Marine Corp Emblem at the Vietnam War Memorial

[Jenn]

Comment: This is a link to a photo of Marines polishing the Marine Corp Emblem
at the Vietnam Memorial – The caption states that they do this every day and
that no other branch of service does theirs?

"Here is a little known fact. At the Vietnam War Memorial (The Wall) sets a flag
pole and at it's base are the seals of all the services: Army, Navy, Marines, Air
Force and Coast Guard. Every day throughout the entire year a group from
Marine Barracks, Eight & I, Washington, D. C. march to the flag and polish the
Marine Corps Emblem. The other services have NEVER touched theirs."

[franjava]

This page suggests that it's polished *once each week. Not that it's proof. Everything else I've come across says what your post does. It certainly looks cleaner than the other branches' emblems, so it seems likely.

ETA: *Unless this

"My friend mentioned that Marines from 8th and I Marine Barracks go there every week to polish their emblem."

means that only that specific barracks is assigned to duty once each week and other barracks take the other days. Not sure.

[AnglRdr]

Marines take that sort of thing very seriously, which is great, but there aren't a whole lot of servicemembers stationed in DC (excepting the Pentagon), and I would imagine their work duties are probably vital enough that taking time to do the US Park Service's job might not be a huge priority.

[jimmy101_again]

There is a difference between looking good and being functional. I've always noticed that the older a country is the gaudier the uniforms of it's soldier become. (US uniforms have recently exceeded the soviets in gaudiness.)

Brass is used for monuments because it tarnishes (rusts) only on the surface. Once the surface coat is formed it (like aluminum and copper) are self protecting.

Polishing removes the protective coating, hence you have to keep polishing it. Kind of silly really, the metal was specifically chosen for its tarnish characteristics and the Marines keep scraping the protective layer off.

{Mr. Roger's voice}Can you say "busy work"?
I knew you could.{/Mr. Roger's voice}

I would hope the DC marine garrison might have more important things to be doing, on my dime, than damaging a public display.

[AnglRdr]

Not spent any time around the Navy, huh? Brass shines, it does not tarnish

[DemonWolf]

Originally Posted by jimmy101_again

I would hope the DC marine garrison might have more important things to be doing, on my dime, than damaging a public display.

With the attitudes of many of the Marines that I know, it is certainly possible that they are doing it on their personal time.

[CannonFodder]

Originally Posted by DemonWolf

With the attitudes of many of the Marines that I know, it is certainly possible that they are doing it on their personal time.

They're in unit PT's. Could be the wall is a mid-point on a squad or platoon run.

[RobDBlackwolf]

I might wonder, how close they are stationed to the memorial, and how close the nearest stations for Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard are? After all I doubt that the Marines who are on polishing duty are high ranks.

[MegansMom]

Originally Posted by RobDBlackwolf

I might wonder, how close they are stationed to the memorial, and how close the nearest stations for Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard are? After all I doubt that the Marines who are on polishing duty are high ranks.

It's just over 3 miles from the Marine Corps Barracks to the Vietnam Memorial.

[crescent]

Originally Posted by MegansMom

It's just over 3 miles from the Marine Corps Barracks to the Vietnam Memorial.

That's a decent distance for a run - like Cannon Fodder said, maybe they do it as the midpoint of PT. It would be pretty easy to keep up ploishing if they can fit it into a routine.

I'm a bit surprised the other services don't polish thier own sections as well, at least in the name of inter-service rivalry.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by crescent

I'm a bit surprised the other services don't polish thier own sections as well, at least in the name of inter-service rivalry.

Maybe they refrain from doing so in the interest of having another reason to make fun of the Marines.

[DesertRat]

Nitpick, I know, but a major annoyance to Marines: In 1775, the Continental Congress established a Corps of Marines, not a "corp". We're a fighting force, not a corporation.

Yes, the picture accurately depicts 8th & I Marines polishing the monument. No, they did not "march" over (as stated in the OP).

[RLS]

I would hope the DC marine garrison might have more important things to be doing, on my dime, than damaging a public display.

A few points
1. I have yet to have a job that does not have some downtime/ busy work. Few people are working at their work the whole time they are there so why should the marines be any different because they are paid by the tax payers. Look at the politicians, how many hours do they spend doing work for us?

2. Unless you are extremely wealth you are right about the dime. If you take into account the taxes you pay and the services you receive you more than likely pay less than a dime in these guys salary. So if you really want to complain and are that offended send me your address and I will refund your dime.

3. Until you show me in the specs for the flag stand that it is to be allowed to tarnish I will go on the assumption it was to be polished on a regular basis. Thus they are maintaining the public property not damaging it.

[GenYus234]

As a hijack, why are the Marines a seperate branch regarding honors and traditions, but not a seperate branch logisticly? IE, there is no Marine acadamy, no Department of the Marines, no Secretary of the Marines. But Marines have their own official march and hymn, they have seperate section of the flag base, etc.

Is it due to the differences between the historic jobs of Naval and Marine personnel aboard ship? The inherited difference between marines and sailors aboard Britsh warships?

If so, why were the Marines never made a seperate branch? I'm sure there were similar issues between Army and Army Air Corps, but they were seperated. Longer tradition of being in the Navy, but not in the Navy?

[CannonFodder]

Originally Posted by GenYus234

As a hijack, why are the Marines a seperate branch regarding honors and traditions, but not a seperate branch logisticly? IE, there is no Marine acadamy, no Department of the Marines, no Secretary of the Marines. But Marines have their own official march and hymn, they have seperate section of the flag base, etc.

Is it due to the differences between the historic jobs of Naval and Marine personnel aboard ship? The inherited difference between marines and sailors aboard Britsh warships?

If so, why were the Marines never made a seperate branch? I'm sure there were similar issues between Army and Army Air Corps, but they were seperated. Longer tradition of being in the Navy, but not in the Navy?

It's complex and long enough that it can't be neatly explained in this format. But the reading can be very interesting for many, if military history is your thing.

Wiki's page is actually quite good. Give it a shot!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...s_Marine_Corps

[DesertRat]

If so, why were the Marines never made a seperate branch?

The wiki article covers things quite nicely. As far as additional context rooted in our present mission set, while a seperate branch, the primary core competency of the Marine Corps (expeditionary warfare, typically in the form of amphibeous forced entry) is best served by remaining in the Department of the Navy. The Navy and the Marine Corps, while seperate branches, are interdepent on eachother to fight within the full spectrum of their capabilities--we are a seperate but equal "blue-green team".

I would hope the DC marine garrison might have more important things to be doing, on my dime, than damaging a public display.

I somehow missed this the first time.

First off, customs and traditions are a critical part of maintaining the high warfighting morale of the operating forces, and the 8th & I barracks' primary reason for existence is to demonstrate those proud customs and traditions to the American public. In an era where the values of society and the military that defends it are becoming increasingly divergent, it is in the Corps' and the nation's best interest to continue use the Marines of this post as "emissaries" and representatives of what the Corps is and all its best qualities. Part of that is maintaining the presentability and serviceability of these monuments. How can the nation take pride in a Corps that doesn't take pride in its history?

Second, part of the fundamental Marine ethos is honoring those who came before and affording them their due respect. The intent behind polishing that memorial is not some kind of "beautification" project; it helps these young Marines pay respect to, and hence understand, the sacrifices of those Marines who have gone before. It is a tangible way of teaching our Marines to respect their antecedents and maintain the faith their brothers-in-arms.

Third, these young Marines learn valuable habit patterns from this (and other) busy work. Many people don't understand this, but by inculcating a disciplines passion for, say, cleaning and maintaining even a static memorial, these Marines will apply the same work ethic to the much more important tools of their trade, such as their weapons.

[snopes]

I would hope the DC marine garrison might have more important things to be doing

Really. Marines should never be doing anything other than fighting wars or preparing to fight wars. If they have any time left over at all, they should be doing important work like collecting Toys for Tots, not engaging in frivolities such as preserving and honoring their traditions.

[jimmy101_again]

The designer of the monument choose the materials. The designer of the monument (and by reference the Gov't agency that paid for the monument) knew what the material would look like after a year or so in the weather. The designer of the monument designed the monument to look that way after weathering.

If the designer of the monument (and the US gov't by extension) had wanted the monument to be shiny then it would have had a protective clear coat applied. Since that was not done, what the Marines are doing is basically defacing a public memorial. Doesn't really matter that they think it should be shiny, it isn't their monument to F' with.

[DesertRat]

If the designer of the monument (and the US gov't by extension) had wanted the monument to be shiny then it would have had a protective clear coat applied. Since that was not done, what the Marines are doing is basically defacing a public memorial. Doesn't really matter that they think it should be shiny, it isn't their monument to F' with.

And if the owner of the monument--the United States government--felt its property was being defaced, don't you think this activity would have been stopped a long time ago?

[jimmy101_again]

Originally Posted by DesertRat

And if the owner of the monument--the United States government--felt its property was being defaced, don't you think this activity would have been stopped a long time ago?

Would it? I've seen many many pieces of public property defaced without significant response from the gov't.

Besides isn't it incredibly disrespectful to the dead from the other four services for the marines to be "defacing" a single part of what is a joint memorial, one that pays respect to 5 different services? Or do the marines think that the dead marines are more worthy of commemoration than the dead of the other services? Making your small part look different than the parts for the other services is pretty offensive, at least to me.