The United States Marine Corps has one of the most storied histories in American military service, spanning over 250 years. The Marines were established in 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized two battalions of Marines to serve as a landing force for the Continental Navy during the Revolutionary War. The first Marines were recruited at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, a date and place still celebrated in Corps tradition. After the Revolution, the Corps was briefly disbanded, then formally re-established by an act of Congress in 1798, the date considered the founding of the modern USMC. Marines served in the Quasi-War with France, and famously fought the Barbary Pirates in Tripoli (1801–1805) — immortalized in the opening line of the Marines’ Hymn: “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli”. The exact origin of the hymn and lyrics is a bit murky, but what is known is that the Marines’ Hymn is the oldest official song in the U.S. armed forces, but its precise authorship remains unknown. The melody is borrowed from an opera — “Geneviève de Brabant” by Jacques Offenbach, first performed in 1859. The lyrics appear to have originated sometime after the Mexican-American War (1846–1848), given the reference to the “Halls of Montezuma” (Chapultepec Castle). The earliest known printed version dates to 1891, when it appeared in the Marine Corps Gazette. The hymn was officially adopted by the Corps in 1929. A final lyrical revision was made in 1942 to add the line “If the Army and the Navy ever look on Heaven’s scenes” — which was updated to reflect the era — and also to acknowledge women in the Corps.
I am taking a wild guess that no military service anthem is better known by Americans that the Marine’s Hymn. I’m also pretty sure that almost every red-blooded American boy fantasized about being a Marine. I cannot see a Marine honor guard at a funeral or some official ceremony without choking back some pretty deep feelings. As much as I dislike war and violence and toughness and all the things associated with the Marine Corps, I cannot help but be thankful for their service. And those feelings have only been more solidified by knowing someone who spent a life in the Corps and rose to be Assistant Commandant as one of a very elite group of 4-star Marine Corps generals. He had all the big jobs as he rose through the ranks. He commanded the Washington D.C. Honor Guard. He ran the recruiting depot in Times Square. He was the commander on the wall in Korea and he served as Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division, Commanding General of Marine Forces Command, and ultimately as the 33rd Assistant Commandant of the Corps. He spent a long time out here at Camp Pendleton and every time I drive by, I think of him and I start humming the Marine’s Hymn to myself.
Marines served in virtually every American military engagement of the 19th Century — the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War (storming Chapultepec Castle in 1847, the “Halls of Montezuma”), numerous Caribbean and Pacific interventions, and the Civil War, where Marines fought on both sides. In 1859, a detachment under Army Col. Robert E. Lee captured John Brown at Harpers Ferry. The Corps grew significantly in size and prestige after 1898. Marines landed in Cuba, the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. The early 20th century saw extensive “Banana Wars” — interventions in Nicaragua, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and elsewhere — developing the Corps’ expertise in what today would be called small wars and counterinsurgency. During WWI, the Marines sent the 4th Marine Brigade to France, fighting in major engagements at Belleau Wood, Soissons, and the Meuse-Argonne. At Belleau Wood, Marines stopped a major German advance, and German forces reportedly nicknamed them Teufelshunden — “Devil Dogs” — a nickname that stuck. When war came in the Pacific in WWII, Marines spearheaded some of the most brutal island-hopping campaigns in military history: Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. The iconic photograph of Marines raising the flag on Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima (February 23, 1945) became one of the most recognized images of the 20th century. Marines fought with distinction at the Pusan Perimeter in Korea, executed the brilliant amphibious landing at Inchon, and conducted one of the most celebrated fighting retreats in military history at the Chosin Reservoir (“Frozen Chosin”), where the 1st Marine Division fought its way out of a massive Chinese encirclement in brutal winter conditions. In Vietnam, Marines were among the first conventional combat troops deployed to Vietnam, landing at Da Nang in March 1965. They fought extensively in the northern I Corps region, engaging in both conventional combat and pacification efforts. The battles of Hue City and Khe Sanh during the 1968 Tet Offensive became defining engagements of the war.
The Corps maintained its role as America’s rapid-response force. Notable operations included the Beirut peacekeeping mission (1982–1984), where a suicide bombing killed 241 Marines — the deadliest single day for the Corps since Iwo Jima — and Operation Desert Storm (1991), where Marines breached Iraqi defenses in Kuwait. Marines have been central to operations in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and Iraq (2003–2011). The two Battles of Fallujah in 2004 — particularly the November battle, one of the heaviest urban combat operations since Hue City — became defining moments of the Iraq War. The USMC has undergone significant transformation under Force Design 2030, shifting away from heavy armor toward a lighter, more distributed maritime force optimized for great-power competition — particularly in the Pacific. The Corps is defined by its ethos: every Marine a rifleman, and a culture of discipline, esprit de corps, and institutional pride that is arguably unmatched in the American military.
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, 2026, and is now in its fourth week. The U.S. military has approximately 50,000 troops already deployed in the region. The Trump administration has just sent an additional 2,500 Marines and three warships from San Diego — the USS Boxer and two other amphibious assault ships carrying the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Another 2,200 Marines from the 31st Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Tripoli are also en route from Japan. That puts roughly 5,000 Marines heading toward the Iran theater. Trump said Thursday, “I’m not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.” However, officials have privately weighed options including capturing Iran’s Kharg Island, which handles roughly 90% of Iran’s crude exports, as a leverage point to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. That sounds a lot like boots on the ground. Trump posted on social media Friday that the U.S. is “getting very close to meeting our objectives” and considering winding down military efforts, even as his administration simultaneously deployed the 2,500 more Marines and asked Congress for an additional $200 billion to fund the war. So, Marines are deploying but haven’t been formally committed to ground combat in Iran — yet. The situation is very fluid. And tonight, the Pentagon has ordered about 2,000 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to begin moving to the Middle East to give President Trump additional military options with paratroopers. It’s beginning to look like the Halls of Montezuma are on the cusp of happening. Tomorrow I will ride up the 5 past Camp Pendleton and be humming all the way, but hoping that calmer heads than Trump’s prevail.