Early years 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines was constituted in April 1914 during
World War I when it was activated as one of the three battalions of the
4th Marine Regiment. Shortly after being activated, the battalion deployed to Mexico as part of the punitive expedition led by General John J. Pershing. The presence of American forces offshore proved to be sufficient 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. 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. In April 1927 the battalion was ordered to
Tientsin, China. Their mission was to reinforce U.S. forces already in place against rebelling Chinese nationalist forces. On 4 October 1927, 2/4 was re-designated as
2nd Battalion, 12th 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. In May 1940 2/4 got a new Battalion XO. His name was
Chesty Puller. Later he became the battalion's CO. The battalion's presence deterred a Japanese takeover of the settlement after they had driven Chinese forces from the surrounding area.
World War II Deteriorating relations between the United States and Japan caused the 4th Marines to be withdrawn from China in November 1941.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. 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
Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright IV,
U.S. Army. On 1 February 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. During the remainder of World War II the battalion saw action in the Battles
of Guam (2/4 was the first ashore) and
of 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 regiment was redeployed to
Guam to prepare for the
assault on mainland Japan. Following the surrender of Japan, Fourth Marines seized and occupied 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. 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. 2/4 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 1950s and 1960s The battalion was reactivated on 2 September 1952 for the
Korean War; 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.
Vietnam War 2nd Battalion 4th Marines was once again committed to ground combat operations, this time in
South Vietnam. In May 1965 the battalion landed at LZ Blue (west of Green Beach) near
Chu Lai. The first combined land operation of the war was Operation Lien Ket 4 between 2/4 and 3rd Battalion,
Republic of Vietnam Marine Division on 28 July. 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/helicopter borne assault on enemy fortified positions of the Van Tuong Peninsula, south of the
Chu Lai Air Base. Six days after the operation had begun; the 1st Vietcong Regiment was decisively defeated. During this operation, Lance Corporal
Joe C. Paul (H Co.) became the battalion's first
Medal of Honor recipient. Total losses for both sides were 52 marines killed and over 200 were wounded.
Vietcong (VC) losses were over 600 killed and 9 POW's. There were 2 Medals of Honor, 6 Navy Crosses and 14 Silver Stars. As a result of Operation Starlite, Col.
Joseph R. "Bull" Fisher established a small unit of 30 marines plus one sergeant in charge. This unit became known as "The Bull's Raiders". The S/2 Scouts, which consisted of 12 marines, was used to make up this unit plus additional Marine volunteers, mostly E-4 Corporals with specialized skills. Their mission was to act as shock troops, combat intelligence, and a quick reaction force. A new intelligence gathering tactic was established known as "hunter / killer" patrols. One squad, or 10 Marine Raiders would be sent by helicopter to a staging area where they would break up into five, two-man teams. They would then scatter in all directions, gather intelligence, and re-locate to a pickup point at a given time. These patrols were conducted mostly around the
Ho Chi Minh Trail area. These Marine Raiders were also used as the first
Combined Action Program (CAP) unit to work with the
South Vietnamese Popular Force within Vietnamese villages located within the Tactical Area of Responsibility that the battalion was assigned. Their intelligence gathering aided in the discovery of
People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) units in this area. This information along with other intelligence began
Operation Harvest Moon in December 1965. Operation Harvest Moon was the second major conflict that the 3rd Marine Division 3rd Marine Regiment, 9th Marine Regiment and 7th Marine Regiment along with ARVN forces fought. This operation took place in
Quang Tin Province northwest of Chu Lai.), assuming responsibility for the districts of Now Zad and Musa Qal'ah. Golf company freed a village from a Taliban stranglehold, allowing villagers to return and vote in district council elections for the first time in history. Echo, Fox and Golf companies also accomplished another first, establishing a police station in another strategically located village where none had existed before. Weapons Company and Golf Company made significant strides engaging locals in Now Zad to help spur Afghan police force growth and improve security. Last but not least, H&S Company supported the retrograde by shipping 25 ISO containers of equipment back to
Camp Leatherneck. The battalion returned to
Camp Pendleton in April 2012 and had a change of command ceremony in June 2012. In late May 2013, 2/4 deployed to Okinawa, Japan, as a Battalion Landing Team (BLT) as part of the
31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. In late June 2013, BLT 2/4 embarked on ships from Task Force 76 and began a three-month patrol in the Western Pacific Ocean. During the patrol, BLT 2/4 participated in two major exercises in Australia: Exercise Talisman Sabre in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area and Exercise Koolendong in the Bradshaw Field Training Area. BLT 2/4 returned to Okinawa in late September and redeployed to Camp Pendleton in November 2013. In January 2014, marines and sailors of 2/4's Fox, Weapons, and Headquarters and Service Companies traveled to Singapore to conduct bilateral training with Singapore Guardsmen. During the exercise they participated in live-fire training, conditioning hikes, and exchanged tactics. In June 2014, marines with 2/4 and 2/7 conducted fast-rope and rappel training during a two-and-a-half-week Helicopter Rope Suspension Technique course aboard Camp Pendleton.{{cite web |url=http://www.imef.marines.mil/News/NewsArticleDisplay/tabid/3963/Article/166255/24-and-27-conduct-fast-rope-training.aspx ==2/4 Medal of Honor recipients==