2nd Battalion, 8th Marines

Unit Lineage

Activated on 1 April 1940 in San Diego, California, the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines is an infantry battalion currently assigned to the 2nd Marine Regiment under the 2nd Marine Division at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. 2/8 has fought in every major conflict from World War II through the Global War on Terror. The battalion was originally part of the 8th Marine Regiment, which was decommissioned on 28 January 2021 under Force Design 2030.

World War II

2/8 fought at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa. At Tarawa in November 1943, the 8th Marines waded through chest-deep water under withering Japanese fire to assault one of the most fortified islands in the Pacific. The regiment seized the atoll in 76 hours and earned a Presidential Unit Citation. After the war, 2/8 deployed to Nagasaki for the occupation of Japan before returning to Camp Lejeune in 1946.

Lebanon and Grenada

2/8 was the first battalion of the 8th Marines to deploy to Lebanon. In August 1982, 2/8 evacuated the U.S. Ambassador, staff, and 580 civilians from Beirut. Later that month, the battalion oversaw the evacuation of the Palestine Liberation Organization from the city alongside French, Italian, and Israeli forces. After the PLO withdrawal, 2/8 returned to Beirut as part of the multinational peacekeeping force following the massacre of Palestinian refugees at Sabra and Shatila. On 23 October 1983, when the barracks bombing killed 241 Americans from 1/8, 2/8 was en route back to Beirut. The battalion was diverted to the Caribbean and two days later invaded Grenada as the main assault force during Operation Urgent Fury, liberating the island and rescuing American university students. After departing Grenada, 2/8 continued to Beirut to rejoin the peacekeeping force.

Desert Storm Through the Global War on Terror

2/8 deployed to Saudi Arabia in December 1990 and participated in the liberation of Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. After the war, the battalion provided humanitarian relief in northern Iraq during Operation Provide Comfort. During the Global War on Terror, 2/8 deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan, conducting combat and counterinsurgency operations across Al Anbar Province and Helmand Province. Corporal Jonathan Yale and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter of 2/8 were posthumously recognized for standing their ground at a security checkpoint in Ramadi, Iraq on 22 April 2008, stopping a suicide truck bomb from detonating inside their post and saving the lives of dozens of Marines and Iraqi police. Both were awarded the Navy Cross.

Gear for 2/8 Marines

This collection is for the Marines who served with 2/8 and the families who carry their legacy. Every t-shirt, hoodie, flag, and accessory honors the battalion's history from Tarawa to Grenada to Ramadi. Veteran-owned and made in the USA.

Browse our 2/8 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+.