Honoring the Service Branches: Marine Corps Preview

This tour contains three types of stops:

• HONOR stops mark the gravesites of specific individuals.

• REMEMBER stops commemorate events, ideas, or groups of people.

• EXPLORE stops invite you to discover what this history means to you.

On November 10, 1775, at a meeting in Philadelphia, the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Marines, the first iteration of the Marine Corps. Throughout the Revolutionary War, they served alongside the Continental Navy and the Continental Army — on land and sea. Unlike Army soldiers and Navy sailors, Marines were required to be proficient in both land and naval combat. When the Treaty of Paris effectively ended the Revolutionary War in April 1783, the new U.S. government sold its ships and disbanded both the Continental Navy and the Continental Marines.

In 1794, Congress authorized the construction of six warships manned by Marines to instill discipline and to prevent mutinies on the ships. On July 11, 1798, Congress established the modern-day Marine Corps and named Major William Ward Burrows as the first commandant. The Marine Corps acted as an independent service until 1834, when Congress placed it under the Department of the Navy.

• First African American general in the Marine Corps (1979).
• First African American commander of the Quantico Marine Base (1986).

• Aided in repressing the Boxer Rebellion against American influence in China.
• Recipient of the Medal of Honor, as well as the Merit of the Republic from the government of Haiti.

• Established the first Marine Corps headquarters.
• Founder of the U.S. Marine Band.

• Twice awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic actions during World War I.
• Recipient of four Silver Stars.

• First American Marine commander to hold an Army divisional command.
• Awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.
• Recognized for his expertise during World War I, France awarded Lejeune the Croix de Guerre.
• Began the tradition of the annual Marine Corps "Birthday Ball".

• Posthumously awarded both the Army and Navy Medals of Honor for heroic actions during World War I.

In the spring of 1918, Germany launched a massive offensive campaign to capture Paris. After forcing Allied troops to retreat from Chemin des Dames, the German Army advanced towards the Marne River, approximately 50 miles northeast of Paris. To support the Allies, the American Second Division, which included the 4th Marine Corps Brigade, advanced to halt German forces.

Fighting commenced on June 1, 1918 at Belleau Wood, a rocky forest south of the village of Belleau in France’s Aisne region. From June 3 to June 5, the Marines successfully repulsed German attacks. On June 6, Brigadier General James G. Harbord ordered one of his Marine battalions to seize a small hill west of Belleau Wood. The men seized the hill and successfully held off German advances. Later that day, another Marine battalion captured the nearby village of Bouresches. Both battalions suffered heavy casualties. German machine gun fire forced other Marine battalions advancing into Belleau Wood to pull back. Meanwhile, however, Allied artillery began weakening German forces. The Marines then advanced into Belleau Wood. The men fought in close combat, with many killed or severely injured. From June 15 to June 18, the Marines endured heavy artillery and gas attacks while stationed in the forest. In the final phase of the battle, after a series of failed advances, Harbord ordered another bombardment of German positions. Marine battalions advanced into the forest, and by the morning of June 26, they seized the entirety of Belleau Woods from German control. This battle forced the German Army into a defensive position, where it remained for the rest of the war. During the nearly month-long battle, 955 Marines died and another 3,372 were wounded.

• One of the six Marines depicted on the Marine Corps War Memorial, raising the American flag over Iwo Jima.

On the opposite side of the cemetery, the Marine Corps War Memorial honors all Marines who fought and sacrificed for the United States since 1775. The memorial preserves the iconic image of the flag raising captured by photographer Joe Rosenthal during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

• Waters helped to create a unified Marine Corps training program including both reservists and active-duty Marines.

• Served in the Marine Corps' Women's Reserve during World War II.
• One of 50 female Marines who continued active service after World War II.

During World War I, the Marine Corps recruited 300 women to serve in clerical positions on the home front. When the United States entered World War II, Major General Commandant Thomas Holcomb opposed recruiting women into the Corps, despite all other military branches recruiting women to fill their ranks. However, the Corps’ losses in 1942 forced Holcomb to relent. He proposed to the Secretary of Navy that a Marine Corps Women’s Reserve be organized to fill all noncombat positions, such as office clerks, radio operators, drivers, mechanics and commissary clerks.

On January 29, 1943, Ruth Cheney Streeter was named the first director of the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve. By June 1944, the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve swelled to 1,000 officers and 18,000 enlisted women.

• Started an oral history program to preserve and document Marine Corps history.

• Received the Navy Cross for his actions during the Battle of Inchon during the Korean War.
• Then, while injured, received the Silver Star for leading a rescue mission at the Chosin Reservoir.
• First Asian American officer in the United States Marine Corps.

You've reached the end of the U.S. Marine Corps Walking Tour. We hope you enjoyed your time exploring the cemetery and learning about the lives of these groundbreaking service members!

You can explore additional content and resources on the Arlington National Cemetery Education Program website, or find more tours through Arlington National Cemetery's STQRY.