CHAPTER VI

UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA OF THE U. S. MARINE CORPS

The marines serve both on ship and ashore, while aboard ship their duties closely approximate those of the sailor in the line of the navy and while serving ashore their duties are of the same nature as those of the army soldier, but their uniform is distinctly military in style and appearance.

Both officers and enlisted men have uniforms of blue cloth corresponding to those of the navy and worn upon the same occasions, and the officers have white uniforms to be worn upon the occasions when officers of the navy wear white, while the enlisted men have no white uniform coats but wear uniforms of khaki-colored cotton material upon the occasions when enlisted men of the navy wear white. This khaki uniform is officially known as “summer field” uniform, but commonly called “khaki.”

Both officers and men are also provided with a “winter field” uniform for wear upon active service in the field whenever the weather is too cold for the khaki uniform. The winter field uniforms and the overcoats for officers and men are made of woolen cloth of a shade known as “forestry-green,” a grayish olive green.

In time of war the special full dress, full dress and mess dress uniforms are not worn unless especially ordered for a particular occasion.

UNIFORMS FOR OFFICERS OF THE MARINE CORPS

The commissioned officers of the Marine Corps are required to have complete outfits of special full dress, full dress, undress, white undress, mess dress, summer field and winter field uniforms.

The warrant officers of the Marine Corps are required to have the same uniforms with the exception of special full dress, full dress and mess dress.

The occasions upon which these uniforms are worn are given in the table of occasions for uniforms for officers of the Navy and Marine Corps, page 109, and the composition of the various uniforms is as follows:

_Special Full Dress Uniform._—For officers of the Line, a double-breasted frock coat of dark blue cloth, extending to about one foot below the waist, with two rows of gilt Marine Corps buttons down the front from the line of the collar to the waist, the buttons being arranged in groups of threes for the rank of Major General Commandant, in groups of twos for the rank of Brigadier General and equally spaced for all other ranks; with a standing collar embroidered with gold oak leaves for general officers and covered with gold lace braid for other ranks, the cuffs bearing ornamentations of gold embroidery to indicate the rank of the wearer (see illustrations at page 155), the cuffs for general officers being of dark blue velvet; dark blue cloth trousers, trimmed down the outer leg seams with one and a quarter inch wide gold lace braid having a quarter inch scarlet silk stripe through the center; a bell-crowned cap of dark blue cloth with a sloping visor with a gold chin strap above it and the silver and gold Marine Corps device at the center of the front of the crown, gold epaulets, black shoes, white gloves, and the Marine Corps sword suspended from a belt by slings, belt and slings covered with gold lace braid.

For officers of the Staff, the same as for officers of the Line except that the coat is single-breasted with one row of buttons and gold shoulder knots are worn instead of epaulets, and aiguilettes of plaited gold cord are worn.

For the Major General Commandant, and officers of the Staff, there may be worn with this uniform a chapeau or “cocked hat” of black silk beaver with a two-inch strap of gold lace on the right side upon which is the silver and gold Marine Corps device and a plume of cock’s feathers extending over the top of the crown from front to rear, the plume to be canary-yellow for the Major General Commandant and scarlet for officers of the Staff.

The Major General Commandant also wears with this uniform a sash of buff silk with bullion tassels diagonally across the body from the right shoulder to the waist at the left side, the tassels hanging below the belt.

Brigadier Generals wear with this uniform a sash belt with a bow at the left side, of two and a half inch gold lace with a three-eighths inch scarlet stripe through the center, from which the sword is suspended by gold lace trimmed slings.

When mounted, officers wear full dress breeches and black boots with this uniform.

The full dress cap for the Major General Commandant has a band of blue-black velvet decorated with gold embroidered oak leaves, and a wreath of oak leaves around the Marine Corps device.

The full dress cap for Brigadier Generals is the same as for the Major General Commandant, except that the wreath of oak leaves around the corps device is omitted.

The full dress cap for all other commissioned officers has a band of gold lace braid with a three-eighths inch scarlet stripe through the center, the visor being covered with dark blue cloth decorated with sprays of oak leaves for field officers (Colonels, Lieutenant colonels and Majors) and with plain black patent leather for company officers (Captains, First Lieutenants and Second Lieutenants).

_Full dress uniform._—The same coat as worn with special full dress, full dress trousers, gold shoulder knots, full dress cap, white gloves, and black shoes. The same sash and belt for the Major General Commandant, the same sash for Brigadier Generals and the same belt for other commissioned officers as those worn with the special full dress uniform.

The full dress trousers for the Major General Commandant and Brigadier Generals are of dark blue cloth with a stripe of black mohair braid one and one-half inches wide down the outer leg seams; for all Line officers below the rank of Brigadier General they are of sky-blue cloth with a stripe of scarlet cloth one and one-half inches wide down each outer leg seam; and for Staff officers below the rank of Brigadier General they are of dark blue cloth with a stripe of scarlet cloth one and one-half inches wide down each outer leg seam.

The chapeau may be worn with this uniform by the Major General Commandant and officers of the Staff.

When mounted officers wear full dress breeches and black boots with this uniform, the breeches being of the same color and with the same stripes as the full dress trousers.

_Undress uniform._—The blue undress coat, undress trousers (white trousers may be worn), undress cap (white undress cap may be worn), black shoes (white shoes with white trousers), white gloves, the sword worn suspended from a tan leather belt and slings. When mounted undress breeches and black boots are worn.

The undress coat for all officers is a single-breasted sack coat of dark blue cloth or serge extending to about ten inches below the waist, with a standing collar, buttoned down the front by five Marine Corps gilt buttons. On the front it has four outside patch pockets, one on each breast and one on each side below the breast pockets with their tops at the waist line, all the pockets being closed by pointed flaps buttoned by small Marine Corps gilt buttons. On the shoulders there are shoulder straps of the same material as the coat extending from the shoulder seam to the base of the collar, the insignia of rank being worn thereon. The Marine Corps device indicating the corps and the staff corps device or aide-de-camp’s device for indicating the staff corps or special assignment of officers being worn on the collar on each side of the neck opening in front. The sword belt is worn underneath this coat.

The undress trousers for General officers are of dark blue cloth with stripes of black mohair braid down the outer leg seams, for Line officers below the rank of Brigadier General they are of sky-blue cloth or serge with one and a half inch scarlet stripes down the outer leg seams, and for Staff officers below the rank of Brigadier General they are of dark blue cloth or serge with one and a half inch scarlet stripes down the outer leg seams.

The undress cap is of dark blue cloth with a sloping visor having the same ornamentation for General officers and Field officers as the full dress cap, the Marine Corps device in the center of the front and a chin strap above the visor made of gold braid three-eighths of an inch wide with a narrow scarlet stripe through the center of it. For General officers the band of the cap is of blue-black velvet and for all other officers it is of black mohair braid.

The white undress cap is made of white duck and white braid of the same style as the blue undress cap and provided with the same visor, corps device and chin strap as the blue undress cap.

Undress breeches, worn when mounted, are of the same color as undress trousers and have the same stripes.

_White undress uniform._—The white undress coat, white trousers, white cap, white shoes, white gloves and sword with tan leather sword belt and slings. The white undress coat is made of white duck or drill after the same style and design as the blue undress coat and bears the same rank, corps and staff devices.

_Mess dress uniform._—Blue mess jacket, special full dress trousers, white dress waistcoat with gilt buttons, gold shoulder knots, full dress cap, white shirt and collar, black necktie, black patent leather shoes. The white mess jacket is worn in hot weather and white trousers may be worn with it, in which case the white cap is worn.

The mess jacket is a round shell jacket of dark blue cloth, with standing collar, extending to the points of the hip bones at the sides and curving downward slightly to the front and back. The jacket is worn hooked at the collar but open down the front which has one row of sixteen small Marine Corps gilt buttons. The collar is covered with gold lace braid and the sleeves bear the same ornamentations indicating rank as those worn on the full dress coat.

The white mess jacket is of the same style as the blue mess jacket but has no sleeve ornamentation, and is provided with shoulder straps of the same material as the jacket, upon which the insignia of rank are worn in the same manner as on the shoulder straps of the undress coats.

The mess dress is worn on occasions when naval officers wear their evening dress uniform.

_Summer field uniform._—The summer field uniform is made of khaki colored cotton drill and consists of a coat of the same style and design as the white undress coat, breeches, field hat or khaki-colored cap of the same style as the white cap, tan leather shoes, tan leather strap puttee leggings, and the sword suspended from the tan leather belt and slings, the belt being worn outside of the coat. Mounted officers may wear tan leather boots.

The field hat is the wide brimmed brown felt hat worn with the peaked crown, commonly known as the “campaign hat.” It has the Marine Corps device on the front of the crown to indicate the corps, and in the case of officers a hat cord woven of gold and red and finished at the ends with gold and red acorns is worn around the base of the crown.

The rank marks worn with the summer field coat are the same as those worn with the white undress, but all corps and staff devices and buttons are of dull finished bronze to make them less conspicuous.

_Winter Field Uniform._—The winter field uniform is made of cloth or serge of the shade known as “forestry-green,” a grayish olive green, and consists of a coat made in the same general style as the summer field coat except that the lower pockets are larger and are of the “bellows” type, breeches (trousers are worn sometimes), the field hat or winter field cap, tan leather strap puttee leggings, tan shoes, sword suspended from tan leather belt and slings, the belt being worn outside of the coat. Mounted officers may wear tan leather boots.

The insignia indicating rank, corps and staff department and the buttons are the same as those worn on the summer field uniform.

In the field or at drills when it is considered appropriate the coat of the field uniform is not worn, in which case the flannel shirt, of the same color as the field uniform, is worn with the insignia of rank on the collar on each side of the front opening.

The _overcoat_ for all officers is a double-breasted ulster made of cloth of the same “forestry-green” color as the winter field uniform extending to about ten inches below the knee, buttoned to the neck with two rows of large size bronze Marine Corps buttons, with a deep rolling collar, and shoulder straps on the shoulders bearing the insignia of rank in bright metal and the insignia indicating the Staff corps and aides-de-camps in bronze. The sleeves bear ornamentations indicating the rank of the wearer of the same size and design as those for the full dress coat but of the same color as the cloth of the overcoat. There is a double box pleat down the center of the back and straps across the back to button the coat in at the waist. On each side below the waist there is a pocket with a vertical opening.

The _cloak_ for all officers is of dark blue cloth lined with scarlet cloth, cut to three-fourths of a circle so as to hang full, and having a rolling collar of black velvet.

For wear in rainy weather each officer is provided with a raincoat and a rain cape of waterproof material, of the same color as the winter field uniform, and extending to about eight inches below the knee.

Shirts and collars for wear with special full dress, full dress, undress and mess dress uniforms are of plain white linen, and those for wear with field uniforms are of flannel of the color of the field uniform.

Warrant officers (Marine Gunners and Quartermaster Clerks) are not required to have special full dress, full dress or mess uniforms.

INSIGNIA OF RANK, CORPS AND STAFF DEPARTMENTS

The rank of officers of the Marine Corps is indicated in three ways: first, by rank insignia worn upon the shoulder straps of the blue and white undress coats and summer and winter field coats; second, by rank insignia worn upon the tops of the epaulets and shoulder knots worn with special full dress, full dress and mess dress coats, and third, by the ornamentations worn upon the sleeves of the full dress coat, mess jacket and overcoat.

The insignia of rank, indicating the rank of the wearer, are practically the same as those for the corresponding ranks of the Army and Navy, and are as follows:

Major General Commandant—two silver stars. Brigadier General—one silver star. Colonel—a silver spread eagle. Lieutenant Colonel—a silver oak leaf. Major—a gold oak leaf. Captain—two silver bars. First Lieutenant—one silver bar. Second Lieutenant—one gold bar. Marine Gunner and } no insignia of rank, the Quartermaster Clerk } shoulder strap being plain.

The insignia of rank worn on the shoulder straps of the blue undress coat and the winter field coat are embroidered in silver thread, with the exception of the Major’s gold leaf which is embroidered in gold thread, and those worn on the white undress coat, summer field coat, white mess jacket and overcoat are of metal, silver for all except the major’s leaf and second lieutenant’s bar which are of gold.

The insignia of rank worn on the tops of the epaulets and shoulder knots are of the same size but are embroidered upon scarlet cloth to show one-sixteenth of an inch all around.

The sleeve ornamentations indicating the rank of officers of the Marine Corps are as shown in the illustrations. On the full dress coat and mess jacket for the Major General Commandant and the Brigadier Generals they are embroidered in gold upon cuffs of dark blue velvet and on the overcoat they are embroidered in thread of the same color as the overcoat. For Line officers below the rank of Brigadier General they are made of gold lace braid on a backing of scarlet cloth on the full dress coat and mess jacket while for officers of the Staff the scarlet cloth backing is omitted. On the overcoats for all officers below the rank of Brigadier General they are made of mohair braid of the same color as the overcoat.

It may be noted that the design of the sleeve ornaments for Field officers (Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels and Majors) is in the form of a chevron, while that for company officers (Captains, and First and Second Lieutenants) is a knot known to seamen as a “carrick bend,” to artillerymen as a “prolong knot”; and to the civilian as the “True love knot” representing faithfulness on account of the fact that it does not readily slip or pull apart. It was on this account that this particular form of knot was first used as a military emblem to denote faithfulness or loyalty.

The fact that an officer belongs to the Marine Corps is shown by the Marine Corps device or insignia worn upon the front of all caps and field hats, upon the right side of the chapeau, on the top of epaulets and shoulder knots, and upon the collars of the blue and white undress coats, summer and winter field coats and mess jackets.

The Marine Corps device for full dress and undress caps is a fretted silver Western Hemisphere with chased parallels and the continents of North and South America in gold, resting upon a foul anchor in gold, and surmounted by a spread eagle of silver. The shank of the anchor is set at an angle of thirty degrees from the horizontal. The dimensions are, diameter of hemisphere seven-eighths of an inch, height of eagle one-half of an inch, length of anchor one and three-quarter inches. The Corps device worn on epaulets and shoulder knots is of the same size and design but is made entirely of silver. The Marine Corps devices worn on the field hat and on the summer field and winter field caps are of the same design and size as those worn on the undress caps but are made entirely of bronze metal.

The Corps devices worn on the collars of the blue undress coat, white undress coat and white mess jacket are of silver and gold and of the same design as those worn on caps but of only three-fourths the size. Those worn on the collars of the summer field and winter field coats are of the same design and size as those worn on the undress coats but are made entirely of dull finish bronze metal.

The aides-de-camp on the personal staff of a General officer wear a distinctive device consisting of a shield of the United States three-quarters of an inch high surmounted by an eagle one-half of an inch high. This device is worn in the center of the sleeve ornament of the full dress coat and mess jacket and on the collars of the undress and field coats and white mess jackets in rear of the corps devices, and on the shoulder straps of the overcoat. For the full dress, undress and mess dress uniforms the device has the shield in enamel of proper colors, stripes of red and white, field blue with gold stars indicating the rank of the general officer on whose staff the aide-de-camp is serving, two stars for Major General and one star for Brigadier General. For the field coats and the overcoat the device is of the same design but made of dull finish bronze metal.

In order to designate the different departments to which the officers of the Staff of the Marine Corps belong distinctive Departmental Devices are provided to be worn with all uniforms.

_Adjutant and Inspector’s Department._—The distinctive device for this department consists of a miniature Marine Corps sword and fasces crossed in gold surmounted by a wreath in silver, in the center of which is a shield of thirteen bars of red and white enamel with the field in blue enamel containing one large and twelve small gold stars; the dimensions being, length of sword and fasces one and three-eighths inches, diameter of wreath three-quarters of an inch.

_Quartermaster’s Department._—The distinctive device of this department consists of a miniature Marine Corps sword and a key crossed in gold surmounted by a gold wheel with a blue enamel rim set with thirteen gold stars, the dimensions being, length of sword and key one and three-eighths inches, diameter of wheel three-quarters of an inch.

_Paymaster’s Department._—The distinctive device for this department consists of a miniature Marine Corps sword and a quill pen crossed in gold surmounted by an oak leaf and two acorns in silver, the dimensions being, length of sword and quill one and three-eighths inches, length of leaf one and one-eighth inches.

With special full dress, full dress and blue mess dress uniforms these distinctive devices of the Staff Departments are worn on the top of the shoulder knot at the center; with white mess dress, blue undress, white undress, summer field and winter field uniforms they are worn on each side of the collar in rear of the corps device; and with the overcoat they are worn on the shoulder straps above the insignia of rank.

For wear with the summer field and winter field uniforms and with the overcoat the Departmental devices are of the same size and design as for the other uniforms above described but are made of dull finish bronze metal.

_Aiguilettes_ consisting of loops of plaited round gold cord terminating in gilded pencil ornaments are worn with special full dress, full dress, and mess dress by officers of the Staff Departments, and with special full dress, full dress, mess dress, blue undress and white undress uniforms by Aides-de-camp to General officers and Aids on the personal staff of a Flag Officer of the Navy.

_Warrant Officers’ Distinctive Insignia._—Marine Gunners wear as a distinctive device a bursting spherical shell three-quarters of an inch in diameter with a flame five-eighths of an inch high made of silver for the blue undress and white undress coats and of dull finish bronze metal for the summer field and winter field coats and the overcoat.

Quartermaster Clerks wear the distinctive device of the Quartermaster’s Department, in gold and enamel for the blue and white undress coats and in dull finish bronze for the summer field and winter field coats and the overcoat.

These devices are worn on both sides of the collar of the undress and field coats and on the shoulder straps of the overcoat.

_Marine Corps Sword._—The sword carried by all officers of the Marine Corps has a steel blade, slightly curved, from twenty-eight to thirty-two inches in length, with a scroll on each side bearing the words “United States Marines.” The grip is of the Mameluke type and is made of white ivory and the guard is a straight bar of gilded metal, the ends terminating in acorn designs. The scabbard is of polished silver with two gilded bands and rings for attaching it to the belt slings and a gilded ferrule at the lower end.

_The Belt Plate_ for officers’ full dress belts is of gilt metal, oblong in shape, two and one-eighth inches high by three and one-eighth inches wide, decorated with a silver wreath encircling the Arms of the United States in silver.

_The Sword Knot_ worn on the hilt of the Marine Officers’ sword is a loop of round cord ending in a tassel, made of gold and scarlet for full dress and of plaited leather for other uniforms.

_Buttons._—The Marine Corps buttons bear a design consisting of a foul anchor placed diagonally with an American eagle above it, surrounded by thirteen stars and a narrow circular band. The buttons for blue and white uniforms are of gilded metal and those for the field uniforms and the overcoat are of dull bronze metal.

_Spurs_ are worn by all officers when mounted.

The uniform for the officers of the Marine Corps Branch of the Naval Militia of the several states and territories is the same as that for the officers of the regular service with the addition of a distinctive mark showing the state or territory to which they belong. This distinctive mark is the authorized abbreviation for the state or territory in metal block letters one-half of an inch high and is worn in rear of the Marine Corps device on each side of the collar of the blue undress, white undress, summer field and winter field coats, on the shoulder straps of the overcoat and on the front of the field hat, gold for the undress coats and bronze for the field coats, overcoat and field hat.

When sworn into the service of the United States the Naval Militia becomes a part of the National Naval Volunteers and the officers wear a metal letter V in place of the state or territory letters described above.

Officers of the Marine Corps Reserve wear the same uniforms as the officers of the regular service with the addition of a letter R worn as prescribed for the state letters of the Marine officers of the Naval Militia organizations.

UNIFORMS OF THE ENLISTED MEN OF THE MARINE CORPS

The enlisted men of the Marine Corps are required to have complete outfits of dress uniform, summer field uniform, winter field uniform and an overcoat.

The occasions upon which the different uniforms are worn is as stated in the table of occasions for the uniforms of enlisted men of the Navy and Marine Corps on page 133.

The different uniforms are as follows:

_Dress Uniform._—A single-breasted coat of dark blue cloth extending to about ten inches below the waist, with a standing collar, buttoned down the front with a single row of seven Marine Corps gilt buttons, shoulder straps sewn down on the shoulders with a gilt button at the collar end, and a three-pointed strap with three gilt buttons on each sleeve cuff. The top and bottom edges of the collar, the front and bottom edges of the coat and the edges of the shoulder straps are trimmed with a piping of scarlet cloth one-eighth of an inch wide. Sky-blue trousers, those for noncommissioned officers having a one inch scarlet stripe down the outer leg seams and those for the other men being plain. A dark blue bell-crowned cap with a sloping visor of black patent leather, the top and bottom welts of the band being trimmed with a piping of scarlet cloth one-eighth of an inch wide. Just above the visor there is a chin strap of black patent leather one-half of an inch wide, attached by a small Marine Corps gilt button at each end of the visor. White trousers may be prescribed for wear with this uniform, in which case a white cover is worn fitting tightly over the crown of the cap. The Marine Corps device in bright gilt metal is worn on the front of the cap. Black shoes are worn with this uniform except when the men wear leggings in which case the shoes are of tan leather. A white leather dress belt closed with a flat polished gilt belt plate is worn when on duty, and white gloves are worn when under arms. For active duty the tan leather belt and cartridge box may be worn.

_Summer Field Uniform._—A single-breasted coat made of khaki-colored cotton material, extending to about ten inches below the waist, with standing collar, buttoned with one row of seven bronze metal Marine Corps buttons, with a patch pocket and buttoned flap on each breast and a strap on each shoulder buttoned down at the collar end by a small bronze button; khaki-colored trousers of the same material as the coat; tan shoes; khaki-colored canvas leggings; and the field hat of the shape worn by officers, or a khaki-colored cover fitting tightly over the dress cap may be worn aboard ship or on other appropriate occasions. The Marine Corps device in dull finish bronze metal is worn on the front of the field hat and cap, and in addition the number of the company in bronze metal letters is worn on the field hat below the Marine Corps device. Tan leather shoes are always worn with this uniform. The tan leather belt or the cartridge belt of webbing is worn with field uniform. In the field or at drills afloat or ashore the coat is sometimes dispensed with and the khaki-colored flannel shirt is worn.

_Winter Field Uniform._—This uniform is made of the same “forestry green” colored cloth as that worn by officers for winter field uniforms and consists of a single-breasted coat of the same general style as the summer field khaki coat but with the addition of an outside pocket on each side below the waist; trousers or breeches of the same material as the coat, khaki-colored leggings, tan shoes, woolen gloves of the same color as the coat when needed, the held hat or a cap of the same material as the coat and the same design as the dress cap but with a dark tan leather visor and bronze buttons and corps device. The buttons on the coat of this uniform are also of bronze. At drills and on field duty the coat may be dispensed with and in that case the flannel shirt is worn. The tan leather belt or the webbing cartridge belt is worn with this uniform.

_The Overcoat_ for enlisted men of the Marine Corps is of the same style and design as the overcoat for officers with a pointed cuff instead of the officers’ sleeve ornaments.

_Rain Clothes_ for enlisted men consist of a rubber coat, hat and boots, or the khaki-colored rubber poncho may be worn in the fashion of a cape.

For wear in very cold climates a turn-down cap of dark brown fur is provided.

_Dungarees_ are provided for artisans and men requiring them.

_Pajamas_ are provided for all enlisted men.

The rank of the Noncommissioned officers is indicated by chevrons worn with the point up upon the sleeves of all coats and the flannel shirt midway between the shoulder and the elbow.

The chevrons for the dress coat are made of stripes of yellow silk braid one-half of an inch wide on a backing of scarlet cloth, the total width of the chevron being eight inches.

The chevrons for the summer field coat and for the flannel shirt are made of cloth of a darker shade than the coat, the stripes being three-eighths of an inch in width and the whole chevron being three and one-half inches wide.

The chevrons for the winter field coat and for the overcoat are made of the same material as the coat on a backing of scarlet cloth, the dimensions being the same as for those on the summer field coat.

The chevrons for the flannel shirt are the same as those for the summer field coat.

The descriptions of the chevrons indicating the different ranks are, as illustrated, as follows:

Sergeant Major Three bars with three arcs of a circle under the bars.

Second Leader of the Band Three bars with three arcs and a cornet in the center.

Quartermaster Sergeant Three bars and three straight ties under the bars.

Quartermaster Sergeant of Three bars with three ties and the Paymaster Department a pile of coins crossed by a quill pen in the center.

Gunnery Sergeant Three bars with a device of a bursting bomb and two crossed rifles in the center.

Drum Major Three bars with three straight ties under the bars and a five-pointed star in the center.

Sergeant Three bars.

Corporal Two bars.

Lance Corporal (Acting One bar, on the right sleeve corporal) only.

Enlisted men of the Marine Corps who have regularly qualified as gun pointers aboard ships of the Navy wear a design representing a six-pounder gun and mount on the right sleeve midway between the wrist and the elbow, the design to be in scarlet on blue cloth for blue coat and in drab linen thread for the field coats and flannel shirt.

Enlisted men detailed as gun captains aboard ships of the Navy wear the navy gun captain’s mark on the right sleeve midway between the wrist and the elbow.

Enlisted men who have qualified as expert riflemen in the navy rifle target firing course wear a design representing a small arms target about four inches above the bottom of the sleeve of the dress coat, field coats, flannel shirt and overcoat, the design showing a target one inch square with two circles and a bull’s-eye inside of it.

Drummers and trumpeters wear their distinctive marks on each sleeve of the dress coat, field coats, overcoat and flannel shirt midway between the shoulder and the elbow; the mark for the drummer being a pair of drum sticks crossed and that for the trumpeter being a trumpet worn horizontal, embroidered in yellow thread on blue coats and in gray thread on the other coats and the shirt.

_Service Stripes_ are worn by all enlisted men who have served faithfully for one or more enlistment terms in any branch of the Government service, one stripe being worn for each enlistment; they are worn on the dress coat, winter field coat and overcoat diagonally across each sleeve between the wrist and the elbow. For the blue dress coat these stripes are of yellow silk braid eight inches long and one-half of an inch wide edged with one-eighth of an inch of scarlet cloth. For the winter field coat and overcoat they are of the same material as the coats, three and three-quarters inches long and three-eighths of an inch wide edged with one-eighth of an inch of scarlet cloth.

Enlisted men of the Marine Corps Branch of the Naval Militia wear the same uniforms as the enlisted men of the regular Marine Corps with the addition of the letters indicating the state or territory to which they belong worn on the collars of the dress coat and field coat, on the shoulder straps of the overcoat and on the front of the field hat, the letters being gilt for the dress coat and bronze for the field coat, overcoat and field hat.

When the Naval Militia is sworn into the service of the United States in time of war it becomes the National Naval Volunteers and the letter V is worn in place of the letters indicating the state or territory.

Enlisted men of the Marine Corps Reserve wear the letter R on the dress cap beneath the Marine Corps device and on the field hat below the right edge of the Marine Corps device, the company numeral being worn in a corresponding position below the left edge of the corps device. These letters are in gilt for the dress cap and in bronze for the field hat.

THE MARINE BAND

The Marine Band, consisting of a Leader, second leader and seventy musicians, is stationed at the Headquarters Barracks of the Corps in Washington, D. C., and one of its principal duties is to furnish music for the official functions at the White House, hence it is popularly known as the “President’s Band.”

The Leader of the Marine Band wears blue undress, white undress, summer field and winter field uniforms, cloak, sword and overcoat of the same material, colors and design as those worn by commissioned officers of the Line, substituting a lyre one inch high for the insignia of rank, the lyre being of silver for the undress uniforms and of dull finish bronze for the field uniforms. His special full dress uniform is the same as that for a Captain of the Staff, with the addition of seven rows of gold braid across the front each terminating in a double loop at either side, and the substitution of a silver lyre one inch high in place of the insignia of rank. His full dress coat is a single-breasted tunic of scarlet cloth trimmed across the front with seven rows of black mohair braid of the same design as for the special full dress coat, and having an ornament consisting of three loops of black braid on each cuff, and a piping of white cloth around the edges of the coat; the gold shoulder knots and aiguilettes are worn with this coat. The trousers worn with this coat are the same as those worn with the special full dress, dark blue cloth with gold lace stripes down the outer leg seams.

The special full dress for the second leader and musicians is a single breasted sack coat of scarlet cloth extending to about ten inches below the waist, with a standing collar, trimmed with piping of white cloth around the edges of the coat, the collar and the straps on the shoulder being of black cloth, the sleeves for the second leader being trimmed with three loops of black mohair braid and the musicians having pointed cuffs of black cloth, trousers of sky-blue cloth trimmed down the outer leg seams with a one-inch stripe of scarlet cloth having a piping of white cloth one-eighth of an inch wide through the center; a cap of the same design as that for other enlisted men but made of scarlet cloth with a black band.

The full dress uniform for the second leader and musicians consists of a coat of scarlet cloth of the same design as the special full dress coat with the addition of seven rows of black mohair braid across the front and shoulder knots and aiguilettes, these being white for musicians and of gold cord for the second leader; trousers and cap the same as for special full dress.

The undress, summer field and winter field uniforms and the overcoat are the same as those worn by other enlisted men of the Marine Corps.

The chevrons for the dress uniforms of the musicians of the band are three and a half inches wide by five inches long and are made of yellow silk with a lyre embroidered in the center in yellow silk. The chevrons for the second leader and the drum major are of the same size and design, but are made of gold lace braid, the second leader having a cornet embroidered in the center and the drum major a star.

The chevrons for the field uniforms and the overcoat are the same as for other noncommissioned officers of the Marine Corps with the addition of the cornet for second leader, the star for drum major and the lyre for musicians.

The chevrons for the special full dress and full dress coats are of the same size and design as for the dress coat but are made of white braid and embroidery.

_Identification Tag._—Every officer and enlisted man of the U. S. Marine Corps on active duty is required to wear an identification tag, which consists of a round plate of white metal, one and three-eighths of an inch in diameter, suspended from the neck by a monel metal wire encased in a cotton covering.

These tags are stamped as follows; for officers, full name and rank; enlisted men, full name and date of first enlistment in the Marine Corps. The tags for both officers and men also have the letters “U. S. M. C.” plainly stamped upon them.

These tags are for the purpose of identification in case of death or wounds so serious as to produce unconsciousness.