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 a branch of 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

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

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  • The Historical Reference Branch provides historical research and reference services and historical analysis.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

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

# Rank Name Tenure began Tenure ended
1 Major Edwin N. McClellan 8 September 1919 31 May 1925
2 Major Edward W. Sturdevant 1 June 1925 15 August 1928
3 Captain Lucian W. Burnham 16 August 1928 31 July 1929
acting Mr. James C. Jenkins 1 August 1926 26 September 1929
4 Captain Jonas H. Platt 27 September 1929 19 June 1930
5 Major Edwin N. McClellan 20 June 1930 2 March 1933
6 Captain Harry A. Ellsworth 3 March 1933 30 August 1934
7 Lieutenant colonel Alphonse DeCarre 31 August 1934 5 February 1935
8 Lieutenant colonel Clyde H. Metcalf 6 February 1935 31 December 1938
acting Mr. James C. Jenkins 1 January 1939 4 October 1942
8 Colonel Clyde H. Metcalf 5 October 1942 15 April 1944
acting Captain Philips D. Carleton 16 April 1944 2 May 1944
9 Colonel John Potts 3 May 1944 2 January 1946
10 Colonel Howard N. Kenyon 3 January 1946 15 October 1946
11 Lieutenant colonel Ellsworth N. Murray 16 October 1946 20 December 1946
12 Lieutenant colonel Robert D. Heinl Jr. 21 December 1946 12 June 1949
13 Lieutenant colonel Gordon D. Gayle 13 June 1949 13 August 1951
14 Lieutenant colonel Francis O. Hough 14 August 1951 8 June 1952
15 Lieutenant colonel Harry W. Edwards 9 June 1952 17 July 1955
16 Colonel Charles W. Harrison 18 July 1955 24 July 1959
17 Major Hubard D. Kuokka 25 July 1959 17 August 1959
18 Major Gerald Fink 18 August 1959 7 January 1960
19 Colonel William M. Miller 8 January 1960 31 July 1961
20 Colonel Thomas G. Roe 1 August 1961 30 June 1962
acting Major John H. Johnstone 1 July 1962 8 November 1962
21 Colonel Joseph F. Wagner Jr. 9 November 1962 31 August 1963
22 Lieutenant colonel Richard J. Schening 1 September 1963 14 November 1963
23 Colonel Frank C. Caldwell 15 November 1963 30 November 1970
24 Brigadier general Edwin H. Simmons 1 December 1971 1 July 1978
24 Brigadier general (ret.) Edwin H. Simmons 21 October 1978 3 January 1996
25 Colonel Michael F. Monigan 4 January 1996 11 July 1999
26 Colonel (ret.) John W. Ripley 12 July 1999 31 August 2005
acting Mr. Charles D. Melson 1 September 2005 8 January 2006
acting Colonel (ret.) Richard D. Camp Jr. 9 January 2006 10 December 2006
27 Dr. Charles P. Neimeyer 11 December 2006 December 2017
28 Dr. Edward T. Nevgloski 15 May 2019 Present

Publications

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

References

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. 1 2 Amerman, Annette D. (Fourth Quarter 2009). "Celebrating 90 Years of Collecting, Preserving, and Promoting of Marine Corps History". Fortitudine. Quantico, VA: United States Marine Corps Historical Program. 34 (4): 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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