Singing the History of the USMC

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Uncle Harry says we’re just police
And he should really know—
We’ve arrested wars since we began,
And dealt the final blow.” – Anonymous

The Marine Corps is one of the smallest, yet perhaps most publicized of the U.S. military services today. As soldiers of the sea, the Marines have always been connected to the Navy yet the Corps has fought in “any clime and place” and “in the air, on land, and sea.” Many facets of the Corps’ lore and history often creep into our lives more than we even know. All of this begs the question, why? The Marine Corps as an institution has, for at least a century, continuously made sure that the American public not only knows its history and lore, but also feels invested in the service. One of the most prominent and recognized pieces of Marine Corps culture is the Marines’ Hymn, which in itself represents a prime example of the Corps’ ability to teach its history in interesting ways.

The history of the hymn contains perhaps as much myth as the Corps’ own history. Marine historians generally agree that the hymn was created in the mid-nineteenth century and is musically based on Jacques Offenbach’s comedic opera Genevieve de Brabant.¹ The Marines gained copyright of the song in 1891 and the first version of the lyrics were established in 1929. While the official lyrics were formalized in 1942 (with the addition of the words “in the air”), Marines have often created their own verses. These verses reflect not only geographic locations, but also attitudes, hopes, beliefs, and even daily gripes. For the purpose of this article, I have chosen a select number of verses from both the official hymn and others written by Marines and their families. The Marine Corps often evokes a great many opinions, both negative and positive, especially when it comes to its (often) mythologized history. Rather than recite the entire history of the Marine Corps (a feat I’m sure the Corps would appreciate), I will go over some of the verses and discuss the important events they cover, tapping into the real history and the myths they represent.

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