The Mad Ghosts

Formation of 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines

The United States Marine Corps formally activated 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, on March 26, 1943, as part of the newly organized 4th Marine Division. The battalion was composed of Headquarters and Service Company, its rifle companies—Echo, Fox, and Golf—and supporting weapons elements.

During months of demanding amphibious and infantry training, the battalion prepared for a type of warfare unlike anything most of its Marines had previously experienced. The campaign ahead would require repeated assaults against fortified islands held by determined Japanese defenders. The Marines of 2/24 would participate in four major Pacific operations:

• The Marshall Islands
• Saipan
• Tinian
• Iwo Jima

The Marshall Islands — Roi-Namur and Kwajalein Atoll

On February 1, 1944, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines entered combat during the assault on Roi-Namur, in the northern portion of Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

The campaign was historically significant. American forces were attacking territory that Japan considered part of its prewar defensive perimeter. The capture of the Marshall Islands marked the first seizure of territory within the Japanese Empire and opened the way for the continued American advance across the Central Pacific.

The operation also exposed the battalion to the realities of amphibious warfare. Marines crossed beaches under fire, moved through shattered defensive positions, and cleared bunkers and strongpoints at close range. Although the battle was comparatively brief, it provided a severe introduction to combat and prepared the battalion for the much larger campaigns that followed.

Roi-Namur was the first battlefield in a combat journey that would carry the battalion across the Pacific and ultimately to the volcanic terrain of Iwo Jima.

Saipan — The Battle for the Marianas

On June 15, 1944, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines landed on Saipan as part of the 4th Marine Division’s assault on the Mariana Islands.

Saipan was strategically vital. Its capture would place the Japanese home islands within range of American B-29 bombers and help sever Japan’s communication and supply lines to its territories farther south. The island was heavily defended, and Japanese forces had constructed interconnected caves, bunkers, trenches, artillery positions, and fortified ridgelines throughout the terrain.

The battalion fought inland from the landing beaches through cane fields, villages, ravines, and rugged high ground. Japanese defenders frequently used concealed positions and nighttime counterattacks to slow the American advance. Progress was measured in yards, and every ridgeline or defensive position had to be cleared by infantrymen operating under artillery, mortar, and machine-gun fire.

The campaign ended after weeks of severe fighting. Saipan was declared secure in July 1944, although isolated resistance continued after the formal conclusion of organized combat. The victory was strategically decisive, but it came at a significant cost to the Marines and sailors who fought there.

Tinian — A Model Amphibious Assault

Only weeks after the fighting on Saipan, the battalion prepared for another landing—this time on the neighboring island of Tinian.

The assault began on July 24, 1944. Rather than attack the heavily defended beaches near Tinian Town, Marine planners selected narrow landing sites in the northwestern portion of the island. The operation relied upon surprise, detailed coordination, and aggressive movement inland.

Once ashore, the Marines advanced rapidly across terrain that was more favorable to maneuver than much of Saipan. Japanese forces continued to resist from caves, fortified positions, and prepared defensive lines, but the Marines maintained the momentum of the attack.

Tinian was secured after approximately eight days of organized combat. Its capture provided the United States with airfields that would become central to the strategic bombing campaign against Japan. Aircraft operating from Tinian later participated in some of the most consequential missions of the Pacific War.

For its service during the Marianas campaigns, including the battles of Saipan and Tinian, the battalion shared in the honors awarded to the Marines who seized those islands from a determined enemy.

Iwo Jima — Thirty-Six Days of Combat

On the morning of February 19, 1945, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines landed on Iwo Jima.

The island was small, barren, and dominated by volcanic ash, broken ridges, and fortified high ground. Beneath the surface, Japanese defenders had constructed an extensive network of tunnels, caves, bunkers, artillery positions, and mutually supporting strongpoints. Unlike earlier battles, the defenders generally avoided mass attacks near the shoreline. Instead, they allowed Marines to land before subjecting the beaches and inland approaches to concentrated fire.

The soft volcanic sand made movement exhausting and prevented vehicles from gaining traction. Marines advancing from the beaches encountered hidden positions that often had to be destroyed individually with rifles, grenades, demolitions, flamethrowers, and direct fire.

The battle continued long after the American flag was raised on Mount Suribachi. For 2/24, the most difficult fighting lay across the island’s northern defenses, where deeply entrenched Japanese troops resisted from caves, ridges, and concrete fortifications.

The battalion fought on Iwo Jima until the island was declared secure on March 26, 1945—exactly two years after the battalion’s activation.

Captain Joseph J. McCarthy

Among the battalion’s most distinguished Marines was Captain Joseph Jeremiah McCarthy, commanding officer of Golf Company.

On February 21, 1945, Japanese fire halted his company’s advance. McCarthy moved forward under intense fire, organized an assault, and personally led his Marines against a series of heavily defended enemy positions. His actions helped restore the company’s momentum and destroy the strongpoints blocking the advance.

For his leadership and extraordinary heroism, McCarthy received the Medal of Honor, presented by President Harry S. Truman at the White House on October 5, 1945. McCarthy later remained in the Marine Corps Reserve and retired as a lieutenant colonel. In civilian life, he served with the Chicago Fire Department.

His life embodied the tradition of the citizen-Marine: a public servant at home and a combat leader when his country called.

Pharmacist’s Mate First Class Francis J. Pierce

The battalion’s Iwo Jima history also includes the extraordinary service of Pharmacist’s Mate First Class Francis J. Pierce, a United States Navy hospital corpsman attached to 2/24.

On March 15 and 16, 1945, Pierce repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire to treat, protect, and evacuate wounded Marines. He carried casualties to safety, provided medical care under direct fire, and used his own weapon to defend wounded men when Japanese troops approached their position.

Pierce received the Medal of Honor for his actions. His service represents the enduring bond between Marines and the Navy corpsmen who share their hardships and risks in combat.

Following the Second World War, the Marine Corps reorganized and reduced its wartime strength. The battalion returned to its reserve mission, preserving the experience gained in combat while training new generations of Marines throughout the Midwest.

Reserve service required a continuing commitment. Marines maintained civilian careers and family responsibilities while attending drills, annual training periods, field exercises, weapons qualifications, and mobilization preparations. The battalion’s continued readiness preserved the Marine Corps’ ability to expand rapidly during a national emergency.

The character of the battalion remained closely connected to the communities from which it drew its Marines. The traditions of Chicago and the upper Midwest became part of the unit’s identity. Over time, “Chicago’s Own” came to represent more than a geographic description. It reflected the battalion’s close relationship with police departments, fire departments, public agencies, local businesses, and military families across the region.

On November 30, 1990, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines was mobilized in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and the presidential activation of reserve forces for Operation Desert Shield.

After completing final preparations at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, the battalion deployed to Saudi Arabia and received responsibility for protecting critical facilities across a large rear-security area. Its assignments included the defense of airfields, command posts, ammunition storage sites, logistical facilities, and other infrastructure essential to I Marine Expeditionary Force.

As Operation Desert Storm began, the battalion’s area of responsibility expanded. Its Marines protected a major ammunition supply point whose loss could have disrupted the coalition ground offensive. Elements also provided security for the I Marine Expeditionary Force command post in Kuwait and established defensive positions near Al Jaber Airfield.

During a period of only 96 hours, the battalion also assisted in handling and processing more than 10,000 Iraqi prisoners of war. The scale of that responsibility demonstrated how quickly reserve infantry units could be assigned missions extending beyond conventional combat.

The battalion returned to Chicago in May 1991 after approximately five months of mobilization. Its performance affirmed the value of the Marine Corps Reserve and demonstrated that reserve formations could integrate effectively into a large expeditionary force.

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, began another demanding era for the Marine Corps Reserve. Reserve Marines increasingly served alongside the active force in sustained overseas operations.

For 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, that era would include two deployments to Iraq. Although separated by only a few years, the deployments occurred during distinctly different phases of the war and should be understood separately.

The first, in 2004–2005, placed the battalion in the center of a violent insurgency south of Baghdad.

The second, in 2008, took place in Al Anbar Province during a period of declining violence and focused increasingly upon stability, partnership, and the development of Iraqi security institutions.

The Triangle of Death

In June 2004, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines was mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The battalion conducted predeployment training at Camp Pendleton, California, before entering Iraq in the fall of 2004.

Its area of operations was in northern Babil Province, south of Baghdad, encompassing communities that included Mahmudiyah, Yusufiyah, and Latifiyah. The region became widely known as the Triangle of Death because of its high level of insurgent activity, sectarian violence, roadside bombs, ambushes, kidnappings, and attacks against coalition forces and Iraqi civilians.

The terrain presented a complex mixture of cities, villages, agricultural fields, irrigation canals, highways, and isolated rural compounds. Insurgent cells used this environment to conceal weapons, move personnel, prepare improvised explosive devices, and launch attacks before disappearing into the local population.

The battalion’s Marines and sailors conducted mounted and dismounted patrols, raids, ambushes, cordon-and-search missions, route-security operations, vehicle checkpoints, detainee operations, and intelligence-driven missions. The enemy frequently used improvised explosive devices and small-arms fire, forcing Marines to adapt continuously.

This was not a campaign of clearly defined front lines. The battlefield existed along roads, inside neighborhoods, around markets, across farmland, and within the local population.

Camp St. Michael

One of the most significant features of the deployment was the battalion’s operation from Forward Operating Base St. Michael, often referred to as Camp St. Michael.

The battalion became recognized as one of the first Marine Corps Reserve infantry battalions during Operation Iraqi Freedom to operate independently from its own forward operating base. From there, the Marines established positions throughout the area, maintained a near-constant presence, and conducted operations at all hours.

Operating from an isolated position demanded more than tactical proficiency. The battalion had to sustain itself, protect its base, gather and analyze intelligence, process detainees, coordinate with adjacent units, and maintain continuous operations across a large and dangerous area.

Fox Company in Yusufiyah

Fox Company operated in and around Yusufiyah, one of the most difficult portions of the battalion’s area of responsibility.

Its Marines conducted patrols through villages, agricultural areas, roads, and canal systems where insurgents could observe approaching forces and quickly conceal themselves. The company carried out raids against suspected insurgent locations, searched for weapons and explosives, established local security positions, and worked to gather information from residents.

The company’s mission required both aggressiveness and restraint. Marines had to identify genuine threats while avoiding harm to civilians and preserving relationships with those willing to provide information. Every patrol carried the possibility of an ambush or roadside bomb, yet the Marines also interacted daily with families, tribal figures, workers, and local officials whose cooperation was essential to lasting security.

Intelligence-Driven Operations

The battalion placed increasing emphasis on local intelligence. Patrol reports, detainee questioning, information from residents, captured documents, and the experience of Marines operating repeatedly in the same communities were used to identify patterns and target insurgent networks.

This approach allowed the battalion to move beyond reacting to individual attacks. Marines sought to identify bomb makers, weapons suppliers, financiers, facilitators, couriers, and leaders whose activities sustained the insurgency.

Night raids became an important component of the battalion’s operations. By moving at unpredictable times and striking identified locations before insurgents could escape, the Marines disrupted enemy networks and maintained pressure across the area.

The battalion’s operational tempo and nighttime presence became associated with the nickname “Mad Ghosts,” a name that endured as part of the unit’s Iraq legacy.

Security for Iraq’s Elections

In January 2005, Iraq held nationwide elections for a transitional national assembly. The vote represented a major political milestone, but polling locations and voters faced threats from insurgent organizations determined to disrupt the process.

The Marines and sailors of 2/24 helped establish the security conditions necessary for residents in their area to participate. They protected routes, monitored potential attack locations, supported Iraqi security forces, and maintained a visible presence around communities and polling sites.

The battalion’s contribution to the election reflected the broader purpose of its deployment. Tactical success was not measured only by enemy personnel captured or weapons recovered. It was also measured by whether local institutions could function and whether Iraqis could participate in public life without intimidation.

Sacrifice

The 2004–2005 deployment came at a heavy price. Marines and sailors were killed and wounded by improvised explosive devices, gunfire, and other hostile action. The battalion’s fallen became part of a lineage extending from the beaches of the Pacific to the roads and villages of Iraq.

Their sacrifice must remain central to any account of the deployment. The history of the battalion is not only the story of operations conducted or territory secured. It is the story of individual Marines and sailors, their families, and the bonds formed under the most difficult conditions.

By the time the battalion returned to the United States in 2005, it had disrupted insurgent networks, detained large numbers of suspected enemy personnel, reduced hostile activity in portions of its area, and helped secure Iraq’s national elections.

Between Deployments

After returning from Iraq, the battalion resumed its reserve status and began rebuilding readiness. Combat veterans shared their experience with younger Marines, while the battalion trained for the possibility of another mobilization.

Elements of 2/24 also participated in international training and partnership missions, including military instruction and humanitarian support activities in Africa and joint training in Israel. These exercises reflected the increasingly global role of the Marine Corps Reserve and allowed the battalion to maintain expeditionary skills between major deployments.

In September 2007, the battalion was activated again for service in Iraq.

Al Anbar Province

After mobilization and predeployment training, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines deployed to Al Anbar Province in early 2008. The battalion operated primarily from the Habbaniyah area under Regimental Combat Team 1.

The operational environment differed significantly from the battalion’s experience in 2004–2005. Al Anbar had once been one of Iraq’s most violent provinces, but by 2008 violence had declined substantially. Tribal opposition to al-Qaeda, the growth of Iraqi security forces, and years of coalition operations had changed the character of the conflict.

The threat had not disappeared. Improvised explosive devices, hidden weapons caches, and insurgent cells remained. However, the battalion’s mission increasingly emphasized preserving security gains, supporting legitimate local authority, and preparing Iraqi forces to assume greater responsibility.

The Fallujah–Ramadi Corridor

The battalion conducted combined security and stability operations throughout the strategically important corridor between Fallujah and Ramadi.

Its Marines operated from numerous combat outposts and joint security stations across the area. Patrols monitored roads, villages, agricultural regions, and population centers. Motor transport and maintenance personnel traveled thousands of miles to supply dispersed infantry positions with fuel, water, food, ammunition, repair parts, and equipment.

The wide distribution of the battalion required every element to contribute. Infantry companies conducted security patrols and partnered operations. Engineers searched for explosive hazards and weapons caches. Intelligence personnel analyzed local networks and potential threats. Corpsmen supported Marines and provided medical assistance during community engagements.

Fox Company in Habbaniyah

Fox Company operated in the Habbaniyah area and worked closely with Iraqi Police, Iraqi Army formations, and local residents.

The company conducted joint patrols, searched suspected cache locations, maintained security around communities, and supported the development of Iraqi security forces. The changing relationship between Marines and the local population was evident in the growing number of residents willing to provide information about hidden weapons and insurgent activity.

In April 2008, information from Iraqi citizens and security forces led Fox Company Marines to multiple weapons caches in the Habbaniyah area. The recovered materiel included thousands of pounds of ammunition, explosives, and ordnance that could otherwise have been used against coalition forces or Iraqi civilians.

Such missions demonstrated a central feature of the deployment: intelligence increasingly came from Iraqis who believed local security forces and coalition troops could protect their communities.

Partnership with Iraqi Security Forces

Training and partnering with Iraqi forces were central to the battalion’s mission.

Marines accompanied Iraqi Police on patrols, instructed them in weapons handling, foot patrols, tactical procedures, and leadership, and helped develop their ability to operate independently. The civilian experience of reserve Marines was especially valuable. Some members of the battalion served as police officers in their home communities and could draw upon that professional background while working with Iraqi law-enforcement personnel.

Fox Company also trained and operated with Iraqi Army units, including the Sabbatine Battalion. Joint training strengthened tactical proficiency while helping Iraqi forces gain the confidence and institutional capability required to maintain local security.

These partnerships represented a transition in the war. The goal was no longer simply to conduct coalition-led operations, but to build Iraqi institutions capable of protecting their own population.

Weapons-Cache and Counter-IED Operations

Although violence had declined, large quantities of explosives and ammunition remained hidden throughout the province.

Marines from 2/24 worked with combat engineers, Iraqi forces, and local informants to locate and destroy caches. These operations removed artillery shells, rockets, small-arms ammunition, explosives, and bomb-making material from circulation. Each cache recovered potentially prevented future roadside bombs, attacks, and civilian casualties.

The missions were often intelligence-driven and required Marines to search fields, abandoned structures, canals, and underground storage sites. They were less visible than major combat operations but were essential to preserving the improved security conditions in Al Anbar.

Community Engagement and Stability

The battalion also supported medical engagements and other activities designed to strengthen trust between Iraqi communities, their security forces, and local government institutions.

During combined medical events, Navy corpsmen and military medical personnel provided treatment to Iraqi families who otherwise had limited access to care. Iraqi medical professionals and security forces participated alongside coalition personnel, reinforcing the principle that long-term stability depended upon Iraqi institutions rather than a permanent American presence.

Such operations did not replace the battalion’s combat responsibilities. Marines remained alert for insurgent attacks and continued to patrol dangerous areas. However, they reflected a broader mission in which security, governance, public trust, and institutional capacity were closely connected.

Relief in Place and Return Home

As the deployment neared its conclusion, the battalion prepared to transfer responsibility to the unit that would follow.

On August 10, 2008, 2/24 turned over its area of operations to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines. The battalion returned to the United States later that month after a seven-month deployment. More than 1,000 Marines and sailors passed through the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms during the return movement.

The 2008 deployment closed a distinct chapter in the battalion’s Iraq history. Unlike the sustained high-intensity combat of 2004–2005, the later deployment centered on preserving security gains, locating remaining weapons, partnering with Iraqi forces, and supporting the transfer of responsibility to Iraqi institutions.

Both deployments required courage, discipline, and sacrifice. They simply reflected different phases of the same war.

The history of 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines spans more than a century of reserve service and more than eight decades since the battalion’s formal activation during World War II.

Its Marines and sailors fought across the Central Pacific, protected critical installations during the Gulf War, confronted insurgent networks in Iraq’s Triangle of Death, and later helped Iraqi forces assume responsibility for security in Al Anbar Province.

Fox Company shares fully in that history.

Its identity has been shaped not only by the battles in which it served, but also by the people who filled its ranks: Marines and sailors who balanced civilian life with military obligation, trained when there was no certainty of deployment, and answered when the nation called.

Their legacy is preserved in campaign streamers, decorations, photographs, official records, and memorials. More importantly, it survives in the memories of those who served beside them and in the standards passed from one generation of Marines to the next.

From the Marshall Islands to Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima, the Persian Gulf, Yusufiyah, and Habbaniyah, the history of Fox Company and 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines is a history of citizen-Marines who accepted extraordinary responsibilities while remaining firmly connected to the communities they called home.

Chicago’s Own. The Mad Ghosts. Always Faithful.