World War I
Belleau Wood
Marne
St. Mihiel
Meuse-Argonne

World War II
France
Belgium
Germany
Czechoslovakia
 

DESIGN:   An Indian head (red) with a full feathered war bonnet (white feathers) placed on a whiten star, ant this placed on a black shield. The Indian head and star is said to have originally been painted on a truck of the 2nd Division by its World War I driver, and when shoulder sleeve insignia came in to use this design was adopted. During World War I division headquarters used the design with a black background, while each of the regiments used a different shaped background, and in turn, each unit of the regiment used a different color background.

    World War I shoulder sleeve insignia for the 2nd Division is one of the most complicated of all. In addition to the many color and background types, there are innumerable variations o the Indian head, each manufacturer having his own idea as to the shape, etc. of the Indian head. Only the major types are illustrated here, there being no accurate record of the many others. Some World War I insignia can be found without any background. It is not believed that this is a separate insignia, but rather made this way to be sewn by the wearer on the correct background.

HISTORY: First organized in France in August 1917. At that time a Marine Brigade (two regiments) was made a part of the division in lieu of an Infantry Brigade. It was the second division to enter combat, and saw considerable heavy fighting. It entered combat in march 1918 in the Verdun and Toul sectors. Other battle credits are Chateau-Thierry, Belleau Woods, Marne, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne.

In World War II the division landed in France on D-Day plus one. Following their landing they later took part in the Normandy breakthrough at St. Lo. The capture of the port of Brest followed. In October 1944 the division tackled the Sigfried Line in Belgium, , later took part in the Ardennes counter-offensive. By the end of the war, the Second had gone through Germany and was at Pilsen, Czechoslovakia.

Returned to the United States after the war, the Second went to Fort Lewis, and then to Korea, where it is presently engaged. The Second consists of the 9th, 23rd and 38th Infantry Regiments, and the 12th, 15th, 37th and 38th Field Artillery Bns, and the 2nd Engineer Bn.