Washington’s Marines and the Birth of the Corps
How the Marine Corps’ Revolutionary War origins shaped its enduring warfighting ethos
MRR note: For this week’s post from the MRR archives, we feature Washington’s Marines by MajGen Jason Bohm, USMC (ret). In this, the United States’ “Semiquincentennial” year (250th), it’s a good time to reflect upon our origins. Bohm’s book is a great step in that direction as it covers the origins of the Marine Corps in context to the genesis of the American armed forces during the Nation’s founding.
We are grateful to RealClearDefense for picking up our Substack post on Washington’s Marines. It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least, to scroll down the main page and see the posting listed on their Books and Culture section.
RealClearDefense states, “it was created at the request of the Pentagon and Hill staff on the House Armed Services Committee. These groups felt that existing defense coverage was fragmented and there needed to be one place to go for information about military affairs, defense policy, national security, and foreign affairs….RealClearDefense falls underneath the umbrella of RealClear Media Group’s (RCMG).” Check it out.
The United States Marine Corps’ history as a premier fighting force of soldiers from the sea is well known. Across the 248 years since the Corps’ birth on November 10, 1775, from the World Wars to Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other conflicts, Marines have established their hard-earned reputation through their valor, innovation, and excellence. However, the story of the Corps’ origins and early years is less well-known. Washington’s Marines: The Origins of the Corps and the American Revolution, 1775-1777, published in 2023 by Maj General Jason Q. Bohm, USMC (retired), offers a comprehensive, in-depth look into the formative years of the Marine Corps during the pivotal years of the American Revolution.
