By Adam Hart
The United States Marine Corps is one of the most iconic military organizations in the world and is part of the United States Armed Forces. Known worldwide as the “United States Marines”, they are an elite group of soldiers who are incredibly brave, loyal and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve victory. They are also well respected because the Marines do not tolerate cowardice or weakness in themselves or their comrades.
Formed on November 10 1775, then re-established on July 11 1798, the Marine Corps comprises four divisions, whose names begin with the letter “M”: 1st Marine Division, 2nd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Division, 4th Marine Division.
The Marines have a long history of combat and service in the United States, going back to 1775 when they fought in the American Revolution. Since that time, the Marine Corps has been actively fighting in events all over the world. The Marine Corps is also known for being very versatile at war and able to accomplish various tasks, from helping secure bases to fighting in battles on land or at sea.
Check out these astonishing facts about the United States Marine Corps below.
1. Originally established as the Continental Marines on November 10, 1775, Major Samuel Nicholas founded the Marines.
2. The Marine Corps traces its lineage to 1775 when the Continental Congress created a standing army that could seize naval vessels during the war. On November 10, 1775, a group of about 300 men under the command of one Captain Samuel Nicholas organized in Philadelphia.
3. The Marines played a significant role in the American Revolution, fighting alongside George Washington on land and at sea. During the war, tens of thousands of Marines served under Washington’s command.
4. The U.S. Marine Corps has seen combat in every major American conflict since its inception, with World War I being one of the few exceptions where they were not present at the beginning of hostilities.
5. The Marine Corps played a primary role in the Pacific Theater during World War II, seeing action against Japan at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu and more.
6. The Marine Corps deployed forces to Lebanon in 1958, the Dominican Republic in 1965, Grenada in 1983 and Somalia in 1992.
7. The Department of Defense gave the Marines the primary responsibility for expeditionary operations since Congress was reluctant to deploy a significant army presence overseas. That resulted in a change from training for a traditional amphibious assault of a beach line as they once did during World War II to being light infantry that has been able to conduct rapid deployment operations from land and sea bases.
8. The Marines have an estimated 180,958 active personnel and some 40,000 reserves.
9. The Marine Corps is and has been, historically, a male-only branch of the military. However, the first woman to join the Marines was Opha May Johnson in 1918.
10. The Marine Corps was the only branch of the U.S. military to have its honor guard until 1974, when they were disbanded because of budget issues facing the organization at the time.
11. The cool gear that you see a Marine carry is very expensive. Each marine carries at least $12,000 worth of equipment.
12. It has an annual budget of around 45 billion dollars.
13. U.S. Marines are responsible for protecting the nation’s embassies abroad.