2nd Battalion, 8th Marines

2nd Battalion, 8th Marines
2nd Battalion, 8th Marines insignia
Active	1 April 1940 – 13 November 1947 1 November 1950 – present
Country	United States
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Light infantry
Role	The mission of the Marine Corps rifle squad is to locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver and/ or repel enemy assault by fire and close combat.
Part of	8th Marine Regiment 2nd Marine Division
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Nickname(s)	"America's Battalion"
Motto(s)	"Non Sibi Sed Patriae" "Not for self, but for country" Front Towards Enemy
Engagements	World War II Battle of Guadalcanal Battle of Tarawa Battle of Saipan Battle of Tinian Battle of Okinawa Lebanese Civil War Multinational Force in Lebanon Operation Urgent Fury Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003 invasion of Iraq Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Strike of the Sword
Commanders
Current commander	LtCol Daniel J. Gaskell

2nd Battalion, 8th Marines (2/8) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina consisting of approximately 900 Marines and Sailors. Nicknamed "America's Battalion," they fall under the 8th Marine Regiment and the 2nd Marine Division.

Subordinate units

• Headquarters Company
• Echo Company
• Fox Company
• Golf Company
• Weapons Company

Hotel Company deactivated August 1991

Mission

The mission of the Marine Corps rifle squad is to locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver and/ or repel enemy assault by fire and close combat.

History

World War II

2nd Battalion, 8th Marines was activated on 1 April 1940 in San Diego as the 2nd Battalion 8th Marine Regiment and assigned to the 2nd Marine Brigade. The 2nd Marine Brigade was re-designated 1 February 1941 as 2nd Marine Division. During World War II, the battalion participated in the Battle of Guadalcanal, Battle of Tarawa, Battle of Saipan, Battle of Tinian and the Battle of Okinawa. Following the surrender of Japan, the battalion deployed to Nagasaki, Japan in September 1945 as part of the occupation. They remained in Japan in this capacity until they redeployed back to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in June 1946. The battalion was deactivated on 13 November 1947 as part of the post-war drawdown of forces.

1950–2000

The battalion was reactivated on 1 December 1950 at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and assigned to 2nd Marine Division. From July to September 1958 they took part in the United States intervention in during the Lebanon crisis. This was followed by a deployment to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base as part of the Cuban Missile Crisis from October to December 1962.

• Relocated in June 1968 to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
• Relocated in August 1973 to Camp Lejeune, NC.
• Participated as part of Multi-Nation Peace Keeping Force in Lebanon August – September 1982, and February- October 1984
• Participated in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada October – November 1983.
• Participated in Operation Provide Comfort Iraq April – July 1991.
• Elements participated in Operation Support Democracy Cuba October – November 1993.
• Participated in support of Operation Joint Endeavor Adriatic Sea October 1996.
• Elements participated in security operations Haiti and Panama November 1997 – February 1998 and January – August 1999.

2 Bat 8th Marines Echo Company was the Unit in Haiti in 93 3rd Platoon from Golf Company was attached to Echo Company

Global War on Terror

Marines in Afghanistan, July 2009

• Operation Iraqi Freedom – Iraq, March – May 2003.
• Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan November 2003 to May 2004.
• 26th MEU – Iraq, March 2005 – September 2005.
• Operation Iraqi Freedom – Iraq, July 2006 – February 2007.
• Operation Iraqi Freedom – Iraq, October 2007 – May 2008.^[1]
• Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, May 2009 – November 2009.
• Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, January 2011 - August 2011.
• Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, March 2013-October 2013

Awards

•   Presidential Unit Citation with 4 bronze stars
•   Joint Meritorious Unit Award
•   Navy Unit Commendation
•   Meritorious Unit Commendation
•   Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
•   American Defense Service Medal
•   Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 1 silver star
•   World War II Victory Medal
•   Navy Occupation Service Medal
•   National Defense Service Medal with 3 bronze stars
•   Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with 3 bronze stars
•   Southwest Asia Service Medal with 1 bronze star
•   Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
• Afghanistan Campaign Medal
• Iraqi Campaign FEAST * Lt. Gen. Chesty B. Puller Outstanding Leadership Award — on 15 May 2007, the 2/8 received this award for "professional achievement and sustained superior performance in training, maintaining, equipping, fostering, nurturing and mentoring Marines and sailors as well as overall unit mission accomplishment from 1 April 2006 to 30 September 2006."^[2]

Notable former members

• Barney Ross, served in B Company in World War II
• Ray L. Smith, during the Invasion of Grenada and with the Multinational Force in Lebanon.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2nd Battalion 8th Marines.

• 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines – Also known as "America's Battalion"
• History of the United States Marine Corps
• List of United States Marine Corps battalions
• Organization of the United States Marine Corps

Notes

References

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

Bibliography

Web

United States Marine Corps
Leadership	Secretary of the Navy Under Secretary of the Navy Commandant of the Marine Corps Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Marine Corps generals United States Congress House Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Senate Subcommittee on Seapower
Major commands	Organization of the Marine Corps Headquarters Marine Corps Marine Forces Command II Marine Expeditionary Force Marine Forces Pacific I Marine Expeditionary Force III Marine Expeditionary Force Marine Forces Reserve Fleet Marine Force Atlantic Pacific Marine Corps Combat Development Command Small Wars Center and Irregular Warfare Integration Division (SWC/IWID) Operations Analysis Directorate (OAD) Training & Education Command (TECOM) United States Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory
Structure	Marine Air-Ground Task Force Bases Battalions Regiments Brigades Divisions MEF/Corps Marine aviation Marine expeditionary unit Special Operations Marine Raiders Marine Raider Regiment Recon Force Division
Personnel and training	Personnel Personnel Rank insignia MOS Notable Marines Historical Marines Marine Astronauts Criminal Investigation Division Judge Advocate Division Chaplain of the Marine Corps Associated organizations Training Training Recruit Training School of Infantry Officer Candidates School The Basic School Martial Arts Program
Uniforms and equipment	Uniforms Awards Badges Weapons Vehicles and aircraft Individual equipment
History and traditions	History Culture Acronyms and terms Birthday Ball Eagle, Globe, and Anchor Flag Marine Band Drum and Bugle Corps Marine One Silent Drill Platoon White House Sentries Service Numbers Marine Corps War Memorial Marines' Hymn National Museum Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima Rifleman's Creed Semper Fidelis History of Hispanics in the USMC History of women in the USMC Women's Reserve Honorary Marine Toys for Tots
Portal Category

2nd Marine Division
2nd Marines	1st Battalion 2nd Battalion 3rd Battalion 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines
6th Marines	1st Battalion 2nd Battalion 3rd Battalion 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines
8th Marines	1st Battalion 2nd Battalion 3rd Battalion 1st Battalion, 9th Marines
10th Marines	1st Battalion 2nd Battalion 3rd Battalion 5th Battalion
Other Battalions	2nd Combat Engineer 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance 2nd Reconnaissance 2nd Tank 2nd Assault Amphibian

WWII, Co. G, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines Officers