World War II 2nd Marine Division (United States)

staff sergeant timerlate kirven (left) , corporal samuel j. love, sr., first african-american marines decorated purple hearts 2nd marine division battle of saipan.

major general clayton b. vogel, first commander, activated 2nd marine division @ parade , review @ marine corps base, san diego, california, during sunny saturday afternoon of 1 february 1941. division consisted of 2nd, 6th, , 8th marines infantry regiments; 10th marines, artillery regiment; engineer, medical, service, , tank battalions; , transport, signal, chemical, , antiaircraft machine gun companies. mid-1941, because of growing threat of german invasion iceland, 6th marine regiment, battalion 10th marines , other scattered units pulled division , sent garrison reykjavik. after outbreak of war 8th marine regiment assortment of other division assets formed 2nd marine brigade , dispatched garrison american samoa.

during world war ii, 2nd marine division (headquarters) participated in operations in pacific theater of operations:

the guadalcanal campaign, in solomon islands campaign – 4 january 8 february 1943.

2nd marines, reinforced:

guadalcanal-tulagi landings, 7 9 august 1942;

capture , defense of guadalcanal, 10 august 1942 31 january 1943.
8th marines, reinforced:

capture , defense of guadalcanal, 2 november 1942 8 february 1943.


the battle of tarawa, in gilbert islands campaign – 20 november 4 december 1943.
the battle of saipan, in mariana islands campaign – 15 june 24 july 1944.
the battle of tinian, – 24 july 10 august 1944.
the battle of okinawa (floating reserve) – 1 april 10 april 1945. (detachment of headquarters , 8th marines, reinforced, 1 30 june 1945).

elements of division part of occupation of nagasaki, arriving twenty-five days after nuclear strike.

the 2nd , 8th marines (reinforced other units of 2nd marine division) awarded presidential unit citation while attached 1st marine division 7 august , 4 november 1942, respectively, guadalcanal operation.

the 2nd marine division awarded presidential unit citation tarawa atoll, gilbert islands, 20 –24 november 1943: outstanding performance in combat during seizure , occupation of japanese-held atoll of tarawa, gilbert islands, november 20 24, 1943. forced treacherous coral reefs disembark landing craft hundreds of yards off beach, second marine division (reinforced) became highly vulnerable target devastating japanese fire. dauntlessly advancing in spite of rapidly mounting losses, marines fought gallant battle against crushing odds, clearing limited beachheads of snipers , machine guns, reducing powerfully fortified enemy positions , annihilating fanatically determined , entrenched japanese forces. successful occupation of tarawa, second marine division (reinforced) has provided our forces highly strategic , important air , land bases continue future operations against enemy; valiant fighting spirit of these men, heroic fortitude under punishing fire , relentless perseverance in waging epic battle in central pacific, have upheld finest traditions of united states naval service.

during war 2 seabee battalions posted 2nd. 18th naval construction battalion (ncb) assigned 18th marines third battalion of regiment. received presidential unit citation doing tarawa 2nd marine division did siapan , tinian well. 18th marines inactivated , seabees stayed on tinian work on airfield. replaced 71st ncb 2nd s assault on okinawa.