United States Marine Corps History Division


The United States Marine Corps History Division is an arm of the Headquarters Marine Corps tasked with researching, writing, and maintaining the History of the [United States Marine Corps]. It also provides reference and research assistance; preserves personal experiences and observations through oral history interviews; and deploys field historians to record history in the making. It is headquartered at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
WWW Official Site

History

The History Division was formed on 8 September 1919, by Order Number 53 of Commandant of the [United States Marine Corps|Commandant of the Marine Corps] George Barnett as the Historical Section of the Department of the Adjutant and Inspector. After World War II, the organization was known as "Marine Corps History and Museums Division" until the splitting of the division in 2005 in order to create the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Organization

The United States Marine Corps History Division is a staff organization with the primary task of researching and writing the Marine Corps’ official history. The unit is not a division-sized military formation. It is organized into four branches:
  • The Historical Branch prepares a wide variety of official publications that tell the Marine Corps story as accurately and comprehensively as possible. Publications include: articles, monographs, occasional papers, and definitive histories. The Branch also includes the Oral History Program, which obtains, catalogs, transcribes, and preserves personal narrative, experiences and observations of historic value from active duty and retired Marines for use as reference source material.
  • The Historical Reference Branch provides historical research and reference services and historical analysis. In addition, the Branch supports specific programs: Unit Lineage and Honors, Commemorative Naming, Marine Corps Flag Manual, and Marine Corps Chronology.
  • The Field History Branch deploys Individual Mobilization Augmentee detachment historians to collect historically relevant material for use as reference material. The Branch also consists of a Mobilization Training Unit whose members support the History Division with specific projects.
  • The Editing and Design branch designs and lays out manuscripts, maps and other graphic materials to support the History Division’s publications.

Directors

Since its inception, the following individuals have served as director:
#RankNameTenure beganTenure ended
14MajorMcClellanEdwin N. McClellan
24MajorSturdevantEdward W. Sturdevant
3.033CaptainBurnhamLucian W. Burnham
3.5acting0Mr.JenkinsJames C. Jenkins
43CaptainPlattJonas H. Platt
54MajorMcClellanEdwin N. McClellan
63CaptainEllsworthHarry A. Ellsworth
74Lieutenant colonelDeCarreAlphonse DeCarre
8.085Lieutenant colonelMetcalfClyde H. Metcalf
8.1acting0Mr.JenkinsJames C. Jenkins
8.286ColonelMetcalfClyde H. Metcalf
8.3acting3CaptainCarletonPhilips D. Carleton
96ColonelPottsJohn Potts
106ColonelKenyonHoward N. Kenyon
115Lieutenant colonelMurrayEllsworth N. Murray
125Lieutenant colonelHeinlRobert D. Heinl Jr.
135Lieutenant colonelGayleGordon D. Gayle
145Lieutenant colonelHoughFrancis O. Hough
155Lieutenant colonelEdwardsHarry W. Edwards
166ColonelHarrisonCharles W. Harrison
174MajorKuokkaHubard D. Kuokka
184MajorFinkGerald Fink
196ColonelMillerWilliam M. Miller
20.0206ColonelRoeThomas G. Roe
20.1acting4MajorJohnstoneJohn H. Johnstone
216ColonelWagnerJoseph F. Wagner Jr.
225Lieutenant colonelScheningRichard J. Schening
236ColonelCaldwellFrank C. Caldwell
24.0247Brigadier generalSimmonsEdwin H. Simmons
24.1247Brigadier general SimmonsEdwin H. Simmons
256ColonelMoniganMichael F. Monigan
26.0266Colonel RipleyJohn W. Ripley
26.1acting0Mr.MelsonCharles D. Melson
26.2acting6Colonel CampRichard D. Camp Jr.
270Dr.NeimeyerCharles P. NeimeyerDecember 2017
280Dr.NevgloskiEdward T. NevgloskiDecember 2022
290Dr.CallahanShawn P. CallahanPresent

Publications

The History Division maintains several publications, including the quarterly newsletter Fortitudine, which was a traditional motto of the Corps before semper fidelis was adapted in 1883. They also maintain an archive of all historical publications published since its founding.