2nd Battalion 5th Marines

2d Battalion 5th Marines (2/5 or "Two Five") is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps consisting of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors. They are based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and fall under the command of the 5th Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division. The battalion has seen combat in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War and has deployed many times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the current War on Terror.

2/5 is the most highly decorated battalion in the Marine Corps, and their motto, "Retreat, Hell!", comes from the French trenches of World War I, when a Marine officer named Lloyd W. Williams was advised by a French officer to retreat and replied, "Retreat? Hell, we just got here!"

Subordinate units

* Headquarters and Services Company
* Echo Company
* Fox Company
* Golf Company
* Weapons Company

History

Early history

2d Battalion 5th Marines was formed on July 1, 1914, and immediately sailed to the Caribbean to quell political turmoil in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In June 1917, as part of the United States' entry into World War I, the battalion sailed for France with the rest of the 5th Marine Regiment and the American Expeditionary Force. At the time the battalion was composed of four companies; the 18th, 43rd, 51st and 55th. They fought during the Battle of Belleau Wood, Soissons, and the Meuse-Argonne campaign and were twice awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. To this day, members of the Battalion wear the French Fourragère representing this award. Following the armistice of 1918, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines was assigned to occupation duties in Germany until their return to Quantico, Virginia, in August 1919.

Interwar years

Beginning in 1920, the Battalion began guarding US Mail trains throughout the United States. In 1927, the Battalion was sent to Nicaragua to fight bandits and to supervise the 1928 Nicaraguan national elections.

World War II

In 1941, the battalion joined the newly formed 1st Marine Division at New River, North Carolina, but later relocated to the west coast of the United States. During World War II the battalion fought in the Battle of Guadalcanal, Battle of Cape Gloucester, Battle of Peleliu, and the Battle of Okinawa. Following the Japanese surrender, the battalion was assigned to occupation duty in Northern China until 1947, at which time they returned to the United States.

Korean War

Immediately following the 1950 North Korean invasion of South Korea, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines sailed from Camp Pendleton, California, to defend the Pusan Perimeter as a part of the famous "Fire Brigade". The Battalion also participated in the landing at Inchon, the liberation of Seoul, the Chosin Reservoir Campaign, and the defense of the East, Central, and Western Fronts before the war was over. From July 1953 to February 1955, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines assisted in the defense of the Korean Demilitarized Zone, after which they again returned to Camp Pendleton.

Vietnam War

In April 1966, the Battalion deployed to the Republic of Vietnam and served there until 1971. During this time, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines participated in combat operations at Huế, Quế Sơn, Phu Bai, Đông Hà and Phú Lộc. Immediately after their return to Camp Pendleton in 1971, the Battalion joined Operation New Arrivals, the relocation of Southeast Asian refugees to the United States.

1980s and 1990s

For the next fifteen years, the battalion deployed regularly as part of the Marine Corps' Unit Deployment Program. In December 1990, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines sailed for the Persian Gulf in support of Operations Desert Shield / Desert Storm. They were staged in Saudi Arabia and participated in the liberation of Kuwait. During the return transit to the United States, the battalion was diverted to Bangladesh where it provided humanitarian relief as part of Operation Sea Angel.

In 1994, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines deployed as the ground combat element of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and participated in Operation Distant Runner, the Non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO) of Rwanda and Operation Restore Hope and Operation Quick Draw in Somalia. In 1999, the battalion began regular deployments to Okinawa for service as the Battalion Landing Team for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. The battalion also participated in several operations in East Timor.

War on Terror

On February 2, 2003, 2/5 left MCB Camp Pendleton for Kuwait where they staged prior to the beginning of the war in Iraq. On March 20, 2003, at approximately 2:30 am local time 2/5, as an element of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, commenced operations in Iraq with the start of the Battle of Al Faw. For this operation they were attached with Royal Marines from the 3 Commando Brigade crossing into Iraq the first night of the invasion. The initial objective was to secure to Rumalia Oilfields. Upon completing the seizure of this objective, 2/5 attacked north and got as far as Samarra before the end of the initial combat phase of the Iraq War. They then conducted security and stabilization operations (SASO) in Samawah, Iraq. Relieved by the 1st bn of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (who were soon augmented by Japanese forces acting in a strictly non-combat role), 2/5 returned to Camp Pendelton in August.

In September 2004 2/5 returned to Iraq where it was stationed in Ramadi, a hotbed of insurgent activity west of Fallujah and west of Baghdad. During this deployment 2/5 lost 15 Marines killed in action, 10 from Weapons Company. Elements from 2/5 began returning to Camp Pendleton on Easter, 2005.

From December 2005 to July 2006, 2/5 was deployed to Okinawa as part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. They participated in several humanitarian operations on Jolo Island and landslide recovery in Southern Leyte in the Philippines.

In March 2007, 2/5 was deployed to Iraq for the third time, stationed again in Ramadi. While deployed to Ramadi, Golf Company was unexpectedly tasked with operations in the city of Karmah.

In April 2008, 2/5 deployed as a Battalion Landing Team as part of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit

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