Today marks the 247th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Founded in 1775, even before America won her independence, the Second Continental Congress created two battalions of Continental Marines.
This video was published today by the US Marines.
Since 1862, 297 Marines have been awarded the Medal of Honor.
Lore suggests Marines earned the nickname “Devil Dogs” from German soldiers describing Marines who fought in the Battle of Belleau Wood in 1918. They fought with such ferocity that they were likened to “Dogs from Hell.”
During the Battle of Belleau Wood, Marines charged across a field into heavy German machine-gun fire but, despite suffering vast casualties, continued their advance.
“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” First Sgt. Dan Daly shouted to his troops as he lead them into Marine Corps history.
Marine Corps League shares Marine Corps’ history:
On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia passed a resolution, stating that “two Battalions of Marines be raised” for service as landing forces. With this resolution the Continental Marines were established marking the birth date of the United States Marine Corps. Serving on land and at sea, these first Marines distinguished themselves in a number of important operations, including their first amphibious raid into the Bahamas in 1776, under the command of Captain (later Major) Samuel Nicholas, Nicholas, the first commissioned officer in the Continental Marines, remained the senior Marine officer until the end of the American Revolution and is considered to be the first Marine Commandant. The Treaty between England and the new American nation in Paris in April 1783 brought an end to the Revolutionary War and as the last of the Nations Warships were sold, the Continental Navy and Marines went out of existence.
Following the Revolutionary War and the formal re-establishment of the Marine Corps in July 1798, Marines saw action in the quasi-war with France, landed in Santo Domingo and took part in many operations against the Barbary pirates along the “Shores of Tripoli.” Marines participated in numerous naval operations during the War of 1812, as well as participating in the Defense of Washington at Bladensburg, Maryland. On another front, Marines fought along side Andrew Jackson during the defeat of the British at New Orleans. The decades following the War of 1812 saw the Marines protecting American interests around the word, in the Caribbean, at the Falkland Islands, Sumatra and off the coast of West Africa, and also close to home in the operations against the Seminole Indians in Florida.
The Marine Corps has an impressive history including their ten toughest and most important battles.
View the the impressive biographies of the 297 Marines who received the Medal of Honor distinction.
As President Ronald Reagan said, ” Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But the Marines don’t have that problem.”
To all our active duty and retired Marines, Happy Birthday!
Semper fidelis.