United States Marine Corps History Division

United States Marine Corps History Division
The progenitor to the modern Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, this insignia was first used by Marines in 1804.[1] Seen today on uniform buttons, it also serves as the History Division's unofficial logo.
Active8 September 1919
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Marine Corps
TypeHistorical
HQMarine Corps Base Quantico
Commanders
DirectorDr. Edward T. Nevgloski[2]

The United States Marine Corps History Division is an arm of the Headquarters Marine Corps tasked with researching, writing, and maintaining the History of the United States Marine Corps. It also provides reference and research assistance; preserves personal experiences and observations through oral history interviews; and deploys field historians to record history in the making. It is headquartered at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.

History

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The History Division was formed on 8 September 1919, by Order Number 53 of Commandant of the Marine Corps George Barnett as the Historical Section of the Department of the Adjutant and Inspector.[3] After World War II, the organization was known as "Marine Corps History and Museums Division" until the splitting of the division in 2005 in order to create the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Organization

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The United States Marine Corps History Division is a staff organization with the primary task of researching and writing the Marine Corps’ official history. The unit is not a division-sized military formation.[4] It is organized into four branches:[5]

  • The Historical Branch prepares a wide variety of official publications that tell the Marine Corps story as accurately and comprehensively as possible. Publications include: articles, monographs, occasional papers, and definitive histories. The Branch also includes the Oral History Program, which obtains, catalogs, transcribes, and preserves personal narrative, experiences and observations of historic value from active duty and retired Marines for use as reference source material.
  • The Historical Reference Branch provides historical research and reference services and historical analysis. In addition, the Branch supports specific programs: Unit Lineage and Honors, Commemorative Naming, Marine Corps Flag Manual, and Marine Corps Chronology.
  • The Field History Branch deploys Individual Mobilization Augmentee detachment historians to collect historically relevant material (oral history, written/electronic plans, operation orders, maps, overlays and artifacts) for use as reference material. The Branch also consists of a Mobilization Training Unit whose members support the History Division with specific projects.
  • The Editing and Design branch designs and lays out manuscripts, maps and other graphic materials to support the History Division’s publications.

Directors

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Since its inception, the following individuals have served as director:[3]

# Rank Name Tenure began Tenure ended
1 4Major McClellanEdwin N. McClellan 8 September 1919 31 May 1925
2 4Major SturdevantEdward W. Sturdevant 1 June 1925 15 August 1928
3.03 3Captain BurnhamLucian W. Burnham 16 August 1928 31 July 1929
3.5acting 0Mr. JenkinsJames C. Jenkins 1 August 1926 26 September 1929
4 3Captain PlattJonas H. Platt 27 September 1929 19 June 1930
5 4Major McClellanEdwin N. McClellan 20 June 1930 2 March 1933
6 3Captain EllsworthHarry A. Ellsworth 3 March 1933 30 August 1934
7 4Lieutenant colonel DeCarreAlphonse DeCarre 31 August 1934 5 February 1935
8.08 5Lieutenant colonel MetcalfClyde H. Metcalf 6 February 1935 31 December 1938
8.1acting 0Mr. JenkinsJames C. Jenkins 1 January 1939 4 October 1942
8.28 6Colonel MetcalfClyde H. Metcalf 5 October 1942 15 April 1944
8.3acting 3Captain CarletonPhilips D. Carleton 16 April 1944 2 May 1944
9 6Colonel PottsJohn Potts 3 May 1944 2 January 1946
10 6Colonel KenyonHoward N. Kenyon 3 January 1946 15 October 1946
11 5Lieutenant colonel MurrayEllsworth N. Murray 16 October 1946 20 December 1946
12 5Lieutenant colonel HeinlRobert D. Heinl Jr. 21 December 1946 12 June 1949
13 5Lieutenant colonel GayleGordon D. Gayle 13 June 1949 13 August 1951
14 5Lieutenant colonel HoughFrancis O. Hough 14 August 1951 8 June 1952
15 5Lieutenant colonel EdwardsHarry W. Edwards 9 June 1952 17 July 1955
16 6Colonel HarrisonCharles W. Harrison 18 July 1955 24 July 1959
17 4Major KuokkaHubard D. Kuokka 25 July 1959 17 August 1959
18 4Major FinkGerald Fink 18 August 1959 7 January 1960
19 6Colonel MillerWilliam M. Miller 8 January 1960 31 July 1961
20.020 6Colonel RoeThomas G. Roe 1 August 1961 30 June 1962
20.1acting 4Major JohnstoneJohn H. Johnstone 1 July 1962 8 November 1962
21 6Colonel WagnerJoseph F. Wagner Jr. 9 November 1962 31 August 1963
22 5Lieutenant colonel ScheningRichard J. Schening 1 September 1963 14 November 1963
23 6Colonel CaldwellFrank C. Caldwell 15 November 1963 30 November 1970
24.024 7Brigadier general SimmonsEdwin H. Simmons 1 December 1971 1 July 1978
24.124 7Brigadier general (ret.) SimmonsEdwin H. Simmons 21 October 1978 3 January 1996
25 6Colonel MoniganMichael F. Monigan 4 January 1996 11 July 1999
26.026 6Colonel (ret.) RipleyJohn W. Ripley 12 July 1999 31 August 2005
26.1acting 0Mr. MelsonCharles D. Melson 1 September 2005 8 January 2006
26.2acting 6Colonel (ret.) CampRichard D. Camp Jr. 9 January 2006 10 December 2006
27 0Dr. NeimeyerCharles P. Neimeyer 11 December 2006 December 2017
28 0Dr. NevgloskiEdward T. Nevgloski 19 May 2019 December 2022
29 0Dr. CallahanShawn P. Callahan 29 January 2024 Present

Publications

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The History Division maintains several publications, including the quarterly newsletter Fortitudine (ISBN 0-16-010404-1), which was a traditional motto of the Corps before semper fidelis was adapted in 1883. They also maintain an archive of all historical publications published since its founding.

See also

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References

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Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

  1. ^ Smith, Charles Richard; Charles H. Waterhouse (1975). A Pictorial History: the Marines in the Revolution (PDF). United States Marine Corps Historical Division. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
  2. ^ "Staff Directorate". Marine Corps History Division. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  3. ^ a b Amerman, Annette D. (Fourth Quarter 2009). "Celebrating 90 Years of Collecting, Preserving, and Promoting of Marine Corps History". Fortitudine. 34 (4). Quantico, VA: United States Marine Corps Historical Program: 1925. ISBN 978-0-16-010404-6. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  4. ^ "Organization and Personnel – History Division". Marine Corps History Division. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  5. ^ "Mission Statement". Marine Corps History Division. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
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