Activated on 25 Sept. 1942 from the Marine Barracks Detachment Guantanamo Bay Cuba with the 1st & 2nd Marine Guard Companies attached to the Battalion. Remained in Cuba until 1944 after which it went to Camp Lejeune NC. Arrived Pearl Harbor Hawaii 14 Aug. 1944 and disbanded with its men spread to other units in the Pacific.
Activated on 1 Oct. 1943 at Marine Barracks New River NC. It was further redesignated the 18th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion 16 May 1944. As such it served on Tinian where it established auto weapons, antiaircraft and coastal defenses.
Activated 18 Aug. 1942 at New River NC. This was the first combat unit composed of black Marines in the Corps. Trained over 1100 enlisted men and also over 400 for the 52nd. Def. Bn. Split into two detachments, one defended emergency airfields at Nonomea and Nukefetu. Later it moved to Eniwetok, Engebi, Perry and Porky Islands. Another detachment served on Kwajalein.
Activated 18 Aug. 1942 at New River NC. This was the second combat unit of black Marines to be organized by the Corps. Composed of two administrative units and embarked for the Marshall Islands One group prepared to defend the air bases of MAG 13 and the other went to Roi-Namur.