U.S. 2nd Marine Division

2nd Marine Division
2nd Marine Division insignia
Active	Active 1 February 1941 – present.
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Marine ground combat element forces
Role	Command and control organization containing four Marine regiments and several separate combat support battalions
Size	Marine Division (Approximately 20,000)
Part of	II Marine Expeditionary Force
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Nickname(s)	The Silent Second
Motto(s)	Follow Me
Mascot(s)	World War II Guadalcanal Campaign Battle of Tarawa Battle of Saipan Battle of Tinian Battle of Okinawa (8th Marine Regiment only) Vietnam War Operation Buffalo (1967) Operation Prairie IV Operation Kentucky Battle of Khe Sanh Operation Frequent Wind Operation Just Cause Gulf War Battle of Khafji Battle of Kuwait International Airport War on Terror Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Current commander	MajGen John K. Love
Notable commanders	Alfred M. Gray, Jr. Thomas E. Watson (USMC) Clayton Barney Vogel Randolph M. Pate James L. Jones Julian C. Smith Alphonse DeCarre Chesty Puller

World War II

Vietnam War

Operation Just Cause
Gulf War

War on Terror

The U.S. 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and headquartered at Julian C. Smith Hall.

The 2nd Marine Division earned renown in World War II, distinguishing itself at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa.

The lineal forebearer of the 2nd Marine Division is the 2nd Marine Brigade, which was activated on 1 July 1936 at San Diego, California. Subsequently, the brigade was deployed during August–September 1937 to Shanghai, China. The 2nd Marine Brigade relocated during February–April 1938 to San Diego, California.

Major General Clayton B. Vogel, its first commander, activated the 2nd Marine Division at a parade and review at the Marine Corps Base, San Diego, California, during a sunny Saturday afternoon of 1 February 1941. The division consisted of the 2nd, 6th, and 8th Marines infantry regiments; the 10th Marines, an artillery regiment; engineer, medical, service, and tank battalions; and transport, signal, chemical, and antiaircraft machine gun companies. 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 Reykjavik. 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.