November 10th, 1775 Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, PA. This date that is drilled into the head of every man and woman who chose a place among the few. I am of course talking about the men and women who earned the title of United States Marine. This is not just another date however, November 10th of the year 1775 is the day that the Marine Corps was born. Since that day the Marine Corps has fought in every battle of American History. From the Mexican war where the “Blood Stripe” were earned for heavy losses of Non Commissioned Officers and Officers at Chapultepec to the attack of Libya led by Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon in 1805. The memory of these battles would be in heavy use when the Marine Corps hymn was in widespread use. Now heard in the Marine
…show more content…
Out of every casualty the Marines suffered in the second World War about a third of those would fall on this small volcanic island. No battle in the Marine Corps’ history compared to the horrors Marines would face on this small island only about 8 square miles. Robin Barrett was a Marine in the 5th division who fought in the battle of Iwo Jima. In an interview taken for the documentary 36 days of hell he stated there were 68 Marines when we arrived on the island and when we left the island of the entire group he was one of the 3 that lasted twenty eight days without injury or death. Keith Nelson was another Marine from the 5th division who fought alongside his fellow Marines during this horrific battle. He stated in an interview for the same documentary mentioned above that there were 252 men when they arrived. He states that about 100 of them survived the first day and on the 7th day they received 50 replacements. Nelson goes on to say that on the 24th day there were only 12 Marines of the 300 who they began with. Finally after 36 days of constant fighting the battle was over. The intensity of the battle lasted up to the last two to three hours. This was one of the most grueling battles in American history and definitely the one of the bloodiest in Marine Corps history.1 &
Out of every casualty the Marines suffered in the second World War about a third of those would fall on this small volcanic island. No battle in the Marine Corps’ history compared to the horrors Marines would face on this small island only about 8 square miles. Robin Barrett was a Marine in the 5th division who fought in the battle of Iwo Jima. In an interview taken for the documentary 36 days of hell he stated there were 68 Marines when we arrived on the island and when we left the island of the entire group he was one of the 3 that lasted twenty eight days without injury or death. Keith Nelson was another Marine from the 5th division who fought alongside his fellow Marines during this horrific battle. He stated in an interview for the same documentary mentioned above that there were 252 men when they arrived. He states that about 100 of them survived the first day and on the 7th day they received 50 replacements. Nelson goes on to say that on the 24th day there were only 12 Marines of the 300 who they began with. Finally after 36 days of constant fighting the battle was over. The intensity of the battle lasted up to the last two to three hours. This was one of the most grueling battles in American history and definitely the one of the bloodiest in Marine Corps history.1 &