National Marine Corps Museum

This is Tun Tavern. On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress commissioned Samuel Nicholas to raise two Battalions of Marines. That very day, Nicholas set up shop in Tun Tavern. He appointed Robert Mullan, then the proprietor of the tavern, to the job of chief Marine Recruiter -- serving, of course, from his place of business at Tun Tavern. Prospective recruits flocked to the tavern, lured by (1) cold beer and (2) the opportunity to serve in the new Corps of Marines. So, yes, the U.S. Marine Corps was indeed born in Tun Tavern. Needless to say, both the Marine Corps and the tavern thrived during this new relationship.
Tun Tavern still lives today. And, Tun Tavern beer is still readily available throughout the Philadelphia area. Further, through magazines it is advertised to Marines throughout the world.

The United States Marine Corps is older than the Republic for which it stands. For over 200 years, it has stood guard over our country and taken the fight to our enemies wherever they slept. The Corps is very proud of its history, and insists that all new recruits learn a fairly detailed account of dates, names, and places important to the Corps' heritage. Yet, until last November 10, there was no central, National Marine Corps Museum.

Over my Christmas Vacation, my father and I went to visit the new museum. He had provided a donation for the place, and wanted to chack on his "investment." My father was not a Marine, he was a draftee in the Army. But when he heard there was an effort to build a museum, he felt strongly that he should provide some money to assist in the construction.

The museum is world-class. It covers the full expanse of Marine Corps history, but focuses on the modern age: World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Cold War Era. This was obviously done to appease the many, many vets (always known as "Former Marines," never "Ex-Marines") who provided money so the deeds of their comrades would not be forgotten. The staff is rife with Former Marines, all ready to answer questions knowledgably and eagerly. There are plans to expand the museum to have exhibit halls devoted to the earlier periods, and more than one staff member told me they have more artifacts than they can ever hope to display.

The place is very moving, and does not shy away from the Marines' core mission: find the enemy and destroy him. This is not an dry, antiseptic view of history. There is a life size display of a World War I Marine struggling in hand-to-hand combat with a German stormtrooper -- it's all mud, muck, knives, and pistols. As the visitor enters the World War II gallery, the visitor is greeted with another lifesize diorama of a Navy Corpsman treating a wounded Marine.

The actual flag from the famous Iwo Jima picture is on display at the Museum, across from a war studded with globes and anchors, one for each Marine who died in the gray, sulfur sand of that godforsaken place. In the Korean War Gallery, there is a room size diorama of a winter battle, kept chilled by air conditioners. Personally, I think it was still too warm in there, and I'd have dropped the temperature more, but it gets the point across.

My favorite room was a depiction of a Vietnam firebase -- most likely Khe Sanh. The entrance, as you can see in the conceptual drawing above, is through a mock-up of a Chinook helicopter's tail. The Chinook fuselage vibrates, and a hot, dry wind blows through the main compartment. You can hear radio chatter over some speakers. I closed my eyes for a moment and thought of a high school classmate who recently returned from reserve duty as a Marine in Iraq. One of his stories involved a raid from the back of a Chinook, and it occurred to me that it must have been just like this... Except for the stark fear and adrenaline dump, of course!

I recommend the museum. I'd like to go back some day and spend more time. We were there for four hours, and it was no where near enough time to soak it all in. We missed a few things -- including the Tun Tavern mock-up that serves as a dining hall. And I decided against trying out the indoor rifle range with it's five dollar cost and laser rifle training tools.

On a final note, I think those of us in the Bujinkan should also make an effort to visit this museum as part of our roots if possible. Consider that two members of the "Holy American Bujinkan Trinity" of founders (Bud Malmstrom and Jack Hoban) were Marines, and I think that not a little of the spirit of the Corps has been grafted onto the sprout that came from Japan.