Military

2nd Battalion, 4th Marines

The long and illustrious history of the Second Battalion, Fourth Marines began in April of 1914 during WWI when it was activated as one of the three battalions of the Fourth Marine Regiment. Shortly after being activated, the battalion deployed to Mexico for expeditionary duty. Internal political strife in Mexico had become very tense and the safety of U.S. citizens in Mexico was in question. The presence of American forces offshore proved to be sufficient enough pressure on the Mexican government to act to end the threat to Americans.

In 1916 civil war broke out in the Dominican Republic and the Dominican Government was unable to end the strife. President Woodrow Wilson dispatched American forces, which included 2/4, to protect American lives and bring stability to the Caribbean nation. Unlike its deployment to Mexico, 2/4 went ashore in the Dominican Republic and, after several clashes with rebel forces, successfully put down the revolution. Occupation duty followed pending the establishment of an elected government. The battalion departed the Dominican Republic in August 1924 for San Diego, California.

During October 1926 the Federal government directed the Marine Corps to furnish units to guard the mail because the postal service had experienced several robberies. The battalion was directed to safeguard mail transported by rail and truck west of the Mississippi river. The robberies promptly stopped.

April 1927 found the battalion en route to Tientsin, China to once again protect American lives. Their mission was to reinforce American forces already in place against rebelling Chinese nationalist forces. Eventually the threat to the international settlement eased and this caused a reduction in strength of the Fourth Marine Regiment. On 4 October 1927, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines was re-designated as Second Battalion, Twelfth Marines. With this re-designation 2/4's lineage and honors were transferred to 2/12. A new 2/4 would be activated in the future, but for lineage and honors purposes it would in no way be connected with the old 2/4.

On 18 September 1932 in Shanghai, China the new 2/4 was activated. This began the lineage of the 2/4 we know today. The battalion supported the American sector of Shanghai after fighting nearby had broken out between Chinese and Japanese forces. The battalion's presence deterred a Japanese takeover of the settlement after they had driven Chinese forces from the surrounding area.

Deteriorating relations between the United States and Japan caused 2/4 to be withdrawn from China in November 1941. The battalion transferred to Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines and was given the task of protecting the Olongapo Naval Station (later known as Subic Bay Naval Station, which closed in December of 1991). The battalion was ordered to move to the island fortress of Corregidor in the mouth of Manila bay after the attack on Pearl Harbor. After unrelenting bombardment the Japanese launched an amphibious assault on the island in May 1942. Though under-equipped and outnumbered, the Fourth Marine Regiment fought valiantly; they were eventually forced to surrender on 6 May 1942 under orders from Major General J. M. Wainwright, U.S. Army.

On February 1, 1944 the battalion was reactivated on Guadalcanal with the Marines from Fourth Battalion, First Raider Regiment. The battalion's first assignment was to take part in the assault on Emirau Island. The objective of this operation enabled the construction of airfields on the island so American planes could bomb the large Japanese base at Rabaul. The landing and seizure was unopposed.

During the remainder of WWII the battalion saw action in both Guam (2/4 was the first ashore) and Okinawa. On Okinawa, the battalion was involved in the fighting for the Motobu Peninsula, the capture of Naha and the assault on the Oruku Peninsula. Once organized resistance ended the battalion was redeployed to Guam to prepare for the assault on mainland Japan.

Following the surrender of Japan, General Shepherd (Commanding General, 6th Marine Division) selected the Fourth Marines to seize and occupy the large naval base at Yokosuka in Tokyo Bay. This gesture was designed to avenge the capture of the "Old Fourth" on Corregidor. The Marines of Second Battalion, Fourth Marines were the first American combat troops to set foot in Mainland Japan, landing on Futtsu Cape. They were sent ashore to ensure the approaches to Tokyo Bay were secure. During the latter part of 1945 the battalion maintained perimeter defense for the Yokosuka Naval Base, provided an interior guard for the base, and continued disarming the Japanese forces. On 1 January 1946 the battalion was relieved of all duties in Japan and sailed for Camp Pendleton, California. In February, as part of the demobilization, 2/4 was deactivated.

Second Battalion, Fourth Marines was reactivated on 8 March 1946 in Tsingtao, China. Its first mission was to assist in repatriation of Japanese civilian and military personnel, as well as provide security for the American Naval base at Tsingtao. The battalion was relieved of this mission and sailed for Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in September 1946. 2/4 was again deactivated on 18 November 1947.

The battalion was reactivated on 2 September 1952 for the Korean conflict; however, they did not see action because of the end of hostilities. The battalion arrived in Japan as part of the Fourth Marines on 24 August 1953 and was assigned the mission of defending southern Japan. To maintain its combat readiness the battalion trained in amphibious operations on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The Fourth Marine Regiment was transferred to Hawaii in 1953 and here the battalion became part of the First Marine Brigade. The battalion then settled down for a ten year tour of duty.

Second Battalion, Fourth Marines was once again committed to ground combat operations, this time in Vietnam. In May of 1965 the battalion landed at Chu Lai. Initial contact with the enemy was minimal; however, this soon changed as the battalion took part in more aggressive offensive operations. The first major engagement for the battalion was Operation STARLITE (the first regimental sized battle for American forces since the Korean War) in August 1965. It was a combined amphibious/helicopterborne assault on enemy fortified positions of the Van Tuong Peninsula, 15 miles south of the Chu Lai airstrip. Six days after the operation had begun; the 1st Viet Cong Regiment was decisively defeated. During operation STARLITE, Lance Corporal Joe C. Paul (Hotel Company) became the battalion's first Medal of Honor winner: Paul placed himself between the enemy and his fellow wounded Marines until they could be evacuated. Although mortally wounded, he remained in the battle until he collapsed. His actions saved the lives of many of his fellow Marines.

In 1966, combat operations measurably increased as several significant battles characterized by assaults upon well fortified enemy positions occurred in March. The battalion had two major encounters with the enemy near Quang Ngai City that month during Operations UTAH (4-7 Mar) and TEXAS (20-25 Mar). Because of the threat of infiltration across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and enemy build up in that area, the Marines launched Operation HASTINGS, a coordinated Marine/South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) search and destroy mission, on 7 July near the DMZ. The battalion played a significant role in frustrating the North Vietnamese Army's (NVA) attempt to penetrate the area in force. HASTINGS was immediately followed by Operation PRAIRIE I. After the NVA's defeat during HASTINGS they mistakenly assumed that the Americans would not move back into the Quang Tri Province area. PRAIRIE I originally began as a force reconnaissance operation but was later expanded. During Operation PRAIRIE I, Captain Howard Vincent Lee, Commanding Officer, Echo Company, became the battalion's second Medal of Honor winner.

The next major confrontation between 2/4 and the enemy came during the siege of Con Thien in 1967. The battalion, along with 3d Battalion, 4th Marines, was involved in stopping the enemy's attempt to overrun the American outpost. During a month of bloody fighting Sergeant Paul Hellstrom Foster (Headquarters and Service Company attachment) and Lance Corporal Jed Colby Barker (Fox Company) were awarded the Medal of Honor (posthumously) for their actions during the battle. The 1968 TET OFFENSIVE resulted in an increase in tempo of combat activity for 2/4. Bitter clashes between the battalion and NVA broke out near Dong Ha. In this area 2/4 moved forward to seize the fortified village of Dai Do. After three days of bloody fighting, 2/4, with the assistance of reinforcements, artillery and naval gunfire, was able to secure the enemy stronghold. Though the cost was high for both sides; the enemy lost nearly 600 killed, while 2/4 suffered 80 dead and 256 wounded. The list of wounded included the Battalion Commander, Lieutenant Colonel William Weise. Two more Medals of Honor were awarded as a result of the fighting; Captain James E. Livingston, Echo Company Commander, and Captain M. Sando Vargas, Golf Company Commander received medals for their actions.

Contact with the enemy tapered off during the fall of 1968, but picked up again in December. The battalion was involved in a series of violent clashes near the DMZ and, with the aid of artillery and air strikes, they were able to overrun a massive bunker complex. Late in 1969, 2/4 was withdrawn to Okinawa as part of the United States policy of gradually turning the war over to the South Vietnamese.

In the early 1970's 2/4 participated with other units from the 3d Marine Division in providing Battalion Landing Teams as part of the Special Landing Force (SLF) off the coast of Vietnam. During the 1972 EASTER OFFENSIVE, 2/4 actively supported Vietnamese Marines, U.S. Army Rangers and U.S. advisors ashore, from nearby amphibious ships.

During the summer of 1972 the battalion participated in a massive disaster relief effort, Operation SAKLOLO conducted in the northern part of the Philippines. In April 1975, 2/4 took part in Operation EAGLE PULL, the evacuation of Americans from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Less than 15 days later they took part in Operation FREQUENT WIND, the evacuation of Saigon, followed, a short while later, by the recovery of the USS MAYAGUEZ.

The battalion moved to Camp Lejeune to join the Second Marine Regiment in October 1981; they began participating in the Unit Deployment Program (UDP). During the late 1980s, 2/4 was reassigned to the 8th Marine Regiment to participate in the dedicated Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU), now called the Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), rotation to the Mediterranean.

The battalion was once again called upon for a real-world contingency mission during the summer of 1990. The West African nation of Liberia was experiencing a civil war. The battalion, as the Ground Combat Element (GCE) for the 22d MEU(SOC), set sail from Toulon, France on 27 May, arriving on station 3 June for Operation SHARP EDGE. On 5 August, the battalion was committed to go ashore to take defensive positions at the U.S. Embassy to protect U.S. citizens and foreign nationals. The Marines embarked on amphibious shipping on 21 August after having successfully completed a Non-Combatant Evacuation Operation of 1,650 Americans and foreign nationals.

In late December 1990, 2/4 deployed by air to Al Jabayl, Saudi Arabia for Operation DESERT SHIELD. During Operation DESERT STORM the battalion fought as a Mechanized Infantry Armor Task force (Task Force Spartan) during the Second Marine Division's attack into Kuwait. After the cease fire the battalion remained in Kuwait with Eighth Marines and conducted security and contingency operations west of Kuwait City. 2/4 was the last Marine infantry battalion to withdraw from Kuwait, arriving in the U.S. on 15 May 1991.

The battalion deployed from White Beach, Okinawa, on November 10,1998. The battalion set in the defense outside of Kuwait City in order to prevent Iraq from taking the city again, over Christmas in 1998. The battalion did not see any action, but was awarded: The Armed Forces Expeditionary medal, Navy Unit Citation, and Meritourios Unit Citation.

As per traditional heraldry, the battalion coat-of-arms is a composition of references to past deeds and honors.

The basic colors of the insignia that makes up 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines' crest are scarlet and gold, the historic dress and display colors of the Marine Corps The blue background signifies the battalion's role as "Soldiers of the Sea".

The "Sea Horse" symbolizes our amphibious nature.

The "Palm Tree" represents the 2nd Battalion's duty in the Caribbean and Hawaii.

The "Torri" represents our tours of duty in the Far East.

The Motto "Second to None" is self-explanatory.

The present coat-of-arms was designed and reproduced by Lieutenant Colonel Doxey, the Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines from 11 September 1963 to 3 June 1964, and his wife. In 1964, Lieutenant Colonel "Bull" Fisher modified the insignis by adding the lower pennant and the words "The Magnificent Bastards".