About the 2/9
2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was activated on November 20, 1917 at Quantico, VA. during the great expansion of the Marine Corps during WW I. It was activated as the Advanced Base Force and assigned duty in the Caribbean as a mobile force in readiness. The battalion’s mission was to keep order in the vital sugar-producing agricultural regions of Cuba. When the situation in Cuba improved, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was sent to Texas to forestall a threatened disruption of oil shipments from the Mexican oil fields by German agents. 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines remained in Texas until the cessation of hostilities, spending its time maintaining itself in a high state of readiness, prepared for any emergency. On April 25, 1919, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was disbanded. In 1925, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was reestablished and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, with two companies in St. Louis. The Battalion’s mission was to train reserve Marines. This lasted until 1937, when 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was again disbanded.
In April 1942, five months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was again activated at Camp Elliot, San Diego, near Miramar, as part of the 2nd Marine Division. During May and June of 1942, amphibious training was conducted as San Diego and LaJolla. In August 1942, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was assigned to the Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet and then later, to 3rd Marine Division. In June 1943, 9th Marines (Rein) sailed for Auckland, New Zealand. On July 6, 1943, the Regiment set up camp on Guadacanal to relieve elements of the 1st Marine Division and mop up remaining pockets of enemy resistance. During November and December of 1943, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines participated in operations on Bouganville in the Solomon Islands. For its participation in the Bouganville campaign, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer. Back on Guadacanal, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines refitted and trained for the upcoming invasion of Guam. The culmination of this training was a full-scale division landing exercise at Camp Esperance on Guadacanal. On July 21, 1944, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines landed in the initial assault waves of the invasion of Guam. On the night of 25-26 July, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines repelled seven determined Japanese counterattacks. The Marines held their ground, suffered over 50% casualties, and in the morning found the bodies of 950 Japanese soldiers in the front of their lines. That night, Captain Louis H. Wilson Jr., the Fox Company Commander, earned the Medal of Honor.
For heroism in the Guam Campaign, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and a bronze star in lieu of second award of the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer. During the Iwo Jima Campaign, Ninth Marines formed part of the floating reserve. Five days after D-Day, 2nd Battalion went ashore and fought for the duration of the Campaign. The battalion added a second Presidential Unit Citation and a second star for its Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer. The battalion returned to Guam to prepare for the final assault on mainland Japan. The atomic bomb ended these preparations. 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines added the W II Victory Streamer to its colors. In December 1945, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was disbanded at Camp Pendelton.
Two years later 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was reestablished on Guam where it trained until November 1948. It was then ordered to Northern China to evacuate Americans. The China Service Streamer was then added to the colors. In March 1949, the Battalion returned to Camp Lejeune, NC.. Later that year, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was redesignated 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines.
In 1952, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was reactivated at Camp Pendelton and ordered to Japan the following summer. While undergoing rigorous training at Camp Gifu, Sakai, and Fuji, the Korean War ended. 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was awarded the Korean Service Streamer and National Defense Service Medal Streamer. In 1955, the 3rd Marine Division was moved to Okinawa. 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines returned to the First Marine Division in 1959 for one year as part of the transplacement program. The battalion returned to the 3rd Marine Division in 1960.
On July 4, 1965, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was ordered to Vietnam. During this first year 9th Marines took part in approximately 45 battalion-sized and several company-sized operations. During the next four years 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines operated in or around Danang, Hue, Phu Bai, Dong Ha, Camp Carrol, Cam Lo, Con Thien, Than Cam Son, Quanq Tri, Cua Viet, Vandergrift Combat Base and Khe Sanh. For its actions in Vietnam 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was awarded a third Presidential Unit Citation, a bronze star in lieu of second award of the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two silver stars, and Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm. In August 1969, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines left Vietnam and returned to Okinawa. Its role in the Southeast Asian Conflict ended with the recapture of the Mayaquez and the landing on Koh Tang Island in May 1975. In February 1979, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines became the first battalion to rotate to the United States as part of the unit deployment program.
In August 1990, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines departed the United States as part of the Unit Deployment Program to Okinawa only days before the invasion of Kuwait. While deployed, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was selected to be the Ground Combat Element of MAGTF 4-90 in the Republic of Philippines from October 1990 to May 1991. During November 1990 elements of the battalion were provided to assist in the disaster relief efforts on the island of Cebu, which was devastated by a typhoon. The battalion was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for its actions. During the course of deployment, the battalion served as the lead battalion of the alert MAGTF for the III Marine Expeditionary Force from October 1990 to August 1991. The battalion returned to Camp Pendelton in early August 1991, completing the longest deployment by an infantry unit involved in the Unit Deployment Program, lasting twelve and a half months.
In November 1991, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was designated to be the first unit from the 5th Marine Regiment to participate in the Southern California Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) deployment cycle. After an abbreviated and intense work up 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was designated Battalion Landing Team 2/9 in March of 1992. As the Ground Combat Element for the 15th MEU (SOC), BLT 2/9 completed its pre-deployment work-up in August 1992 with the successful culmination of the Special Operations Capable Exercise. During the deployment, the BLT participated in Operation "Restore Hope" in Somalia from 9 December 1992 to February 1993. As the lead unit, BLT 2/9 secured the port and airfield in Mogadishu on 9 December 1992 which enabled the rapid build-up of forces in-country, Upon BLT 2/9’s return to the United States on 15 April 1993 they again began a rigorous pre-deployment work-up. The Battalion has participated in the Javelin anti-tank missile evaluation program, two deployments to Ft. Sherman, Panama, cold weather training in Bridgeport, CA. and an Enhanced Combined Arms Exercise in 29 Palms, California.
On 2 September 1994, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was deactivated and redesignated 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines.
At 1000 hours on 13 July 2007, the Anti-Terrorism Battalion executed deactivation operations to reactivate 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines under the command of LtCol Jackson. Upon the reactivation of 2nd Bn 9th Marines, LtCol Jackson relinquished command to LtCol Thad R. Trapp. In September 2008, Marines and Sailors from 2/9 deployed to Al Anbar Province in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were based in the city of Ramadi and returned in April 2009 without any Marines or Sailors killed in action. From 2009 - 2011 they were under the command of LtCol James Fullwood, Jr.In July 2010 2/9 was deployed to Afghanistan in Support of Operation Enduring Freedom. From 2011 to the present the Battalion Commander is LtCol Mike Styskal.
On 01 April 2015, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was once again deactivated.