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40-444: The operation involved 84 naval ships and 28,000 Marines of the 2nd Marine Division , and was commanded by Vice Admiral John S. McCain, Jr. and Lieutenant general James P. Berkeley . The director of control group during for exercise was Brigadier general John C. Miller Jr. In the opening hour of the landing, two helicopters collided in mid-air, resulting in the deaths of nine Marines and causing injuries to 13 others. Another Marine

80-468: 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,

120-406: A missile complex. To commemorate the first submerged circumnavigation of the world by the nuclear-powered submarine Triton during its shakedown cruise in 1960, all members of her crew who made that voyage were authorized to wear their Presidential Unit Citation ribbon with a special clasp in the form of a golden replica of the globe. United States Coast Guard units may be awarded either

160-638: A number of other vehicles. On the third and final day of combat the 2nd Marine Division would liberate the city of Al Jahra then would go on to occupy the high ground on the Mutla Ridge cutting off the Iraqi escape route from Kuwait to Basra. Following the war, elements of the Division participated in Operation Provide Comfort . Elements of the 2nd Marine Division deployed to Kuwait in early 2003 to reinforce

200-595: A receiving unit had it at their last duty station prior to being either discharged or retired, they may continue to wear the decoration as prescribed. The Citation is carried on the receiving unit's colors in the form of a blue streamer, 4 ft (1.2 m) long and 2.75 in (7.0 cm) wide. For the Army, only on rare occasions will a unit larger than battalion qualify for award of this decoration. Citations "to Naval and Marine Corps Units for Outstanding Performance in Action"

240-808: A special clasp in the form of a gold block letter N. U.S. Navy sailors assigned to the USS Nautilus memorial at the Submarine Force Museum in Groton, Connecticut , are permitted to wear the Navy Presidential Unit Citation with "N" device while serving there. As of 2014, the same device may be awarded for the Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal for those personnel who work in direct support of ICBM operations who serve 179 non-consecutive days dispatched to

280-623: 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 forebear of

320-475: Is the same color and design as the Army PUC but slightly smaller, so that it can be worn in alignment with other Air Force and Space Force ribbons on the left pocket following personal awards. As with the Army, all members of a receiving unit may wear the decoration while assigned to it, but only those assigned to the unit at the time of the action cited may wear the decoration as a permanent award; or if any member of

360-625: 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

400-419: 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

440-596: The Attack on Pearl Harbor and the start of American involvement in World War II ). The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions so as to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same campaign. Since its inception by President Franklin D. Roosevelt with the signing of Executive Order 9075 on 26 February 1942, retroactive to 7 December 1941, to 2008,

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480-481: The Battle of Khafji . The 2nd Marine Division faced heavy resistance during the Battle of Kuwait International Airport . Marine Reserve unit Bravo Company, 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine division was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division. Bravo Company went on to destroy 59 tanks, 32 APCs, 26 non-armored vehicles, and an artillery gun. Bravo Company destroyed a total of 119 enemy vehicles and took over 800 POWs . The crew of

520-533: The Distinguished Unit Citation . As with other Army unit citations, the PUC is in a larger frame than other ribbons, and is worn above the right pocket. All members of the unit may wear the decoration, whether or not they personally participated in the acts for which the unit was cited; only those members assigned to the unit at the time of the action cited may wear the decoration as a permanent award. For both

560-525: 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. As of March 2024, the 2nd Marine Division is composed of: The scarlet and gold spearhead-shaped shoulder patch

600-615: 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

640-747: The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps for the 2013–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa and the United States. On 19 January 2021, President Donald Trump presented the citation to all Commissioned Corps officers serving from 2020 to 2021, for their extraordinary performance of duty during the COVID-19 pandemic . A gold frame is placed around the Presidential Unit Citation ribbon to indicate

680-432: The "Navy and Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation". The ribbon is worn by only by those Navy and Marine service members who were assigned to the unit for the "award period" of the award. In the Army, those who join the unit after the "award period" may also wear it while assigned to the unit. ALNan 137–43 states that the first award has a blue enameled star on the ribbon and additional stars for subsequent awards. In 1945

720-403: 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

760-604: The 71st NCB for the 2nd's assault on Okinawa. The Division did not 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

800-686: The Army, Air Force, and Space Force the emblem is a solid blue ribbon enclosed in a gold frame . The Air and Space Forces PUC was adopted from the Army Distinguished Unit Citation after the Air Force became a separate military branch in 1947. By Executive Order 10694 , dated Jan. 10, 1957 the Department of the Air Force redesignated the Distinguished Unit Citation as the Presidential Unit Citation. The Air and Space Forces PUC

840-560: 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 238 Marines and Sailors during the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing , plus 3 U.S. Army personnel attached to the unit. Towards the end of the 1980s, Division Marines participated in Operation Just Cause , the invasion of Panama . The 1990s began with elements of

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880-527: 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 . The 2nd Marine Division played a major role repelling the attempted Iraqi invasion of Saudi Arabia which is known as

920-478: 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 ,

960-523: 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. 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

1000-671: The Navy or Coast Guard version of the Presidential Unit Citation, depending on which service the Coast Guard was supporting when the citation action was performed. The current decoration is known as the "Department of Homeland Security Presidential Unit Citation". The original Coast Guard Presidential Unit Citation was established under the authority of Executive Order 10694 (signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on January 10, 1957), and amended by Section 74 of Executive Order 13286 (signed by President George W. Bush on February 28, 2003) to transfer

1040-730: The Presidential Unit Citation has been awarded in conflicts such as World War II, the Korean War , the Vietnam War , Iraq War , and the War in Afghanistan . The collective degree of valor (combat heroism) against an armed enemy by the unit nominated for the PUC is the same as that which would warrant award of the individual award of the Distinguished Service Cross , Air Force Cross or Navy Cross . In some cases, one or more individuals within

1080-458: The Presidential Unit Citation ribbon with a special clasp in the form of the internationally recognized hurricane symbol. The United States Public Health Service Presidential Citation was established in 2015. The design was finalized by the Army Institute of Heraldry on 17 August 2015. On 24 September 2015, President Barack Obama presented the Presidential Unit Citation to the officers of

1120-631: 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." During

1160-634: The Secretary of the Navy wrote the Iwo Jima PUC without the line "and all those attached to or serving with". In 1949, the award was changed with no star for the first award and bronze stars for subsequent awards. To commemorate the first submerged voyage under the North Pole by the nuclear-powered submarine USS  Nautilus  (SSN-571) in 1958, all members of her crew who made that voyage were authorized to wear their Presidential Unit Citation ribbon with

1200-450: The award of the USCG PUC to the Secretary of Homeland Security. A Coast Guard version of the award was awarded to all U.S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel by President George W. Bush for rescue and relief operations in response to Hurricane Katrina from 29 August 2005 to 13 September 2005. All who received the award for responding to Hurricane Katrina are authorized to wear

1240-439: The awarded unit citation. The 2nd Marine Division has been presented with the following awards: Presidential Unit Citation (US) The Presidential Unit Citation ( PUC ), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation , is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States , and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941 (the date of

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1280-502: The deployment the Marines were visited by Commandant of the Marines Corps, General Wallace M. Greene . The Gen RM Blatchford took Marines to liberty call in the canary Islands. This United States Marine Corps article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This naval article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . 2nd Marine Division (United States) The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV)

1320-527: The landing craft. After that, the task force started back loading men and equipment onto the ships. When it was finished, the ships departed for liberty to different ports: the USS Okinawa to La Pallice and La Rochelle, France, and to Plymouth, England. Additional notes by a Marine veteran of the operation: The units, including both ground and aviation conducted joint wargame exercises with NATO allies in Spain. During

1360-716: The tank "Stepchild" has the longest confirmed live kill (an Iraqi BMP) by a tank at 3,750 meters (2.33 mi). On the second day of the U.S. advance a platoon from the Marine 8th Battalion destroyed 13 Iraqi tanks in a battle near a defensive position known as the Ice Tray. Marine and Navy air power then inflicted heavy casualties on retreating Iraqi forces leading north out of Kuwait City. The 1st Tank Battalion claimed 50 Iraqi T-55 and T-62 tanks and 25 APCs. The 3rd Battalion claimed 57 T-55s and T-62s (plus 5 T-72s), 7 APCs, and 10 trucks. The 8th Battalion destroyed more than three dozen tanks and

1400-478: The unit may have also been awarded individual awards for their contribution to the actions for which their entire unit was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation. The units with the most Presidential Unit Citations are submarine USS  Parche  (SSN-683) and the 1st Marine Division , both with nine citations. The Army citation was established by Executive Order 9075 on 26 February 1942, superseded by Executive Order 9396 on 2 December 1943, which authorized

1440-468: The war two Seabee battalions were posted to the 2nd. The 18th Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) was assigned to the 18th Marines as the third battalion of the regiment. They received a Presidential Unit Citation for doing Tarawa with the 2nd Marine Division but also did Saipan and Tinian as well. The 18th Marines were inactivated and the Seabees stayed on Tinian to work on the airfield. They were replaced by

1480-472: 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, 20 to 24 November 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

1520-445: Was crushed to death by a tank while asleep in his sleeping bag. During the trip over the ships were divided into three convoys sailing under war time conditions with ASW escorts. There were many civilian ships contracted to the Navy to transport military personnel and cargo to the landing area. Once the ships were anchored in place the landings began. There were two or three days of landing men and equipment ashore, then one day of rest for

1560-582: 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. Previously a battle blaze similar to the 1st Marine Division's insignia but with the "2" in a form of a snake was worn by veterans of the Guadalcanal campaign. Although

1600-426: Was established by Executive Order 9050 on 6 February 1942. The Navy version has navy blue, yellow, and red horizontal stripes, and is the only Navy ribbon having horizontal stripes. To distinguish between the two versions of the Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy version which is more often referred to simply as the Presidential Unit Citation, is referred to as the Navy Presidential Unit Citation and sometimes as

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