Flag of the United States Marine Corps 3’x5′ Polyester, High Durability, American Made

This flag is made of a durable heavy weight Polyester and is 100% made in the USA to the highest standards. They are finished with a strong canvas heading and 2 brass grommets. These Military flags look great both outdoors and indoors and are suitable for companies and organizations who fly Military flags on a daily basis.

The Marine Corps flag is scarlet with the Marine Corps emblem, which contains a fouled anchor, a globe displaying the western hemisphere, and a spread American Bald Eagle atop the globe.

A ribbon held in the eagle’s beak carries the Marine motto, “Semper Fidelis,” (Latin for “always faithful”). Below the emblem a larger ribbon holds the title, “United States Marine Corps.

Design

Official battle color of the U.S. Marine Corps

The official flag is scarlet with the Corps emblem in gray and gold. It was adopted on 18 January 1939, although Marine Corps Order 4 had established scarlet and gold as the official colors of the Corps as early as 1925.^[ The indoor/parade version is bordered by a gold fringe while the outdoor version is plain. It measures 52 inches (130 cm) on the hoist and 62 inches (160 cm) on the fly. In addition to the multi-colored battle streamers (measuring 3 feet (0.91 m) by 2 ³⁄₄ inches (7.0 cm) wide) affixed to the top of the staff, the staff itself is covered with sterling silver bands engraved with the names of conflicts in which the Corps has been engaged.

History

Very little information is available regarding the flags carried by early American marines, although indications are that the Grand Union Flag was carried ashore by the battalion led by Captain Samuel Nicholas on New Providence Island, 3 March 1776. It is quite possible that the Gadsden flag was also carried on this expedition.

The standard carried by the Marines during the 1830s and 1840s consisted of a white field with gold fringe, and bore an elaborate design of an anchor and eagle in the center. Prior to the Mexican–American War, this flag bore the legend “To the Shores of Tripoli” across the top. Shortly after the war, the legend was revised to read: “From Tripoli to the Halls of the Montezumas.”

During the Mexican and Civil Wars, Marines in the field apparently carried a flag similar to the national flag, consisting of red and white stripes and a union. The union, however, contained an eagle perched on a shield of the United States and a half-wreath beneath the shield, with 29 stars encircling the entire design. Beginning in 1876, Marines carried the national colors (the Stars and Stripes) with “U.S. Marine Corps” embroidered in yellow on the middle red stripe.

At the time of the Vera Cruz landing in 1914, a more distinctive standard was carried by Marines. The design consisted of a blue field with a laurel wreath encircling the Marine Corps emblem in the center. A scarlet ribbon above the emblem carried the words “U.S. Marine Corps,” while another scarlet ribbon below the emblem carried the motto “Semper Fidelis.”

Orders were issued on 2 April 1921 which directed all national colors be manufactured without the yellow fringe and without the words “U.S. Marine Corps” embroidered on the red stripe. This was followed by an order dated 14 March 1922, retiring from use all national colors still in use with yellow fringe or wording on the flag. Following World War I, the Army practice of attaching silver bands carrying inscriptions enumerating specific decorations and battles was adopted. This practice was discontinued on 23 January 1961.

Marine Corps Order No. 4 of 18 April 1925 designated gold and scarlet as the official colors of the U.S. Marine Corps. These colors, however, were not reflected in the official Marine Corps standard until 18 January 1939, when a new design incorporating the new colors was approved. The design was essentially that of today’s Marine Corps standard.

For a brief time following World War I, the inscribing of battle honors directly on the colors of a unit was in practice, but realization that a multiplicity of honors and the limited space on the colors made the system impractical, and the procedure was discontinued. On 29 July 1936, a Marine Corps Board recommended that the Army system of attaching streamers to the staff of the organizational colors be adopted. Such a system was finally authorized by Marine Corps Order No. 157, dated 3 November 1939, and is currently in practice. Devices are embroidered onto the streamer to denote special recognition or repeat awards. Unlike the Army and Air Force flags, only a single streamer is utilized for a single campaign, with the exception of those streamers that require more than eight devices, the maximum any one streamer may hold. Devices are only authorized for campaigns participated in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Color Sergeant

The official battle color of the Corps is maintained by Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. (“8th and I”), and carried by the Color Sergeant of the Marine Corps. The position of the Color Sergeant was first officially designated in 1965 and was first held by Gunnery Sgt. Shelton L. Eakin. The billet is a two-year tour open to all Sergeants; the only caveat being that the applicant must be at least 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) tall, as outlined by the drill manual of the United States Marine Corp. and pass a rigorous White House security check. The Color Sergeant of the Marine Corps traditionally carries the Flag of the President of the United States at state dinners and other official functions, and leads the color guard at various parades and ceremonies.