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tigersandsaints
Old Dominion Fan
Norfolk,Va
Member since Dec 2005
847 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 8:45 pm to finchmeister08)
The oldest weapons still in service in the United States Armed Forces belong to Marines. Today, the swords Marines carry represent the Marine Corps' rich heritage as America's original defenders. Officers carry the Mameluke Sword, which was originally given to Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon in 1805 by a Mameluke chieftain in North Africa. Lt O'Bannon and his Marines marched across 600 miles of North African desert to rid the "shores of Tripoli" of pirates and rescue the kidnapped crew of the USS Philadelphia. By 1825, all Marine Officers carried the Mameluke sword in recognition of this historic battle—the Marine Corps' first on foreign soil.
Adopted in 1859, the NCO Sword is carried by Marine Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) and Staff Noncommissioned Officers (SNCOs). Used for ceremonial purposes, the M1859 NCO Sword was bestowed to NCOs and SNCOs by the 6th Commandant, Colonel John Harris, in recognition of their leadership in combat.
LINK
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777Tiger 
LSU Fan
Member since Mar 2011
5762 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 8:51 pm to tigersandsaints)
That's all real cool and ceremonial, and those blue uni's are so cute, but I preferred to make my statement with an F-15. 
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Grunt Actual
LSU Fan
Member since Mar 2012
1572 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 8:57 pm to 777Tiger)
If by making your statement you mean:
Never on station at the right time
Astounding lack of situational awareness
Non effective
General frick aboutness in the sky
Then yeah great Job 
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HarryBalzack
Member since Oct 2012
6283 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 8:57 pm to mworld938)
quote:
My dad retired as an Army E8 in 1984 and never wore one. Either optional or not authorized back then. Rules and regs are always changing though.
He got jipped, then. FM 3-21.5 C1 see page F-1.quote:
The sword is worn by all platoon sergeants and first sergeants while participating in ceremonies with troops under arms, or as directed. It is carried in the same manner as the officer’s saber.
ETA: It's a beautiful sword, too. Model 1840 Army Noncommissioned Officers' Sword
This post was edited on 3/5 at 8:59 pm
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rantfan
LSU Fan
new iberia la
Member since Nov 2012
1660 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 8:58 pm to finchmeister08)
A sword is badass that's why
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mworld938 
New Orleans Saints Fan
Covington
Member since Sep 2008
1068 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 9:00 pm to HarryBalzack)
Harry - the Army had two rank titles for each enlisted paygrade. First Sergeant and Master Sergeant (my dad was MSGT not a Top) were both E-8's. Specialists also went up to E7 back then too.
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777Tiger
LSU Fan
Member since Mar 2011
5762 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 9:03 pm to Grunt Actual)
quote:
Never on station at the right time
Astounding lack of situational awareness
Non effective
General frick aboutness in the sky
never shot any of my buddies in the arse though, which is one of the most common, and funniest things I've heard from jarhead FAC's, of course this is all good natured, some of my best friends/co-workers are Marines, it's all good
BTW: I have heard "good shots, good fricking shots," over the com, from some of your ground compadres, more than once 
This post was edited on 3/5 at 9:08 pm
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HarryBalzack
Member since Oct 2012
6283 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 9:05 pm to mworld938)
Yeah, my father-in-law was a top in the AL NG, but he didn't have the sword.
It really is a useless encumbrance and since it costs a lot and isn't part of the service tradition like the Marine Corps one is, they probably don't buy them. They're more symbols of rank than anything else, but if you're the top or the Sgt. Major and they have to see something like that to know who you are, then you've got bigger problems.
This post was edited on 3/5 at 9:08 pm
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777Tiger
LSU Fan
Member since Mar 2011
5762 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 9:07 pm to HarryBalzack)
right before the first Gulf War, there was a draw down, and the AF was trying to get guys to stay in by bribing them with a leather jacket
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Grunt Actual
LSU Fan
Member since Mar 2012
1572 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 9:08 pm to 777Tiger)
I'm just busting your balls man
Though I will say I prefer a-10 pilots
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chesty 
USA Fan
BR
Member since Oct 2012
1103 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 9:11 pm to Capt ST)
tradition, and we pay for those frickers out of pocket too. I have my grandfathers and uncles sitting above the mantle at my house waiting to put mine up there. gonna be awesome
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Bushmaster
LSU Fan
Coyote Death Count: 224
Member since Oct 2008
23658 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 9:12 pm to Grunt Actual)
Amen to that. Them hogs spitting hell on earth out of the nose is a sight to see.
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777Tiger
LSU Fan
Member since Mar 2011
5762 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 9:14 pm to Grunt Actual)
quote:
Though I will say I prefer a-10 pilots
That is one bad arse killing machine.
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HarryBalzack
Member since Oct 2012
6283 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 9:14 pm to 777Tiger)
quote:
a leather jacket
My grandfather came back from Europe with one. He wore as his regular jacket until all the shearling inside fell out.
Second row from top, fifth man from the right. Taken right after the Battle of the Bulge, for which they got a presidential citation for knocking the shite out of some Panzers, Kraut locomotives, and bridges.
This post was edited on 3/5 at 9:17 pm
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Grunt Actual
LSU Fan
Member since Mar 2012
1572 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 9:17 pm to Bushmaster)
They always seem to have a fire under their arse too
Course if I was sitting on top of that cannon is be itching to unleash it too
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777Tiger
LSU Fan
Member since Mar 2011
5762 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 9:25 pm to Grunt Actual)
Never fired that thing, seen it operated though, we only had the little 20mm, and laying your finger on that for as fast as you think you could get it off of it was about 40 rounds. Sounds like a buzz saw in the cockpit, and you can still hear the gun spinning down after it's fired.
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Bushmaster
LSU Fan
Coyote Death Count: 224
Member since Oct 2008
23658 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 9:30 pm to 777Tiger)
My son had a project in school the other day about doing a report on the origins of old sayings. He ended up doing it on "Giving them the whole nine yards."
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Grunt Actual
LSU Fan
Member since Mar 2012
1572 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/5/13 at 9:34 pm to Bushmaster)
hell yeah
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shinerfan
LSU Fan
Duckworld(Earth-616)
Member since Sep 2009
4751 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/6/13 at 8:00 am to Bushmaster)
quote:
My son had a project in school the other day about doing a report on the origins of old sayings. He ended up doing it on "Giving them the whole nine yards."
So what's the origin?
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HarryBalzack
Member since Oct 2012
6283 posts
| re: Why do marines carry swords with their dress uniforms? (Posted on 3/6/13 at 8:23 am to shinerfan)
quote:
So what's the origin?
The most commonly cited source is that the .50 ammo belts in WWII planes were about nine yards long, so this meant that you shot everything you had at the target.
The problem with that answer is that the phrase doesn't appear in any sources from the WWII era. The Wikipedia article on the subject goes through all the possible explanations.
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