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Marine Crops History

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Following are U.S. Marine Corps History Lesson Plans 
         Contributed by Young Marine Units.

1. Big D YM, History of Marine Corps Seal  & Emblem
2. Big D YM, History of the Marine Corps Emblem
3. Big D YM, History of the Marine Corps Hymn
4. History of the Monford Point Marines
5. The Old Corps
6. My Name is Parris Island

1. Big D YM, Marine Corps Seal & Emblem

                                          Marine Corps Seal

The Marine Corps Seal, designed by the Marine Corps Uniform Board in accordance
with instructions of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, then General Lemuel
C. Shepherd, Jr., was adopted by Presidential Executive Order 10538 of
22 June 1954.

The traditional Marine Corps Emblem -- Eagle, Globe and Foul Anchor -- forms
the basic device of the Seal. Of these three, the eagle and the foul anchor are the
most venerable, dating from 1800 when they first appeared on the Marine uniform
button -- a button which has remained to this day virtually unchanged from its
original form. Influenced strongly by the design of the emblem of the British Royal
Marines depicting as their domain the Eastern hemisphere, the U.S. Marines
adopted in 1868 as their emblem a globe showing the Western hemisphere. To
this was added the spread eagle and foul anchor from the button. Twelve years
later the motto, "Semper Fidelis," completed the design. 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.

2. Big D YM, History of the Marine Corps Emblem

                                          Marine Corps Emblem

The history of the Marine Corps emblem is a story related to the history of the
Corps itself. The emblem of today traces its roots to the designs and ornaments
of early Continental Marines as well as British Royal Marines. The emblem took its
present form in 1868. Before that time many devices, ornaments, and
distinguishing marks followed one another as official marks of the Corps.

In 1776, the device consisted of a "foul anchor" of silver or pewter. The foul
anchor still forms a part of the emblem today. (A foul anchor is an anchor which
has one or more turns of the chain around it). Changes were made in 1798,
1821, and 1824. In 1834 it was prescribed that a brass eagle be worn on the hat,
the eagle to measure 3 1/2 inches from wingtip to wingtip.

During the early years numerous distinguishing marks were prescribed, including
"black cockades," "scarlet plumes," and "yellow bands and tassels." In 1859 the
origin of the present color scheme for the officer's dress uniform ornaments
appeared on an elaborate device of solid white metal and yellow metal. The
design included a United States shield, half wreath, a bugle, and the letter "M."

In 1868, Brigadier General Commandant Jacob Zeilin appointed a board "to decide
and report upon the various devices of cap ornaments for the Marine Corps." On
13 November 1868, the board turned in its report. It was approved by the
Commandant four days later, and on 19 November 1868 was signed by the
Secretary of the Navy.

The emblem recommended by this board has survived with minor changes to this
day. It consists of a globe (showing the Western Hemisphere) intersected by a
foul anchor, and surmounted by a spread eagle. On the emblem itself, the device
is topped by a ribbon inscribed with the Latin motto "Semper Fidelis" (Always
Faithful). The uniform ornaments omit the motto ribbon.

The general design of the emblem was probably derived from the British Royal
Marines' "Globe and Laurel." The globe on the U.S. Marine emblem signifies service
in any part of the world. The eagle also indirectly signifies service worldwide,
although this may not have been the intention of the designers in 1868. The eagle
they selected for the Marine emblem is a crested eagle, a type found all over the
world. On the other hand, the eagle pictured on the great seal and the currency
of the United States is the bald eagle, strictly an American variety. The anchor,
whose origin dates back to the founding of the Marine Corps in 1775, indicates
the amphibious nature of Marines' duties

3. Big D YM, History of the Marine Corps Hymn 

                                          Marines' Hymn

Following the war with the Barbary Pirates in 1805, when Lieutenant Presely N.
O'Bannon and his small force of Marines participated in the capture of Derne and
hoisted the American flag for the first time over a fortress of the Old World, the
Colors of the Corps was inscribed with the words: "To the Shores of Tripoli." After
the Marines participated in the capture and occupation of Mexico City and the
Castle of Chapultepec, otherwise known as the "Halls of Montezuma," the words
on the Colors were changed to read: "From the Shores of Tripoli to the Halls of
Montezuma." Following the close of the Mexican War came the first verse of the
Marines' Hymn, written, according to tradition, by a Marine on duty in Mexico. For
the sake of euphony, the unknown author transposed the phrases in the motto
on the Colors so that the first two lines of the Hymn would read: "From the Halls
of Montezuma, to the Shores of Tripoli."

A serious attempt to trace the tune of the Marines' Hymn to its source is revealed
 in correspondence between Colonel A.S. McLemore, USMC, and Walter F. Smith,
 second leader of the Marine Band. Colonel McLemore wrote: "Major Richard
Wallach, USMC, says that in 1878, when he was in Paris, France, the aria to which
the Marines' Hymn is now sung was a very popular one." The name of the opera
and a part of the chorus was secured from Major Wallach and forwarded to Mr.
Smith, who replied: "Major Wallach is to be congratulated upon a wonderfully
accurate musical memory, for the aria of the Marine Hymn is certainly to be found
in the opera, 'Genevieve de Brabant'. . .The melody is not in the exact form of the
Marine Hymn, but is undoubtedly the aria from which it was taken. I am informed,
 however, by one of the members of the band, who has a Spanish wife, that the
aria was one familiar to her childhood and it may, therefore, be a Spanish folk
 song."

In a letter to Major Harold F. Wirgman, USMC, dated 21 October 1936, John Philip
Sousa says: "The melody of the 'Halls of Montezuma' is taken from Offenbach's
comic opera, 'Genveieve de Brabant' and is sung by two gendarmes." Most people
believe that the aria of the Marines' Hymn was, in fact, taken from "Genevieve de
Brabant," an opera-bouffe (a farcical form of opera, generally termed musical
comedy) composed by Jacques Offenbach, and presented at the Theatre de
Bouffes Parisians, Paris, on 19 November 1859.

Offenbach was born in Cologne, Germany, 21 June 1819 and died 5 October
1880. He studied music from an early age and in 1838 entered the Paris
Conservatoire as a student. In 1834, he was admitted as a violoncellist to the
"Opera Comique" and soon attained much popularity with Parisian audiences. He
became conductor of the Theatre Francais in 1847 and subsequently leased the
Theatre Comte, which he reopened as the Bouffes-Parisians. Most of his operas
are classified as comic (light and fanciful) and include numerous popular
productions, many of which still hold a high place in European and American countries.

Every campaign the Marines have taken part in gives birth to an unofficial verse.
For example, the following from Iceland: 

                             "Again in nineteen forty-one 
                              We sailed a north'ard course 
                              And found beneath the midnight sun, 
                              The Viking and the Norse. 
                              The Iceland girls were slim and fair, 
                              And fair the Iceland scenes, 
                              And the Army found in landing there, 
                              The United States Marines."

Copyright ownership of the Marines' Hymn was vested in the United States Marine
 Corps per certificate of registration dated 19 August 1991, but it is now in the
public domain. In 1929, the Commandant of the Marine Corps authorized the
following verses of the Marines' Hymn as the official version: 

                             "From the halls of Montezuma 
                              to the Shores of Tripoli, 
                              We fight our country's battles 
                              On the land as on the sea. 
                              First to fight for right and freedom, 
                              And to keep our honor clean, 
                              We are proud to claim the title 
                              of United States Marines." 

                             "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."

On 21 November 1942, the Commandant of the Marine Corps approved a change
in the words of the fourth line, first verse, to read, "In air, on land, and sea."
Former Gunnery Sergeant H.L. Tallman, veteran observer in Marine Corps Aviation
 who participated in many combat missions with Marine Corps Aviation over the
Western Front in World War I, first proposed the change at a meeting of the First
Marine Aviation Force Veterans Association in Cincinnati, Ohio. Many interesting
stories have been associated with the Marines' Hymn. One of the best was
published in the Stars and Stripes, the official newspaper of the American
Expeditionary Force, under date of 16 August 1918.

"A wounded officer from among the gallant French lancers had just been carried
into a Yankee field hospital to have his dressing changed. He was full of
compliments and curiosity about the dashing contingent that fought at his
regiment's left. "A lot of them are mounted troops by this time, he explained, for
when our men would be shot from their horses, these youngsters would give one
running jump and gallop ahead as cavalry. I believe they are soldiers from
Montezuma. At least, when they advanced this morning, they were all singing
"From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli."

The Marines' Hymn has been sung and played wherever U.S. Marines have landed,
and today is recognized as one of the foremost military service songs.
4. The Monford Point Marines

The Montford Point Marine
By Bethanne Kelly Patrick Military.com Writer

It was May 1943, and the young man in his $54 dress blues just
wanted to get away from base and the stress of wartime, take some
liberty, and see his family. But when he got to Cleveland, Pfc. R.J.
Wood was arrested and charged with impersonating a Marine,
according to Bennie J. McRae's "The Montford Point Marines" Web site.
Like most Americans at that time, the Cleveland police had never
seen an African-American Marine before.

Wood was one of 21,609 African Americans trained at Montford Point,
N.C. They all soon proved that they were real Marines, many of them
at places like Iwo Jima. Today's Marine Corps, like its sister services,
is fully integrated, but for decades, the Marines did not admit African
Americans. In 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed
Executive Order 8802 to establish the Fair Employment Practice
Commission, banning discrimination "because of race, creed, color, or
national origin" in all government agencies.

Recruiting for the "Montford Marines" began on June 1, 1942.
Thousands of African-American men, eager to serve, flocked to
recruiting offices. The quota of 1,200 men were housed in
prefabricated huts near segregated Jacksonville, N.C., where railroad
tracks divided white residents from black. The troops at Montford
experienced racism again and again. For example, unless accompanied
by a white Marine, these men were not allowed to enter Camp Lejeune.

By 1945, all drill instructors and many NCOs at Montford Point were
black. The Montford Marines performed well in their duties at home
and abroad, despite the strictures placed on them by society in their
era. In practice, these men surpassed all anti-aircraft gunnery records
previously set by Marines, and named their weapon "Lena" after their
favorite singer, Lena Horne.

Most important, the men of Montford Point made it impossible for the
Marine Corps to return to its prewar policy. President Harry S. Truman
eliminated segregated units in 1949. But the Montford Point Marines
have not been forgotten. In 1998, Parris Island drum major Staff Sgt.
Vernon Harris composed the music to a song, "I'll Take the Marines,"
commemorating the group. The words had been written by a Montford
Marine, LaSalle Vaughn. "If African Americans at that time could go
through the rigorous training of Marines when it was segregated and
they were looked down on and still be proud Marines … it encourages
all Marines to look forward and recognize our progress," Harris said.

5. The Old Corps!

From "Stable Able 1/7 Newsletter", Sept. 2006

Most of you (not all) won't recall a lot of this but if you do, so be it.  If you
don't, you missed a good time!

The following is a page found in the book "Green Side Out" by Major H.G.
Duncan, USMC (Ret) and Captain W.T. Moore, Jr., USMC (Ret).

  1. You kept your rifle in the barracks.
  2. Your 782 gear did not wear out.
  3. Mess Halls were Mess Halls, NOT dining facilities
  4. No vandalism wrecked the barracks.
  5. Everyone was a Marine and his ethnic background was unimportant.
  6. We had heroes.
  7. Chaplains didn't teach leadership to the experts.
  8. Getting High meant getting drunk.
  9. Skivvies had tie-ties.
10. We starched our khakis and looked like hell after sitting down the first tme.
11. We wore the short green jacket (battle jacket) with the winter uniform.
12. We wore Sam Browne belts and sharpened one edge of the buckle for the 
       bad fights.
13. We kept our packs made up and hanging on the edge of the rack.
14. We spit-shined shoes.
15. Brownbaggers' first concern was the Marine Corps.
16. Generals cussed.
17. Generals paid more attention to the Marine Corps than to politics.
18. UA (unauthorised absence) meant being afew minutes late from a great 
       liberty, and only happened once per career.
19. Brigs were truly "correctional" facilities, i.e. the Red Line Brig.
20. Sergeants were gods.
21. The tips of the index and middle fingers of one hand were constantly black 
       from Kiwi shoe polish.
22. We scrubbed the wooden decks of the barracks with creosol.
23. We had wooden barracks.
24. Privates made less than $100.00 a month.
25. You weren't transported to war by Trans World or Pan American airlines.
26. Barracks violence was a fight between two buddies who were buddies when 
       it was over.
27. Larceny was a civilian crime.
28. Every trooper had all his gear.
29. Marines had more uniforms that civilian clothes.
30. Country and western music did not start race riots in the clubs.
31. We had no race riots because we had no recognition of races.
32. Marine Corps birthdays ere elebrated on 10 November no matter what day 
       of the week it may have been (except Sunday).
33. Support units supported.
34. The supply tail did not wag the maintenance dog.
35. The 734 form was the only supply document.
36. You did your own laundry, including ironing.
37. You aired your bedding.
38. Daily police of the outside areas was held although they were always clean.
39. Field stripping of cigarette butts was required.
40. Everyone helped at field day.
41. A tour as Duty NCO was an honor.
42. Everyone got up at reveille.
43. Movies were free.
44. Movies cost 10 cents, 50 cents, or $1.00...?
45. PX items were bargains.
46. Parking was the least of problems.  Troops couldn't afford cars.
47. You weren't married unless you could afford it.  And you had permission from 
       your Company Commander.
48. Courts-martial orders were read in battalion formations.
49. A bum didn't have a BCD awarded more that once or twice before he actually 
       fot it.
50. Marines receiving BCD's were drummed out the gate.
51. Courts-martial were a rarity.
52. We had the "Rocks and Shoals".
53. NCO's and officers were not required to be psychologists.
54. The misssion was the most important thing.
55. Marines could shoot.
56. Marines had a decent rifle.
57. The BAR was the mainstay of the fire team.
58. Machine gunnery was an art.
59. Maggie's drawers ment a miss and was considered demeaning as hech to 
       the dignity of the shooter.
60. Carbide lamps blackened sights.
61. We wore leggings and herringbone utilities.
62. We had machine gun carts.
63. We mixed target paste in the butts.
64. We had to take and pass promotion tests.
65.We really had equal opportunity.
66. Sickbays gave APCs for all ailments.
67. The flame tank was in the arsenal of weapons.
68. Marines got haircuts.
69. The squad bay rich guy was the only one with a radio.
70. If a Marine couldn't make it on a hike, his buddies carried his gear, and helped 
       him stumble along so that he wouldn't have to fall out.
71. The base legal section was one or two clerks and a lawyer.
72. Marines wore dog tags all the time.
73. We spit shined shoes and Brush shined boots.
74. We wore boon dockers.
75. We starched field scarves.
76. We worked a five and one-half day week.
77. Everyone attended unit parties.
78. In the field we used straddle trenches instead of "Porta-Potties."
79. We used Morse Code for difficult transmissions.
80. The oil-burning tent stove was the center of social activity inthe tent.
81. We had unit mail call.
82. We carried swagger sticks.
83. We had Chesty Puller,
84. Greater privileges for NCOs were not a "right."
85. EM Clubs were where you felt at home...and safe.
86. We sailed on troop ships.
87. We rode on troop trains.
88. Sentries had some authority.
89.Warrant Officers were not in their teens.
90. Mess hall "Southern cooking" was not called "Soul food."
91. Marines went to the chapel on Sundays.
92. Weekend liberty to a distant place was a rarity.
93. We landed in LCVPs and always got wet.
94. We debarked from ship by means of nets over the side.
95. Shirts were cut down and spit shined shoes were double soled.
96. Khakis were heavily starched, and you had to run your arm through the pants 
       leg to open them up. 
97. Shirt pockets could not be opened and you carried cigarettes in your socks.
98. There were no back pockets in uniform trousers.
99. Buttons on your "Blues" were really brass, and you shined them using 
       jewelers rouge and a button shield.
100. Washing dungarees abord ship was done by running a line through the arms 
       and legs and throwing them over the side.  But you never left the attached 
       line.  The swabbies would cut the line every time.

6. My Name Is Parris Island

My Name Is Parris Island  

 


If you have been here, you know my name.

My name is Parris Island. 

 

I was officially started in 1915 and I have seen recruits come and go by the thousands.

If you were here when you got here by ferry boat, then you are truly old Corps. 

 

All recruits see my main gate only twice, once on the way in and once on the way out.  Mostly you come by bus in the middle of the night.

Tall, short, fat, skinny, black and white, long hair, short hair.

You come through my main gate, some laughing, some scared,

mostly you act like teenagers, mostly you are teenagers.

Each come here for their own reasons, but most come to test themselves.

Most need a direction in their lives. 

As you pass through my main gate your lives will change from that point on.

 

I hope to see you leave as Marines, but you will not all leave together as Marines. 

Some will leave by themselves, not Marines. 

They did not make the goal, my heart goes out to them,

but not everyone can be a Marine. 

 

But today my heart is full of pride for the next graduation of recruits,

now MARINES, is leaving my front gate, teenagers no more,

but young men and women with a history to live up too. 

 

13 weeks and just look at the change.

You know this is a happy day for me, but my best days are yet to come.

That's when these Marines come back to see me 20, 30, 40 years from now.

Oh yeah, a lot of the old ones come back to see me, they have not forgotten

Old Parris Island and I have not forgotten them.  

 

Marines and I have this bond, it's in our blood, it's PRIDE,

it is where it all started for both of us. 

 

My sad days are the ones for those that can't come back to see me, those that were killed in World War One, World War Two, Korea, Vietnam, Beirut

and all the other actions around the world. 

 

Hey, I've got to go.  Have a bus load coming in tonight

and one leaving in the morning...SEMPER FI !!! 

 

Y'all come back and see me now,  ya hear???

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