Happy Birthday to the United States Marine Corps!
The United States Marine Corps (USMC) traces its origins all the way back to the Continental Marines of the American Revolutionary War.
“On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress approved the resolution to establish two battalions of Marines able to fight for independence at sea and on shore. This date marks the official formation of the Continental Marines.” — 1st Commandant: Major Samuel Nicholas (1775–1783)
Like the Continental Navy, the Continental Marines were disbanded in 1783 at the conclusion of the Revolutionary War. The organization now known as the United States Marine Corps, was resurrected by Congress on July 11, 1798 in preparation for the Quasi-War with France. This is the same year that the traditional dark blue jacket and light blue trousers were adopted by the USMC to represent the Corps’ naval tradition.
“In 1805, the U.S. government refused to continue paying Barbary Coast pirates in to refrain from raiding American merchant ships. When negotiations for a treaty failed, President Thomas Jefferson assembled an expeditionary force of Marines to respond. Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon and his Marines marched across 600 miles of the Libyan Desert to successfully storm the fortified Tripolitan city of Derna and rescue the kidnapped crew of the USS Philadelphia. The Marines’ victory helped Prince Hamet Bey reclaim his rightful throne as ruler of Tripoli. In gratitude, he presented his Mameluke sword to Lt O’Bannon. This famous sword became part of the officer uniform in 1825, and remains the oldest ceremonial weapon in use by United States forces today. The Battle of Derna was the Marines’ first land battle on foreign soil and is notably recalled in the first verse of the Marines’ Hymn: “From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, we fight our country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.” — USMC’s history and heritage timeline
Today, the USMC has just under 185,000 personnel and is the smallest of the U.S. military forces. The USMC conducts joint training, transportation and logistics with naval forces, and operates posts on land and aboard sea-going amphibious warfare ships around the world. The Marine motto is “Semper Fidelis”, which means “always faithful” in Latin.
We’re very proud to have USMC Veterans working here at the Texas General Land Office (GLO), including Business Analyst, Wynn Parham, who served four years active duty, and Loan Processor, Brett Bruno, who served 4 years active duty.
Numerous interviews with USMC Veterans all over Texas have been conducted by the VLB Voices of Veterans Oral History Program, including World War II Veterans Manny Rivas and Clovis Thompson, Vietnam Veteran Ed Hark and Iraq War Veteran Allen Zehr among many others.
Corporal Manny Rivas
Manny Rivas grew up in El Paso and served as an infantryman with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during World War II. From June 1942 to June 1946, Rivas took part in several epic battles in the Pacific from Soloman Islands and New Britian, to Peleliu and Okinawa. The entire time his twin brother served in the same unit with him. He eventually served 57 years with the Veterans of Foreign Wars and was their National Chief of Staff. He retired in 1998 after serving 33 years as the Veterans County Service Officer in El Paso County.
Corporal Clovis Thompson
Clovis Thompson was born and raised in Paducah, Texas on a 320-acre farm with seven brothers and sisters. He joined the USMC in November 1942 and went to boot camp at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) in San Diego, California. While in boot camp, Thompson met the famous Hollywood actor, Tyrone Power, who was also a brand new Marine recruit.
Thompson was assigned to the 1st Marine Raider Battalion during World War II and served for 27 months in the Pacific theater and saw considerable combat in New Caledonia and Okinawa.
During the battle of Okinawa Thompson volunteered to personally take out a Japanese mortar position by exposing himself repeatedly to enemy fire in his attempts to hit it with grenades. After those attempts failed he finally rushed the position with a demolition charge and was successful. For his heroism under fire he was awarded the Silver Star. Thompson also received the Purple Heart for wounds received in action.
Corporal Ed Hark
Ed Hark was born and raised in New Jersey and joined the USMC in August 1962. Hark came from a Marine Corps family, his father was a recruit during World War II and his brother was also a Marine. After boot camp at Paris Island, South Carolina, Hark spent two years aboard the USS Long Beach and was later stationed at Camp Lejune.
In May 1965, Hark and his alert battalion spent three weeks in the Dominican Republic helping American citizens leave the country during the Dominican Civil War. In November 1965, Hark was sent to Vietnam as an infantryman with H Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines. He was wounded three times, and on April 16, 1966, after being shot in the face and losing his left eye, he was finally sent home. Hark received three purple hearts for his wounds in action. He now resides in Georgetown, Texas.
Sergeant Allen Zehr
Allen Zehr was in his last year of high school when the United States was attacked on 9/11, and from that moment on he wanted to join the military.
In December, 2004, Zehr enlisted with the USMC, and in January 2005 he flew to the MCRD in San Diego for bootcamp. After graduating from bootcamp, Zehr was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines unit at the Marine Corps Air Station at Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii for six months.
Zehr was deployed three times, twice to Afghanistan and once to Iraq, and was awarded the Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medal for Valor. He left the service as a sergeant and now resides in Blue Ridge, Texas.
The VLB Voices of Veterans oral history program seeks to record the stories of Texas Veterans and archive the transcripts for future researchers, historians, genealogists and the general public. For more information visit www.VoicesofVeterans.org or contact the program coordinator, Monica Brown, at 1–800–252-VETS (8387) or monica.brown@glo.texas.gov.
