2nd Battalion 7th Marines

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines


caption= 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines insignia
dates= *January 1, 1940 - February 26, 1947
*August 17, 1950 - present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= USMC
type= Infantry
role=
size=
command_structure= 7th Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division
current_commander=LtCol Richard D. Hall
garrison= Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= War Dogs
patron=
motto= "Ready for all, yielding to none"
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles= World War II *Battle of Guadalcanal *Eastern New Guinea *New Britain *Battle of Peleliu *Battle of Okinawa Korean War *Battle of Inchon *Seoul *Battle of Chosin Reservoir *East Central Front *Western Front *Defense of the DMZ Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=

The 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines (2/7) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They are based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms and consist of approximately 800 Marines. The battalion falls under the command of the 7th Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division.

ubordinate units

* H & S Company
* Echo Company
* Fox Company
* Golf Company
* Weapons Company

History

World War II

Guadalcanal

The battalion was activated on January 1, 1940 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On September 18, 1942, 2/7 landed on Guadalcanal. They fought the Battle of Guadalcanal for four months until they were relieved by elements of the United States Army's Americal Division. The battalion was then sent to Australia along with the rest of the 1st Marine Division for rest and refit.

Operation Cartwheel

2/7 landed on Cape Gloucester, New Britain on December 26, 1943 securing an airfield the first day. That night, Japanese Marines counter attacked and 2/7 took the brunt of the assault and the fighting continued throughout the night. By the time the sun began to rise, the entire Japanese force had been wiped out. On January 14, the 2/7 along with the rest of the regiment assaulted and took the last Japanese stronghold on the island, Hill 660. Two days later, the counter-attack came but the Marines held the hilltop often resorting to hand-to-hand fighting.

The battalion continued to run patrols around the island to protect against guerrilla attacks from hold-out Japanese soldiers. In March 1943, New Britain were declared secure and in April the 1st Marine Division was relived by the US Army 40th Infantry Division. 2/7, and the rest of the 1st Marine Division again returned to Australia.

Battle of Peleliu

On September 15, 1944, 2/7 landed along with the rest of the 1st Marine Division. They were met by intense artillery and mortar fire from Japanese positions that had not been touched by the pre-invasion bombardment. On September 20, the 7th Marines broke out of their beachhead and linked up with the 1st Marines. The battalion fought on the island for another eight weeks before it was secured.

Battle of Okinawa

On April 1, 1945, was part of the 80,000 Marine that landed on Okinawa. The 1st Marine Division landed on the southern portion of Okinawa against light resistance. Their beachhead was quickly secured and supplied began flowing in. Resistance began to become stronger as the Marines pushed north. The 1st Marine Division was ordered into Reserve to protect the right flank of the invasion forces. The battalion fought the Japanese along the coast and was stopped suddenly at the Shuri Castle. For 30 days, along with the rest of the Division and the Army 77th Infantry Division, battled the Japanese stronghold.

After Okinawa, the 2/7 was part of the occupation in China where they were to disarm the Japanese forces there. In addition they were called upon to keep the peace during the bloody civil war between the Chinese Nationalists and Communist forces. In 1947, the 2/7th returned to California and were deactivated later that year.

Korean War

It was during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir that Captain William Barber won the Medal of Honor for his actions as commander of Fox 2/7. F/2/7 held a position known as "Fox Hill" against vastly superior numbers of Chinese infantry, holding the Toktong Pass open and keeping the 5th Marine Regiment and the 7th Marine Regiment from getting cut off at Yudam-ni. His company's actions to keep the pass open allowed these two regiments to withdrawal from Yudam-ni and consolidate with the rest of the 1st Marine Division at Hagaru-ri. The mission to relieve F/2/7 on top of Fox Hill also led to LtCol Raymond Davis, then commanding officer of 1st Battalion 7th Marines, receiving the Medal of Honor. [Russ "Breakout", pp. 176-183, 219-225, 257, 293-293.]

Vietnam War

2/7 was deployed to Vietnam from July 1965 until October 1970.

The Gulf War and the 1990s

In October 1994, 2nd Battalion 7th Marines boarded the USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3) and USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) to sail from Okinawa to the Philippines to take part in the 50th Anniversary reenactment of the landings at Leyte Gulf. During the month long deployment from Okinawa, 2/7 trained alongside Philippine Marines on the island of Panay.

Global War on Terror

The battalion deployed in February 2004 in support of OIF 2, they were among the first Marines redeployed to the country after the initial invasion. The battalion deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom for the second time from July 2005 to January 2006. They operated in the Al Anbar province and suffered 13 Marines killed in action. The battalion was deployed a third time to Al Anbar January to August 2007. Back in Al Anbar province, 2/7 suffered 8 Marines killed in action. 2/7 is currently deployed to Afghanistan. [http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/63B05E97DAD4D2678525715F00012C12?opendocument ] .

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 appropriate ribbon of the awarded unit citation. 2d Battalion, 7th Marines have been awarded the following:

Notable former personnel

*Roy Tackett - Served with 2/7 during WWII.
*William E. Barber - Served with 2/7 during the Korean War.
*Hector Cafferata - Served with 2/7 during the Korean War.
*John Chafee - Served with 2/7 during the Korean War.
*Oscar P. Austin - Served with 2/7 during the Vietnam War.
*Ronald D. Castille - Served with 2/7 during the Vietnam War.
*Angel Mendez - Served with 2/7 during the Vietnam War.
*Anthony Swofford - Served with 2/7 during the Gulf War.

ee also

*List of United States Marine Corps battalions
*Organization of the United States Marine Corps

Notes

References

:Marine Corps

;Bibliography
*cite book
last = Brady
first = James
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The Scariest Place in the World - A Marine Returns to North Korea
publisher = Thomas Dunne Books
date = 2005
location = New York City
pages =
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 0-31233-243-2
*cite book
last = Russ
first = Martin
coauthors =
year = 1999
title = Breakout - The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea 1950
publisher = Penguin Books
location =
id = ISBN 0-14029-259-4

;Web
*cite web|url=http://www.29palms.usmc.mil/fmf/2-7/default.asp
title=2/7's official website
publisher=Twentynine Palms, United States Marine Corps

*cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usmc/2-7.htm |accessdate=2007-03-08
title=2d Battalion 7th Marines
publisher=GlobalSecurity.org

*cite web|url=http://www.bakeroneseven.com/7thregiment.htm |accessdate=2007-12-11|title=History of the 7th Marines|publisher=www.bakeroneseven.com