opera-tions. On 27 March 1945, the division left Saipanto take part in the battle for the Ryukyus .

The landings on Okinawa began on 1 Apri l1945 . The 2d Marine Division was employed as afloating reserve that made feints along the south -ern approaches to Okinawa. The unopposed mainlandings were made by Marines and units of theU .S . Tenth Army on the north-central beaches . The2d Marine Division remained at sea until 11 April ,when it returned to Saipan after sending Seabeesand amphibian trucks ashore .

In mid-May, during the course of the Ryukyuscampaign, the 2d Marine Division had to furnis hunits to seize two small islands, Iheya and Aguni,

located near Okinawa. A task force composed ofthe 8th Marines; the 2d Battalion, 10th Marines ; an dother supporting units, made an unopposed land-ing on lheya on 3 June. The island was secured th efollowing day. Aguni was taken on 9 June, againwithout opposition. The same task force was rede-ployed several days later to Okinawa . It was placedunder the operational control of the 1st Marin eDivision for the final drive of the Ryukyus cam-paign. After completing mop-up operations o nOkinawa, all 2d Marine Division units were rede-ployed to Saipan by mid July 1945 .

The end of hostilities in September 1945 did notsignal the end of the 2d Marine Division's role i nthe Pacific. From September 1945 until June 1946 ,the division took part in the occupation of Japan ,primarily on the island of Kyushu. In July 1946, thedivision finally relocated to Camp Lejeune, Nort hCarolina. At greatly reduced strength, it settled intoa peacetime routine .

During the first few postwar years, the divisionconducted training exercises and maneuvers in theAtlantic and on the East Coast of the United States .

2d Division Marines on a street in Nagasaki on 23 September 1945 during the occupation ofJapan .Department of Defense Photo (USMC) A13977 4

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Department of Defense Photo (USMC)A17500A 2d Marine Division machine gun crew is positioned on a rooftop in the dock area of BeirutLebanon, on 23 July 1958, alert for any contingency that might arise .In February 1948, the 8th Marines, then at one-bat -talion strength, sailed for the Mediterranean i nresponse to developing crises in Greece andTurkey. This marked the beginning of a series o fforward afloat deployments with the Sixth Flee tthat continues to this day. Throughout this period ,the 2d Marine Division has provided landing teamsand Marine air-ground task forces for service in theCaribbean as well .

The 2d Marine Division's role as a force-in-readi -ness was tested by the outbreak of war in Korea, inJune 1950. Many of the division's personnel wereintegrated into units of the understrength 1s tMarine Division through redesignations and uni ttransfers to the West Coast, but the 2d Marin eDivision itself was also brought up quickly towartime strength. After an intensive training pro -gram, it was pronounced ready for any assignment ,but did not deploy to Korea .

The division's combat readiness would next betested during the summer of 1958 . On 14 Julythree reinforced battalions from the 2d Marine Div-ision, which were then afloat in the Mediterranea nwith the Sixth Fleet, were ordered into Lebanon .Units of the division were ashore on the beaches o fLebanon within hours of the decision to land, an dwere joined several days later by air-transporte delements of the 2d Battalion, 8th Marines, fromCamp Lejeune, North Carolina. Remaining inLebanon until October, the Marines in and aroundBeirut helped to maintain political stability, to pre -serve law and order, and to protect American live sand property. In all, more than 6,000 Marines werecommitted to the 1958 Lebanon operation, in con -junction with U.S . Army units .

The division's ability to respond decisively in anemergency situation was tested again barely fou ryears later. The Cuban missile crisis of Octobe r

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Department of Defense Photo (USMC) A19478Marines of the 2d Division storm ashore in combat gear on Onslow Beach at Camp Lejeune, NorthCarolina, in an amphibious landing exercise during February 19641962 brought the deployment of most of the 2 dMarine Division to Guantanamo Bay and thewaters off Cuba. Remaining in the Caribbean unti learly December, the division had once againdemonstrated its ability to respond to short-notic eembarkation orders with speed and efficiency .

The chaotic conditions created by a Com-munist-inspired coup in the Dominican Republi cduring April 1965 led to American intervention .Marines went ashore and entered the capital cityof Santo Domingo to protect the lives of Americancitizens, and to assist in the evacuation of refugees .Units of the divisionin all, four reinforced battal-ionshelped more than 1,300 evacuees durin gthe six-week mission in the Dominican Republic .

During the 1970s, the 2d Marine Division con -ducted comprehensive training programs t oincrease combat efficiency and to maintain th ecapability of responding rapidly to emergencies .Amphibious exercises, many involving NorthAtlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies, were

held routinely throughout the Caribbean, th eAtlantic, and the Mediterranean. The division'sunits received rigorous combined arms trainingunder live fire conditions at the Marine Air-GroundCombat Center at Twentynine Palms, California ;cold weather and mountain warfare training in theSierra Nevadas; and jungle warfare training inPanama, among other opportunities .

The 2d Marine Division's ability to meet the fastbreaking challenges of an uncertain world has con-tinued to be tested through an unending series o falerts, evacuations, and other non-routine deploy-ments. From the summer of 1982, through earl y1984, division units served on a rotating basis a speacekeeping forces in Lebanon, accepting th ehazards inherent in such a mission with courag eand professionalism . In October 1983, as well, thedivision provided the ground combat element fo rthe Marine landing force that took part in a deftly -executed, short-notice intervention in Grenada .

Throughout the remainder of the decade, the

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Department of Defense Photo (USN) DN-ST-84-0 t 282Men of the 2d Marine Division arrive at vacatedbuildings of the Lebanese Scientific University inFebruary 1983 to take up watch positions in thenorthern portion of the 22d Marine Amphibiou sUnit's perimeter around Beirut InternationalAirportdivision and its regiments conducted numerou straining operations to maintain a high level of pre-paredness . From December 1989 to January 1990 ,elements of the division participated in OperationJust Cause, a joint operation with the U .S . ArmyNavy, and Air Force which helped to restore orde rand democracy in the Central American nation ofPanama .

The 2 August 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwai tthreatened the stability of the entire Persian Gulfregion. President George H. Bush ordered thedeployment of U .S . Armed Forces to the region, toprevent a possible Iraqi invasion of neighboringSaudi Arabia. As the 2d Marine Division prepare dto deploy to the Persian Gulf, the Secretary ofDefense authorized the Marine Corps to call up15,000 reservists. Increments of mobilized Re-serve units soon began to arrive at Camp Lejeunefor processing and integration into the activeforces. On 18 November, the 2d Marine Divisionreceived the expected orders to deploy to theKuwait theater of operations .

After an elaborate 10 December review at Cam pLejeune, the main body of the division began it smovement to Saudi Arabia. The 2d Marine Divisio nformally established its presence in Saudi Arabia on14 December 1990, with the arrival of it sCommanding General, Major General William M .Keys. Over the next several weeks, units continuedto arrive and join the division. The division's maincommand post arrived in the vicinity of Al Kibri ton 14 January, with other elements arriving as lateas the 24th

The division began immediate training andpreparation for mechanized operations and th ebreaching of Iraqi minefields. On 10 January 1991 . ,the U.S . Army's 1st Brigade, 2d Armored Division(the "Tiger Brigade"), reported to operational con-trol of the 2d Marine Division, and would prove t obe of great benefit during the ensuing campaign .With the arrival of this important brigade, the divi-sion's assembly in theater was complete .

By the end of January, the division had begunplanning for movement to final assembly areasand, on 27 January, conducted its first offensiveoperation with an artillery raid against Iraqi posi-tions. By 19 February the division had complete dits move to Al Khanjar in preparation for the majo rallied coalition assault into Kuwait and Iraq. At HHour on 24 February, division engineers blew lanesacross enemy minefields, which cleared the sixlanes necessary for the passage of 2d Marin eDivision units. After breaking through the obsta-cles, the division fanned out towards Al Jabe rAirfield. Enemy opposition was initially light, con-sisting mostly of intermittent shelling. On 25 and26 February, Iraqi armored counterattacks hit th eright flank of the division, and were defeated wit hheavy enemy losses .

Through the execution of rapid maneuver an dthe skillful application of firepower, Iraqi forceswere soon overwhelmed. By outflanking theenemy and destroying their heavy equipment wit hair and artillery fire, the division gave the Iraqis thechoice of surrendering or dying where they stood .In the thousands, they chose the former. By 27February, the division had consolidated its posi-tions outside of Al Jahrah and Al Kuwait, andcleared the last pockets of Iraqi resistance . On 28February, a ceasefire was ordered .

During the 100 hours of combat in which the2d Marine Division was engaged, it amassed a nimpressive amount of enemy equipment andtroops: more than 13,000 prisoners taken and 533tanks, 127 artillery pieces, 291 armored personnel

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Department of Defense Photo (USMC) DM-SC-92-0121 1An infantryman of the 2d Marine Division mans a fighting hole as part of a drill at the division com-bat operations center in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm.carriers, and 45 pieces of antiaircraft artilleryeither destroyed o r captured. It was truly animpressive achievement . Elements of the divisionremained in Southwest Asia to participate inOperation Provide Comfort, which provided disas-ter relief and established security zones forKurdish refugees in Iraq. The bulk of the divisionbegan its redeployment from the Gulf in April ,receiving a well-deserved welcome home at CampLejeune .

During the immediate post-Desert Storm years ,and throughout the remainder of the decade, ele-ments of the 2d Marine Division participated i nmilitary operations and humanitarian missions inareas as diverse as Liberia (Operation Sharp Edge) ,Haiti (Operation Support Democracy), Somali a(Operation Restore Hope), and Cuba (OperationSea Signal) in support of American interests a thome and abroad. These operations providedhumanitarian support, non-combatant evacuations ,and in the instance of Haiti, helped to restoredemocracy and rebuild the nation . Closer to home ;elements of the division participated during 1993 -94 in Operations Able Manner and Able Vigil, whic hsupported the interdiction of Haitian and Cuba nmigrants in the Florida Straits .

The 2d Marine Division has also supported con-tinuedAmerican foreign policy interests in Europe .During the last years of the decade, elements of th edivision participated in support of NATO opera-tions in Bosnia, and later Albania and Kosovo, a sethnic strife in the former Yugoslavia threatenedthe stability of Eastern Europe .

A mechanized patrol of Battalion Landing Team3/8 halts to interact with children in Gnjilane,Kosovo, in July 1999

Photo courtesy of Maj Nathan S . Lowrey, USMCR

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2d Marine DivisionCommanding Generals

MajGen Clayton B. VogelFebruary 1941 - 7 December 194 1MajGen Charles E. B . PriceDecember 1941 - 23 March 1942BGen Joseph C . Fegan4 March 1942 - 31 March 194 2MajGen John MarstonApril 1942 - 30 April 194 3MajGen Julian C . SmithMay 1943 - 10 April 1944MajGen Thomas E .Watson1 April 1944 - 22 June 194 5MajGen Leroy P. Hunt3 June 1945 - 9 July 194 6Col Gregon A. Williams0 July 1946 - 20 July 1946MajGen Thomas E .Watson1 July 1946 - 31 January 1948MajGen Franklin A. HartFebruary 1948 - 30 June 195 0MajGen Ray A. RobinsonJuly 1950 - 6 December 195 1MajGen Edwin A. PollockDecember 1951 - 2 September 195 2MajGen Randolph McC . PateSeptember 1952 - 29 May 195 3BGen Robert E . Hogaboom0 May 1953 - 23 June 195 3MajGen George F. Good, Jr4 June 1953 - 1 July 1954MajGen Lewis B . PullerJuly 1954 - 7 February 195 5MajGen Edward W SnedekerFebruary 1955 - 1 July 195 5MajGen Reginald H Ridgeley,JrJuly 1955 - 2 June 195 7MajGen Joseph C. BurgerJune 1957 - 24 October 195 9BGen Odell M. Conley5 October 1959 - 5 November 195 9MajGen James P. BerkeleyNovember 1959 - 3 November 196 1MajGen Frederick L.WiesemanNovember 1961 - 23 June 196 3BGen Rathvon McC.Tompkins4 June 1963 - 26 September 1963MajGen William J. Van Ryzin7 September 1963 - 11 April 1965MajGen Ormond R. Simpson2 April 1965 - 21 November 1967MajGen Edwin B. Wheeler2 November 1967 - 18 May 196 9MajGen Michael P RyanMay 1969 - 4 June 197 1BGen Robert D. BohnJune 1971 - 28 September 197 1MajGen Fred E . Haynes, Jr9 September 1971 - 9 January 197 3BGen Arthur J. Poillon0 January 1973 - 1 July 197 3MajGen Samuel JaskilkaJuly 1973 - 19 December 1973BGen William H. Lanagan, Jr0 December 1973 - 15 May 1974MajGen William G. Joslyn6 May 1974 - 30 June 1976MajGen Kenneth McLennanJuly 1976 - 17 May 1978MajGen Edward J. Bronars8 May 1978 - 27 June 1979MajGen David M .Twomey8 June 1979 - 4 June 198 1MajGen Alfred M Gray, JrJune 1981 - 28 August 198 4MajGen Dennis J. Murphy9 August 1984 - 29 October 198 7MajGen Orlo K. Steele0 October 1987 - 26 September 198 9MajGen William M. Ke ys7 September 1989 - 24 June 199 1

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MajGen Paul K.Van Riper5 June 1991 - 3 April 1993MajGen Richard I . NealApril 1993 - 28 July 1994MajGen James L. Jones9 July 1994 - 23 June 199 5MajGen Lawrence H Livingston4 June 1995 - 24 July 1997MajGen Emil R. Bedard5July 1997 - 29 June 1999MajGen Robert R. Blackman, Jr0 June 1999 -

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2d Marine DivisionLINEAGE

1936-1940ACTIVATED 1 JULY 1936 AT SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA,AS THE

2D MARINE BRIGADE, FLEET MARINE FORC EDEPLOYED DURING AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1937 TO SHANGHAI, CHINA

RELOCATED DURING FEBRUARY-APRIL 1938 TO SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

1941 - 195 7REDESIGNATED 1 FEBRUARY 1941 AS THE 2D MARINE DIVISION ,

FLEET MARINE FORCEELEMENTS DEPLOYED TO ICELAND,JULY 1941 -MARCH 1942

DEPLOYED TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC DURING JANUARY 1942 - JANUARY 1943PARTICIPATED IN THE FOLLOWING WORLD WAR II CAMPAIGN S

GUADALCANA LSOUTHERN SOLOMONS

T A R AWASA IPA NTINIAN

OKINAWA

DEPLOYED DURING SEPTEMBER 1945 TO NAGASAKI, JAPANPARTICIPATED IN THE OCCUPATION OF JAPAN, SEPTEMBER 1945 - JUNE 194 6RELOCATED DURING JUNE JULY 1946 TO CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA

1958 - 1988ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE LANDINGS IN LEBANON,JULYNOVEMBER 195 8

PARTICIPATED IN THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS, OCTOBER-DECEMBER 196 2ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERVENTION IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, APRIL-JUNE 1965

PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS TRAINING EXERCISES THROUGH THE 1970 5

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ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED AS PART OF THE MULTINATIONAL PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN LEBANON ,AUGUST 1982 - FEBRUARY 1984

ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE LANDINGS ON GRENADA - CARRIACOU ,OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1.983

1989 - 1999ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION JUST CAUSE, PANAMA ,

DECEMBER 1989 - JANUARY 1990ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION SHARP EDGE, LIBERIA,

MAY 1990 - JANUARY 199 1PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM,

SOUTHWEST ASIA, DECEMBER 1990 -APRIL 199 1

ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION PROVIDE COMFORT, IRAQ,APRIL-JULY 199 1

ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS IN SOMALIA, DECEMBER 1992 - MARCH 199 4ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS IN HAITI ,

OCTOBER 1993 - OCTOBER 1994ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN HAITIAN REFUGEE OPERATIONS, CUBA,

NOVEMBER 1991 - DECEMBER 199 5ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS ABLE MANNER AND ABLE VIGIL ,

FLORIDA STRAITS,JANAURY 1993 - OCTOBER 199 4ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS IN BOSNLA,AUGUST 1994, JUNE 1995 - FEBRUARY 199 6

ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION ASSURED RESPONSE ,LIBERIA,APRIL-AUGUST 1996

ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED EN OPERATIONS [N KOSOVO ,MARCH-JULY 1999

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2d Marine DivisionHONORS

PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION STREAME RWORLD WAR I ITARAWA - 194 3

NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION STREAMERSOUTHWEST ASIA

1990 - 199 1MARINE CORPS EXPEDITIONARY STREAMER WITH ONE BRONZE STAR

CHINA SERVICE STREAME RAMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE STREAMER WITH ONE BRONZE STAR

EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN STREAMERASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN STREAMER WITH ONE SILVER AND TWO BRONZE STAR S

WORLD WAR II VICTORY STREAMERNAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE STREAMER WITH "ASIA " AND "EUROPE "

NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE STREAMER WITH TWO BRONZE STAR SARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY STREAMER WITH THREE BRONZE STARS

SOUTHWEST ASIA SERVICE STREAMER WITH THREE BRONZE STARS

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The 2d Marines

The 2d Marines was orginally activated on 1 9June 1913 as the 1st Advance Base Regiment a tPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, under the command o flieutenant Colonel Charles G. Long. The uni tbecame part of the Advance Base Brigade in Dec -ember 1913 and was redesignated the 1st Regi -

ment,Advance Base Brigade, on 18 February 1914 .The regiment had participated in a number oftraining maneuvers in Puerto Rico, Florida, andLouisiana when political conditions began to dete-riorate in Mexico . Marine Corps forces were order-ed to land at Veracruz after President Woodrow

Marines at Veracruz, Mexico, 1914, are, from left . Capt Frederick .H . Delano, SgtMaj JohnHQuick, LtColWendell C'. Neville, Col John A . Lejeune, and Maj Smedley D. Butler. Col Neville and Maj Butler of the 2dMarines were both awarded Medals of Honor for their distinguished conduct during the fighting a tVeracruz.

Department of Defense Photo (USMC) A30217 7

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Wilson received word that a German merchantship was going there with a cargo of arms . On 22April 1914, the 1st Regiment landed at Veracru zand joined other forces in clearing the city. Two ofthe regiment's officers, Major Smedley D . Butlerand Lieutenant Colonel Wendell C . Neville, whowould later become 14th Commandant of theMarine Corps, received Medals of Honor for distin-guished conduct in the battle . The regimentremained there as part of an occupation force forthe next seven months, but with the advent of anew and stable government, left Veracruz on 23November for Philadelphia .

On 3 December 1914, the Advance Base Brigadewas reorganized. The 1st Regiment, the fixeddefense regiment, was assigned a fire control uni tand eight companies, which included four 5-inchgun companies, a searchlight company, a min ecompany, an engineer company, and an antiaircraftcompany. The increase of firepower inherent inthis reorganization strengthened the regiment'scapabilities for the further developments of theMarine Advance Base Force .

By the summer of 1915, internal disorder an drevolution in the Republic of Haiti had becomecritical, jeopardizing American lives and property .On 15 August, the 1st Regiment landed at CapHaitien, to begin a long period of occupation an d"bush"warfare. The regiment carried out extensivepatrolling into the interior of the country, in searchof Caco bandits . Gunnery Sergeant Daniel J. Dalyreceived his second Medal of Honor for his out -

standing contribution to the success of these oper-ations. The Marines had many encounters with theHaitian rebels . These included the attack and cap-ture of Fort Riviere on 17 November 1915, wher eMajor Butler received his second Medal of HonorMarines assaulted the old French bastion, locatedon the summit of Montagne Noir, and over-whelmed the enemy in the fort during a viciou shand-to-hand fray

After the capture of Fort Riviere and other forts ,Haiti became relatively stable. Even as the regi-ment continued to garrison a number of Haitia ntowns, some of its rifle companies were sent to th eneighboring Dominican Republic . During theearly months of 1916, internal disorders there hadthreatened American lives and property . Afterorder had been restored, the regiment was redes-ignated as the 2d Regiment, 1st Brigade, on 1 July1916. Its primary activity then shifted to trainingof the newly formed Haitian Constabulary, as wel las its own Marines .

With the decrease in bandit activity, the 2dRegiment spent the World War I years in routin ebarracks duty in the tropics . By March 1919, how -ever, rebellions had erupted again in Haiti . The 2dRegiment took to the field, as the native gen-darmerie failed to contain the increasing disorder .During May, the regiment mounted a concerteddrive to clear the country of bandits . Within a fewmonths, it had mopped up most rebel strongholds .

The next decade in Haiti was relatively peace-ful. The 2d Regiment continued to perform dutie s

Instruction with compasses was part of many routine field training exercises conducted by the 63 dCompany, 2d Regiment, while stationed in Haiti during January 192 6

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that included training and supervising the nativeconstabulary, patrolling and mapping, and quellin gpolitical disturbances. On 1 January 1933, as partof a Marine Corps-wide redesignation of units, the2d Regiment was redesignated as the 2d Marine sand assigned to the 1st Brigade . Slightly more thana year later, the 1st Brigade left Haiti, and the 2 dMarines was disestablished on 15 August 1934 .The regiment was reactivated 1 February 1941 ,at San Diego, California, as part of the 2d Marin eDivision. Under the command of Colonel John M .Arthur, it deployed to Koro Island on 25 July 1942 ,in time for the final rehearsal for the Guadalcana llanding. Although its mission was one of divisionreserve, elements of the regiment landed onFlorida Island on 7 August 1942, prior to the mainassault on Guadalcanal, to support the Tulagi land-ing. Other elements landed on Gavutu andTanambogo, to reinforce units engaged in clearin goperations. Two infantry battalions of the regimen tlanded on Tulagi on 9 August and secured the smallislands in the area .

On 29 October the 2d Marines moved to

Guadalcanal, to take part in the attack toward sKokumbona. Through 11 January 1943, the regi-ment occupied several defensive positions withi nthe Guadalcanal perimeter, reinforcing the fron tlines where most needed . It launched a final three -day offensive drive to the west of Point Cniz on 12January, before reassembling in a reserve area . On31 January 1943, the regiment left Guadalcanal fo rNew Zealand, arriving in Wellington a few weekslater. Here, for the next nine months, the 2d Ma-rines would rest, train, and reorganize .

The regiment sailed on 28 October 1943, forEfate, south of Espiritu Santo, for fmal rehearsals ofthe landing at Tarawa . On 20 November, under thecommand of Colonel David M . Shoup, the 2dMarines assaulted Betio Island, the defensive bas-tion of the Japanese force on Tarawa Atoll. Theassault waves mounted in amphibian tractor scrossed the large coral reef which surrounded th eisland and moved steadily to shore. The 3dBattalion of the 2d Marines was the first unit toreach its assigned beach and gain a foothold . Literwaves embarked in landing craft, had trouble cross -

2d Marines advancing on the city of Garapan during the assault on Saipan in June 1944 .Department of Defense Photo (USMC) AHSO16

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Department of Defense Photo (USMC) A8767 5Above, Col David M Shoup at work on TinianIsland in July 1944. Col Shoup, commandingofficer of the 2d Marines during NovemberDecember 1943, was awarded a Medal of Honorfor his heroic actions during the assault and cap-ture of Tarawa in November Below, infantrymenof the 2d Marines pause on a street in Nagasaki,Japan, in September 1945 .

ing the reef, and were forced to wade hundreds o fyards to shore under intense fire . Despite heavylosses, the landing force managed to secure Beti owithin three days. Colonel Shoup was awarded theMedal of Honor

On 24 November the 2d Marines left Tarawa forHawaii, where a new camp awaited it at Kamula .Here at Camp Tarawa, the regiment began the taskof rehabilitation, reorganization, and intensivetraining for battles still ahead . Six months later i tleft Hawaii for the attack on Saipan . Now underthe command of Lieutenant Colonel Walter J.Stuart, the 2d Marines were to feint a diversionarylanding on 15 June 1944 in the Tanapag area, the nto operate in support of the main landing force .Once ashore, the 2d Marines launched an attac ktoward Garapan on 17 June . A week later, advanc-ing against stiff enemy opposition, the regimen treached the outskirts of Garapan. Here it re-mained,patrolling and consolidating its lines, whileother elements of the division moved into positio nfor a push northward. On 2 July the regimentbegan its attack through Garapan, taking the townwithin two days . From 6 to 11 July, the 2d Marinescontinued to advance, finally helping to compressthe enemy into a small area on the northern tip o f

Department of Defense Photo (USMC)A13977 5

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the island. Saipan was declared secure on 9 July ,but isolated pockets of resistance kept mop-u poperations going until 23 July

On the following day, the 2d Marines conducte danother feint landing, this time off Tinian Town, insupport of landing forces to the north. A day laterthe regiment landed and advanced rapidly agains tsporadic enemy resistance to help capture theisland. After Tinian was declared secured on 1August, the regiment once again began the task ofmopping up .

After the Tinian operation, the 2d Marine sreturned to Saipan for rehabilitation and reorgani-zation. The regiment remained there for the nex tseven months, training under semi-battle condi-tions, as Japanese stragglers continued to emerg efrom the jungle long after the fighting was official-ly over

The 2d Marines sailed for Okinawa on 25 Marc h1945, under the command of Colonel Richard M .Cutts, Jr. With other forces the regiment was agai nexecuting a diversionary landing when a Japanes ekamikaze smashed through one of the landingships, killing and wounding a number of Marines .After withdrawal of this diversionary force, the 2d

Marines returned to Saipan, once again for inten-sive training, in anticipation of landings on theJapanese home islands .

At the war's end the regiment landed atNagasaki, for occupation duty. After nine months ,the 2d Marines relocated to Camp Lejeune, NorthCarolina, during June and July 1946 . By late 1946the regiment had an advanced amphibious trainin gprogram underway, but on 19 November 1947, the2d Marines was reduced to battalion strength, withthe designation "2d Marines" kept intact . Upon therequest of the Navy for a battalion-sized unit to b edeployed with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranea nSea, the 2d Marines embarked on 5 January 1948for the island of Malta. As part of the first amphibi-ous unit to reinforce the Sixth Fleet, the 2d Marine stook part in landing exercises until relieved inMarch. The regiment returned to Camp Lejeune ,where it regained two-battalion strength on 1 7October 1949 .

During the 1950s, the regiment engaged in num-erous training exercises in the Caribbean andMediterranean. From 31 October to 3 November1956, Battalion Landing Team 3/2 assisted in th eevacuation of United States observers and othe r

Marines of the 81 mm Mortar Platoon, attached to the 2d Battalion, 2d Marines, man positions over -looking the city of Beirut, Lebanon, in August 1958.

Department of Defense Photo (USMC) A17465

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foreign nationals from Alexandria and the Gaz aStrip, as war threatened between Egypt and Israel .

In the summer of 1958, political tensionsincreased in Lebanon. President Dwight D .Eisenhower, complying with a request from theLebanese president, decided to intervene with mil-itary force . Battalion Landing Team 2/2 made theinitial landing in Lebanon on 15 July 1958. Whentensions began to ease, the Marines withdrew o n15 August. By 23 October, the unit had returned t oCamp Lejeune .

In October 1962, after President John FKennedy's ultimatum that Soviet offensive missilesbe removed from Cuba, the 2d Battalion and othe relements of the 2d Marines embarked once again .They sailed for the Caribbean as part of a large rtask force ordered to impose a naval quarantin eagainst arms shipments to Cuba . After the crisishad subsided, the Marines returned to CampLejeune in early December

In late April 1965, internal problems in the Dom -inican Republic led to intervention by forces of th eUnited States. As part of a joint task force, BattalionLanding Team 1/2 sailed on 1 May and remainedoffshore as a floating reserve for one month .

Through the 1970s and into the 1980s, the 2dMarines continued to deploy units in a high state

of readiness for a wide variety of training exercise sand contingency responses . With the advent of theCorps' Unit Deployment Program in 1982, the reg-iment assumed a truly worldwide posture, periodi-cally deploying battalions to the Pacific for the firs ttime since World War II .

During the 1980s, the 2d Marines took part inmany training exercises, which included partici-pation in North Atlantic Treaty Organization exer-cises, in order to maintain the regiment's tradition -al high standards of operational readiness .

The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 199 0threatened the stability of the entire Persian Gul fregion, and President George H. Bush immediatelyordered American forces to the area in order t oprevent a possible Iraqi Invasion of Saudi Arabia .On 23 August, the 2d Battalion, 2d Marine's, wa sassigned to the operational control of the 6thMarines, and subsequently deployed with that reg-iment in late December to Saudi Arabia for partici-pation in Operation Desert Shield .

The 2d Marine Division, meanwhile, assigne dRegimental Landing Team 2 (RLT 2) to the opera-tional control of the 4th Marine ExpeditionaryBrigade (4th MEB) . During mid-August, RLT 2 ,consisting of the 1st and 3d Battalions, 2d Marines ,along with supporting ground units and aviatio n

A simulated guerrilla village is searched as part of a training exercise held in Guantanamo Bay, Cubaby Marines of Company E, 2d Battalion, 2d Marines, on 12 August 1966

Department of Defense Photo (USMC) A452020

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Department of Defense Photo (USN) DN-ST-92-07339A convoy of cargo trucks of the 1st Battalion, 2d Marines, crosses the desert in Saudi Arabia durin gOperation Desert Shieldassets, deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of 4thMEB for participation in Operation Desert Shield .In late September, the two battalions participate din training and amphibious rehearsals for possibleemployment as a landing force along the Kuwait icoast. In early January 1991, elements of the 1s tBattalion, 2d Marines participated in the evacua-tion of American civilians and other foreign nation-als during Operation Eastern Exit in Somalia . TheBattalion Landing Team then returned to th ePersian Gulf region to continue planning for con-tingency operations .

On 24 February, RLT 2's ships sailed north intothe Persian Gulf to await tasking, prior to thebeginning of the ground portion of OperationDesert Storm. Contingency planning and las tminute plans for an amphibious landing in Kuwai tcontinued. With the announcement, however, ofthe 28 February ceasefire, it was realized that th ecall for an amphibious landing in Kuwait woul dnot occur. In mid-March, RLT 2 sailed for home,

and was briefed and congratulated by th eCommanding General, 4th MEB, on its critical rol eduring Operation Desert Storm in deceiving Iraq iforces as to a possible amphibious landing i nKuwait. The RLT's sister battalion, the 2d Battalion ,2d Marines, participated, however, in the groun dassault portion of Operation Desert Storm .

By 23 February, the battalion had moved to itsfinal assembly area prior to the major AlliedCoalition assault . On 24 February, the 2d Battalion ,2d Marines, was among the units leading the 2dMarine Division assault into Kuwait, by breachin gthe center sector of the Iraqi minefields and sub-sequent defensive lines . Throughout the three-dayattack, the battalion met and overcame every chal-lenge and obstacle that was encountered . A 28February ceasefire ended the fighting, with Iraq iforces thoroughly defeated. In late March, the bat-talion moved back to Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia, andreturned home to Camp Lejeune inApril to a warmwelcome .

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Meanwhile, on 23 March, the USS Shreveport(LPD-12), carrying RLT 2, transited the Suez Cana land entered the Mediterranean Sea, enroute toRota, Spain. On 15 April, RLT 2 arrived at MoreheadCity, North Carolina, and was greeted by an enthu -siastic and supportive crowd which lined thedocks to show its appreciation and to welcome theMarines back home. On 6 May the RLT reverted tothe operational command of the 2d MarineDivision .

During the remainder of the decade, the 2dMarines participated in operations in locales a sdiverse as the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe.Elements of the regiment deployed during the1990s to Cuba, Haiti, Liberia, Somalia, Sierre Leone ,Zaire, and Albania . The 2d Marines ' versatility andrapid response capability in these operations ,which included disaster and humanitarian relief, Department of Defense Photo (USMC) M-0012-DSP-94-A00320along with non-combatant emergency evacua- LCpl j T Eimer of Company E, 2d Battalion, 2ddons, and support for civil authority, demonstrated Marines, stands at his security post in Capthe regiment's historic versatility and operational Haitien, Haiti, in support of Operation Upholdreadiness . Democracy in September 1994 .

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2d MarinesCommanding Officers

LtCol Charles G. Long9 June 1913 - 5 May 1914Col James E. MahoneyMay 1914 - 4 December 1914LtCol Charles G. LongDecember 1914 - 7 August 191 5Col Theodore P KaneAugust 1915 - 15 August 1915Col Eli K. Cole6August 1915 - 8 May 1916LtCol Laurence H . MosesMay 1916 - 24 June 1916Col Eli K . Cole5 June 1916 - 30 November 191 6LtCol Philip M BannonDecember 1916 - 10 January 191 8Maj Richard S . Hooker1 January 1918 - 31 March 1918Maj John W. WadleighApril 1918 - 28 April 191 8LtCol Richard S . Hooker9 April 1918 - 14 November 1918LtCol Thomas H. Brown5 November 1918 - 28 November 191 8LtCol Richard S . Hooker9 November 1918 - 9 December 191 8Maj Henry S . Green0 December 1918 - 17 January 191 9LtCol Richard S . Hooker.8 January 1919 - 20 July 191 9LtCol Thomas H Brown1 July 1919 - 10 September 1919Maj Charles A . Lutz1 September 1919 - 2 October 1919Col Randolph C. BerkeleyOctober 1919 - 20 October 192 1Col George Van Orden1 Ocobert 1921 - 8 April 1923LtCol William H. PritchettApril 1923 - 9 July 1923Col William N. McKelvy0 July 1923 - 10 November 1924Maj Maurice E. Shearer1 November 1924 - 9 January 192 5Col William N. McKelvy0 January 1925 - 10 June 192 5Maj Maurice E. Shearer1June 1925-30 June 1925Col Harold C. SnyderJuly 1925 - 8 April 1926Col Macker BabbApril 1926 - 30 June 1927Maj Archibald YoungJuly 1927 - 19 August 1927Col Presley M . Rixey II0 August 1927 - 21 May 192 9Col Richard P. Williams2 May 1929 - 30 May 1930Col Edward B. Manwaring1 May 1930 - 15 May 1 .932Col Henry G. Bartlett6 May 1932 - 16 June 1932Col James T. Buttrick7 June 1932 - 27 December 193 3Col Eli T. Fryer8 December 1933 - 31 May 1934Maj Samuel P BuddJune 1934 - 15 August 1934Col Joseph C. FeganFebruary 1941 - 24 October 194 1LtCol Roy C. Swink5 October 1941 - 20 November 194 1Col John M.Arthur1 November 1941 - 6 June 194 3Col William M . MarshallJune 1943 - 18 July 194 3LtCol Arnold F. Johnston9 July 1943 - 26 September 194 3Col William M. Marshall7 September 1943 - 7 November 1943

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Col David M . ShoupNovember 1943 - 23 December 194 3LtCol Lloyd Russell4 December 1943 - 1 January 194 4LtCol Walter J. SmartJanuary 1944 - 3 September 194 4Col Richard M. Cutts, JrSeptember 1944 - 24 October 1945LtCol Clarence J. O'Donnell5 October 1945 - 17 April 194 6LtCol Ronald B . Wilde8 April 1946 - 1 August 1946Col Francis H BrinkAugust 1946 - 6 April 1948LtCol Max C. ChapmanApril 1948 - 30 April 1948LtCol Wilbur F. MeyerhoffMay 1948 - 18 May 1948Col Randall M.Victory9 May 1948 - 21 November 194 8LtCol Harold Granger2 November 1948 - 31 July 194 9LtCol Jack W. HawkinsAugust 1949 - 2 October 194 9Col Randall M.VictoryOctober 1949 - 1 February 195 0LtCol Gould P. GrovesFebruary 1950 - 25 February 195 0Col Reynolds H. Hayden6 February 1950 - 28 April 195 0LtCol Gould P. Groves9 April 1950 - 10 August 1950LtCol Walter F. Layer1 August 1950 - 5 September 195 0Col Reynolds H HaydenSeptember 1950 - 20 July 195 1Col Bruno Hochmuth1 July 1951 - 29 July 195 2Col Robert F. Scott0 July 1.952 - 16 August 195 3LtCol William A . Stiles7 August 1953 - 19 October 195 3Col David W Stonecliffe0 October 1953 - 9 July 195 4Col George W Hayes0 July 1954 - 24 August 195 5Col William R. Collins5 August 1955 - 5 July 195 6Col Robert E . Cushman, JrJuly 1956 - 19 February 195 7Col Raymond L. Dean0 February 1957 - 15 July 195 7LtCol Tillman N Peters6 July 1957 - 1 August 195 7Col John J. GormleyAugust 1957 - 25 June 1958Col Charles R. Baker6 June 1958 - 1 December 1959Col ErmaA.WrightDecember 1959 - 12 June 1960Col Charles W. Kelly, Jr3 June 1960 - 16 June 196 1Col Alfred L. Booth7 June 1961 - 4 April 1962Col Robert M RichardsApril 1962 - 2 July 196 3LtCol John B . BristowJuly 1963 - 31 July 196 3Col James TautAugust 1963 - 1 August 1964Col Paul M SmithAugust 1964 - 6 Februsry 196 5Col Charles H Brush, JrFebruary 1965 - 7 June 1966Col William R. Burgoyne, JrJune 1966 - 31 August 1967Col Leroy VCorbettSeptember 1967 - 18 February 196 8Col William E. Barber9 February 1968 - 13 May 196 9Col Lawrence J. Bradley4 May 1969 - 28 May 197 0LtCol David M .Twomey9 May 1970 - 2 March 197 1Col Charles D. RedmanMarch 1971 - 21 April 197 2Col Alfred M . Gray, Jr2 April 1972 - 27 December 1972Col James W. Marsh8 December 1972 - 18 December 1973

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Col James K. Coody9 December 1973 - 14 July 197 4Col John E . Greenwood5 July 1974 - 30 September 197 5Col Harold L. Blanton, JrOctober 1975 - 23 June 197 7Col Gerald H.Turley4 June 1977 - 21 November 197 8Col Pasquale L. Cacace2 November 1978 - 29 May 198 0Col John B . Donovan0 May 1980 - 26 March 198 1Col Carl E . Mundy, Jr7 March 1981 - 30 April 198 2Col Robert E MilliganMay 1982 - 13 May 198 3Col John A. Speicher4 May 1983 - 31 May 1984Col Harry W Jenkins, JrJune 1984 - 8 June 1986Col Michael J . BryonJune 1986 - 13 July 1988Col John W Ripley4 July 1988 - 19 July 1990Col Tom A. Hobbs0 July 1990 - 12 June 1992Col Richard F.Vercauteren3 June 1992 - 16 June 1993Col Thomas S. Jones7 June 1993 - 21 June 1995LtCol Dennis W. Reilly2 June 1995 - 10 August 1995Col John F Sattler1 August 1995 - 29 May 1997Col Gordon C. Nash0 May 1997 - 30 June 1998Col Dirk R .AhleJuly 1998 - 21 June 200 0Col Jerry L. Durrant2 June 2000 -

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2d MarinesLINEAGE

1913 - 1934ACTIVATED 19 JUNE 1913 AT PHILADELPHIA, PENNSY LVANIA,AS 1ST ADVANCE BASE REGIMENTREDESIGNATED 23 DECEMBER 1913 AS 1ST ADVANCE BASE REGIMENT,ADVANCE BASE BRIGAD E

REDESIGNATED 18 FEBRUARY 1914 AS 1ST REGIMENT,ADVANCE BASE BRIGAD E

PARTICIPATED IN THE LANDING AT VERACRUZ, MEXICO, APRIL-NOVEMBER 191 4

RELOCATED DURING AUGUST 1915 TO CAP HAITIEN, HAIT I

REDESIGNATED 1 JULY 1916AS 2D REGIMENT, 1ST BRIGADE

REDESIGNATED 1 JANUARY 1933 AS 2D MARINES, 1ST BRIGAD EDEACTIVATED 15 AUGUST 1934

1941 - 1946REACTIVATED 1 FEBRUARY 1941 AT SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, AS 2D MARINES ,

2D MARINE DIVISIONDEPLOYED DURING JULY 1942 TO KORO ISLAN D

PARTICIPATED IN THE FOLLOWING WORLD WAR II CAMPAIGN S

GUADA LC ANA LT A R AWASA IPA NTINIAN

OKINAWA

REDEPLOYED DURING SEPTEMBER 1945 TO NAGASAKI, JAPAN

PARTICIPATED IN THE OCCUPATION OF JAPAN, SEPTEMBER 1945 - JUNE 194 6RELOCATED DURING JUNE JULY 1946 TO CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLIN A

1947 - 1989ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE LANDINGS IN LEBANON, JULY-AUGUST 195 8

PARTICIPATED IN THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS, OCTOBER-DECEMBER 196 2ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERVENTION IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, MAY 196 5

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PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS TRAINING EXERCISES THROUGHOU TTHE 1970S AND 19805

1990 - 1999PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM ,

SOUTHWEST ASIA, DECEMBER 1990 -APRIL 199 1ELEMENT PARTICIPATED IN HAITIAN REFUGEE OPERATION, CUBA, MAY-JUNE 1992

ELEMENT PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS IN SOMALIA, MARCH-AUGUST 199 3ELEMENT PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS PROVIDE PROMISE AND DENY FLIGHT, BOSNIA ,

AUGUST 1994ELEMENT PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS SUPPORT DEMOCRACY AND UPHOLD DEMOCRACY, HAITI ,

AUGUST-OCTOBER 1994ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION SEA SIGNAL, CUBA ,

SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 1994 AND JULY-OCTOBER 1995ELEMENT PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION ASSURED RESPONSE, LIBERIA ,

APRIL-JUNE 1996

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2d MarinesHONORS

PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION STREAMER WITH ONE BRONZE STAR

WORLD WAR IIGUADALCANAL - 1942

TARAWA - 194 3NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION STREAMER

SOUTHWEST ASIA1990 - 1991

MEXICAN SERVICE STREAMER

HAITIAN CAMPAIGN STREAMER WITH ONE BRONZE STAR

MARINE CORPS EXPEDITIONARY STREAMER WITH ONE BRONZE STA R

WORLD WAR I VICTORY STREAMER WITH "WEST INDIES"

AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE STREAME R

ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN STREAMER WITH ONE SILVER AND ONE BRONZE STA R

WORLD WAR II VICTORY STREAMERNAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE STREAMER WITH "ASIA"AND "EUROPE "NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE STREAMER WITH TWO BRONZE STARS

ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY STREAMER WITH TWO BRONZE STARSSOUTHWEST ASIA SERVICE STREAMER WITH TWO BRONZE STARS

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The 6th Marines

The 6th Marines was organized on 11 July 1917at Quantico, Virginia, for combat service with th eAmerican Expeditionary Force in France . Com-manded by ColonelAlbertus W. Catlin, the regimentwas composed of the following units : the 1st Bat-talion, consisting of the 74th, 75th, 76th, and 95t hCompanies; the 2d Battalion, consisting of th e78th, 79th, 80th, and 96th Companies ; and the 3d

Battalion, consisting of the 82d, 83d, 84th, and 97t hCompanies. The regiment spent the summer o f1917 in extensive training and maneuvers a tQuantico, conducting drills in trench and gas war -fare, and the use of hand grenades, the bayonet, andmachine guns .

In less than eight months, the regiment wa sfighting on the front lines in France . The 5th andA contingent of 6th Marines passes in review on 8 August 1919, as the 2d Division parades up 5thAvenue from Washington Square, New Y ork City

National Archives Photo (USMC) 127-N-51945 8

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6th Marines, along with the 6th Machine GunBattalion, formed the 4th Marine Brigade com-manded by Brigadier General Charles A . Doyen. Aspart of the U .S . Army's 2d Infantry Division, the4th Marine Brigade participated in some of th eheaviest fighting of World War I .

In a series of bitterly contested battles during 6 -25 June 1918, the 6th Marines helped to sweepGerman troops from Belleau Wood, receiving alongwith the 5th Marines, special commendation fro mthe French Government. The Belleau Wood are awas renamed "Bois de la Brigade de Marine . "

Shortly after the engagement at Belleau Wood ,the 6th Marines fought at Soissons, suffering heavycasualties from German artillery and machine gu nfire. By the end of July 1918, however, the Germanline had been broken, bringing about the captur eof hundreds of guns and thousands of prisoners .

The 6th Marines then moved to a rest and train-ing area, to prepare for the St . Mihiel offensive ,which began on 12 November 1918 . In this oper-ation the 2d Infantry Division was commanded byMarine Major General John A. Lejeune. The 6thMarines again displayed tenacity and coolnessunder fire, while driving back a determined enemy .

During October 1918, the 6th Marines partici-pated in the Meuse-Argonne drive. In a series ofassaults and counterattacks, the regiment capturedthe fortified hill of Blanc Mont and the heights ofSt . Etienne, freeing the Allied approaches to th ewestern Argonne. In the closing weeks of the war,the 6th Marines also took part in the final phase ofthe Meuse-Argonne drive, and on 10 Novembe r1918, one day before the signing of the Armistice ,succeeded in crossing the Meuse River. TwoMarines of the regiment received the Medal ofHonor: Corporal John H . Pruitt, 78th Company, andGunnery Sergeant Fred W. Stockham, 96th Com-pany. At the conclusion of World War I the FrenchGovernment awarded three unit decorations,including the coveted Croix de Guerre with Palm ,to the 6th Marines .

After the Armistice, the regiment crossed theRhine River to serve for a short while in occupie dGermany. Redeploying in July 1919, it returned t oQuantico, where it was disbanded on 13 Augus t1919 .

Two years later, on 15 September 1921, the 6t hMarines was reactivated at Quantico, for a varie dhistory of service with the East Coast Expedition-ary Force, overseas duty in China, and maneuverswith the Fleet Marine Forceall interspersed wit hperiods of disbandment or inactivation .

Elements of the 6th Marines served briefly a tGuantanamo Bay, Cuba, and landed in the Domini-can Republic during the 1920s to protec tAmerican interests . For the most part, howeverthe regiment's postwar duties focused on trainin gand maneuvers .

In May 1927, whenAmerican lives and propertyin China were threatened, the 6th Marinesdeployed quickly to Shanghai as part of the 3 dBrigade, to help defend the city's Internationa lSettlement. The regiment's next two years in Chinaconsisted mainly of guard and patrol duty Early in1929 the 6th Marines withdrew from the Far East ,and returned to San Diego, California, where it dis-banded on 31 March 1929 .

Upon the establishment of the Fleet MarineForce, the 6th Marines was reactivated on 1September 1934 at San Diego . The regiment tookpart in Pacific maneuvers with the U .S . Fleet in thespring of 1935, before returning to San Diego fo rfurther training and exercises . During the summerof 1937, more trouble in China caused anotherdeployment in the Far East . The 6th Marines saile dfor Shanghai in September 1937, to augmentAmerican forces already positioned in the International Settlement . The regiment returned to theUnited States in April 1938 and assumed an inac-tive status .

In March 1940, the 6th Marines was reestab-lished at Marine Corps Base, San Diego . The regi-ment became the principal infantry unit of the 2 dMarine Brigade, which on 1 February 1941, wa sTwo Marines stand guardat an observation postof the 2d Battalion, 6th Marines, in ShanghaiChina, in 1937

National Archives Photo WSMC) 127G-A52105 6

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Department of Defense Photo (USMC) A52421 3A squad of infantrymen from the 6th Marines train in wind-swept, snow-covered fields in a period ofhalf-light during the Icelandic winter in 1941-1942 .

redesignated the 2d Marine Division . During thesummer of 1941, the 6th Marines was temporaril ydetached from the division when it was incorpo-rated, along with other Marine units, into the 1s tProvisional Marine Brigade . The regiment de-ployed to Iceland with the brigade, to preclude athreatened German invasion. Upon its return fromIceland in March 1942, the 6th Marines again wa sstationed at San Diego, and reassigned to the 2 dMarine Division .

On 19 October 1942, the 6th Marines bega ndeploying to New Zealand, enroute to rejoiningother 2d Marine Division units on Guadalcanal . Bymid January 1943, the regiment had assumed front -line positions in the right half of the 2d MarineDivision's sector. The 6th Marines, along with Armyunits, assaulted Japanese defenses in that area, andin the sectors east and south of Kokumbona.Relieved of frontline duty on 30 January, the regi-ment continued to assist in mopping-up operationson the island. In early February 1943, the 6thMarines and other units of the 2d Marine Divisionleft Guadalcanal for New Zealand to undergo reha -

bilitation and training in preparation for theGilbert Islands campaign .At Tarawa Atoll, on 20 November 1943, the 6th

Marines was initially held in reserve . But the pre-carious position of the 2d Marine Division at th eend of the first day's fighting soon required it sreserve to be committed to the battle . The 1stBattalion, 6th Marines, landed on Betio Island on 2 1November 1943 . That afternoon, the 2d Battalion ,6th Marines, landed on Bairiki Island, east of Betio ,and seized the island . The Japanese avenue ofretreat from Tarawa was now blocked, and th eMarine seizure of Bairiki provided an excellentlocation from which Marine artillery could sup-port operations on Betio. By the following daymost of the regiment's men were heavily engagedagainst strongly defended Japanese pillboxes andartillery on Betio. The island was declared secureon 23 November, and all three battalions of the 6t hMarines spent the following days in cleaning ou tthe rest of the atoll . By 28 November, all of Tarawawas in American hands . The 2d Marine Divisionsubsequently relocated to Hawaii during Decem -

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Marines move out from the beachhead onto theNovember 1943 .ber 1943, to begin preparation for its next amphibi-ous operation .

The 6th Marines played a paramount role in theassault on the Marianas during the summer of1944 . The regiment landed on the southwest coas tof Saipan on 15 June 1944, with troops of the 2 dand 4th Marine Divisions, and advanced inlanddespite determined enemy resistance. The 6thMarines fought off savage Japanese counterattack sduring the night of 16-17 June, and again on 2 6June . After recapturing the town of Garapan, on 4July, the 2d Marine Division briefly went intoreserve, but soon rejoined the steady, but slow ,advance against a system of well-defended caves .Organized Japanese resistance on Saipan virtuallyceased on the island by 8 July. On that day the 2dMarine Division replaced the Army's 27th Divisionin the front lines, and continued to mop up remain-ing groups of Japanese holdouts on the island .

The 2d and 4th Divisions landed on Tinian on 2 4July 1944, and advanced rapidly inland. The 6thMarines participated in the steady drive southwardon Tinian, which by 31 July had brought the regi-ment to a line of vertical cliffs, where Japanes eresistance had stiffened. Fighting alongside the 8th

Department of Defense Photo (USMC) A6403 2smoke-covered Japanese airstrip on Tarawa in

Marines, the 6th Marines repulsed several enemycounterattacks. By 1 August, organized resistancehad ceased, although sporadic clashes continuedfor another week. The 6th Marines returned toBGen Merritt A . Edson, assistant division com-mander of the 2d Marine Division, confers withCol James R Risely commanding officer of the6th Marines, and LtCol Kenneth F McLeod, exec-utive officer of the 6th Marines, on Saipan dur-ing June 1944

Department of Defense Photo (USMC) A8248 1

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Deparment of Defense Photo (USMC) A15207 4Supported by a medium tank, Marines advance on Tinian during late July 1944 .Saipan in mid-August, where it took part in mop-ping-up operations, which would include a majo rdrive in November .

The 2d Marine Division left Saipan for Okinaw ain late March 1945 . On D-Day, 1 April, the 6thMarines engaged in diversionary activities alongthe southeast coast of the island . The 2d MarineDivision remained in floating reserve . The 130thNaval Construction Battalion and the 2 dAmphibian Truck Company were put ashore on 1 1April, and the remainder of the division returned t oSaipan. Later, in June, the 8th Marines and rein -forcing units went back to Okinawa and took par tin the final days of fighting .

After the Japanese surrender, the 6th Marine saccompanied the 2d Marine Division to Japan . Theregiment arrived at Nagasaki on 23 Septembe r1945 for occupation duty. It left Japan during June1946, but in lieu of rejoining the 2d MarineDivision units at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, i twas relocated instead to Camp Pendleton,

California, where it was attached to the 3d MarineBrigade on 11 September 1946 . Upon the deacti-vation of the 3d Marine Brigade the following year ,the 6th Marines was transferred to the 1st Marin eDivision.The regiment was deactivated on 1 Octo-ber 1949 ; on 17 October, however, a new 6th Ma-rines was activated as part of the 2d MarineDivision at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina .

The outbreak of the fighting in Korea in July1950 created an immediate need to build up theunderstrength 1st Marine Division . This broughtabout further changes in the organizational struc-ture of the 6th Marines. Organic units of the regi-ment were transferred to the 1st and 7th Marines ,1st Marine Division . Within days, however, newelements of the 6th Marines were activated . Theregiment was quickly brought up to wartimestrength, underwent an intensive training program ,and soon resumed its place as one of the majo rcombat elements of the 2d Marine Division .

Since January 1950, the 6th Marines has provid -

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Department of Defense Photo (USMC) A1998 6Personnel of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, gathered on the airfield in Santo Domingo, Dominica nRepublic, in May 1965ed reinforced battalions, on a rotating basis, for ser -vice with the U .S . Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean .In July 1958, after an urgent appeal from Lebanon,President Dwight D. Eisenhower orderedAmericantroops into Beirut, to support the Lebanese gov-ernment. The 3d Battalion, 6th Marines, landednear Beirut on the morning of 16 July 1958 as partof the 2d Provisional Marine Brigade, and remainedashore until 1 October 1958 .

During the Cuban missile crisis of Octobe r1962, all elements of the 6th Marines wereembarked to assist in the quarantine of Cuba, readyto land if required . In the aftermath of the crisis ,2d Marine Division units remained in the Carib -bean area until early December 1962 .

Chaotic conditions in the Dominican Republicduring April 1965 once more tested the capabili-ties of the 6th Marines . Elements of the regimen twere the first to respond to President Lyndon B .Johnson's orders to deploy Marines into the capitalcity of Santo Domingo, to protect American live sand property and to assist in evacuations . With therest of the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, unit sof the 6th Marines helped in the evacuation of

more than 1,300 refugees from the DominicanRepublic during April-June 1965, before returnin gto Camp Lejeune .During the 1970s and 1980s, units of the 6thMarines conducted numerous amphibious andtraining exercises, especially in the Mediterranea nand the Caribbean . As part of the 22d MarineAmphibious Unit, the 2d Battalion, 6th Marinesasthe nucleus of Battalion Landing Team 2/6deployed to Beirut, Lebanon, during February Jun e1983, as part of a multinational peacekeepingforce .

The next test of the regiment's operationalreadiness occurred in December 1989, when ele-ments of the 6th Marines participated in OperationJust Cause in Panama. This operation was launche dto protect American lives, restore the democraticprocess, and preserve the integrity of the Panam aCanal Treaty. The operation concluded in Jun e1990 .

Barely two months after the termination o fOperation Just Cause, the readiness of the 6thMarines was again put to the test . In August 1990 ,the forces of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invad -

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Marines of Company K, 3d Battalion, 6th Marines, man a roadblock that separated Howard Air Forc eBase from the coastal town of Vera Cruz, Panama, during Operation Just Cause in 1990 .ed Kuwait, sparking a major crisis in the Persia nGulf. After President George H. Bush orderedAmerican military forces to the region, the 6thMarines immediately underwent an aggressivetraining program. As preparations continued at arapid pace at Camp Lejeune for possible deploy-ment to Southwest Asia, there was still work to b edone on the regiment's organization. The 2dBattalion, 6th Marines, had been deactivated i n1989, and its place in the regiment was taken bythe 2d Battalion, 2d Marines . In November, the 2dMarine Division received the anticipated orders fordeployment to the Persian Gulf, and in mid-December, the 6th Marines deployed to SaudiArabia for Operation Desert Shield .

It was quickly recognized that whatever missionmight be assigned, the ability to move into Kuwai tto engage the enemy would depend on the abilit yof the 2d Marine Division to conduct a successfulbreach of Iraqi defenses. By early February, it wa sdetermined that the division's breach of thes edefenses would be conducted by the 6th Marines ,as that regiment had the most training in breachingoperations .

Early on the morning of 24 February 1991, th e6th Marines, with attached combat engineers ,assaulted the Iraqi defensive lines, using min eplows, mine rakes, and line charges to blow up theobstacles . Six breach lanes were successfully mad ethrough the enemy minefields. The following daythe 6th Marines was engaged by an Iraqi battalion-sized armor and mechanized infantry force .Fighting back with its own tanks and air support ,the regiment routed the enemy. As Iraqi forcesbegan to surrender in large numbers, the regimentcontinued movement to its assigned objectives .On 28 February, a general ceasefire ended 2d Ma-rine Division offensive operations .

During March, the regiment maintained a defen-sive posture and continued mopping up opera-tions in the vicinity of Al Jahra, Kuwait, until move -ment to the south later in the month. DuringApril ,the regiment redeployed to North Carolina, andreceived a hearty welcome at Camp Lejeune for ajob well done .

The 6th Marines continued to utilize its skill sand team spirit during the 1990s in humanitaria nand peacekeeping activities. Elements of the regi -

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ment participated from July-October 1994 in sup -port of Operation Sea Signal at Guantanamo Bay ,Cuba. The operation was a humanitarian reliefeffort for 14,000 Haitian migrants seeking shelterfrom a military dictatorship, and more than 30,00 0Cubans stymied by the closing of a door to theUnited States. More recently, elements of the regi-ment participated during 1995-96 in OperationsDeny Flight and Joint Endeavor in Bosnia ;Operations Southern Watch and Desert Thunder inSouthwest Asia in 1998 ; and Operation UnitedForce in Kosovo in 1999 . The participation of the6th Marines in these operations was undertaken inconjunction with other American and foreignforces, in support of United Nations peacekeepingefforts in the strife-tom nations .At right, members of the 6th Marines disembarkfrom the USS Dubuque (LPD-8) upon theirarrival in Saudi Arabia as part of OperationDesert Shield in September 1990 . (Department ofDefense Photo (USN) DN-ST-91-02384) BelowMarines from Company C, 1st Battalion, 6thMarines, participate in Operation Urban Warriorat Camp Lejeune in January 1998 (Photo cour-tesy of 2d Marine Division)

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6th MarinesCommanding Officers

Col Albertus W. Catlin1 July1917 - 15 November 191 7Maj Frank E . Evans6 November 1917 - 15 January 191 8Col Albertus W. Catlin6 January 1918 - 6 June 191 8LtCol Harry LeeJune 1918 - 12 July 191 8Maj Thomas Holcomb3 July 1918 - 15 July 1918LtCol Harry Lee6 July 1918 - 12 August 1919Capt Charles B . Hobbs5 December 1920 - 22 March 192 1Capt Francis S . Kieren3 March 1921 - 20 July 192 1Maj Calvin B. Matthews1 July 1921 - 8 September 192 1Capt Thomas E . Wicks2 November 1921 - 6 January 192 2Maj Calvin B . MatthewsJanuary 1922 - 14 August 1922Maj Harold L. Parsons5 August 1922 - 4 September 192 2Maj Calvin B . MatthewsSeptember 1922 - 19 February 192 3Maj Thomas S . Clarke0 February 1923 - 31 July 1923Maj James J . MeadeAugust 1923 - 8 October 192 3LtCol Edward A. GreeneOctober 1923 - 25 November 1923Maj Ralph S . Keyser6 November 1923 - 25 February 1924Maj Howard C . Judson6 February 1924 - 4 June 1924LtCol Edward A GreeneJune 1924 - 15 March 1925Col Harold C. Snyder6 March 1927 - 2 August 1928Col Charles H . LymanAugust 1928 - 9 January 1929Maj Calhoun Antrum0 January 1929 - 31 March 1929LtCol Andrew B . DrumSeptember 1934 - 30 September 193 5LtCol Oliver FloydOctober 1935 - 30 October 193 5Col Philip H.Torrey1 October 1935 - 7 June 1937Col Thomas S . ClarkeJune 1937 - 12 January 193 8LtCol James L. Underhill3 January 1938 - 11 May 193 8LtCol Alphonse De Carre2 May 1938 - 15 May 193 8Col Harry L. Smith6 May 1938 - 31 May 193 9LtCol Earl H . JenkinsJune 1939 - 20 June 1939Col Samuel L. Howard1 June 1939 - 2 June 1940LtCol Franklin A. HartJune 1940 - 21 June 1940LtCol Oliver P Smith2 June 1940 - 28 June 194 0LtCol Franklin A. Hart9 June 1940 - 23 July 1940Col Leo D. Hermle4 July 1940 - 31 December 194 1LtCol William McN. MarshallJanuary 1942 - 24 March 194 2Col Leo D. Hermle8 March 1942 - 31 July 1942Col Gilder D. Jackson, JrAugust 1942 - 13 April 194 3LtCol Lyman G. Miller4 April 1943 - 30 April 194 3Col Maurice G. HolmesMay 1943 - 16 December 194 3

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Col James P. Riseley7 December 1943 - 3 September 1944Col Gregon W. WilliamsSeptember 1944 - 5 November 194 5Col Jack P. JuhanNovember 1945 - 24 January 1946Col James P Berkeley5 January 1946 - 26 March 1946Col John F. Hough7 March 1946 - 30 March 1947Col George H . Potter1 March 1947 - 6 April 1947Col John E HoughApril 1947 - 11 June 1947LtCol Thomas C . Kerrigan2 June 1947 - 29 June 1947Col Hewin O . Hammond0 June 1947 - 15 July 1947Col James P S . Devereux6 July 1947 - 30 September 1947Col George H . PotterOctober 1947 - 31 October 1947Maj Norman R. NickersonNovember 1947 - 13 November 194 7Col George H. Potter4 November 1947 - 30 April 1948LtCol George D. RichMay 1948 - 23 May 1948Col George H . Potter4 May 1948 - 6 July 194 8LtCol William N. McGillJuly 1948 - 8 March 194 9Col John H . Cook, JrMarch 1949 - 1 October 194 9Col Homer L. Litzenberg, Jr7 October 1949 - 7 July 1950Col Russell N. JordhalJuly 1950 - 13 August 1950LtCol William E Prickett4 August 1950 - 10 September 195 0Col Henry W. Buse, Jr1 September 1950 - 13 December 195 1Col William E Prickett4 December 1951 - 16 January 195 2Col Ormand R. Simpson7 January 1952 - 23 April 195 3Col Charles M Nees4 April 1953 - 27 July 195 4Col Jean H. Buckner8 July 1954 - 1 June 195 5LtCol Wilson F HumphreysJune 1955 - 9 July 195 5Col Edward L. Hutchinson0 July 1955 - 5 July 195 6Col Max C . ChapmanJuly 1956 - 10 June 195 7LtCol Theodore E Beeman1 June 1957 - 16 July 195 7Col Austin C. Shofner7 July 1957 - 11 August 195 8Col William J. McKennan2 August 1958 - 1 December 195 9Col Melvin D. HendersonDecember 1959 - 7 March 1961Col Maxie R. WilliamsMarch 1961 - 6 June 1961Col Jonas H Platt0 July 1961 - 19 July 196 2Col Robert W. L . BrossAugust 1962 - 26 July 196 3LtCol Anthony A.Akstin7 July 1963 - 23 August 196 3Col Glenn R. Long4 August 1963 - 13 July 196 3Col George W E . Daughtry4 July 1963 - 14 July 196 5Col John N. McLaughlinJuly 1965 - 28 December 196 5Col James B . Ord9 December 1965 - 6 July 1966Col James C . ShortJuly 1966 -1.June 1967Col Oscar T. Jensen, JrJune 1967 - 11 March 1968Col Richard H Kern2 March 1968 - 26 March 1968Col Robert M Platt7 March 1968 - 6 August 1969Col Paul B. HaigwoodAugust 1969 - 14 October 1970

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6th MarinesLINEAGE

1917-1921

ACTIVATED 11 JULY 1917 AT QUANTICO,VIRGINIA,AS THE 6TH REGIMENTDEPLOYED DURING OCTOBER 1917 - FEBRUARY 1918 TO FRANCE, AND ASSIGNED TO THE 4TH

MARINE BRIGADE, 2D DIVISION (ARMY),AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORC EPARTICIPATED IN THE FOLLOWING WORLD WAR I OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN S

AISNEAISNE-MARNE

STMIHIELMEUSE-ARGONNE

PARTICIPATED IN THE FOLLOWING WORLD WAR I DEFENSIVE CAMPAIGNSTOULON-TROYON

CHATEAU-THIERRYMA .RBACHE

LIMEYPARTICIPATED IN THE OCCUPATION OF THE GERMAN RHINELAND,

DECEMBER 1918 - JULY 191 9RELOCATED DURING AUGUST 1919 TO QUANTICO,VIRGINI A

ELEMENT OF THE REGIMENT REMAINED ON ACTIVE DUTY 1919-192 1

1921 - 1925REACTIVATED 15 SEPTEMBER 1921 AT QUANTICO,VIRGINIA

ELEMENTS PARTICIPATED IN EXPEDITIONARY DUTY IN CUBA AND THEDOMINICAN REPUBLIC, JUNE 1924 - MARCH 192 5

DEACTIVATED 15 MARCH 1925 AT QUANTICO, VIRGINI A

1927-1929REACTIVATED 26 MARCH 1927 AT PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

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DEPLOYED DURING MAY 1927 TO SHANGHAI, CHINA,AND ASSIGNED TOTHE 3D BRIGADE

RELOCATED DURING MARCH 1929 TO SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA,AN DDETACHED FROM THE 3D BRIGADE

DEACTIVATED 31 MARCH 1929

1934 - 1949REACTIVATED 1 SEPTEMBER 1934 AT SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, AS TH E

6TH MARINES, FLEET MARINE FORCEASSIGNED 1 JULY 1936 TO THE 2D MARINE BRIGADE, FLEET MARINE FORCE

DEPLOYED DURING SEPTEMBER 1937 TO SHANGHAI, CHIN ARELOCATED DURING APRIL 1938 TO SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNI A

2D MARINE BRIGADE REDESIGNATED 1 FEBRUARY 1941 AS THE 2D MARINE DIVISION, FLEETMARINE FORCE

DEPLOYED DURING MAY-JULY 1941 TO REYKJAVIK, ICELAND, AND ASSIGNE DTO THE 1ST PROVISIONAL MARINE BRIGAD E

RELOCATED DURING FEBRUARY-MARCH 1942 TO SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA ,AND REASSIGNED TO THE 2D MARINE DIVISION, FLEET MARINE FORCE

DEPLOYED DURING OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1942 TO WELLINGTON ,NEW ZEALAND

PARTICIPATED IN THE FOLLOWING WORLD WAR D CAMPAIGN SGUADALCANA L

SOUTHERN SOLOMONST A R AWASAIPA NTINIAN

OKINAWA

DEPLOYED DURING SEPTEMBER 1945 TO NAGASAKI, JAPANPARTICIPATED IN THE OCCUPATION OF JAPAN, SEPTEMBER 1945 - JUNE 1946

RELOCATED DURING JULY 1946 TO CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNI A

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6th MarinesHONORS

PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION STREAME RWORLD WAR IITARAWA-1943

NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION STREAME R

SOUTHWEST ASIA1990-199 1

WORLD WAR I VICTORY STREAMER WITH ONE SILVER STA RARMY OF OCCUPATION OF GERMANY STREAMER

Y A N G T Z E S E R V I C E S T R E A M E RMARINE CORPS EXPEDITIONARY STREAMER WITH THREE BRONZE STAR S

CHINA SERVICE STREAMER

AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE STREAMER WITH ONE BRONZE STAREUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN STREAMER

ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN STREAMER WITH ONE SILVER AND ONE BRONZE STARWORLD WAR II VICTORY STREAMER

NAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE STREAMER WITH "ASIA"AND "EUROPE "NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE STREAMER WITH TWO BRONZE STAR S

ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY STREAMER WITH TWO BRONZE STAR S

SOUTHWEST ASIA SERVICE STREAMER WITH TWO BRONZE STARSFRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH TWO PALMS AND ONE GILT STAR

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The 8th Marines

The 8th Marines was originally activated as th e8th Regiment at Quantico, Virginia, on 9 October1917 . The infantry regiment was formed by com-panies from Philadelphia and California's MareIsland, as well as Quantico . Major Ellis B. Miller, a37-year-old Iowan, assumed command of the regi-ment, which had a strength of approximately1,000 .

The outbreak of hostilities between the Unite dStates and Germany in 1917 had caused the regi-ment's activation, but it was first sent to Texas ,instead of France . During November 1917, the reg-

iment moved to Fort Crockett, near Galveston, t oguard against German agents who might try to dis-rupt vital shipments from Mexican oil fields .Duties in Texas were those of a typical garriso nforce, with a training program pointed toward con-tingency operations in Mexico. The need for suc hoperations never materialized . The regimentembarked on board the USS Hancock (AP-3) inApril 1919. Upon returning to Philadelphia it wasdeactivated .

By the end of 1919, however, the 8th Regimen twas reactivated in Haiti . At Port-au-Prince, the 1s t

Marines near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1920 prepare to patrol in search of Caco bandits .Depannent of Defense Photo (USMC)A519809

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Battalion was activated on 17 December, and th eregimental headquarters on 5 January 1920 .Lieutenant Colonel Louis McCarty Little, an office rwith prior service in Latin America and China, wa sgiven command of the reactivated 8th Regiment ,which in turn was assigned to the 1st MarineBrigade. During 1920 and 1921, the regiment sup-pressed Caco bandits in the southern half of thecountry, primarily in the region around Port-au-Prince . By early 1922, banditry had almost beeneradicated in Haiti, and the 8th Regiment soonswitched its emphasis to duties related to civicaction: mapping the country; helping to constructroads and sanitation facilities ; and training the loca lconstabulary. Under continued peaceful condi-tions, the regiment was deactivated at Port-au -Prince on 1 July 1925 .

In early 1940, the Marine Corps gradually bega nto increase the number of units on active duty, as aconsequence of general war in Europe durin g1939. The first major organization to be brough tback into being was the 8th Marines, reactivatedon 1 April 1940 at San Diego, California . Colone lLeo D. Hermle, a veteran of World War I, took com-mand of the regiment, which was initially assigne dto the 2d Marine Brigade . The 8th Marines wasassigned to the 2d Marine Division at the division' sactivation on 1 February 1941, and joined otherdivision units in training exercises on San Cle-mente Island, off the coast of Southern California .

Department of Defense Photo (IISMC)A5183 1Col RichardHJeshke, commanding officer of the8th Marines, and LtCol Augustus Fricke, com-manding the 3d Battalion, 8th Marines, discus splans for a new drive on Guadalcanal i nJanuary 1943

After the Japanese struck at Pearl Harbor on 7December, the 8th Marines had an initial mission o fdefending the California coast from Oceanside tothe Mexican border against a possible Japanese at -

Maj Henry P. "Jim" Crowe is at his command post, where he observes and directs the 2d Battalion, 8t hMarines, during the bitter fighting on Tawara in late November 1943 .Department of Defense Photo (USMC) A6395 6

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tack. The regiment was next ordered to preparefor deployment to American Samoa, in the SouthPacific . Forming the nucleus of a new 2d MarineBrigade, the 8th Marines sailed from California on6 January 1942part of the first force to mountout for the Pacific after the outbreak of warArriving at the Samoan capital of Pago Pago on 1 9January, the regiment, now commanded by ColonelRichard H. Jeschke, took over the job of shoring upthe island's defenses from the 7th DefenseBattalion

By summer, the 8th Marines had begun to pre -pare for offensive operations outside of th eSamoan area. The regiment's first combat assign-ment of World War H came during the struggle fo rGuadalcanal. On 4 November 1942, after a 10-dayvoyage from Samoa, the unit reached the embattle disland, and went ashore near Lunga Point on th enorthern coast . Almost immediately, the unit wa sinvolved in heavy fighting with the Japanese ,which continued through November and into th enext month .

During January the 8th Marines, with otherMarine Corps and Army units, made a final drivetoward the west, with the support of naval gunfire .Guadalcanal was eventually declared secure on 8February 1943 .

The entire regiment reassembled for a period o frest and relaxation in New Zealand on 16 Februar y1943, establishing a permanent base nearPaekakariki, 35 miles north of Wellington . Largequantities of war material began to arrive from th eUnited States. The target for the next campaignwas the Gilbert Islands, and the capture of Taraw aAtoll. A significant enemy garrison was located onBetio Island .

Shortly before dawn on 20 November 1943 th etransports carrying the invasion force arrived offBetio. The initial wave to go ashore consisted o fMajor Henry P. "Jim" Crowe's 2d Battalion, 8thMarines, and the 2d and 3d Battalions, 2d Marines .The 3d Battalion, 8th Marines, headed for thebeach several hours later, losing many men fro menemy machine gun fire, shell fragments, and

Alen of the 8th Marines pause to regroup during the battle for Saipan in June 1944.Deoartment of Defense Photo (USMC) A82703

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Department of Defense Photo (USMC) Al2698 7Men of the 8th Marines on board LSTs advance toward their objective, Iheya Shima, in June1945, asthe small island off Okinawa's northern coast is also assaulted by ai rdrownings. When the landing craft were unable toget past an offshore reef, the Marines dismountedand waded ashore, crossing hundreds of yard sthrough a fire-swept lagoon. Early on 21 Novem-ber the 1st Battalion joined the regiment ashore .The Marines suffered extremely heavy losses dur-ing four days of bitter fighting. The 8th Marines ,less the 1st Battalion, stood down on 23 November .By the end of that day, the entire island was i nAmerican hands.

After Tarawa, the 8th Marines sailed for theHawaiian Islands. After a stop at Pearl Harborwhere the wounded were transferred to hospitals ,the regiment traveled to the island of Hawaii andhelped set up a base named Camp Tarawa . There ,the Marines would rest, re-equip themselves, andprepare for their next landing: Saipan .

Now commanded by Colonel Clarence R.Wallace, a veteran of the battle for Kwajalein, th e8th Marines furnished two battalionsthe 2d and3dfor the initial Saipan landing, on the morningof 15 June 1944 . The assault waves were met bywithering enemy fire and sustained heavy losses ,but managed to move forward against Japanesestrongholds after reaching the beach . The 1stBattalion, 8th Marines, soon joined the rest of th eregiment ashore and helped expand its perimeterOver the ensuing three weeks, the 8th Marines,

with other units of the 2d Marine Division, pushednorthward, hampered equally by a tenacious fo eand by the rugged, mountainous terrain of th eisland. Organized Japanese resistance finally endedon 9 July, although mopping-up operations wouldgo on for some time after that .

With Saipan secure, the regiment was ordere dto prepare for a landing on nearby Tinian. At dawnon 24 July, the 8th and 2d Marines conducted afeint off the beach at Tinian Town on the southwes tcoast. This diverted Japanese attention from th emain landings by the 24th and 25th Marines of th e4th Marine Division, on two small beaches on th enorthern tip of the island . The 8th Marines cameashore the following morning and began movin gnorth toward its objective, Ushi Point . Despiterocky terrain, thick undergrowth, a fierce two-daytyphoon, and groups of the determined Japaneseholed up in craggy coral outcroppings, the islandwas officially secured by 1 August. The 8th Marinesthen assumed sole responsibility for patrolling andmop-up activities, which lasted for months .

On 1 April 1945, the 8th Marines formed part ofa division-sized feint against the southeast coast ofOkinawa, while the main landings were takingplace on the western coast . Shortly afterward, theregiment redeployed to Saipan, but before longwas called back to Okinawan waters to seize off

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shore islands. It captured Iheya Shima on 3 June ,then Aguni Shima on 9 June . In a final thrustagainst entrenched Japanese forces, the 8t hMarines was called in to relieve the battle-worn 7t hMarines on 18 June . That same day, U .S .Tenth Armycommander Lieutenant General Simon B . Bucknerwas mortally wounded by enemy shelling while hewas observing the battle progress in the 3dBattalion, 8th Marines' sector

Marine Lieutenant General Roy S . Geiger, whohad taken command of the Tenth Army after Gen-eral Buckner's death, declared the island securedon 22 June 1945. The 8th Marines stayed onOkinawa until 1 July for mopping-up operations .The regiment then redeployed to Saipan where i trejoined the 2d Division, then in training for theprojected invasion of Japan .

After the war ended in August 1945, the 8thMarines prepared to move to the island of Kyushu,where it would be assigned occupation duty. Theregiment arrived at the devastated city of Nagasakiin late September. For the next nine months, itserved alongside other 2d Marine Division an dArmy units of the occupation force . In June 1946 ,the 8th Marines received orders to return to theUnited States, to end four and a half years in thePacific theater. After debarking in Norfolk, the reg-iment proceeded to Camp Lejeune, NorthCarolina, where the 2d Marine Division had estab-lished its new home .

The 8th Marines, after being reduced to the sizeof an infantry battalion, participated in AtlanticFleet maneuvers in February 1948, then departedfor the Mediterranean Sea, part of a second Marin eamphibious unit which deployed with the SixthFleet. The deployment of such amphibious force sto the Mediterranean has since become routin eand continuous, providing a base for rapid contin-gency response in the region. After anotherdeployment to the Mediterranean in 1949, the 8thMarines was deactivated on 17 October 1949, aresult of the ongoing postwar reorganization of ashrinking Marine Corps .The outbreak of the Korean War, in June 1950 ,brought about reactivation of the 8th Marines by 9August of that year. In June 1951, battalions of theregiment resumed their Mediterranean deploy-ments, where they took part in North AtlanticTreaty Organization (NATO) exercises . In theCaribbean, other battalionsand on occasion theentire regimentdeployed frequently for trainingexercises .

A civil war in Lebanon during the summer of

Department of Defense Photo (USMC: ) A 450302A rifle squad from Company D, 1st Battalion, 8thMarines, attempts to locate a sniper firing at aposition near the international safety zone inSanto