Honorary Marine
Honorary Marine is a title that has been given to various people by the United States Marine Corps.
Current official program (1992–present)
The distinction is currently bestowed solely by the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps to "individuals in the civilian community who have made extraordinary contributions to the Marine Corps." It "carries no entitlement to pay or benefits."Nominations may be submitted to the commandant by "commanding generals, commanding officers, and officers-in-charge" and "must be endorsed by a general officer within their chain of command." Criteria include:
Honorees
Two somewhat differing lists can be viewed on the official Marine Corps website, one at the page, and the other in .Among the notables on both lists are:
- Joe Rosenthal, the reporter who took the iconic photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
- Felix de Weldon, the sculptor of the Marine Corps War Memorial, based on Rosenthal's photograph
- Combat veterans and United States Senators Max Cleland and Daniel Inouye
- Jim Nabors, star of the television comedy show Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., "promoted" to lance corporal on August 9, 2001, later to corporal on September 25, 2007
- Actor Chuck Norris
- Actor Gary Sinise
- Member of Congress Ike Skelton, former Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee
- John Williams, composer
Jacob Tyler Sprinkle was posthumously made an Honorary Marine on July 11, 2014 and the family was presented his honor on October 15, 2014. The ceremony was held at Lee High School in Jonesville, Virginia. The presenting officer of the United States Marine Corps was Lt. General John A. Toolan, Jr., Commander, Marine Corps Forces, Pacific. Jacob lost a 13-year fight with congenital heart defects.
As of October 2014, there have been fewer than 100 Honorary Marine titles presented in the 239 years of the Marine Corps.