US Marine Corps

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The history of the Marine Corps began when two battalions of Continental Marines were formed on 10 November 1775 in Philadelphia as a service branch of infantry troops capable of fighting both at sea and on shore. In the Pacific theater of World War II, the Corps took the lead in a massive campaign of amphibious warfare, advancing from island to island. The Marine Corps was founded to serve as an infantry unit aboard naval vessels. Marines were responsible for the security of the ship and its crew by conducting offensive and defensive combat during boarding actions and defending the ship's officers from mutiny. America's first amphibious assault landing occurred early in the Revolutionary War, on 3 March 1776, as the Marines gained control of Fort Montagu and Fort Nassau, a British ammunition depot and naval port in New Providence, the Bahamas. In 1950, President Harry Truman responded to a message from U.S. representative Gordon L. McDonough, who had urged President Truman to add Marine representation on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. President Truman wrote, 'The Marine Corps is the Navy's police force and as long as I am President that is what it will remain. They have a propaganda machine that is almost equal to Stalin's.' Congressmen and Marine organizations reacted, calling President Truman's remarks an insult, and demanded an apology. Truman apologized to the Marine commandant at the time, writing, 'I sincerely regret the unfortunate choice of language which I used in my letter of August 29 to Congressman McDonough concerning the Marine Corps.' He made amends only by making a surprise visit to the Marine Corps League a few days later, when he reiterated, 'When I make a mistake, I try to correct it. I try to make as few as possible.' He received a standing ovation.

In Their Own Story

The Marine Band, dubbed the 'President's Own' by John Adams, provides music for state functions at the White House. Marines from Ceremonial Companies A & B, quartered in Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., guard presidential retreats, including Camp David. The Marines of the Executive Flight Detachment of HMX-1 provide helicopter transport to the president and vice president, with the radio call signs 'Marine One' and 'Marine Two', respectively. The Executive Flight Detachment also provides helicopter transport to Cabinet members and other VIPs. The Marine Security Guard of the Marine Embassy Security Command provide security for American embassies, legations, and consulates at more than 140 posts worldwide. After World War II, an alert, disciplined force was needed to protect American embassies, consulates, and legations throughout the world. In 1947, a proposal was made that the Department of Defense furnish Marine Corps personnel for Foreign Service guard duty under the provisions of the Foreign Service Act of 1946. A formal memorandum of agreement was signed between the Department of State and the secretary of the Navy in December 1948, and 83 marines were deployed to overseas missions. During the first year of the program, 36 detachments were deployed worldwide.

Reader's Guide

The Marine Corps fulfills a critical military role as an amphibious warfare force. It is capable of asymmetric warfare with conventional, irregular, and hybrid forces. While the Marine Corps does not employ any unique capabilities, as a force, it can rapidly deploy a combined-arms task force to almost anywhere in the world within days. The basic structure for all deployed units is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) that integrates a ground combat element, an aviation combat element, and a logistics combat element under a common command element. The close integration of disparate Marine units stems from an organizational culture centered on the infantry. Every other Marine capability exists to support the infantry. This focus on the infantry is matched with the doctrine of 'Every Marine [is] a rifleman', a precept of Commandant Alfred M. Gray, Jr., emphasizing the infantry combat abilities of every Marine. All Marines, regardless of military specialization, receive training as a rifleman, and all officers receive additional training as infantry platoon commanders. During World War II at the Battle of Wake Island, when all the Marine aircraft were destroyed, pilots continued the fight as ground officers, leading supply clerks and cooks in a final defensive effort.

Did You Know?

• The Marine Corps has been part of the United States Department of the Navy since 30 June 1834.
• America's first amphibious assault landing occurred on 3 March 1776, when Marines gained control of Fort Montagu and Fort Nassau in the Bahamas.
• The Marine Band is dubbed the 'President's Own' by John Adams.
• In 1950, President Harry Truman called the Marine Corps 'the Navy's police force' and later apologized for the remark.
• As of 2025, the USMC operates 313 V-22 Ospreys, 183 F-35B Lightning IIs, and 78 AV-8B Harrier IIs.