Originally published in Motorcycles On The Road Again, May 2007.
The Marine Corps Legacy Museum
Harrison, Arkansas
In Harrison I had the privilege of visiting the Marine Corps Legacy Museum. This is a private collection that has been gathered by a father and son team — both of whom served in the USMC.
The exhibits walk you through the history of the Corps from its beginning to the present day with authentic, or in some cased authentically reproduced, uniforms, weapons and much of the gear necessary for support. Each display case profiles a specific period of Marine Corps history with medals, photographs, letters, documents and other memorabilia. In each case also is information about the total size of the corps for each time period.
Although we frequently think of the Marine Corps as a major force — and certainly many of our enemies learned to think of them this way — the actual numbers have never been extremely large. Even at the height of WWII the Corps had less than 500,000 troops.
The museum uses a "time line" format that documents developments in American history, such as, presidents, technological advances, soe Cial changes and relationships with other countries.
Each time in our history that the Marines have been called to support America, a display will depict Commandants, Manning, Uniforms, Equipment, Weapons and Tactics of the Corps of that period.
As the only facility in the USA which has taken this approach to displaying the history and evolution of two colonial battalions in 1775 into the largest Marine Corps in the world, the Marine Legacy Museum provides a necessary service in a time when few of the political leadership, or the American people truly understand what the Corps is and the service it provides America in time of both peace and war.
The MCLM is dedicated to all men and women who proudly wear the Eagle, Globe and Anchor emblem and have served or are serving every day, all over the globe. We know what you do, and why you do it. Hopefully, now, so will America.
Two days prior to visiting the MCLM
I visited the Marine Military Academy (MMA) in Harlingen, Texas. The MMA is a private, college preparatory school for young boys in the 8th through the 12th grades and one year of postgraduate study. Although a private school it is largely staffed by marines and the students get a sense of the rich history of the Corps.
The reason for my visit was to attend the graduation of my nephew, Duncan, from Plebe training. It was amazing to see the change that just a few weeks at MMA had brought about in him and I must assume also in the other young men in the same plebe class.
What I saw at MMA had impressed me a lot even though I didn't know much of the history of the United States Marine Corps. The visit to the museum in Harrison put a perspective on what I had seen in Harlingen and helped me understand the intense devotion to the corps that I have witnessed in every marine I have ever known.
Since 9-11 Americans have marveled at the willingness of young men and young women to volunteer for, and serve in, the armed forces of the United States. The military is not a dumping ground for the illiterate, ignorant and uneducated. The requirements of today's technologically sophisticated military requires, and gets, many of our best and brightest.
So whether you visit a museum such as the MCLM or the flight museum in Galveston, Texas, attend a military ceremony, or have the privilege of meeting the cadets at a military prep school you might just gain a new appreciation for all of our service men and women.
Semper Fi — Always Faithful !
Visit the museum online at www.mclm.com
The Marine Military Academy website is www.mma-tx.org
View the original scanned article (PDF)