The original incarnation of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) was born in 1775 during the Continental Congress in a resolution sponsored by John Adams. The USMC fought diligently throughout the American revolution but, after the Treaty of Paris in April 1783, it was dissolved only to be reestablished in 1798.
Following this reestablishment, the USMC was involved in military actions against France and Barbary pirates. During the War of 1812, the USMC participated in many naval operations and fought with Andrew Jackson in New Orleans. After the War of 1812, the USMC spent the next few decades protecting a variety of American interests all over the world.
During World War I, the USMC had over 30,000 members actively serving and fighting. Of those, one-third were either injured or killed in combat. It was during WWI that the 4th Brigade earned the title of Devil Dogs because of their heroic and patriotic actions at a number of battle sites.
It was within the two decades prior to World War II that the USMC began to prepare for amphibious battle, which they used with high degrees of success during the war. Notable points of battle include Guadalcanal, Iwo...