Marine Corps Emblem?

[ChuckH]

On the officers emblem there isn't a Cuba, only on enlisted...
There were no officers involved with Cuba....
or so legend goes...

[Rocky C]

Spot on Chuck !!!.

The officer's insignia lacks the island of Cuba. Marine Corps lore later attributed this to the fact that there were no Marine Corps officers involved in the attack on Cuba known as the "Bay of Pigs" therefore they are not recognized as being part of that campaign and do not rate it on their uniform.


The Flat Black Service Uniforms for officers and enlisted were originally identical. However, the "Bay of Pigs" lore persisted and a separate black officer's emblem for the Service Uniform was eventually created.

[Eric Hood]

Thanks Marines! I never thought to learn this much about the Eagle, The Globe and the Anchor.
Semper Fi,
Eric

[Rocky C]

I love these kinds of threads Eric.

Thanks Brother !!!

[hbharrison]

See Eric even Rocky and ChuckH, who are both older than dirt can remmeber these things. YUK YUK

[ChuckH]

[Quinbo]

The enlisted EGA is cast as a single piece as it all the same color. The officers EGA is cast in two parts and then assembled. Cuba is not on the officers because of the relative size and complete separation from the North American continent.

In short it is too small and would have to be a third piece.

[madsox]

First - this is a great thread, I never thought I'd learn so many more little things about the EGA!

Second, it sounds like Quinbo may be right about the real reason the insignia are different. It just sounds practical and all that.


But I love the stories! If something doesn't have a good sea story to go with it, we should have one


Anyway, neither here nor there...

Semper Fi!

[ChuckH]

Design and symbolism

Eagle, Globe, and Anchor for the dress uniform: officer (left) & enlisted (right)

The emblem recommended by the 1868 board consisted of a globe (showing the continents of the Western Hemisphere) intersected by a fouled anchor, and surmounted by a spread eagle.

On the emblem itself, there is a ribbon, clasped in the eagle's beak, bearing the Latin motto "Semper Fidelis" (Always Faithful). The uniform insignias omit the motto ribbon.

The general design of the emblem was probably derived from the Royal Marines' "Globe and Laurel."^[3]

The globe on the U.S. Marine emblem signifies the Corps' readiness to service in any part of the world.

The eagle represents the United States.

The anchor, which dates back to the founding of the Corps in 1775, acknowledges the Naval tradition of the marines and their continual service within the Department of the Navy.

There are some differences between the uniform insignia for enlisted Marines and that of officers:

The Enlisted Marines' Dress Blue uniform insignia is die-struck from a single sheet of brass and annodized a gold color.
The Service Uniform insignia is coated a flat black color.

The officers' insignia is assembled from four parts: a die-struck silver colored globe with eagle, and gold colored anchor with silver colored fouling rope, and gold colored continents.

Due to the more complicated production process, the officer's insignia lacks the island of Cuba.

Marine Corps lore later attributed this to the fact that there were no Marine Corps officers involved in the attack on Cuba known as the "Bay of Pigs" therefore they are not recognized as being part of that campaign and do not rate it on their uniform.

The Flat Black Service Uniforms for officers and enlisted were originally identical.

However, the "Bay of Pigs" lore persisted and a separate black officer's emblem for the Service Uniform was eventually created.

[Rocky C]

Quinbo, the Officers Insignia is indeed assembled from 4 parts.

I'm sticking with the " Bay of Pigs " Lore...

[crazymjb]

Rechecked in the mirror, false alarm.

Mike

[Quinbo]

I was close ... hee he. Memory aint what it used to be. I stand corrected; it is cast in 4 parts. Often times we put some sort of meaning to something that was otherwise created to be aesthetically pleasing.
Was the dog chain intentionally made with the exact number of beads to use it as a calendar? If so then you could randomly select a dog tag chain and ever single large would have 365 beads and small would have 52.

[m14ed]

I've got a couple of these around from "OLD TIMERS"


Lefts, and rights....Screw backs...

[advanced]

Y'all have our history all wrong. My DI's, who would never lie, taught us the following;

The army gave us the eagle,
The navy gave us the anchor, and
We took the world!

[gunnyhje]

Also if you look close you will see ( even on your ID card) that there is a dot on the
upper point of the anchor do you now why ???
clue 1868 ...