The Wilmington morning star., 1945-08-14
By GERTRUDE CARRAWAY

BY GERTRUDE CARRAWAY
CAMP LEJEUNE, Aug. 13.-
The Royal Netherlands Marine
Corps, in training at this camp
since last December under the
guidance of the United States Ma
rines, is the first complete mill
tary organization o< any foreign
country to be trained by the Ameri-
can government.
Prior to the reorganization of
the 279-year-old Netherland Marine
Corps here eight months ago, indi.
viduals of other nations had been
trained at this mammoth reserva.
ton; but the Dutchmen are the
first foreigners to form a complete
corps as corps anywhere in the
United States.
Disorganized by World War II
conditions and unable to train in
their own country, the Netherland
Marines are modelling their reform.
ed corps along lines similar to
those of the United States Marine
Corps, which was created under a
resolution of the Continental Con.
gress Nov 10, Its, more than 100
years after the original Dutch
Marines. had seen action June H.
IA, 1866, in a four-day sea battle.
Under the Ndirection of 1t. Col.
L. Langeveld, still commanding
officer of the Dutch unit here, a
cadre of officers and non-commis-
stoned officers was formed from
members of the old Netherland
Marine Corps, the Netherlands
Army in the Indies, the air units
of the Dutch Army and Navy and
recruits from liberated Holland
All transfers and recruiting were
voluntary on the part of the Of
ficers and men.
The officers and non-commis-
officers forming the backbone OF
this renewed Marine Corps have
had previous military experience
in Holland. But there are many
young enlisted men who joined
voluntarily without combat train
ing, feeling only a desire to assist
in the reforming of an efficient
amphibious corps to help defend
their country and its possessions
Most of the officers and non
commissioned officers can speak
English, but numerous enlisted
men have not yet learned the
language of the country which Of
fered them base for training, the
only place in the world where
Dutch Marines are NOW officially
preparing for military service.
Instead of having them speno
valuable time in learning military
and technical subjects in language
foreign to them, the United States
Marine Corps has detailed Dutch
soeaking Leathernecks as their y
structors. A Dutch-speaking Ameri
can woman Marine is assigned tt
their office, and American Nava
medical corpsmen have also, beef
detailed to their unit.
Dutch Marines wear uniform
identical to those worn by the ma
tive Devil Dogs, but they hav'
their own insignia featuring
standing Lion surmounted with
crown. heir shoulder blaze is
simple curved oblong patch will
the words, Netherlands Marines
their motto u.s.. "Je Maintiend-ai,
or 'I shall maintain"
They follow the same rules ant
regulations as the United State'
Marines here. Their training fol
ambitious operations is simila:
as "Soldiers of the Sea-" They have
the some privileges of using thu
camps post exchanges, theatre:
and recreational facilities. Thell
morale is reported to be excep
tionally fine.
Although having their ow1
classes and separate barracks, they
form a part of the Marine Train
ing Command at Camp LeJeune
For their first months here, the!
were assigned special areas a
Hadnot Point and Montford Point
The actual lumber OF Neither
lands Marines in the unit remaln
military secret, but it is gen
orally known that = ere are man,
here. They are seen on the CAM
streets and in liberty towns.
Their large unit of Liberated
Dutchmen will eventually take it
place with other forces of tn
United Nations, it is expected
Their tours of duty will not b
restricted to possessions of tn
Netherland Kingdom but will in
clude any sector where they ma.
be needed.
One reason why their training
is Like that of the American
Leathernecks is because of the sue
cess of the United States Marin
Corps against the japanese in tn
Pacific. Another reason is to sim
plify the supply problems.
Their first formal parade wa
held on April %. At the review
which was taken by Lieutenant