National Museum of the Marine Corps

12/24/2022

Yes - we are OPEN today! Our hours are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

We will be CLOSED tomorrow, December 25th. 🎄

We will reopen on December 26th with regular hours, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

As always, admission and parking are FREE!

12/23/2022

We had a great time with Santa and Mrs. Claus last week, and we hope you did too! Here are a few joyous pictures we captured during their visit. You can see even more pictures on our Flickr at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/usmcmuseum/albums/72177720304690288/with/52581884853/

🎄🎁✨

12/23/2022

Just a reminder that the National Museum of the Marine Corps is OPEN every day, except December 25th, Christmas Day. 🎄

Our hours are from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Parking and admission are FREE!

12/21/2022

in 1861, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation creating the Navy’s Medal of Honor. On 9 December 1861, Iowa Senator James W. Grimes introduced the legislation to Congress to “promote the efficiency of the Navy'' through the creation of “medals of honor” that would be presented to “enlisted seamen and Marines who…distinguish themselves by gallantry in action and other seamen like qualities'' during the Civil War. The following year, the medal was authorized for soldiers, as well.

While the medal has undergone numerous changes - with regard to legislation, design, and presentation - it still retains what is truly special, its status “as the United States’ highest award for military valor in action.” By present-day law, “only U.S. service members who distinguish themselves through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty” can be eligible for the medal.

12/20/2022

in 1989, Operation Just Cause is launched in Panama to protect American lives, restore the democratic process, preserve the integrity of the Panama Canal Treaty, and apprehend dictator Genl Manuel Antonio Noriega. One Marine, Cpl Garreth C. Isaak, is killed and three others are wounded during the operation.



Image 1: Sgt George Gamma, a Marine sniper, lays down protective fire on the entrance to the Panamanian Defense Force regional headquarters at La Chorrera in preparation for the Marine assault on the compound.

Image 2: Marines patrol up a small stream in the jungle surrounding the Arraijan Tank Farm. The terrain provides intruders with good cover & avenues of approach both to the fuel storage facility and Howard Air Force Base.

12/19/2022

Toys for Tots: 75 Years of Delivering Joy to Children - MCA

Toys for Tots is finished for this year but it's a timeless effort. So are the posters that promote the annual campaign. Learn more about the posters, many of which are in the Museum's collection, in this "Leatherneck" article by Museum curator Jennifer Castro. https://mca-marines.org/blog/leatherneck/toys-for-tots-75-years-of-delivering-joy-to-children/

By Jennifer Castro William L. Hendricks was a major in the Marine Corps Reserve when he established Toys for Tots in 1947. Hendricks worked in the motion picture industry, and

12/19/2022

in 1972, the Marine detachment of the USS Ticonderoga provides shipboard security for three U.S. astronauts, Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans, Harrison Schmitt, and their Apollo-17 space capsule. The astronauts had completed a then-record lunar stay of more than 75 hours. It is the final flight of the Apollo program, and astronauts Cernan and Schmitt are the last humans to walk on the Moon.

📸: The Apollo-17 Command Module (CM) floating in the Pacific Ocean following splashdown and prior to recovery. The USS Ticonderoga is in the background. (Photo courtesy of NASA, Photo ID: S72-56147; Public Domain)

12/18/2022

For actions taken in 1965, outside the village of Ky Phy, Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam, then-1stLt Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. is awarded the Medal of Honor.

Barnum’s company was suddenly pinned down by the enemy fire and separated from the battalion by 500+ meters of open, fire-swept ground. He made a hazardous reconnaissance of the area and discovered the rifle company commander mortally wounded and the radio operator killed. Disregarding his own safety, he rendered aid to the dying commander, removed the radio from the dead operator and strapped it to himself, and then assumed command. Barnum rallied the units, reorganized them, and led an attack on enemy positions. With two armed helicopters, he moved through enemy fire, directed one platoon in a counterattack, then directed the landing of two transport helicopters to evacuate the dead and wounded.

He then assisted in the mopping-up and final seizure of the battalion's objective.
“His gallant initiative and heroic conduct reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.”

12/15/2022

in 1948, the Secretary of the Navy signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the State Department, which laid the basis for the modern Marine Security Guard (MSG) Program at U.S. embassies throughout the world.

Have you served on MSG duty?

12/13/2022

Happy Birthday, National Guard! Thank you for all you do! 🇺🇸

Happy Birthday, National Guard!

Tracing their lineage back to the Massachusetts colonial militias of 1636, the is our nation’s oldest military organization. Today, we celebrate the service of the citizen soldiers of the National Guard and their continued commitment to protecting our communities and our country.

12/12/2022

Visit with Santa TODAY!
@ 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. 🎅🎄

Come celebrate the holidays and meet the jolliest elf in town! Holiday-themed activities and crafts will be available while waiting to meet St. Nick.

Photos with Santa are from 1:30 pm-3:30 pm today.

Guests must provide their own cameras. 📸

All families must be in line by 3:15 pm to ensure a photo with Santa.

This event is FREE and open to the public!

12/11/2022

in 1941, the Wake Island defense force defeats an attempted Japanese amphibious assault. Two enemy destroyers are sunk, and three cruisers, two destroyers, a destroyer transport, and a transport are damaged.

12/10/2022

during the early morning darkness of 1941, a Japanese force of nearly 6,000 men of the South Seas Detachment lands at the Tamuning, Togcha, and Tumon areas on Guam. In the barracks,153 Marines and 80 Insular Guards, armed with rifles and four machine guns, fight back for a time. The U.S. Navy governor of the island, aware that there would be no relief or reinforcements, felt “the situation was simply hopeless.” Concerned with the fate of 20,000 Guamanians, he surrenders to the Japanese.

12/10/2022

Come celebrate the holidays and meet the jolliest elf in town, on one of his two visits to the Museum! Holiday-themed activities and crafts will be available while waiting to meet St. Nick. Photos with Santa are from 1:30 pm-3:30 pm today. 🎅🎄

Guests must provide their own cameras. 📸

All families must be in line by 3:15 pm to ensure a photo with Santa.

This event is FREE and open to the public!

Santa will return December 12, 1:30 pm-3:30 pm.

12/09/2022

Of the many artists responsible for creating iconic imagery for the Toys for Tots campaign Marine Corps Combat Artist Keith McConnell is of exceptional note. McConnell designed nine posters for Toys for Tots including the 35th, 50th, and 60th-anniversary posters. He also served as a combat artist in the Vietnam War and again in 1991, during Operation Desert Storm.

December 12 is the last day to drop your new, unwrapped toys off in the Museum’s WWII-era Jeep and trailer. It’s located in the Medal of Honor Theater lobby at the Museum.

12/09/2022

in 1992, Marines of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) land in Somalia, kicking off Operation Restore Hope - the largest humanitarian relief operation of its kind.

12/08/2022

Remembering the Fallen: A Tarawa Marine’s Purple Heart and Cemetery Cross

In September 2021, 78 years after the battle of Tarawa, PFC Royal L. Waltz’s remains were recovered by the History Flight organization. During the reinterment ceremony, Waltz’s grandniece met the nephew of another Marine who was killed in Tarawa. The nephew was the relative of Cpl Clarence Hodgson. Days later, to the nephew’s great surprise, an article in the Washington Post detailed the efforts of History Flight in recovering service members’ remains. The article highlighted Tarawa relics that were donated to the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Among these artifacts was a hand-painted, white wooden cross, marked with the name "Clarence S. Hodgson." As a result of the article, the nephew inquired if the museum would be interested in accepting the donation of his uncle's artifacts.

Clarence Hodgson was born in 1922, in Cedar, Iowa. In 1940, at age 18, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. Hodgson was eventually assigned to the 2d Battalion, 8th Marines. On 20 November 1943, the unit was committed to the Battle of Tarawa. The assault marked the first offensive operation in the Pacific to make an opposed landing on an enemy beach. Nearly 5,000 Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces infantry and soldiers met the Marines from well-prepared defensive positions. Despite heavy naval and air bombardment, the Marine attack immediately faced severe problems. The incoming tide levels had been inaccurately predicted and the Higgins boats (known for their remarkably low draft levels) could not traverse the shallow coral atoll. Instead of landing ashore, the Marines in the landing craft were forced to wade 500 yards inshore while still under devastating enemy fire. During the landing, Hodgson was struck by enemy gunfire. He was evacuated to the USS Sheridan. During the ship’s return to Hawaii, Hodgson died of his wounds. He was buried at sea but given a memorial grave on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, following the battle.

Hodgson's collection consists of personal items sent home following his death. This posthumous Purple Heart was given to his parents and young sister. His memorial marker remnant was accessioned by the museum in 2019.

12/07/2022

7 December 1941 – Attack on Pearl Harbor

During the attack on Pearl Harbor, Pvt Roy F. W. Rieck (a Marine bugler) sounded the call to arms with this bugle as Japanese planes flew overhead. Later, he used the same bugle at funeral services to honor the dead.

Find out more about Pearl Harbor and this historic bugle in our World War II Gallery.

12/06/2022

Toys for Tots! 🎁🧸

Bob Moore was an essential part of early Disney animation and a liaison to the U.S. military and helped produce special projects for the U.S. government during World War II. The National Museum of the Marine Corps collection contains an original 1978 gallery proof (as noted by the color correction blocks on the top border of the poster) of a Mickey Mouse-themed Toys for Tots poster designed by Moore.



📸: 1978 Toys for Tots poster © Walt Disney Productions
(National Museum of the Marine Corps Collection)

12/05/2022

SgtMaj “Iron Mike” Mervosh

Mike D. Mervosh joined the U.S. Marine Corps in September 1942 at the age of 19. After completing training at Parris Island, South Carolina, he was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division, and deployed for combat in the Pacific. He saw action on Saipan, Tinian, and ultimately Iwo Jima; was wounded twice and received the Purple Heart and a Navy Commendation medal. Promoted to sergeant by 1945, he served as a machine gun section leader, platoon commander, and company commander during the fight for Iwo.

Following WWII, Mervosh remained in the Corps and rose to the rank of master sergeant by 1951. Following the news of the death of his younger brother, Cpl Milan Mervosh, in Korea, Mervosh was assigned to the 1st Marine Division in the spring of 1952 and once again saw heavy combat with the 3d Battalion, 5th Marines until 1953. He received the Bronze Star and a second Navy Commendation medal for his service.

During the 1960s, Mervosh was promoted to the rank of the first sergeant and served two combat tours with the 1st Marine Division in the Republic of Vietnam. There he received his third Navy Commendation medal and a third Purple Heart. Mervosh’s final promotion to sergeant major and his last assignment was as Fleet Marine Force, Pacific Sergeant Major from 1972 to 1977. Upon retirement, he was purportedly the most senior enlisted man in the United States Armed Forces after 35 years of service.

Retiring to Oceanside, California, SgtMaj Mervosh gained prominence as a Marine veteran throughout Camp Pendleton and the local community. He even appeared in an episode of the hit TV show, Hawaii Five-O as the transparently cast "Sergeant Major Danvers." A small restaurant on base was named for him and he was given his own personal parking space. These were just a few of the reminders of Iron Mike’s cultural impact and the reverence shown to him by the Corps before his death in 2017.

SgtMaj Mervosh’s collection at the Museum includes his dress blues, ribbons, and numerous unique personal items.

For more information on SgtMaj Mervosh and WWII, visit the WWII Gallery at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

12/04/2022

Best Supporting Aircraft in a Motion Picture?

The movie Devotion, now in theaters, tells the story of an unlikely friendship between Jesse Brown, the Navy’s first black carrier pilot, and Tom Hudner, his white squadron mate. The Marine Corps’ first operational helicopter, the Sikorsky HO3S Dragonfly, has a small but important role to play in the story. (Spoilers ahead if you don’t already know the story!)

Sikorsky delivered the first HO3S-1 to Marine Helicopter Squadron (HMX)-1 in February 1948 for pilot training and doctrinal development. When the Korean War started, HMX-1 transferred some HO3S-1s to Marine Observation Squadron (VMO)-6. VMO-6 arrived in Korea on 6 August 1950 and immediately began supporting Marines defending the Pusan Perimeter. In September, the squadron supported the 1st Marine Division at Inchon and a month later followed them to the other side of the Korean peninsula. In late November, the division unexpectedly encountered a large Chinese force, beginning the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir.

On 4 December 1950, Brown and Hudner’s squadron was supporting the Chosin withdrawal when Brown’s plane was hit, forcing him down, deep behind enemy lines. Hudner, flying as Brown’s wingman, saw that his fellow pilot was stuck in the cockpit. Hudner disobeyed orders and crash-landed next to him. Capt Wallace Blatt of VMO-6 took off in his HO3S to rescue the downed aviators. Despite their best efforts, neither Hudner nor Blatt could free the now-unconscious Brown from the cockpit. With darkness closing in and the HO3S unable to fly in the dark, Hudner made the difficult decision to leave with Blatt. As their helicopter was climbing out, Blatt saw Chinese troops moving towards the crash site. The next morning, a reconnaissance flight found Brown’s body still in the cockpit but stripped of his gear. Brown was declared dead.

The motion picture Devotion uses the Dragonfly’s improved replacement, the Sikorsky HO5S (introduced in 1952), but you can see an actual HO3S in our Korean War gallery!


📸: An HO5S standing in for the HO3S in the movie Devotion.

12/02/2022

Chesty loves Toys for Tots and he's reminding everyone that the Museum is a drop-off location. He's anxious to see you. 🐾🎁🧸

12/02/2022

- What events are coming up at the Museum?

🗓 Check out the upcoming events for this month at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Discover your holiday spirit at the Museum with the sights and sounds of community performers! ✨

All events are open to the public and free of charge.

You don’t want to miss out.

Parking and admission to the Museum are always FREE.

🔗 https://www.usmcmuseum.com/calendar.html

12/01/2022

75th Anniversary Poster for Toys for Tots 🎁

Toys for Tots was founded in 1947 by Marine Corps Reserve Maj William “Bill” L. Hendricks and officially adopted by the Marine Corps in 1948. The work of Toys for Tots went nationwide almost immediately and is recognized as an official activity of the Marine Corps and an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserve. For the past 75 years the Toys for Tots program, with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, have led an annual campaign to collect new and unwrapped toys, and then provide millions of gifts to underprivileged children at Christmastime. Perhaps the most familiar part of the campaign is the seasonal poster advertisements, many of them created by well-known artists like Hank Ketcham (Dennis the Menace), Roger J. Himmel (Lollipop Dragon), Bob Moore (Walt Disney) and former Marine Corps combat artist Keith McConnell, who created nine different posters for Toys for Tots.

The Toys for Tots 75th Anniversary poster was created by artist Charles Fazzino. Fazzino, a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City, is one of the most popular and highly-collected pop artists of all time. During his more-than-thirty years as a pop artist, he has inserted his unique, detailed, vibrant, and three-dimensional style of artwork into the very fabric of popular culture. Fazzino's artworks are exhibited in hundreds of museums and galleries in more than twenty different countries.

Fazzino had previously worked locally with the New York Toys for Tots campaign. A Marine from Marine Forces Reserve saw one of his posters for the campaign in 2021 and connected to Fazzino via the New York Toys for Tots Coordinator. Fazzino and his staff were thrilled and honored to receive the request to be named the official artist for the Toys for Tots 75th Anniversary campaign. He accepted the offer and in turn offered to create the 3D poster for the campaign, and donate it to the Marine Corps, as well as commit to donate 100% of the proceeds of the sale of the reproduction posters to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

12/01/2022

Quantico Marines conceived of carrying troops from ship-to-shore by helicopter and in 1947, the first experimental Marine Corps helicopter squadron, HMX-1, is activated.

The helicopter techniques they used there later proved invaluable during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Quantico’s small-but-vital air facility and HMX-1 continue to aid in development, training, and education, and has since become synonymous with helicopter transport for the President of the United States.

Find out more here: https://www.hqmc.marines.mil/hmx-1/About/



📸: MCB Quantico VA - Inventor Igor Sikorsky, the father of American helicopters, visits HMX-1 at Marine Corps Air Station Quantico, Virginia. In the background is an HO3S-1 helicopter, one of the first two “Whirlybirds” assigned to the U. S. Marine Corps. Photo By: National Archives Photo (USMC)