Marine Corps slogans, mottos and sayings cut like a knife or cause elevated sense of laughter depending on who said them and who they are directed at. Many of these USMC sayings have gone from bumper stickers to USMC shirts not surprising.
The United States Marine Corps has some of the best slogans and mottos of any military branch out there. You have got to love the creativity and fun natured side of the Devil Dogs. They fight hard. They play hard! Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children have some of the most insightful, fun and witty commentary and it goes without saying that to be an effective warrior in today’s battles one needs the balance of humor to go along with it during the down times.
Here are some of the most colorful and historic approaches to the USMC and its amazing history of slogans and mottos.
“Semper Fidelis”
(Always Faithful)”
US Marines (USMC) Motto
The Marine Corps adopted Semper Fidelis as its official motto in 1883
(Semper Fidelis is also the title of the official musical March of the Marine Corps).
U.S. Marines use an abbreviated verbal version, “Semper Fi”
to voice loyalty and commitment to their Marine comrades-in-arms.
Previous mottos of the Marine Corps were
(1) To the Shores of Tripoli, adopted in 1805
(2) Fortitudine or fortitude adopted in 1812 (both were used)
(3) From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, adopted in 1848
(4) By Sea and by Land, adopted in the 1850’s.
“No better friend, no worse enemy”
1st Marine Division “The Old Breed”
US Marines, USMC
“Second to None”
2nd Marine Division
Nickname: “The silent Second”
“Honor – Valor – Fidelity”
3rd Marine Division, Okinawa, Japan
US Marines, USMC
“First of the First”
1st Marine Regiment
US Marines, USMC
“Fortes Fortuna juvat”
(Fortunes Favors the Brave)
3d Marine Regiment
US Marines, USMC
“The Oldest, The Proudest”
4th Marine Regiment
US Marines, USMC
“The Fighting Fifth”
5th Marine Regiment
US Marines, USMC
“Prepare to March”
7th Marine Regiment
US Marines, USMC
“More Than Duty”
8th Marine Regiment
US Marines, USMC
“The Striking Ninth”
9th Marine Regiment
US Marines, USMC
“Arm of Decision”
10th Marine Regiment
US Marines, USMC
“The Cannon Cockers”
11th Marine Regiment
US Marines, USMC
“Ready to Fight”
1st Battalion, 1st Marines
“The Professionals”
2nd Battalion, 1st Marines
“Thundering Third”
3rd Battalion, 1st Marines
“Others will follow… where we lead.”
1st Battalion, 2d Marines
“Ma Kau Kau”
(Hawaiian for: “We are Ready)
1st Battalion, 3d Marines
Nickname: Lava Dogs
“Fortes Fortuna juvat”
(Fortunes Favors the Brave)
2nd Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment
“Fortes Fortuna juvat”
(Fortunes Favors the Brave)
3d Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment
“Americas Battalion”
“Whatever it Takes”
1st Battalion, 4th Marines
“Second to None”
2nd Battalion, 4th Marines
Nickname: The Magnificent Bastards
“53 Days”
,
4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division
“Make peace or die”
1st Battalion, 5th Marines
“Consummate Professionals”
3rd Battalion, 5th Marines
“Never to quit”
2nd Battalion, 6th Marines
“Devotion – Loyalty – Pride”
1st Battalion, 7th Marines
“Ready for All, Yielding for None”
2nd Battalion, 7th Marines
“The Cutting Edge”
3rd Battalion, 7th Marines
“Fortuna Favet Fortibus”
(Fortunes Favors the Strong/Brave)
3rd Battalion, 8th Marines
“The Walking Dead”
1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment
“Hell In a Helmet”
2nd Battalion, 9th Marines
“Second to None”.
2nd Battalion, 11th Marines
“Semper Flexibilis, Dominamus Nox”
(Always Flexible, We Dominate/Rule the night)
“God Fights on the Side With the Best Artillery, God Fights with Third Battalion”
3d Battalion, 11th Marines
“The Spirit of Saint Barbara”
5th Battalion, 11th Marines
“Death through Communication”
8th Communication Battalion
“You’d be cocky too if your missile did MACH 2+”
2 LAAD (Low Altitude Air Defense) Battalion.
Det 26 MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit)
“Swift-Silent-Deadly”
1st Recon Battalion
“Celer – Silens – Mortalis”
(Swift-Silent-Deadly)
3d Recon Battalion
“Elite of the Elite”
2nd Force Recon
“Honor Before Glory”
2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion
“The Highlanders”
1st Light Armored Recon
1st Marine Division, USMC
“Victory To The Bold”
2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance
“The Strength of the Pack is the Wolf,
the Strength of the Wolf is the Pack”
“The Wolfpack”
3rd Light Armored Recon
1st Marine Division, USMC
“Mors De Contactus”
“Death on Contact”
Marine Corps Security Force Company
Naval Submarine Base Bangor, (MCSFCo NSB)
“Deture, Detect, Defend”
MCSF Training Company
“Angels on your Helmets”
VMO-6 (Marine Observation Squadron)
US Marines, USMC
“Mors Ex Tenebris”
(Death from Darkness (Shadows))
-VMFA(AW) 242 “Bats”
(Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron (All Weather))
“In Hoc Signo Vinces”
(By this sign we will win/conquer)
-VMFA(AW)-533 “Hawks”,
“This Deuce is Wild”
MASS-2, Marine Air Support Squadron 2
“Eyes of the MAGTF”
Marine Air Control Squadron 2 (MACS-2)
“Lightning from the sky, Thunder from the sea.”
– 2nd Air/Naval Gunfire Liaison Co. in Camp LeJeune NC (USMC)
Lightning from the sky earmarks the military units mission of providing Forward Air Controllers.
Thunder from the Sea represents providing Naval Gunfire spotters.
These services were provided to Army and Allied units.
They were also attached to the 3rd ID during Iraqi Freedom and did FAC for that group
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Thank You!
Semper Fi!
Sgt Wyble USMC (Ret)
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Proud to be a member of that exclusive club.
Have you come across a Marine slogan that begins: “It starts with one Marine!”, and goes on; “two Marines make a pair, four Marines make a team, twelve Marines make a squad,” and so forth. I would like to find the entire slogan.
1st Radio Bn, KMCAS 79-82 (moved to CA now I think) “Death from the Ground Waves”.
It’s probably changed by now.