U.S.M.

United States Marines in ‘Dress Blues’. United States Marines have one
of the most recognizable uniforms in the world
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The Birth and History of the United States Marine Corps

Marines. The Few. The
Proud. In 1775 Samuel
Nicholas walked into the Tun
Tavern in Philadelphia to
recruit the first Marines. The
United States Marine Corps has
been the proud defender of the
freedom and liberty America
and its citizens enjoy.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania establishing the Marine Corps of
is regarded as the birthplace of the Navy, with two battalions,
the Marine Corps. The fact that to be commanded by a colonel,
Pennsylvania is the place of with two lieutenant-colonels.
birth of one of the greatest and two majors.
fighting forces in the world is
of immense historical
importance and pride to
Pennsylvanians.
On 9th November, 1775,
Congress passed an act
Tun Tavern, Philadelphia. archives.gov

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough

men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! - George Orwell
The Marine Corps Eagle, Globe and Anchor
marines.com
Congress later approved the
commission of fourteen new
officers during June 1776.
Among the new officers was
Robert Mullan, the owner of
the legendary Tun Tavern.
Captain Robert Mullan of
Pennsylvania played an
important role in the recruiting
Marines, effectively becoming
one of the first ‘Marine
Recruiters’ in the history of the
corps.
Pride. Honor. Tradition.
The Corps takes immense
pride in its customs and
traditions. The Marine Corps
emblem known as the Eagle
Globe, and Anchor often
abbreviated as the "EGA", was
adopted on 19th November,
1868. The motto“Semper Fidelis”
means always faithful in Latin.
The motto was adopted in 1883
and to this day is an integral
part that symbolizes a Marine’s
love, loyalty and pride in
Corps and Country. Such is the
respect that the Marine Corps
commands, President Ronald
Reagan once said “Some
people live an entire lifetime
and wonder if they have ever
made a difference in the world,
but the Marines don't have that
problem.”
A Marine’s creed is ingrained
into him the moment he starts
recruit training. General John J.
Pershing once said “The
deadliest weapon in the world
is a Marine and his rifle” and
his opinion is indicative of the
rigorous mastery of the
weapon that is expected from
A Marine’s Creed
“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
shoot me. I will... My rifle
and myself know that what
counts in war is not the
rounds we fire, the noise of
our burst, nor the smoke we
make. We know that it is the
hits that counts. We will hit...
My rifle is human, even as I,
because it is my life. Thus, I
will learn it as a brother. I
will learn it's weaknesses, its
strength, its parts, its
accessories, its sights and its
barrel. I will ever guard it
against the ravages of
weather and damage. I will
keep my rifle clean and
ready, even as I am clean
and ready. We will become
part of each other. We will...
Before god I swear this
creed. My rifle and myself
are the defenders of my
country. We are the masters
of my enemy. We are the
saviors of my life. So be it,
until there is no enemy, but
peace!”

every Marine. A Marine is
expected live his life by the
creed.
The Marine corps hymn is not
a song. It is a tribute to the
brotherhood and legacy of
Marine warriors. Marines
stormed the fortress Derna and
raised the American flag to
give us the “shores of Tripoli.”
Proud Marine warriors fought
their way into the castle at
Chapultepec to give us the
“halls of Montezum.” Marines
bleed to “fight for right and
freedom” and in doing so they
strive to “keep their honor
clean”. Fighting with dignity
and resolve. A Marine warrior
does not need a song to remind
him of the Corps’ legacy.
Marines have the Hymn.
Roots & Legacy
The United States Marine
Corps traces its institutional
roots to the Continental
Marines of the American
Revolutionary War, formed by
the commandant of the Marine
Corps Samuel Nicholas at the
Tun Tavern in Philadelphia.
November 10th has ever since
been celebrated as the
"birthday" of the United States
Marine Corps.
Marines Raising the flag at Iwo Jima
Joe Rosenthal, AP
In April 1783, at the end of the
American revolution, the
Continental Navy and the
Continental Marines were
disbanded. The Marine Corps
was resurrected in 1798 in
preparation for the Quasi-war
with France. It was then that
Congress officially created the
institution we know today as
the United States Marine
Corps .
Marines were enlisted by the
War Department in 1797 for
service aboard the new frigates
being built. Each frigate was to
carry Marines after the 18th
March, 1794 "Act to provide
Naval Armament" specified the
number of Marines to be
aboard each frigate. War
correspondent Richard
Harding Davis once famously
wrote, “The Marines have
landed, and the situation is
well in hand”; such was the
reputation of the Marine Corps
as a fighting force. Marines
Marine Corps
Hymn
From the Halls of
Montezuma,
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's
battles
In the 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 unfurled 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.
“First to fight for right and freedom”. Marines protect an Afghan father and son after Taliban fighters opened fire
on civilian populous in the town of Marjah. February, 2010.

Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad per inceptos

Goran Tomasevic, REUTERS

have fought our country’s battles with honor
and dignity.
Most recently, the Marines have served with
honor in the war against terror. The I Marine
Expeditionary Force, along with the Army's 3rd
Infantry division, spearheaded the 2003 invasion
of Iraq and continues to serve in Afghanistan
and Iraq.
Today's Marine Corps stands ready to continue
its proud tradition and history of those who so
valiantly fought and died for their Country,
Corps and our freedom at Iwo Jima, Chosin
Reservoir, Belleau Wood, Khe Sanh and other
battlefronts that most would not even be aware
of. The long and proud heritage of faithful
service to the nation, with the resolve to face
tomorrow's challenges will continue to keep the
Marine Corps the "best of the best." The proud
work of Sam Nicholas and the likes of Captain
Mullan at the Philadelphia Tun Tavern has
grown into one of the most fearsome and
honorable fighting forces in the world.

"The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the
highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for
the United States Marine Corps! "
! ! ! ! ! ! - Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States, 1945
Sources
Barry, Captain John. “Muster Roll of Officers, Petty Officers, Seamen, and Marines, on the Frigate
United States.” http://wardepartmentpapers.org/document.php?id=25096, February 9, 1798. http://
wardepartmentpapers.org/document.php?id=25096.
“Coalition troops force Taliban retreat from key stronghold | World news | The Observer.” http://
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/14/coalition-forces-taliban-retreat.
“Eagle Globe and Anchor Picture.” http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/navymarine/_files/images/
ega.gif.
“History of the Marines' Hymn.” http://www.usmcpress.com/heritage/marine_hymn.htm.
Rosenthal, Joe. “Flag Raising at Iwo Jima.” http://www.archives.gov/global-pages/larger-
image.html?i=/research/ww2/photos/images/thumbnails/ww2-156-l.jpg&c=/research/ww2/
photos/images/thumbnails/ww2-156.caption.html.
“samuel_nicholas.jpg (JPEG Image, 280x350 pixels) - Scaled (95%).” http://www.marine-family.org/
hqmc/cmcs/samuel_nicholas.jpg.
Simmons,  Edwin H. The United States Marines: A History, Fourth Edition. Annapolis, Maryland:
Naval Institute Press, 2003.  
Sloan, Tom. “Camp Pendleton Has Lead Role in Honoring President Reagan.” http://
www.military.com/features/0,15240,88163,00.html.
Smith,  Charles R. Marines in the Revolution: A History of the Continental Marines in the American
Revolution, 1775–1783. Honolulu, Hawaii: University Press of the Pacific, 2005.  
“The Old Tun Tavern Painting.” http://www.archives.gov/research/american-revolution/pictures/
images/revolutionary-war-025.jpg.
Tomasevic, Goran. “Afghanistan Offensive: Marines Save the Children.” http://
www.bagnewsnotes.com/2010/02/afghanistan-offensive-save-the-children.html.
West,  Bing. The March Up: Taking Baghdad with the 1st Marine Division. New York: Bantam Books,
2003.  
———. The March Up: Taking Baghdad with the 1st Marine Division. New York: Bantam Books, 2003.  
 

The man who will go where his colors will go, without asking, who will fight a phantom foe in a jungle and
mountain range, without counting, and who will suffer and die in the midst of incredible hardship, without
complaint, is still what he has always been, from Imperial Rome to sceptered Britain to Democratic America.
He is the stuff of which legions are made. His pride is his colors and his regiment, his training hard and
thorough and coldly realistic, to fit him for what he must face, and his obedience is to his orders. As a
legionary, he held the gates of civilization for the classical world...he has been called United States Marine.

! ! ! ! ! -Lieutenant Colonel T.R. Fehrenbach, US Army in "This Kind of War"