Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy MCJROTC
The United States Marines have defended and fought for the American people since before the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. Congress authorized two battalions of Marines on November 10, 1775 - the official birth of the Marine Corps.
Since its inception, the Marine Corps has celebrated a legacy unlike any other. Its force is rich in history and traditions - upholding three core values that are at the soul of its institution: honor, courage and commitment.
"The man who will go where his colors go, without asking, who will fight a phantom foe in 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...He has been called United States Marine." -Historian T. E. Fehrenbach "First to fight for right and freedom, and to keep our honor clean." "First to Fight" is a long-standing Marine axiom that refers to the traditional Marine role of being among the first to see action when a defense call is initiated. For emergencies at home or abroad, Marines have the capability to mobilize immediately because of their constant state of battle-readiness- their "expeditionary" nature. "Every Marine a Rifleman." A Marine Commandant once mandated that every Marine would be a rifleman first, in order to ensure all Marines could support each other in times of combat. The mandate has since become a respected tradition. All Marines, regardless of occupational specialty, rank or sex, are trained in the fundamentals of infantry - the backbone of combat.
Marksmanship, discipline and battle-readiness are Marine Corps trademarks. In fact, in 1804, Marines wore an eagle and the motto "Fortitudine," meaning "with courage," on a brass plate on their cap. Throughout history, Marines are known for courage under fire, tenacity and determination to stand when others would turn.
Marines enjoy a reputation for prowess in combat. This reputation has been earned "in every clime and place" throughout our nation's history.
Since its inception, the Marine Corps has celebrated a legacy unlike any other. Its force is rich in history and traditions - upholding three core values that are at the soul of its institution: honor, courage and commitment.
"The man who will go where his colors go, without asking, who will fight a phantom foe in 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...He has been called United States Marine." -Historian T. E. Fehrenbach "First to fight for right and freedom, and to keep our honor clean." "First to Fight" is a long-standing Marine axiom that refers to the traditional Marine role of being among the first to see action when a defense call is initiated. For emergencies at home or abroad, Marines have the capability to mobilize immediately because of their constant state of battle-readiness- their "expeditionary" nature. "Every Marine a Rifleman." A Marine Commandant once mandated that every Marine would be a rifleman first, in order to ensure all Marines could support each other in times of combat. The mandate has since become a respected tradition. All Marines, regardless of occupational specialty, rank or sex, are trained in the fundamentals of infantry - the backbone of combat.
Marksmanship, discipline and battle-readiness are Marine Corps trademarks. In fact, in 1804, Marines wore an eagle and the motto "Fortitudine," meaning "with courage," on a brass plate on their cap. Throughout history, Marines are known for courage under fire, tenacity and determination to stand when others would turn.
Marines enjoy a reputation for prowess in combat. This reputation has been earned "in every clime and place" throughout our nation's history.
General Marine History: The stuff everyone should know!
Most Decorated Marine –Chesty Puller (5 Navy Crosses), retired as Lt. General
Only Enlisted Marine to receive two Medals of Honor – Gunnery Sgt. Dan Daly, who was the Marine who said "Come on, you sons of b*****s! Do you want to live forever?!" at Belleau Wood
Only Marine Officer to receive two Medals of Honor – Smedley Butler, retired as Major General
Grand Old Man of the Marine Corps – Archibald Henderson (Why? 39 years as Commandant 1820–1859)
First Marine Aviator – Lt. Alfred A Cunningham (5th Naval Aviator)
First Marine Aviator to win the Medal of Honor – Cpt. Hank Elrod
Iron Mike – The nickname bestowed on the statue of the World War I Marine, located in front of the old post headquarters, now the Marine Corps Museum, in Quantico.
Fourragere – This is the senior unit award, and the first collective award won by Marines. It was awarded to the 4th Marine Brigade in 1918, in lieu of awarding all hands the Croix de Guerre. The green and scarlet of the Fourragere may still be seen on the left shoulders of the 5th and 6th Marines.
Semper Fidelis – Always Faithful – This is the motto of the Marine Corps. That Marines have lived up to this motto is proven by the fact that there has never been a mutiny in the Corps. This is also the title of the Marine's March, composed by John Phillip Sousa, in 1888m during his tour with the Marine Band.
Marine Colors – The colors scarlet and gold were made the official colors of the Marine Corps by General John A. Lejeune, the 13th Commandant. The color forest green is considered the unofficial color of the Corps.
Eagle, Globe and Anchor – The Marine Emblem dates from 1868. It was contributed to the Corps by Brigadier General Jacob Zeilen, 7th Commandant. Until 1840, Marines wore various devices, mainly based on the eagle or foul anchor. In 1868, General Zeilen felt a distinctive emblem was needed. The decided on device was borrowed from the British Marines: the globe. The globe had been conferred on the Royal Marines by King George IV. Because it was impossible to show all of the Royal Marines honors on their colors, said the king, "the great globe itself" was to be their emblem, because they had won honor everywhere. The Western Hemisphere is displayed on the globe of the US Marines. The eagle and foul anchor leave no doubt that the Corps is both American and Maritime.
Quatrefoil – The cross shaped braid atop the barracks covers of the Marine Officers. The braid is of French origin, and has been worn ever since 1859. It is said to have been first used to allow the Marines in the masts of ships to distinguish their officers from the sailors during a sea battle.
The Canton Bell – This was won by the Royal Marines during the battle of the Canton forts in China. It originally occupied an honored spot at the Royal Marines Barracks at Chatham, and when the barracks was decommissioned after World War II, the bell was given to the US Marines, as a symbol of the comradeship between the two Corps.
Mameluke Sword – This is the name of the sword carried by Marine officers. It dates back to before 1812. It gets its name from the cross hilt and ivory grip. Lt. Presley O'Bannon is said to have won the sword from the Governor of Derne, Tripoli.
The Scarlet Trouser Stripe – 'Blood' Stripe – The scarlet stripe worn on the blue trousers of officers (width 1 1/2 inches) and NCO's (width 1 1/8 inches) is said to represent the bloody battle for Chapultec Castle, at Vera Cruz, in Mexico, in 1847.
Belleau Wood – (June, 1918) Up until that time, this battle was considered the greatest battle in the history of the Marine Corps. The stocks of Rifles carried by Marines are occasionally said to be made of Belleau Wood.
Women Marines – First established in August, 1918, and nicknamed the "Marinettes." When disbanded after World War I, many of the women stayed on in civilan status, and later filled many important managerial positions. Re–established in February, 1943, as the Women Reserves. In November, 1948, permanently organized as the Women Marines.
Marine Corps Birthday – 10 November, 1775
Marine Corps Birthplace – Tun's Tavern, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Non-Commissioned Officers and Traditions
The oldest known Non-commissioned Rank with a standard title and standard function is that of the Roman Centurion. The Centurion commanded a "century" (one hundred men). Vegetius, the leading Roman Military writer, wrote a description of the centurion's duties in A.D. 378 that could apply to any company Gunnery Sergeant or NCO commanding a Platoon or Squad:
He is to be vigilant, temperate,active, and readier to execute the orders he receives than to discuss them; strict in exercising and keeping up proper discipline among his soldiers, in obliging them to appear clean and well dressed and in having their arms constantly polished and bright.
Staff NCO Ranks. The grade of Sergeant Major dates back to the thirteenth century when that title applied to the Chief Tenant of a Knight's Military Retinue. The grade is peculiar in that it has at various times been applied to Commissioned Officers as well as NCO's. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Sergeant Major was a Field Officer below the grade of Lieutenant Colonel, equivalent to Major today, who usually preformed duties as Adjutant. In mid-seventeeth-century England under Cromwell, A Sergeant Major was actually a General Officer rank equivalent to today's Major General. From the eighteenth century to the present, Sergeant Major has become the title of the highest NCO Grade (except in the British Army, where the Sergeant-Major is a Warrant Officer). Whether the grade was that of Commissioned or Noncommissioned Officer, the responsibilities of the rank have always been those of Superintendence over the Organizations drill, discipline, Morale, and Administration.
The Marine Corps grade of Sergeant Major was created by Congress in 1798. The first incumbent was Sergeant Major Archibald Summers. For exactly a century, until the Spanish-American War in 1898, the Corps had but one Sergeant Major billet, which is the orgin of today's post of Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (reinsituted in May 1957).
Master Gunnery Sergeant and Gunnery Sergeant both stem from the law that expanded the Marine Corps for the war with Spain in 1898, although the more senior rank was not explicitly created until 1935.
Although the title of First Sergeant, and therefore presumably the function, go back in the Corps to 1833, the actual rank originally held by NCO's serving as First Sergeants was that of Orderly Sergeant, a grade that was abolished in 1872 in favor of First Sergeant.
Master Sergeant, the newest of the Corps' Staff NCO ranks, dates from 1946 when the Marine Corps, for reasons that remain obscure, bodily adopted the existing NCO rank structure then in force for the Army, Master Sergeant being one of those grades. Staff Sergeant, also originally an Army rank, was adopted by the Marine Corps in 1923.
Platoon Sergeant, now only the title of a function, was a Marine Corps grade from 1923 to 1946 in what today would be the E-6 level.
Junior NCO Ranks.Sergeant, like Sergeant Major, is a very old rank. The title comes from and Old French word, Sergent, derived from the Latin,Servientem, which has among its meanings, "be in service to, be devoted to, work hard for"-good descriptions of many a sergeant's duties for the Corps.
The rank of Sergeant first appeared in 1425 as a person in Military Service below the rank of Knight. By 1548, in the Condottieri, The Sergeants had come to what they are today, NCOs above the grade of Corporal. Curiously, in the Marine Corps, Dergeant is an older rate than Sergeant Major. Throughtout the Revolutionary War and until 1798, Sergeants were the senior NCOs of the Corps.
Corporal is another old rank, dating back to 1529 from the Italian title,Capporale, meaning an NCO in charge of a body of troops, In the sixteenth-century England, the Corporal's command-what today we would call a Squad-was known as "a coporalship. "In the seventeenth century, a corporal, entitled "Corporal of the Field,: could be a Commissioned Officer like the Sergeant Major. A corporal of the field served as an aide or Staff Officer to the seventeenth-century Officer-grade Sergeant Major. Sergeant and Corporal are the two oldest NCO ranks in the Marine Corps.
Lance Corporal results from a marriage of the French word Lancepesade (literally meaning "broken Lance" and hence an old soldier who has broken many a lance in combat) to "Corporal." At first, the rank was simply lancepesade, but soon became Lancepesade-Corporal, from which the present title comes, being first recorded in 1611. The Marine Corps has had Lance Corporals ( and, for a time, Lance-Sergeants,too) since the 1830s, although the rank went out of use between 1930 and 1958, when it was reestablished.
The Springfield Rifle: MCJROTC currently uses a non-operating replica of this rifle for Close Order Drill.
Nomenclature –
US Rifle, caliber 30, model 190A3 is a demilitarized, magazine fed, manually operated, air cooled, bolt action, shoulder weapon.
Ten Rifle Characteristics:
Clip – 5 rounds
Cooling – Air
Muzzle Velocity – 2700 ft/s
Maximum Effective Range – 600 yds
Maximum Range – 3500 yds
Chamber Pressure – 50,000 psi
Bore Diameter – .308 in
Barrel Length – 24 in
Overall Length – 3 ft 7 1/2 in (43.5 in)
Maximum Effective Rate of Fire – Number of well aimed rounds per minute
History of the Model 1903:
The Model 1903 A1, A3 standard service rifle was the culmination of the development of a weapon which was conceived during the Spanish–American War. The 7mmm Mauser Rifle, carried by the Spanish, was much more effective and efficient than the .30–.40 Krags and the .45–.70 trapdoor Springfields, which were carried by the Americans. First tested in combat during World War I, the Springfield was the standard Marine Infantry weapon until after the battle of Guadalcanal, in 1942. The Model 1903 Mark 1 rifle was brought into existence due to the invention of a device which converted the standard service rifle into a semi–automatic weapon. This device, named after its inventor, J.D. Peterson, consisted of a replacement assembly for the standard service bolt, and a 40 round magazine which, when installed, fitted above and at a 45 degree to the right of the receiver group of the weapon. Due to the energy required to work the device, a fired round had a muzzle energy of only 1/8th that of the standard service weapon, and thus less velocity and impact; but the Peterson Device was enthusiastically accepted nonetheless due to the weapon's highly increased firepower. Additionally, it was felt that the weapons effective range was still up to 500 yards for a positive kill.
Weights of 1903A3 Springfield Rifle:
Unloaded – 9.2 lbs.
Loaded – 9.8 lbs.
Unloaded, with bayonet – 10.2 lbs.
Loaded, with bayonet – 10.8 lbs.
Cycle of Operations for 1903A3 Springfield Rifle:
1. Feeding
2. Chambering
3. Locking
4. Firing
5. Unlocking
6. Extraction
7. Ejection
8. Cooling
Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone
Famous for his heroism during World War II, John Basilone (1916-1945) was a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient whose name and reputation are synonymous with the sacrifices and sense of duty shared by generations of enlisted Marines. Born in Buffalo, NY, and raised in Raritan, NJ, Basilone enlisted in the Army at 18, serving from 1934 until 1937 in the Philippines and earning the nickname "Manila John." Basilone enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 1940. In October 1942, while serving as a sergeant with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, he was in charge of two sections of heavy machine guns during a fierce assault by a Japanese regiment. With one of his gun crews out of action, he helped repel and defeat the Japanese forces. He moved an extra gun into position and repaired and manned another until help arrived. He later he risked his life providing ammunition to his gunners. Following the grueling battle, Basilone was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor "for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action against enemy forces, above and beyond the call of duty." Basilone returned to the home front, where he was hailed as a hero and appeared at hugely successful war-bond rallies. He asked to return to combat to "be with my boys." As a gunnery sergeant he participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima with the 1st Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division. After distinguishing himself by single-handedly destroying an enemy blockhouse and helping to guide a friendly tank out of a minefield, he was killed in action Feb. 19, 1945. For his heroism at Iwo Jima, Basilone was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. In July 1949, a destroyer, the USS Basilone, was named for him, and today a statue of him stands in Raritan, NJ, where a parade has been held in honor of the hometown hero every September since 1981.
Additional Basilone information: http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/Hi...Basilone_J.htmhttp://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/johnbasi.htm
Sergeant Major Daniel "Dan" Joseph Daly
A highly decorated Marine, Daniel J. Daly (1873-1937) was one of only two Marines to be awarded two Medals of Honor for separate acts of heroism. The 1954 Marine Corps Gazette remembers Daly as "a sort of legendary figure in his own time," and the Historical Dictionary of the United States Marine Corps states that "his record as a fighting man remains unequalled in the annals of Marine Corps history." Born in Glen Cove, NY, Daly enlisted in the Marines in 1899. In 1900 he was sent to China, where he earned his first Medal of Honor after defending the American embassy during the Boxer Rebellion, fiercely fighting off attackers while a barricade was repaired. Daly later served aboard several ships and locations such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Mexico. In 1915 he was sent to Haiti, where he earned his second Medal of Honor for helping to defend 38 Marines against approximately 400 bandits. Daly saw combat as a gunnery sergeant throughout France during World War I. Numerous acts of his heroism have been chronicled to him. Daly extinguished an ammunition-dump fire, single-handedly captured an enemy machine-gun emplacement with only hand grenades and a pistol, and he brought in wounded while under fire. He is best remembered for rallying his men at Belleau Wood in June 1918 during a bleak moment when his men were facing heavy German machine-gun fire. Daly ordered an attack, leaping forward and encouraging his men.
For his bravery in 1918, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and he received prominent decorations from the French government as well, including the Croix de Guerre with Palm. Daly returned to the United States shortly after World War I. He retired as a sergeant major in 1929 and died in 1937. During the 1940s the Navy named a destroyer, the USS Daly, in his honor. Daly's heroism during World War I and his years of distinguished service have made him one of the enduring legends of the Marine Corps.
Additional Daly information: http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/Hi...ho/Daly_DJ.htm
Lieutenant General John A. Lejeune
John A. Lejeune (1867-1942) made history during World War I as the first Marine to command an Army division. Remembered for his professionalism and dedication, Lejeune is often referred to as "the greatest of all leathernecks," and his leadership and foresight helped prepare the Marine Corps for the amphibious assaults of World War II. Born in Pointe Coupée Parish, LA, Lejeune attended Louisiana State University and the U.S. Naval Academy. After serving in the South Pacific as a naval cadet from 1888 to 1890, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Prior to World War I, he served in Panama, the Philippines, Cuba, and Mexico. In 1909 and 1910 Lejeune attended the Army War College. In 1914 he was promoted to colonel and in 1916 became a brigadier general. During World War I, Lejeune led the 64th Army Brigade and the 4th Marine Brigade. Beginning in July 1918, he was promoted to major general and became the first Marine to command an Army division. He led the Army's 2nd Infantry Division, which included the 4th Marine Brigade, through victories at St. Mihiel and Blanc Mont and through the Meuse-Argonne offensive, which helped to end the war. For his service, Lejeune was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal from both the Army and the Navy; the French Legion of Honor; and the Croix de Guerre with Palm. From 1920 until 1929, while serving as Commandant, Lejeune was determined to keep the Marine Corps from becoming antiquated. He foresaw the need for specialized amphibious assault capabilities and prepared the Marine Corps for island invasions in the Pacific during World War II. From his retirement from the Marine Corps in 1929 until 1937, Lejeune served as superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute, where he refurbished and expanded the campus and reversed a trend of declining enrollment. Lejeune was promoted to lieutenant general in 1942. Following his death later that year, an important training base in North Carolina was renamed Camp Lejeune in his honor. Today, in keeping with an order issued by Lejeune in 1921, an annual message that summarizes the history, mission, and traditions of the Marine Corps is published each November during the Marine Corps birthday celebration.
Additional Lejeune information: http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/Hi...Lejeune_JA.htm and http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/lejeune.htm
Lieutenant General Lewis "Chesty" Puller
Nicknamed "Chesty" for his physique as well as for his aggressiveness, Lewis B. Puller (1898-1971) had a reputation for incredible toughness. Renowned for his leadership during crucial battles in World War II and the Korean War, Puller became one of the most highly decorated Marines, rising through the ranks from private to general and receiving the Navy Cross five times. Born in West Point, Virginia, Puller attended the Virginia Military Institute in 1917 and enlisted in the Marine Corps the following year. Although a second lieutenant, he was placed on the inactive list due to cutbacks after World War I. In response, he reenlisted in the Marine Corps and distinguished himself in fighting against rebels in Haiti from 1919 until 1924, when he again became a second lieutenant. Between 1928 and 1933 he fought in Nicaragua, where he earned his first two Navy Crosses. He then served for nearly two years at the American legation in China, where his duties included command of the famous Horse Marines. Puller's early years with the Marine Corps provided him with practical combat experience that was vital to his later command successes in World War II and Korea. During World War II, Puller played a key role in the Pacific, first as a battalion commander and later as a regimental commander. In 1942, after training the 1st Marine Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Puller led his Marines through fierce combat at Guadalcanal, where the Marines' defense of the airstrip at Henderson Field earned Puller his third Navy Cross. In late 1943 and early 1944, the 7th Marines also took part in the invasion of the island of New Britain, where Puller received his fourth Navy Cross following combat at Cape Gloucester. In 1944, Puller took command of the 1st Marines and led them in bloody fighting against the Japanese to capture the island of Peleliu. During the Korean War, Puller again commanded the 1st Marines during the risky U.S. landing at Inchon in 1950. In December that year, when U.S. forces were surrounded by Chinese troops, Puller's 1st Marines tenaciously held the village of Koto-ri, allowing the 5th and 7th Marines to withdraw from the Chosin Reservoir area. For his service in Korea, Puller earned his fifth Navy Cross and a promotion to brigadier general. Puller retired as a lieutenant general in 1955 and died in 1971. Today he is remembered for his courage in combat, which inspired confidence and loyalty in those who served under him, and for the attention and respect he extended to enlisted men under his command.
Additional Puller information: http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/Hi.../Puller_LB.htm
Famous for his heroism during World War II, John Basilone (1916-1945) was a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient whose name and reputation are synonymous with the sacrifices and sense of duty shared by generations of enlisted Marines. Born in Buffalo, NY, and raised in Raritan, NJ, Basilone enlisted in the Army at 18, serving from 1934 until 1937 in the Philippines and earning the nickname "Manila John." Basilone enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 1940. In October 1942, while serving as a sergeant with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, he was in charge of two sections of heavy machine guns during a fierce assault by a Japanese regiment. With one of his gun crews out of action, he helped repel and defeat the Japanese forces. He moved an extra gun into position and repaired and manned another until help arrived. He later he risked his life providing ammunition to his gunners. Following the grueling battle, Basilone was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor "for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action against enemy forces, above and beyond the call of duty." Basilone returned to the home front, where he was hailed as a hero and appeared at hugely successful war-bond rallies. He asked to return to combat to "be with my boys." As a gunnery sergeant he participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima with the 1st Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division. After distinguishing himself by single-handedly destroying an enemy blockhouse and helping to guide a friendly tank out of a minefield, he was killed in action Feb. 19, 1945. For his heroism at Iwo Jima, Basilone was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. In July 1949, a destroyer, the USS Basilone, was named for him, and today a statue of him stands in Raritan, NJ, where a parade has been held in honor of the hometown hero every September since 1981.
Additional Basilone information: http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/Hi...Basilone_J.htmhttp://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/johnbasi.htm
Sergeant Major Daniel "Dan" Joseph Daly
A highly decorated Marine, Daniel J. Daly (1873-1937) was one of only two Marines to be awarded two Medals of Honor for separate acts of heroism. The 1954 Marine Corps Gazette remembers Daly as "a sort of legendary figure in his own time," and the Historical Dictionary of the United States Marine Corps states that "his record as a fighting man remains unequalled in the annals of Marine Corps history." Born in Glen Cove, NY, Daly enlisted in the Marines in 1899. In 1900 he was sent to China, where he earned his first Medal of Honor after defending the American embassy during the Boxer Rebellion, fiercely fighting off attackers while a barricade was repaired. Daly later served aboard several ships and locations such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Mexico. In 1915 he was sent to Haiti, where he earned his second Medal of Honor for helping to defend 38 Marines against approximately 400 bandits. Daly saw combat as a gunnery sergeant throughout France during World War I. Numerous acts of his heroism have been chronicled to him. Daly extinguished an ammunition-dump fire, single-handedly captured an enemy machine-gun emplacement with only hand grenades and a pistol, and he brought in wounded while under fire. He is best remembered for rallying his men at Belleau Wood in June 1918 during a bleak moment when his men were facing heavy German machine-gun fire. Daly ordered an attack, leaping forward and encouraging his men.
For his bravery in 1918, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and he received prominent decorations from the French government as well, including the Croix de Guerre with Palm. Daly returned to the United States shortly after World War I. He retired as a sergeant major in 1929 and died in 1937. During the 1940s the Navy named a destroyer, the USS Daly, in his honor. Daly's heroism during World War I and his years of distinguished service have made him one of the enduring legends of the Marine Corps.
Additional Daly information: http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/Hi...ho/Daly_DJ.htm
Lieutenant General John A. Lejeune
John A. Lejeune (1867-1942) made history during World War I as the first Marine to command an Army division. Remembered for his professionalism and dedication, Lejeune is often referred to as "the greatest of all leathernecks," and his leadership and foresight helped prepare the Marine Corps for the amphibious assaults of World War II. Born in Pointe Coupée Parish, LA, Lejeune attended Louisiana State University and the U.S. Naval Academy. After serving in the South Pacific as a naval cadet from 1888 to 1890, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Prior to World War I, he served in Panama, the Philippines, Cuba, and Mexico. In 1909 and 1910 Lejeune attended the Army War College. In 1914 he was promoted to colonel and in 1916 became a brigadier general. During World War I, Lejeune led the 64th Army Brigade and the 4th Marine Brigade. Beginning in July 1918, he was promoted to major general and became the first Marine to command an Army division. He led the Army's 2nd Infantry Division, which included the 4th Marine Brigade, through victories at St. Mihiel and Blanc Mont and through the Meuse-Argonne offensive, which helped to end the war. For his service, Lejeune was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal from both the Army and the Navy; the French Legion of Honor; and the Croix de Guerre with Palm. From 1920 until 1929, while serving as Commandant, Lejeune was determined to keep the Marine Corps from becoming antiquated. He foresaw the need for specialized amphibious assault capabilities and prepared the Marine Corps for island invasions in the Pacific during World War II. From his retirement from the Marine Corps in 1929 until 1937, Lejeune served as superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute, where he refurbished and expanded the campus and reversed a trend of declining enrollment. Lejeune was promoted to lieutenant general in 1942. Following his death later that year, an important training base in North Carolina was renamed Camp Lejeune in his honor. Today, in keeping with an order issued by Lejeune in 1921, an annual message that summarizes the history, mission, and traditions of the Marine Corps is published each November during the Marine Corps birthday celebration.
Additional Lejeune information: http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/Hi...Lejeune_JA.htm and http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/lejeune.htm
Lieutenant General Lewis "Chesty" Puller
Nicknamed "Chesty" for his physique as well as for his aggressiveness, Lewis B. Puller (1898-1971) had a reputation for incredible toughness. Renowned for his leadership during crucial battles in World War II and the Korean War, Puller became one of the most highly decorated Marines, rising through the ranks from private to general and receiving the Navy Cross five times. Born in West Point, Virginia, Puller attended the Virginia Military Institute in 1917 and enlisted in the Marine Corps the following year. Although a second lieutenant, he was placed on the inactive list due to cutbacks after World War I. In response, he reenlisted in the Marine Corps and distinguished himself in fighting against rebels in Haiti from 1919 until 1924, when he again became a second lieutenant. Between 1928 and 1933 he fought in Nicaragua, where he earned his first two Navy Crosses. He then served for nearly two years at the American legation in China, where his duties included command of the famous Horse Marines. Puller's early years with the Marine Corps provided him with practical combat experience that was vital to his later command successes in World War II and Korea. During World War II, Puller played a key role in the Pacific, first as a battalion commander and later as a regimental commander. In 1942, after training the 1st Marine Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Puller led his Marines through fierce combat at Guadalcanal, where the Marines' defense of the airstrip at Henderson Field earned Puller his third Navy Cross. In late 1943 and early 1944, the 7th Marines also took part in the invasion of the island of New Britain, where Puller received his fourth Navy Cross following combat at Cape Gloucester. In 1944, Puller took command of the 1st Marines and led them in bloody fighting against the Japanese to capture the island of Peleliu. During the Korean War, Puller again commanded the 1st Marines during the risky U.S. landing at Inchon in 1950. In December that year, when U.S. forces were surrounded by Chinese troops, Puller's 1st Marines tenaciously held the village of Koto-ri, allowing the 5th and 7th Marines to withdraw from the Chosin Reservoir area. For his service in Korea, Puller earned his fifth Navy Cross and a promotion to brigadier general. Puller retired as a lieutenant general in 1955 and died in 1971. Today he is remembered for his courage in combat, which inspired confidence and loyalty in those who served under him, and for the attention and respect he extended to enlisted men under his command.
Additional Puller information: http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/Hi.../Puller_LB.htm
