National Archives honors: history of the Marine Corps

In March, the National Archives, known to millions as the home of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, hosted a series of lectures on the history of the Marine Corps.

The lectures, most of which were held in the Archives' large, neoclassical building in downtown Washington, covered a range of subjects that included particular Marines, particular campaigns, and the overall history of the Corps.

All who spoke during the "USMC Lecture Series" are accomplished students of military history. And, as the great theorist of sea power, Alfred Thayer Mahan, once said, "The study of history lies at the foundation of all sound military conclusions and practice."

Appropriately, a top official from the Marine Corps History & Museums Division, LtCol. Jon T. Hoffman, was one of the lecturers. Hoffman is the division's deputy director. He has written two books on two towering figures in the Corps' history: "Once a Legend: 'Red Mike' Edson of the Marine Raiders" and "Chesty: The Story of Lieutenant General Lewis B. Puller, USMC."

The similarities and differences between Edson and Puller made for a fascinating discussion.

Both were brave warriors. Puller earned the Navy Cross an unrivaled five times, while Edson earned it twice and also earned the Medal of Honor. Both men fought in the Pacific during World War II.

However, as Hoffman said, "These are two guys who are very much opposites in most respects."

Edson was "the innovator and thinker who came up with a lot of ideas," Hoffman said.

Puller, by contrast, was the salty, hard-charging Marine who might make a mistake or two in peacetime, but would always be ready to fire up his Marines and stick it to the enemy when things got hot, Hoffman said. "He would always lead by example."

Hoffman wasn't the only speaker in the lecture series with ties to the Marine Corps History and Museums division. Retired BGen. Edwin H. Simmons, who spent 25 years as the division's director, also spoke at the Archives. He is a highly decorated Marine who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

His lecture, which he informally labeled "A History of Marine Corps Histories," focused mainly on comprehensive books about the Corps.

He is the author of several books, including "The United States Marines," which tells more than 200 years of history in just under 350 pages of text. He also served as the chief editor of "The Marines," a large, coffee-table book.

While it might seem that one history of the Corps would be interchangeable with another, such is not the case, Gen. Simmons said.

For example, his 350-page history of the Corps gives a relatively quick overview in chronological order. The coffee-table book, "The Marines," is divided into topics. For example, one chapter is on the Commandants, one is on Marine aviation, and another is on weapons.

Marine officers have written many histories of the Corps. In the 1960s, Col. Robert Heinl published "Soldiers of the Sea," a 692-page history of the Corps with a strident narrative style. However, Gen. Simmons noted, it was an Army veteran, J. Robert Moskin, who wrote "The U.S. Marine Corps Story," a 916-page volume.

Someone who actually works at the Archives, Trevor Plante, delivered the opening lecture in the series. Plante spoke on U.S. Marines in the Boxer Rebellion, drawing heavily from the knowledge he gained while preparing an article for a 1999 issue of "Prologue," the quarterly journal of the National Archives.

Plante explained how resentment against international intervention in China prompted some Chinese citizens, known as Boxers, to lay siege against foreigners in Peking and in Tientsin in 1900.

Marines played a prominent role in holding off and beating back the attacks. When the rebellion was over, 33 Marines had earned the Medal of Honor, Plante noted.

Also speaking at the Archives was Marine veteran Jim Dickenson, whose lecture focused on what is perhaps the most exceptional class ever to graduate from the Corps' Officer Candidates School. The class took a special curriculum focusing on infantry tactics and weapons, and 90 percent of the class became platoon leaders on Iwo Jima and Okinawa in World War II. The class had an extraordinary casualty rate of 58 percent.

A retired Navy captain, Wilbur Jones, spoke about his book, "Gyrene: The World War II United States Marine." Jones captured the experiences of individual Marines, drawing from more than 250 interviews and countless additional sources.

The final lecture in the series centered on the Civil War. David Sullivan, the author of many books and articles on the period, discussed both the Marines of the North and those serving on the Confederate side.

Cpl. John Lawson III

Headquarters Marine Corps

WASHINGTON, D.C.

COPYRIGHT 2002 U.S. Marine Corp.
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