The U.S. 2nd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground-force component of the II Marine Expeditionary Force . As of 2005, it is based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

History

World War II

The 2d Marine Division was officially organized on 1 February 1941 by change of designation from the 2nd Marine Brigade .

The 2d Marine Division (Headquarters) participated in authorized operations and engagements in the Pacific Theater of Operations:

• The Battle of Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands campaign — 4 January to 8 February 1943.
  • 2d Marines , reinforced:
    Guadalcanal-Tulagi landings, 7 to 9 August 1942;
    capture and defense of Guadalcanal, 10 August 1942 to 31 January 1943.
  • 8th Marines , reinforced:
    capture and defense of Guadalcanal, 2 November 1942 to 8 February 1943.

• The Battle of Tarawa, in the Gilbert Islands campaign — 20 November to 4 December 1943.

• The Battle of Saipan, in the Mariana Islands campaign — 15 June to 24 July 1944.
• The Battle of Tinian, — 24 July to 10 August 1944.

• The Battle of Okinawa (floating Reserve) — 1 April to 10 April 1945. (Detachment of Headquarters and the 8th Marines, reinforced, from 1 to 30 June 1945).

The 2d and 8th Marines (reinforced by other units of the 2d Marine Division) were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation while attached to the 1st Marine Division from 7 August and 4 November 1942, respectively, for the Guadalcanal operation.

The 2d Marine Division was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, 20–24 November 1943.

Iraq

Organization

As of 2005, the 2nd Division comprises

• Headquarters Battalion
• U.S. 2nd Marine Regiment (infantry)
• U.S. 6th Marine Regiment (infantry)
• U.S. 8th Marine Regiment (infantry)
• U.S. 10th Marine Regiment (artillery)
• 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion
• 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion
• 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
• 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion
• 2nd Tank Battalion

External links

• 2nd Marine Division official website
• Battle Honors of the Six Marine Divisions in World War II