2nd Marine Division ( United States ) The U . S . 2nd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps , which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force . The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune , North Carolina and headquartered at Julian C . Smith Hall . Subordinate units . As of 2008 , the 2nd Marine Division comprises : History . The regiments of the Second Marine Division were formed before the outbreak of World War I . The 2nd Marine Regiment was formed as the 1st Advance Base Regiment in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania on 19 June 1913 . After actions including Vera Cruz and Haiti , the regiment was redesignated the 2nd Marine Regiment on 1 July 1916 . The 6th Marine Regiment was formed at Marine Corps Base Quantico , Virginia on 11 July 1917 . It shipped over to France and became a part of the 4th Marine Brigade in late 1917 . The 8th Marine Regiment was activated 9 October 1917 at Marine Corps Base Quantico , Virginia . The 10th Marine Regiment was formed up at Marine Corps Base Quantico , Virginia on 25 April 1914 and is the longest serving Marine regiment of unbroken service of all Marine regiments . World War I . The 6th Marine Regiment was dispatched to France during late 1917 to early 1918 . There , they were formed up with the 5th Marine Regiment and the 6th Machine Gun Battalion to create the 4th Marine Brigade . This brigade was attached to the 2nd Infantry Division . They participated in many of the final battles of World War I including the Aisne Defensive , Battle of Belleau Wood , Battle of Château - Thierry ( 1918 ) , Battle of Saint - Mihiel , Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge , and the Meuse - Argonne offensive . Because the marines of the 4th Marine Brigade were aggressive in both defense as well as offense during the Battle of Belleau Wood , the Germans held a very high opinion of them . In recognition of these achievements , the woods were renamed " Bois de la Brigade de Marine . In addition , the legend of the marines getting their nickname " Devil Dog s " also occurred during this battle . For recognition of their many battle accomplishments , the marines of the 5th Marine Regiment , 6th Marine Regiment , and 6th Machine Gun Battalion were awarded the French croix de guerre three times . As a result , these units are authorized to wear the fourragère of the croix de guerre ( seen in the unit ' s logo ) . The fourragère thereafter became part of the uniform of these units , and all members of the modern 5th and 6th Marine Regiments are authorized to wear the fourragère while serving with the regiment . World War II . The 2nd Marine Division was officially organized on 1 February 1941 at Camp Elliott , California by change of designation from the 2nd Marine Brigade . By mid - 1941 , because of the growing threat of a German invasion to Iceland , the 6th Marine Regiment , a battalion from 10th Marines and other scattered units were pulled from the division and sent to garrison Reykjavík . After the outbreak of war the 8th Marine Regiment with an assortment of other division assets formed the 2nd Marine Brigade and were dispatched to garrison American Samoa . During World War II , the 2nd Marine Division ( Headquarters ) participated in operations in the Pacific Theater of Operations : Elements of the Division were part of the occupation of Nagasaki , arriving twenty - five days after the nuclear strike . The 2nd and 8th Marines ( reinforced by other units of the 2nd 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 2nd Marine Division was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for Tarawa Atoll , Gilbert Islands , 20 – 24 November 1943 : " For outstanding performance in combat during the seizure and occupation of the Japanese - held Atoll of Tarawa , Gilbert Islands , November 20 to 24 , 1943 . Forced by the treacherous coral reefs to disembark from their landing craft hundreds of yards off the beach , the Second Marine Division ( Reinforced ) became a highly vulnerable target for devastating Japanese fire . Dauntlessly advancing in spite of rapidly mounting losses , the Marines fought a gallant battle against crushing odds , clearing the limited beachheads of snipers and machine guns , reducing powerfully fortified enemy positions and completely annihilating the fanatically determined and strongly entrenched Japanese forces . By the successful occupation of Tarawa , the Second Marine Division ( Reinforced ) has provided our forces with highly strategic and important air and land bases from which to continue future operations against the enemy ; by the valiant fighting spirit of these men , their heroic fortitude under punishing fire and their relentless perseverance in waging this epic battle in the Central Pacific , they have upheld the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service . " 1950s through the 1980s . The Division didn ' t take part in a major action again until 1958 when elements participated in the U . S . intervention into the Lebanon crisis of 1958 . 2nd Marine Division units helped to reinforce Guantanamo Bay during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and landed in the Dominican Republic in 1965 as part of Operation Power Pack . Other peacekeeping operations carried on by the Division include being part of the Multi National Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon from August 1982 until February 1984 . The Division suffered the loss of 241 Marines and Sailors during the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing . Towards the end of the 1980s , Division Marines participated in Operation Just Cause , the invasion of Panama . The Gulf War & the 1990s . The 1990s began with elements of the Division participating in Operation Sharp Edge , the evacuation of American and allied civilians out of war torn Liberia . This was followed by deployments to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield and then the liberation of Kuwait in Operation Desert Storm . Following the war , elements of the Division participated in Operation Provide Comfort . Global War on Terror . Elements of the 2nd Marine Division deployed to Kuwait in early 2003 to reinforce the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force . These units formed a Marine Expeditionary Brigade ( MEB ) and were called Task Force Tarawa . Task Force Tarawa crossed into Iraq on the first day of the ground war with the initial task of seizing Jalibah airfield in southern Iraq . Following this , the Task Force pushed north and took part in a major battle in the town of Nasiriyah . After the war , these Marines were moved north to Al Kut where they provided security and stabilization operations in central Iraq . The 2nd Marine Division deployed to Camp Fallujah , Iraq as the II Marine Expeditionary Force ( II MEF ) headquarters in January 2005 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom III ( OIF III ) ( later redesignated OIF 04 - 06 ) to relieve the 1st Marine Division in the Al Anbar province . The division again deployed for another year long tour at Camp Fallujah from 2007 to 2008 . Insignia . The scarlet and gold spearhead - shaped shoulder patch was designed and authorized in late 1943 for wear by 2nd Marine Division units serving in the Pacific Theater . The patch centers on a hand holding a torch , with the stars of the Southern Cross constellation as a reference to Guadalcanal . Although the Marine Corps officially disallowed shoulder patches in 1947 , the insignia still appears on buildings , signs , documents , and non - uniform clothing . The insignia of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune retains the spearhead shape and general color scheme of the 2nd Marine Division . 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 . The 2nd Marine Division has been presented with the following awards :