USMC Museum

January has been one gray, cold, and rainy day after another gray, cold, and rainy day.  It was enough to give a body serious cabin fever.  So on yet another gray, cold, and rainy day I decided to head over to Quantico and the United States Marine Corps Museum.  I figured it would make a good day trip. And it did.

 Rev War Marines

Marines are basically foot soldiers trained to fight on board ships.  They were the marksmen & swivel gunners on the fighting platforms mounted to the masts.  They were the core of a boarding party.  They foraged and provided protection for seamen filling a ship’s water casks. 

  Rev War Era Marine Flintlocks

The Marines were the first US troops to train as marksmen.  The idea was for Marines on the fighting platforms to pick off the officers and the marines on an opposing ship.  Other Marines would board the ship once grappling hooks had been secured and subdue the crew of that ship.  This required close order fighting as a team rather than melee style fighting.

Boarding Ax

Boarding axes were primarily used for cutting away damaged rigging.  Long knives and short swords worked better in the close quarters of on deck & below deck fighting.

Swivel gun & Pistol

Swivel guns with short wood stocks could be hand held or used from any empty belaying pin location.  Pistols were issued to Marine officers.

                                                  Powder Horn

Powder on board ships was stored in kegs.  Horns were used to load and prime the guns of marines on the fighting platforms.

Marine Shipboard Berths

Marines slept the same as seamen.  Their gear would have been stowed mostly in sea bags hung from the deck above, in wooden sea chests, or in nets lashed to the ships side. 

 Early 19th Century Summer Uniform Jacket

Marines wore blue wool jackets with white facings in winter & short off white linen or cotton jackets in summer.  (The long white sash behind this jacket makes it look like a strait jacket.  It’s not.)  The Marine Corps saber design comes from its time fighting the pirates of the western Mediterranean Sea.

This cap plate is about 4x4 inches. The Marine Napoleonic Era field use uniforms are fancy as was the common practice of the time.  Usually Marine gear is the most utilitarian of its era.

Mid 19th Century Uniform

The new United States government of the 1800’s had an on again off again affair with the Marines, but finally decided they were useful. 

Civil War Federal Marine

Federal Marines provided snipers to the blockading ships as well as landing parties.  The Confederates barely managed a navy although it too had its marines.

 Navy Colt

Navel & Marine officers were issued .36 cal. Colt revolvers.  They were favored over the Remington revolvers because they were easier to clean & oil, a constant need aboard ship at sea.

From the Civil War until WWI the marines went wherever our growing international activities took our navy.    Then came WWI and the American Expeditionary Force.  It was a war of innovation that no one was ready to fight.

Marine Tank

If this thing looks rather like a motorcycle on steroids with armor of sorts it’s because that pretty much is just what it is.  But then motorized war machines was a brand new idea.  WWI is the war that has the Marines fighting off the ships and on land extensively for the 1st time. 

 

Marine Ambulance with Navel Corpsmen

Where a Marine goes a Naval Corpsman is sure to follow.  The Navy provides the Marines with all their combat medical personnel.   

WWI Marine Accouterments

The Marines have always had  gear that was different from the army’s gear.  The Marines functioned first aboard ships, then as landing parties, official honor guards, and finally as highly mobile fighting units on land.  Their gear has tended to be more “function first” than regular army gear. 

 WWI Marine Field Ration Kitchen

Sometimes Marine gear becomes the Army’s gear too.  This Marine kit can handle a field mess hall meal as well as a combat ration meal.

The museum itself goes to the end of the Vietnam War with a planned expansion to the current era.  The exhibits from WWII, Korea & Vietnam are very interactive full size dioramas.  These are very well done but not easy to capture with a camera.  There is also interactive stuff for kids and a place to eat on site.  Its definitely worth a second visit.