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The Continental Congress met at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia to discuss the installment of two platoons of marines.
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On November 28, 1775, Major Samuel Nicholas was selected as the first Commandant of the Marines by the Continental Congress.
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At the end of the American Revolution, the original troops of Marines were disbanded, as they were deemed unneeded because of the endof the war.
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In preparation for the Quasi-War, the Marine Corps was founded as an offensive and defensive force for the United States.
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Famous orchestral composer John Philip Sousa joined the Marines as an apprentice at the age of 13. He served from 1867-1862 and then again from 1880-1892 as leader of the Marine Band.
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"Semper Fidelis", Latin for "Always Faithful" was adopted as the Marine Corps motto in 1868. It is a reminder to the people who serve to remain faithful to the mission, each other, and their country.
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The Marine Corps adopted its hymn officially, and since its adoption, only one change has been made. In the 1940's, due to the use of airplanes, the fourth line was edited to "... on air, on land, and sea..."
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The iconic image of the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima occurred specifically on top of Mount Suribachi. The flag is being raised by 5 marines and one Navy corpsman.
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The Marines officially ended their occupation in Iraq in 2010, They handed over responsibility to the US Army.