Photo By Cpl. Michael Taggart | U.S. Marines execute a series of firing drills during a low light live-fire range for...... read more read more
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The Marine Corps’ history bleeds thick with the courage few are
honored to inherit. It is the constant standard, the north-facing arrow
in an increasingly complex world.
Take a moment to ask yourself: how did we get here?
It would be almost impossible to recount every pivotal moment
enacted by a Marine, yet it is necessary to reflect on the moments
that shaped the ethos of our Corps.
The 27th of April marked the passing of 220 years since the
American flag was raised on foreign soil for the first time in war. The
flag was raised by First Lieutenant Presley N. O’Bannon of the United
States Marine Corps. The Tripoli fortress at Derna was held by pirates
before it was assaulted by Lt. O’Bannon, seven other Marines, and
about 400 mercenaries. The pirates held the strategically positioned
fortress with a larger force, yet the day’s end showed them defeated.
Two Marines were killed, and one Marine was wounded during the
assault. As a token of respect for the bravery and leadership shown in
the Battle of Derna, Lt. O’Bannon was given a Mameluke sword by
Prince Hamet Karamanli of the Ottoman Empire.
After 220 years, the fateful actions of Lt. O’Bannon and his Marines
on the shores of Tripoli are reflected in the second line of The Marines’
Hymn. While it has lost its place in battle, the Mameluke sword is still
worn by Marine Corps officers at ceremonious events. And more than
the physical evidence, more than the day and hour, more even than the
place where these actions occurred, the spirit of that day lives on. 220
years ago, Lt. O’Bannon and his Marines set the standard of courage for
all Marines to come.
Combat in today’s world would have been unrecognizable to Lt.
O’Bannon. Perhaps the world itself would be difficult to reconcile. The
definition of fires has extended not just past the naked eye, but even
past the horizon.
The globalization of the internet and information sphere has
brought imagery of war into the public eye. The combat uniforms of
Marines are strikingly different, a reflection of the new nature of
combat. Marines eat, sleep, and train on horizons never seen by the
Marines at Derna.
For example, the Marines of III Marine Expeditionary Force
Information Group are based in Okinawa, Japan. III MIG Marines are
equipped and trained to lead in the modern battlespace, where
information warfare is key to victory. III MIG provides information
operations, communications, intelligence, and fires and effects
liaison in support of Marine Air Ground Task Force operations.
Marines such as Lt. O’Bannon became pillars in the history of our
Corps decades before even the telegraph existed. And just as that
small band of Marines was aided by Greek and Arab mercenaries, the
Marines of III MIG work alongside allied nations to build resilience,
integrate best practices, and work together toward our shared
goals.
Long before concepts such as forward observers for air attacks,
maritime sensor arrays, or secure long-distance communication
nodes existed, Marines were lethal and expeditionary. Two centuries
of innovation have only increased those capacities. We face new
shores, and new threats, with the same courage that the Corps has
instilled in Marines since the days of Lt. O’Bannon.
Make no mistake. There are still pirates in the world. There are
still fortresses that need taking. There are still threats. And where
there is hostility and malintent to be found, there is still a Marine
Corps to snuff it out. We no longer cut down the enemy with swords
and sabers, but they are still met with the full and fiery hearts of
Marines.
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.04.2025 21:07 |
| Story ID: | 496780 |
| Location: | OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 12 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fires and Fiery Hearts, by 2LT Joshua Wolek, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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