2nd Battalion 1st Marines

2nd Battalion, 1st Marines
2nd Battalion, 1st Marines insignia
Active	August 1, 1922 – July 20, 1924 March 1, 1941 – October 31, 1947 August 4, 1950 – January 24, 1989 September 9, 1994 – present
Country	United States
Branch	USMC
Type	Light Infantry
Role	Locate, close with and destroy the enemy with fire and maneuver
Size	1,000
Part of	1st Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Nickname(s)	The Professionals
Motto	No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy
Engagements	World War II *Guadalcanal Campaign *Battle of Cape Gloucester *Battle of Peleliu *Battle of Okinawa Korean War *Battle of Inchon *Battle of Chosin Reservoir Vietnam War Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom *2003 invasion of Iraq *Operation Vigilant Resolve *Operation Steel Curtain
Commanders
Current commander	LtCol J. R. SMITH
Notable commanders	James M. Masters, Sr.

2nd Battalion, 1st Marines (2/1) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Nicknamed "The Professionals," the battalion consists of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors. Normally they fall under the command of 1st Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division.

History

• Activated August 1, 1922 at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment and assigned to the 2d Brigade.
• Participated in the occupation of the Dominican Republic, Deactivated July 20, 1924

World War II

Two Marines, Davis P. Hargraves with Thompson submachine gun and Gabriel Chavarria with BAR, of 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, advance on Wana Ridge on May 18, 1945.

• Reactivated March 1, 1941 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines and assigned to the 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force
• Deployed during April 1941 to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina
• Deactivated June 14, 1941
• Reactivated February 11, 1942 at New River, North Carolina, and assigned to the 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force
• Deployed during July 1942 to Wellington, New Zealand
• Participated in the following World War II campaigns:
  • Guadalcanal Campaign, withstood the bombings on Henderson Field
  • Battle of Cape Gloucester, was able to hold the line against many wild and deadly Banzai Charges
  • Battle of Peleliu, was among those that suffered the worst casualties during the attack on the Umurbrogal Pocket
  • Battle of Okinawa, helped in capturing Shuri amid the mud and terrible conditions
• Redeployed during September 1945 to Tiensin, China
• Participated in the occupation of North China, September 1945 – October 1947

Korean War & early 1960s

• Reactivated August 4, 1950 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and assigned to the 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force
• Deployed during August 1950 to Kobe, Japan
• Participated in the Korean War, September 1950 – July 1953,
  • Inchon-Seoul
  • Chosin Reservoir
  • East Central Front
  • Western Front
  • Participated in the defense of the Korean Demilitarized Zone
• Relocated during April 1955 to Camp Pendleton, California
• Participated in the Battalion transplacement system between the 1st Marine Division and the 3d Marine Division
• Participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis, October–December 1962

Vietnam War

• Deployed during November 1965 to the Republic of Vietnam, and assigned to the 3rd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force
• Participated in the War in Vietnam, November 1965 – May 1971,
  • Hue/Phu Bai
  • Da Nang
  • Quang Tri
  • Thua Thien
  • Quang Nam
  • Lien Ket
• Detached during April 1971 from the 1st Marine Division, and reassigned to the 3rd Marine Amphibious Brigade, Fleet Marine Force
• Relocated during June 1971 to Camp Pendleton, CA, and reassigned to the 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force

Post War and the 1980s

• Participated during April – May 1975 in Operation New Arrivals, the relocation of refugees from Indochina
• Participated in the Battalion rotation between the 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa and Divisions stationed in the United States during the 1980s
• Deactivated January 24, 1989
• Reactivated September 9, 1994 at Camp Pendleton, CA, and assigned to the 1st Marine Division.

Global War on Terrorism

Marines from Echo Company passing the body of an alleged Iraqi insurgent during the First Battle of Fallujah.

As part of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the battalion deployed to Kuwait in February 2003, and participated in the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. The battalion deployed in March 2004, to Fallujah, Iraq and took part in Operation Vigilant Resolve. They returned to Iraq in 2005 with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and engaged in combat operations during Operation Steel Curtain in Husaybah, Karabilah, and New Ubaydi, and Operation Iron Hammer in Hit. The battalion deployed to Okinawa to serve as the Ground Combat Unit for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit from January 1, 2007 until January 1, 2008. The battalion deployed to Iraq in January 2009 and returned in August of the same year.

The battalion deployed to Afghanistan in October 2010 through May 15, 2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. They operated in the Garmsir District, Helmand Province. In June 2012, the battalion returned to Okinawa as the Ground Combat Element for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. In March 2014, 2/1 deployed as the Ground Combat Element of the 11th MEU.

Marines with Golf Company, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conduct daily morning section physical training on the flight deck of the USS Makin Island during Amphibious Squadron Marine Expeditionary Unit Integration (PMINT), off the coast of San Diego, California in April 2014. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Rome M. Lazarus/Released)

Unit awards

A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation. 2/1 has been presented with the following awards:

Ribbon	Unit Award
	Presidential Unit Citation with one Silver and four Bronze Stars
	Navy Unit Commendation with two Bronze Stars
	Meritorious Unit Commendation with four Bronze Stars
	Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
	American Defense Service Medal with one Bronze Star
	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one Silver and one Bronze Star
	World War II Victory Medal
	Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia clasp
	China Service Medal
	National Defense Service Medal with three Bronze Stars
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
	Vietnam Service Medal with two Silver and three Bronze Stars
	Korean Presidential unit Citation
	Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Streamer
	Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Civil Action Medal
	Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one Bronze Star
	Iraq Campaign Medal with two Bronze Stars
	Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Korea Defense Service Medal
	ISAF

Notable former members

• Robert Leckie - author of Helmet for My Pillow
• Gen Peter Pace - former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Lewis Burwell Puller, Jr. - son of General Lewis "Chesty" Puller and Pulitzer prize winning author
• Douglas Zembiec - The "Lion of Fallujah"

See also

• List of United States Marine Corps battalions
• Organization of the United States Marine Corps

External links

• 2/1 Marines During Operation Hastings

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

Web

• 2/1's official website

• Vietnam Veterans of the 2nd BN 1st Marines