The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-17

all the intervening ages the chroniclers
of military glories have mentioned him
continuously and with honor. And yet
at the present time, a large portion of
the population of maritime nations and
of the United States particularly do not
know what marine really is.
How Men are Trained
As an advance base force of the navy
the marines are trained in the use of
portable searchlights, the wireless tele-
graphy, telephony, mines, torpedoes and
range finders. They are trained to trans
port and mount in suitable shore posi-
tions. guns of 3, 5. and inch calibre
In Others words. the navy has in the
marine corps a little army of it's own,
which. without causing international COM
plioations and without even attracting
attention, 1t may pick up and move to
some disturbed foreign center for the
protection of American lives and prop
erty.
In nearly all countries maintaining
navies. marines constitute a separate
military body trained either to fight as
infantrymen, artillerist and especially for
participation in naval gagments. They
are organized. clothed and equipped very
much as soldiers of the land forces.
For this reason they have become quail
fed for duty either with the army or
the navy and are therefore, of double
value to the nation that employs them.
Their headquarters, barracks and depots
are on shore and from them details are
made when required for service on board
chi n, Ioto ooaY, in,
with the ship, from dozen men under
a sergeant to sixty or more men under
one or more officers.
Valuable in Past Years
The marine has been particularly valua-
Bile to the United States. For the past
hundred years they have proved their
devotion to their country. and their blood
has stained many a hard-fought field.
They have fought in Tripon, in Mexico.
in the Fiji islands; they We're at l<is-
embo on the west coast of Africa, and
in Panama. They fought the Japanese
at shimonosek and the savages in For
'mosa. They suppressed seal poaching in
the Rehring sea and have protected the
lives and property of American citizens
in countless foreign lands.
A brief history of the force that would
bear the brunt of the first few weeks
fighting should war with Mexico come,
would not be inopportune.
On November 10 1T75, before a single
vessel of the navy was sent to sea the
corps was organized by the following
resolution adopted by the continenta.
congress:
hof I,ot Of
rines be raised, consisting of one
colonel, two lieutenant oolonels, two
majors and other officers as usual
in other regiments; that they consist
of an equal number of privates with
other battalions; that particular care
be taken that no person be appointed
to offices or enlisted in said battalion
but such as are good seamen, or so
acquainted with maritime affairs as
to be able to serve to advantage by
sea when required; that they be dis
tnguished by the name of the First
and Second Battalions of American
Marines
First Fight by New Navy
The first fight in the history of the
regular navy was won on the island of
New Providence, Bahama, by a detach-
ment of the corps of marines. In this
engagement the attacking party landed
500 marines and landsmen under Major
Nichols. captured the forts and other
defences of the enemy after struggle
of a few hours and ec;ured quantity
of stores and British canon. Thus they
received their baptism of fire
Conspicuous among the exploits of the
Revolutionary marines was their stand
under John Paul Jones in the famous
fight between the Bon Homme Richard
and the Serapis. In this action were
137 marines, 40 were killed and wounded.
An eloquent testimonial of their valor
The army, navy, and necessarily the
marine corps were disbanded at the close
of the Revolutionary war. On April 80,
1913, regular navy department was
created. and ON July II, 17ss, an act was
approved for the establishing and or
ganizing the marine corps.