Colours of the United States Marine Corps

USMC "These Colours Never Run" un-official badge

<< The Battle Colours of the Marine Corps are proudly displayed. 

The Marine Corps flag is adorned with battle streamers that represent over 400 battles and awards.

This was the first year the Regimental Colours returned to Belleau Wood since 1918.

Photo by: Official USMC photo by Cpl. Thomas Michael Corcoran

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 Rattlesnake flag was also carried on this expedition.

1. Presidential Unit Citation (Navy) Streamer with six silver and two bronze stars

2. Presidential Unit Citation (Army) Streamer with one silver oak leaf cluster

3. Joint Meritorious Unit Award Streamer

4. Navy Unit Commendation Streamer

5. Valorous Unit Award (Army) Streamer

6. Meritorious Unit Commendation (Navy-Marine Corps) Streamer

7. Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) Streamer

8. Revolutionary War Streamer

9. Quasi-War with France Streamer

10. Barbary Wars Streamer

11. War of 1812 Streamer

12. African Slave Trade Streamer

13. Operations Against West Indian Pirates Streamer

14. Indian Wars Streamer

15. Mexican War Streamer

16. Civil War Streamer

17. Marine Corps Expeditionary Streamer with twelve silver stars, three bronze stars
and one silver "W"

18. Spanish Campaign Streamer

19. Philippine Campaign Streamer

20. China Relief Expedition Streamer

21. Cuban Pacification Streamer

22. Nicaraguan Campaign Streamer

23. Mexican Service Streamer

24. Haitian Campaign Streamer with one bronze star

25. Dominican Campaign Streamer

26. World War I Victory Streamer with one silver and one bronze star, one Maltese Cross,
and Siberia and West Indies clasps

27. Army of Occupation of Germany Streamer

28. Second Nicaraguan Campaign Streamer

29. Yangtze Service Streamer

30. China Service Streamer with one bronze star

31. American Defense Service Streamer with one bronze star

32. American Campaign Streamer

33. European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Streamer with one silver and four bronze stars

34. Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer with eight silver and two bronze stars

35. World War II Victory Streamer

36. Navy Occupation Service Streamer with Europe and Asia Clasps

37. National Defense Service Streamer with two bronze stars

38. Korean Service Streamer with two silver stars

39. Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamer with five silver and one bronze star

40. Vietnam Service Streamer with three silver and two bronze stars

41. Southwest Asia Service Streamer with three bronze stars

42. Kosovo Campaign Streamer with two bronze stars

43. Philippine Defense Streamer with one bronze star

44. Philippine Liberation Streamer with two bronze stars

45. Philippine Independence Streamer

46. French Croix De Guerre Streamer with two palms and one gilt star

47. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Streamer with two bronze stars

48. Korean Presidential Unit Citation Streamer

49. Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Meritorious Unit Citation of the Gallantry Cross with Palm

50. Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Civil Actions Streamer with Palm

During the Mexican and Civil Wars, Marines in the field apparently carried a flag similar to the national flag, comprised 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 colours (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 centre. 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 colours 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 colours 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 colours of the U.S. Marine Corps. These colours, however, were not reflected in the official Marine Corps standard until 18 January 1939, when a new design incorporating the new colours 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 honours directly on the colours of a unit was in practice, but realization that a multiplicity of honours and the limited space on the colours 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 colours be adopted. Such a system was finally authorized by Marine Corps Order No. 157, dated 3 November 1939, and is currently in practice.

Accurate at 1 Jan 2003. Does not include any Battle Honours awarded after that date.