OLD BLUE
Displayed here is a replica of the original colors of the United
States Marine Corps 4th Regiment. The only known original flag
is on display at the Command Museum, Marine Corps Recruit Depot,
San Diego, California. Following is a history of that original
flag.
In 1923, the 13th Commandant of the United States Marine
Corps, General John A. Lejeune, directed the traditional blue
colors of the Corps be replaced, as needed, with new colors,
consisting of a scarlet background with scarlet and gold
inscription.
In 1933, with creation of the Fleet Marine Force, all
regiments of the Corps were renamed and The Fourth Regiment of
Marines, originally formed in 1911 under the command of Colonel
C. A. Doyen in San Diego, California became the 4th Marine
Regiment.
It took time for the Commandant's directive to reach
"every clime and place." But, on July 4th, 1937 in
Shanghai, China this original flag know throughout the regiment
as Old Blue, was marched front and center of the spit-shined
regiment one final time, before being retired.
The directive to change the regiment's colors from blue to
scarlet included an order that all retired colors would be
destroyed by burning. Fortunately an unnamed Marine, who
apparently could not bear to carry out the order to burn the
colors, hid Old Blue in the bottom of his seabag. That nameless
Marine later died in the line of duty in China and his personal
effects were carried to the Philippines when the 4th Marine
Regiment evacuated Shanghai and moved to the Island of
Corregidor.
Miraculously, at the end of World War II, the personal
effects of the men of the 4th Marines were returned to Marine
Barracks, Mare Island, California, to await final shipment home.
Among them was the Marine's seabag which still contained the
original Regimental Colors. An officer detailed to inventory
personal effects found Old Blue neatly folded at the bottom of
the deceased Marine's seabag. Realizing the value of his
discovery, he transferred the flag to his personal belongings.
Twenty years later the long-forgotten colors were
rediscovered by the officer in a deteriorating state. Wanting to
return Old Blue to the Marine Corps, the officer contacted LtCol.
Bob Calland, USMS (Ret.), at the Smithsonian Institute, in
Washington, D.C. The Regimental Colors were brought the Marine
Corps Museum at the Washington Navy Yard and were placed in
storage at the Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia.
Aware that the 4th Marine Regiment was formed in San Diego,
LtCol. Calland began the process to bring Old Blue back home.
Following an expensive restoration project, Old Blue was fully
restored and arrived at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot's Command
Museum, in February 1991.
Recalled from generations of benevolent neglect, the 4th
Marine Regiment's Old Blue is magnificent in its resurrection
and
fully pardoned from the 1923 sentence "...to be
destroyed
by burning." _^_
|
