Marines' Hymn:  Marine Warriors stormed Derna and gave us "the shores of Tripoli."  Marine Warriors fought their way into the castle at Chapultepec and gave us the "halls of Montezuma."  Marines exist for the sole purpose of warfighting.  That is their role in life.  They "fight for right and freedom" and "to keep our honor clean."  They fight "in the air, on land, and sea."  Truly, Marine Corps is Valhalla for Warriors.

  Ironically, no one knows who wrote the hymn, which was in widespread use by the mid 1800's.  Col. A.S. McLemore, USMC, spent several years trying to identify the origin of the tune.  In 1878 he told the leader of the Marine Band that the tune had been adopted from the comic opera Genevieve de Barbant, by James Offenback.  Yet, other research supports the view that the tune originated from a Spanish folf song.  But, regardless of its origin the Marines' Hymn has remained a revered icon of the United States Marine Corps for almost 200 years.

  In 1929 the Marines' Hymn became the offical hymn of the Corps.  Thirteen years later in November 1942, the Commandant approved a change in the words of the first verse, fourth line.  Because of the increasing use of military aircraft in the Corps, the words were changed to "In the air, on land, and sea."  No other changes have been made since that time:

From the Halls of Montezuma,
  To the Shores of Tripoli;
We Fight our country's battles
  In the air, on land, and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
  And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
  Of UNITED STATES MARINES.

Our flag's unfurled to every breeze

  From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
  Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far off northern lands
  And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job --
  The UNITED STATES MARINES.

Here's health to you and to our Corps

  Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought fought for life
  And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and Navy
  Ever look on Heaven's scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
  By UNITED STATES MARINES.

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