The United States Marine Corps War Memorial is a national memorial located in Arlington Ridge Park in Arlington County, Virginia. The memorial was dedicated in 1954 to all Marines who have given their lives in defense of the United States since 1775. It is located in Arlington Ridge Park within the George Washington Memorial Parkway, near the Ord-Weitzel Gate to Arlington National Cemetery and the Netherlands Carillon. The memorial was turned over to the National Park Service in 1955.
Semper fidelis is a Latin phrase that means "always faithful" or "always loyal". It is the motto of the United States Marine Corps, usually shortened to Semper Fi. It is also in use as a motto for towns, families, schools, and other military units.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, six miles (9.7 km) northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world, with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display. The museum is a central component of the National Aviation Heritage Area. The museum draws about a million visitors each year, making it one of the most frequently visited tourist attractions in Ohio.
Lemuel Cornick Shepherd Jr. was a General in the United States Marine Corps, 20th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Navy Cross recipient, veteran of World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
Quantico National Cemetery is a national cemetery in Triangle, Virginia for veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces. Adjacent to and originally part of Marine Corps Base Quantico, it was established as a national cemetery in 1983 with an area of 725 acres (293 ha).
Iron Mike is the de facto name of various monuments commemorating servicemen of the United States military. The term "Iron Mike" is uniquely American slang used to refer to men who are especially tough, brave, and inspiring; it was originally a nautical term for a gyrocompass, used to keep a ship on an unwavering course. Because the use of the slang term was popular in the first half of the 20th century, many statues from that period acquired the Iron Mike nickname, and over the generations the artists' titles were largely forgotten. Even official military publications and classroom texts tend to prefer the nickname to the original titles.
Richard Treat Spooner is a former officer in the United States Marine Corps and founder and former proprietor of The Globe and Laurel Restaurant in Stafford, Virginia, just a few miles south of the main gate of Marine Corps Base Quantico. He served in the Marine Corps for over 29 years.
The National Museum of the United States Navy, or U.S. Navy Museum for short, is the flagship museum of the United States Navy and is located in the former Breech Mechanism Shop of the old Naval Gun Factory on the grounds of the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., United States.
The history of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) begins with the founding of the Continental Marines on 10 November 1775 to conduct ship-to-ship fighting, provide shipboard security and discipline enforcement, and assist in landing forces. Its mission evolved with changing military doctrine and foreign policy of the United States. Owing to the availability of Marine forces at sea, the United States Marine Corps has served in nearly every conflict in United States history. It attained prominence when its theories and practice of amphibious warfare proved prescient, and ultimately formed a cornerstone of U.S. strategy in the Pacific Theater of World War II. By the early 20th century, the Marine Corps would become one of the dominant theorists and practitioners of amphibious warfare. Its ability to rapidly respond on short notice to expeditionary crises has made and continues to make it an important tool for U.S. foreign policy.
The Marine Corps Museum was located on the first floor of the Marine Corps Historical Society in Building 58 of the Washington Navy Yard, 9th and M Streets (southeast), Washington, D.C. It housed a wide variety of exhibits with artifacts relating to the history of the U.S. Marines. It also contained a collection of art relating to the Marines and a historical Time Tunnel. For many years, the Marine Corps Museum served as a center for preserving and showcasing the Marine Corps legacy. The museum closed on 1 July 2005, during the establishment of the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
The Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum was located at Brown Field, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Quantico, Virginia. It housed a wide variety of historic Marine Corps vehicles/tanks, equipment, artillery pieces and aircraft to trace the evolution and significance of the Marine Air-Ground Team. It also contained several pieces of foreign equipment, such as a Soviet SU-76M self-propelled howitzer. The museum closed on November 15, 2002, during the establishment of the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
Curtis Worth Fentress is an American architect. He is currently the principal-in-charge of design at Fentress Architects, an international design studio he founded in Denver, Colorado in 1980.
The culture of the United States Marine Corps is widely varied but unique amongst the branches of the United States Armed Forces. Because members of the Marine Corps are drawn from across the United States, it is as varied as each individual Marine but tied together with core values and traditions passed from generation to generation of Marines. As in any military organization, the official and unofficial traditions of the Marine Corps serve to reinforce camaraderie and set the service apart from others. The Corps' embracement of its rich culture and history is cited as a reason for its high esprit de corps.
The National Museum of the United States Army is the official museum for the history of the United States Army. It opened on November 11, 2020. Its stated objectives are to honor America's soldiers, preserve Army history, and educate the public about the Army's role in American history.
The United States Marine Corps History Division is an arm of the Headquarters Marine Corps tasked with researching, writing, and maintaining the History of the United States Marine Corps. It also provides reference and research assistance; preserves personal experiences and observations through oral history interviews; and deploys field historians to record history in the making. It is headquartered at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
The Marine Raider Museum is located at Raider Hall, 24191 Gilbert Road, Camp Barrett, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Quantico, Virginia. It contains exhibits related to Marine Raiders. It was originally located in Richmond, Virginia, but was moved to its current location in 2005. In 1997, the museum won the prestigious Colonel John H. Magruder III Award from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.
"Semper Fidelis", written in 1888 by John Philip Sousa, is regarded as the official march of the United States Marine Corps. This piece was one of two composed in response to a request from United States President Chester A. Arthur for a new piece to be associated with the United States President. The words semper fidelis are Latin for "always faithful." The piece was created for a wind band in addition to a percussion section. There is a very prominent drum solo in the middle of the piece which includes a skillful dynamic change. It features staccato notes and sharp tonguing.
Staff Sergeant Reckless, a decorated warhorse who held official rank in the United States military, was a mare of Mongolian horse breeding. Out of a racehorse dam, she was purchased in October 1952 for $250 from a Korean stableboy at the Seoul racetrack who needed money to buy an artificial leg for his sister. Reckless was bought by members of the United States Marine Corps and trained to be a pack horse for the Recoilless Rifle Platoon, Anti-Tank Company, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. She quickly became part of the unit and was allowed to roam freely through camp, entering the Marines' tents, where she would sleep on cold nights, and was known for her willingness to eat nearly anything, including scrambled eggs, beer, Coca-Cola and, once, about $30 worth of poker chips.
The National War Dog Cemetery is a memorial to war dogs located at Naval Base Guam and is the first official war dog monument in the U.S. The cemetery honors the dogs—mostly Doberman Pinschers—that were killed in service with the United States Marine Corps during the Second Battle of Guam in 1944.
