Jump to content

Marines' Hymn

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2a00:8c40:40::70e9:7b27 (talk) at 20:15, 9 October 2013 (→‎Lyrics: explanation). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The "Marines' Hymn" is the official hymn of the United States Marine Corps. It is the oldest official song in the United States Armed Forces.[1] The "Marines' Hymn" is typically sung at the position of attention as a gesture of respect. However, the third verse is also used as a toast during formal events, such as the birthday ball and other ceremonies.

History

The lyrics are contained in the book "Rhymes of the Rookies" published in 1917. The author of these poems was W.E. Christian. The book is available online in several formats. The book consists of a series of poems regarding military life prior to World War I.

Some of the lyrics were popular phrases before the song was written. The line "To the shores of Tripoli" refers to the First Barbary War, and specifically the Battle of Derna in 1805. After Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon and his Marines hoisted the American flag over the Old World for the first time, the phrase was added to the battle colors of the Corps. "The Halls of Montezuma" refers to the Battle of Chapultepec, during the Mexican-American War, where a force of Marines stormed Chapultepec Castle.

While the lyrics are said to date from the 19th century, no pre-20th century text is known. The author of the lyrics is likewise unknown. Legend has it that it was penned by a Marine on duty in Mexico. The unknown author transposed the phrases in the motto on the Colors so that the first two lines of the Hymn would read: "From the Halls of Montezuma, to the Shores of Tripoli", favoring euphony over chronology.

The music is from the Gendarmes' Duet (the "bold gendarmes") from the 1867 revision of the 1859 opera Geneviève de Brabant by Jacques Offenbach, which debuted in Paris in 1859. Correspondence between Colonel Albert S. McLemore and Walter F. Smith (the second leader of the Marine Band) traces the tune:

Major Richard Wallach, USMC, says that in 1878, when he was in Paris, France, the aria to which the Marines' Hymn is now sung was a very popular one.

The name of the opera and a part of the chorus was secured from Major Wallach and forwarded to Mr. Smith, who replied:

Major Wallach is to be congratulated upon a wonderfully accurate musical memory, for the aria of the Marine Hymn is certainly to be found in the opera, 'Genevieve de Brabant'... The melody is not in the exact form of the Marine Hymn, but is undoubtedly the aria from which it was taken. I am informed, however, by one of the members of the band, who has a Spanish wife, that the aria was one familiar to her childhood and it may, therefore, be a Spanish folk song.

John Philip Sousa once wrote:

The melody of the 'Halls of Montezuma' is taken from Offenbach's comic opera, 'Genevieve de Brabant' and is sung by two gendarmes.

Some websites claim that the Marine Corps secured a copyright on the song on 19 August 1891, but this is in error; the copyright was vested on 18 August 1919.[2] In 1929, the Commandant of the Marine Corps authorized the three verses of the Marines' Hymn as the official version, but changed the third and fourth lines:

Pre-1929 version Authorized change
Admiration of the nation,
we're the finest ever seen;
And we glory in the title
Of United States Marines. 		First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.

This older version can be heard in the 1950 film Halls of Montezuma. On 21 November 1942, Commandant Thomas Holcomb approved a change in the words of the first verse's fourth line from "On the land as on the sea" to "In the air, on land, and sea" to reflect the addition of aviation to the Corps' arsenal.[3]

Lyrics

Hymn's text and explanation of some consequences

Marines' Hymn
Instrumental sample of a single verse of the Marines' hymn played by the President's Own Marine Band.
Problems playing this file? See media help.
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
From the Halls of Montezuma,
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea.
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean:
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.


Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun.
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes:
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.


Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes:
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.

The hymn reminds of the history (shores of Tripoli) and expresses its persuasion that the life and duty have a supernatural meaning (look on Heaven's scenes). In consequence the text expects that a US Marine shall be similar to a Vulcan like Tuvok or Ambassador Spock or much better a monk like Yoda (never lost our nerve, fight for right and freedom, keep our honor clean). Three examples by way of illustration:

1) On October 25, 1944 (90th anniversary of the Charge of the Light Brigade) during the Battle of Leyte Gulf CINCPAC Admiral Nimitz sent to Admiral Halsey a simple question about position of Task Force 34. Unfortunately there was a decrypting mistake. So Admiral Halsey read a message which he interpreted as an insulting rebuke. Hence Admiral Halsey lost his nerve, snatched off his cap, threw it away, roared, began cursing and broke into "sobs of rage". The result: Over 2 hours lost by Halsey's breakdown while Taffy 3 fought for survival similar to the Light Brigade's disaster 90 years ago.

2) The difficulty to keep our honor clean is shown in the movie Rules of Engagement by an impulsive, unwisely commanding Colonel Childers evacuating an embassy in an Islamic country: If he acts optimally, no shot and no casualties will be necessary. But he is not prepared enough for the job (less training for it and hence no smoke grenades against enemy snipers), not very clever (3 of 3 helicopters landed and none as AWACS high above the area, let run his entire platoon to the embassies' flat-roof which is under sniper fire from other roofs) and finally after be pinned down his anger (never lost our nerve) triumphs in his words waste the motherfuckers and his order to shoot at the (armed but less harmful) crowd in front of the embassy instead of the deadly enemy snipers on the roofs. The result are three dead marines and a massacre with high collateral damage (83 dead civilian protesters; children and women wounded or dead), ruining the reputation and relations, making non-Americans think that every American is the (d)evil's best friend who must become killed: Unintended Colonel Childers as a supporter par excellence of global terrorism (see outcome like 9/11)...

3) Contrary to Colonel Childers is for example the 29 year old Master Sergeant Jocelyn Pierce in E-Ring. She works as assistant for Colonel McNulty who is in the Pentagon the chief for operations of the JSOC around the world (e. g. organizing to evacuate an embassy, avoiding arms race, preventing genocide). Although Colonel Childers and MSgt Pierce are both marines in the movies, it is MSgt Pierce who is gentle like an officer (no swearwords, not insultable similar to a Vulcan), altruistic and friendly like a girl scout, competent, clean and correct in all matters (wearing the uniform in dignified manner, strictly against smoking and other drugs, initiated preventing a genocide). As a devote Christian and correct marine, MSgt Pierce is also esteemed by her boyfriend Meeks - an airmen and devote Muslim; and of course by her superiors, gained by her behaviour as a noble person (friendly to friends and enemies): A black woman with marines' manners esteemed as proficient partner in a man's world like the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)...

The higher the esteem - the lower the massacre (Buddha, Jesus, Gandhi). To fulfil the hymn's text look on Heaven's scenes ... find the streets are guarded by United States Marines requires a clean mind without unfriendly or at least nasty emotions (egoism, hedonism, arrogant and unreasonable, to lose one's temper). A Vulcan consists of hardware (body) and software (katra or spirit); like the Vulcan's katra is cleaned by Kolinahr, the hymn requires that the USMC's boot-camp helps to purify the recruits' human mind - and teach them to resist evil minds in the future (otherwise see Star Wars or Colonel Childers and 9/11).

In the last consequence the hymn encourages a marine to become wise and competent like Jedi Grandmaster Yoda; and inspires the USMC no longer be only a Devil Dog (hell hound and honor clean discrepancy), but be the Mankind's Peace Corps...

Extra verses

Various people over the years wrote unofficial or semi-unofficial extra verses to commemorate later battles and actions, for example, this verse commemorating the occupation of Iceland during World War II:[4]

Again in 1941, we sailed a north'ard course
and found beneath the midnight sun, the Viking and the Norse.
The Iceland girls were slim and fair, and fair the Iceland scenes,
and the Army found in landing there, the United States Marines.

As the anticipated invasion of Japan neared, this portion of another verse was on a sign the Marines erected on Bougainville:

So when we reach the 'Isle of Japan'
with our caps at a jaunty tilt,
we'll enter the city of Tokyo
on the roads the Seabees built.

Written by William Perkins after Desert Storm; CommO 1st CEB(-) Task Force "Poppa Bear"

In all our years of fighting,
in some battles that were rough.
From the rigs of the Continental ships,
to the rigs in the Persian Gulf.
But we've taught the world respect for,
and exactly what it means.
The eagle, globe and anchor of,
the United State Marine.

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

  1. ^ "The Marines' Hymn". United States Marine Corps Band. Retrieved 2007-04-20.
  2. ^ Fuld, James J. The Book of World-Famous Music. Fifth ed. N.Y.: Dover, 2000.
  3. ^ Marine Corps Lore. Historical Branch, G-3 Division, Department of the Navy. 1963. p. 17.
  4. ^ USMC Gals: Marines' Hymn
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marines%27_Hymn&oldid=576492309"