facts about the Marine Corps

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Marine Corps Birthday

On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress meeting in Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, PA, passed a resolution stating that "two Battalions of Marines be raised" for service as landing forces with the fleet. This resolution, established the Continental Marines and marked the birth date of the United States Marine Corps.



Motto

The Marine Corps motto is "Semper Fidelis"
which is Latin for "Always Faithful."



Colors

The official Marine Corps colors are scarlet and gold,
which is why I used them on my website.



Emblem

The globe "signifies service in any part of the world". The eagle also means the same, and the anchor "indicates the amphibious nature of Marines' duties." If the official version is too boring for you, there's always this explanation: "We stole the eagle from the Air Force, the anchor from the Navy, and the rope from the Army. On the 7th day, while God rested, we over-ran his perimeter and stole the globe, and we've been running the show ever since. "



Seal

The seal is round with a scarlet background surrounded by a navy blue stripe with a gold rope edging. On the blue part it says "Department of the Navy, United States Marine Corps" in gold letters. In the middle of the scarlet background, they put the Marine Corps' Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem in bronze. The eagle is holding a banner in its mouth that says "Semper Fidelis." The scarlet and gold surrounding the emblem are the official Marine Corps colors. These in turn are enclosed by Navy blue and gold signifying the Marine Corps as an integral part of the naval team.



Hymn

The official Marine Corps hymn is called the "The Marines' Hymn." It is the oldest official anthem of any U.S. military service and Marines always stand at attention when it is playing. Here's all three verses:

From the Halls of Montezuma
to the Shores of Tripoli,
We fight our country's battles
In air, on land, and sea.
First to fight for right and freedom,
And to keep our honor clean,
We are proud to claim the title
of United States Marine.


Our flag's unfurl'd to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun.
In the snow of far-off northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes,
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.


Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.



Code of Conduct

This tells Marines what to do if taken prisoner and it has guidelines for surrendering, being captured, escaping, and being an American. Click here to read the full Code of Conduct.



A Marine's Creed

"My Rifle" was was written by Major General William H. Rupertus (USMC, Ret.) following the attack on Pearl Harbor. It begins, "This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will..."

I had to write it out 13 times once at boot camp. Read it here!



Devil Dogs

During World War I the Marines fought the Germans at Belleau Wood where the Germans thought that their position could not be taken. However, they had not planned on the fierce fighting ability of the Marines. The persistent attacks, delivered with unbelievable courage, soon had the Germans calling the Marines "Teufelhunden" or "Devil Dogs."



The Sword

"In 1805, Marines assembled a fleet to Derna, Tripoli to put down Barbary Coast pirates taking a toll on American merchant ships in the Mediterranean. Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon and his Marines marched across 600 miles of North Africa's Libyan desert to successfully storm the fortified Tripolitan city of Derna. A desert chieftain presented Marine Lieutenant O'Bannon with a scimitar to show his appreciation. The scimitar was used by Mameluke warriors of North Africa. By 1825, all Marine officers were mandated to wear the Mameluke sword. Except for the period from 1859 to 1875, commissioned Marine officers have carried the Mameluke sword. Regulations adopted in 1859 outlined the specifications for the sword still carried by today's noncommissioned officers. The design is based on the 1850 Army foot officers' sword, which Marine officers carried from 1859 to 1875."
- from Marines.com



Mission of the Marine Corps

This explains the mission and functions of the Marine Corps:
Mission of the Marine Corps



Bloodstripe

The bloodstripe is the red stripe on the pants of the dress blue uniforms worn by Marines from the rank of Corporal and up. It is supposed to represent the blood shed by the Marines who attacked Chapultepec Castle on September 13, 1847, in Mexico City.



General Orders

All recruits at boot camp are required to memorize the General Orders and repeat them whenever their drill instructors ask them to, because Marines on guard duty anywhere are supposed to follow them.



Leadership

The Marine Corps has a list of 11 Leadership Principles, like "Know your Marines and look out for their welfare." and a list of 14 Leadership Traits, such as "Initiative: Taking action in the absence of orders."



Rank

This list is about as simple as you can get
when you describe the basic rank structure.




Uniforms

"Marines respect tradition, which is why their uniforms have changed little over time. Current dress and service uniforms have become a big part of the Marine image and are steeped in Marine heritage. Their buttons are emblazoned with the oldest American military insignia worn in any service. Marine dress blues are the only uniforms made up of all the same colors of our nation's flag. Blue represents bravery. Red represents sacrifice. White represents honor. Marines defend their colors and live by them. The collar of their dress blues uniform is similar to the leather stock worn around the necks of their American Revolution-era predecessors, which is how Marines earned the nickname "leatherneck." The scarlet stripe on their trouser leg is the "blood stripe" earned in "the halls of Montezuma." Officers carry the replica of a sword presented by an Arab chieftain after a Marine victory on "the shores of Tripoli" two centuries ago.

Their hats or "covers" are marked by a quatrefoil to symbolize a white cross used in the days of sailing ships to identify their Marine officers. Every Marine is a rifleman - regardless of their chosen profession. Shooting proficiency is displayed by the Marksmanship Badge on the uniform: marksman, sharpshooter or expert. Marines carry an M-16A2 rifle, a second generation of the M-16. This rifle is a lighter, more accurate, easier to handle version than the original M-16 and has been used for more than 30 years. Utility and specialist clothing has continued to evolve as new materials, color patterns, chemical and biological resistant capabilities and other features became available. In fact, the most modern utility uniform has been digitized through computer technology making the new Marine camouflage the most advanced yet. Utility clothing must always meet requirements for battlefield protection and comfort. Yet, every piece represents Marine Corps history and carries the Marine Corps emblem. As part of the utility uniform, Marines wear Kevlar helmets. Kevlar is a high-composite fiberglass that is also used in bulletproof vests. It provides excellent protection and weighs a fraction of a steel helmet."
- from Marines.com

All of the assorted badges, pins, swords, stripes, and rank insignia associated with the uniforms.



A Few Famous Marines

Chesty: "Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell Puller, colorful veteran of the Korean War, four World War II campaigns and expeditionary service in China, Nicaragua and Haiti, was one of the most decorated Marines in the Corps, and the only Leatherneck ever to win the Navy Cross five times for heroism and gallantry in action."

Lt. Presley O'Bannon: Marine Lt. Presley N. O'Bannon led a force of Marines and mercenaries across 600 miles of Libyan desert to attack the fortress at Derne, Tripoli, while Naval forces provided bombardment. This was the first time an American flag flew over a captured fortification in the "Old World". In appreciation for O'Bannon's services, Hamet Bey (the rightful ruler of Tripoli) presented O'Bannon with his own sword, a curved blade with ivory hilt topped by a golden eagle's head: the Mameluke sword. This sword serves as the pattern for swords carried to this day by Marine officers.

Sergeant Major Dan Daly:"Sergeant Major Daniel ("Dan") Daly was once acclaimed by Major General John A. Lejeune, former Commandant of the Marine Corps, as "the outstanding Marine of all time." General Smedley D. Butler called him "The fightinest Marine I ever knew," and wrote that "it was an object lesson to have served with "him." Sergeant Daly is the only enlisted Marine who ever received the nation's highest military award, the Medal of Honor, twice for separate acts of heroism."

Smedley Butler: "Major General Smedley Darlington Butler, one of the most colorful officers in the Marine Corps' long history, was the only Marine officer who received two Medals of Honor for separate acts of outstanding heroism."

John Glenn: "Colonel John Herschel Glenn, Jr., the first American to orbit the earth, retired from active service in the U.S. Marine Corps, 4 January 1965, following 21 years, 9 months and 4 days as a commissioned Marine officer. As a member of NASA's Project Mercury, Colonel Glenn made his now historic flight on 20 February 1962. In his Friendship Seven Mercury Spacecraft, the astronaut orbited the earth three times in 4 hours, 56 minutes."

General John A. Lejeune: "Lieutenant General John A. Lejeune, often referred to as "the greatest of all Leathernecks," during his more than 40 years service with the Marine Corps, led the famed Second Division (Army) in World War I, and was Major General Commandant of the Marine Corps from June 1920 to March 1929." Camp Lejeune in North Carolina is named after him.

John Philip Sousa: "He began his career in the United States Marine Band at the age of 13, serving as an apprentice "boy" who had enlisted to receive instruction "in the trade or mystery of a musician." Prior to his being appointed Leader of the Marine Band on 1 October 1880, he directed various theatrical and operatic companies. Sousa's personality, his musical and executive ability were instrumental in making the Marine Band a familiar and popular musical organization to residents and visitors of the nation's capital."