Tactically Acquired Archive
2nd Battalion, 6th Marines
"The Ready Battalion"
Unit Lineage
Activated on 11 July 1917 at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines is an infantry battalion assigned to the 6th Marine Regiment under the 2nd Marine Division at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The battalion's lineage is stacked with future Commandants: Thomas Holcomb (17th Commandant) commanded 2/6 during World War I. Robert H. Barrow (27th Commandant) served with the battalion in the 1950s. Joseph Dunford (36th Commandant and 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) commanded 2/6 from 1996 to 1998. As part of the 6th Marines, every Marine in the battalion wears the French Fourragere.
World War I
2/6 deployed to France in early 1918 and fought at Belleau Wood, Soissons, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive as part of the 4th Marine Brigade. The 6th Marines was awarded the French Croix de Guerre three times for its actions across these engagements. General Clifton B. Cates, who would become the 19th Commandant, served with the 96th Company of 2/6 during the war. After the armistice, the battalion participated in the occupation of the Rhineland.
World War II
After deploying to Iceland in 1941 to relieve British forces, 2/6 rejoined the 2nd Marine Division and fought at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, and Tinian. At Tarawa, 2/6 served as a blocking force on Bairiki Island while the 1st and 3rd Battalions assaulted Betio. After the atoll was secured, 2/6 remained to clear the remaining islands. At Saipan, the battalion landed under intense fire and helped repulse the largest Japanese banzai attack of the entire war. After the surrender, 2/6 deployed to Nagasaki for the occupation of Japan.
Lebanon
From February to June 1983, 2/6 served as part of the multinational peacekeeping force in Beirut, Lebanon. The battalion was in Beirut during the April 1983 U.S. Embassy bombing that killed 63 people, including 17 Americans. When the Marine barracks was bombed on 23 October 1983, killing 241 Americans from 1/8, 2/6 returned to Beirut as the relief force.
Global War on Terror
In February 2003, 2/6 deployed to Kuwait and participated in the invasion of Iraq. The battalion later served in Al Anbar Province and as an anti-terrorism battalion guarding American embassies in Baghdad and Kabul. In 2007, 2/6 deployed to Al Anbar as part of Regimental Combat Team 6. In June 2010, the battalion deployed to Marjah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, returning in January 2011. 2/6 deployed again to Trek-Nawa in Helmand Province from December 2011 to June 2012.
Gear for 2/6 Marines
This collection is for the Marines who served with 2/6 and the families who carry their legacy. Every t-shirt, hoodie, flag, and accessory honors a battalion that has produced three Commandants of the Marine Corps and a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. From Belleau Wood to Marjah, 2/6 has been there. Veteran-owned and made in the USA.
Browse our 2/6 Marines t-shirts, long sleeves, hoodies, tank tops, flags, decals, drinkware, and more below. OIF and OEF veteran designs available. Every order ships free at $75+.
