From Saipan
to Iraq
A century of service. Every deployment below shaped the brotherhood this archive exists to preserve, and the faces that fill its pages.
The Deployments
The Founding
The lineage of 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines traces to the 9th Reserve Battalion, stood up in Chicago in 1922. Drawn from communities across the city and the surrounding Midwest, these citizen-Marines were the foundation of what would become known as “Chicago’s Own.” When the nation began mobilizing before its entry into World War II, many of these reservists entered active service and helped form the nucleus of the battalion that would carry Chicago’s name across the Pacific.
Activation of 2/24
On March 26, 1943, the Marine Corps formally activated 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines as part of the newly organized 4th Marine Division. Composed of Headquarters and Service Company, rifle companies Echo, Fox, and Golf, and supporting weapons elements, the battalion trained for a type of warfare unlike anything its Marines had experienced — a combat journey that would carry it across four Pacific operations: the Marshall Islands, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima.
The Marshall Islands
On February 1, 1944, 2/24 entered combat during the assault on Roi-Namur in the northern Kwajalein Atoll. The capture of the Marshall Islands marked the first seizure of territory within the prewar Japanese Empire and opened the way for the American advance across the Central Pacific. Though comparatively brief, it was a severe introduction to amphibious warfare — Marines crossed beaches under fire and cleared bunkers and strongpoints at close range.
Saipan — The Battle for the Marianas
On June 15, 1944, 2/24 landed on Saipan as part of the 4th Marine Division’s assault on the Marianas. Its capture placed the Japanese home islands within range of American B-29 bombers. The battalion fought inland through cane fields, villages, ravines, and rugged high ground against interconnected caves, bunkers, and fortified ridgelines. Saipan was declared secure in July 1944 — a strategically decisive victory bought at significant cost.
Tinian — A Model Assault
Weeks after Saipan, the battalion assaulted Tinian on July 24, 1944. Marine planners chose narrow, lightly defended northern beaches over the heavily fortified approaches near Tinian Town, relying on surprise and aggressive movement. Tinian was secured in roughly eight days of organized combat, providing airfields central to the strategic bombing campaign against Japan. For the Marianas campaigns the battalion shared in the honors awarded to the Marines who seized those islands.
Iwo Jima
On February 19, 1945, 2/24 landed on Iwo Jima and fought for 36 days until the island was secured on March 26 — exactly two years after the battalion’s activation. Against an extensive network of tunnels, caves, and mutually supporting strongpoints beneath volcanic ash, the battalion earned its second Presidential Unit Citation. Captain Joseph J. McCarthy of Golf Company received the Medal of Honor, and Pharmacist’s Mate First Class Francis J. Pierce was awarded the Medal of Honor for treating and defending wounded Marines under fire.
Korean War
In October 1950 the battalion was mobilized and staged through Camp Pendleton for transfer to Korea, where Chicago Marines saw combat during the Korean War. After the war the battalion returned to its reserve mission, preserving combat experience while training new generations of Marines throughout the Midwest.
Operations Desert Shield & Desert Storm
Mobilized November 30, 1990 in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, 2/24 trained at Camp Lejeune before deploying to Saudi Arabia. The battalion protected airfields, command posts, ammunition storage sites, and logistical facilities across a large rear-security area for I Marine Expeditionary Force, guarding the largest ammunition supply point in theater through the ground war. In a 96-hour period it helped process more than 10,000 Iraqi prisoners of war, and elements secured the I MEF command post in Kuwait and positions near Al Jaber Airfield. The battalion returned to Chicago in May 1991.
Iraq — The Triangle of Death
Mobilized in June 2004 for Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2/24 deployed to northern Babil Province south of Baghdad — the “Triangle of Death.” Operating independently from Forward Operating Base St. Michael, the battalion ran mounted and dismounted patrols, nightly raids, cordon-and-search missions, and intelligence-driven operations against a violent insurgency. Fox Company operated in and around Yusufiyah, one of the most difficult sectors. In January 2005 the battalion helped secure Iraq’s national elections. The Marines’ relentless nighttime presence earned the nickname “Mad Ghosts.” The deployment came at a heavy price — Marines and sailors killed and wounded by IEDs and small-arms fire — and the fallen joined a lineage extending from the beaches of the Pacific to the roads of Iraq.
The New York Times — “Night Patrols: Marines’ Raids Underline Push In Crucial Area” (Dec. 6, 2004)Iraq — Al Anbar Province
Deployed to Al Anbar Province in early 2008 under Regimental Combat Team 1, 2/24 operated from the Habbaniyah area along the strategically important Fallujah–Ramadi corridor. By then violence had declined sharply, and the mission emphasized preserving security gains, locating remaining weapons caches, and partnering with Iraqi Police and Army forces. In April 2008, intelligence from Iraqi citizens led Fox Company to multiple caches containing thousands of pounds of ordnance. On August 10, 2008, 2/24 turned over its area to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, returning home after a seven-month deployment through Twentynine Palms.