WebOps (Nov 2005)

Jim H. Moreno | November 27, 2005  | 0 comments  | Print  | E-mail

Welcome to WebOps, Armchair General’s first website column! My mission: to bring you the best military history and related websites I can find. Every issue of Armchair General holds a wealth of military historical knowledge, all neatly packaged in an easily accessible format. The Internet and World Wide Web also hold vast amounts of like information, but not always so convenient or user-friendly. That’s where I come in, with links that hopefully make finding the military history you’re looking for online as simple as reading our magazine. And I don’t charge you for a subscription!

In American History, November is a month with more than its’ fair share of important dates: the first and only flight of Howard Hughes’ "Spruce Goose" flying boat; the Great Boston Fire of 1872; the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas. But for us military historians, many more dates appear of interest, like the Battle of Chattanooga (24 Nov 1863), the Battle of Tippencanoe Creek (7 Nov 1811), and Gatling patenting his first rapid-fire machine gun (4 Nov 1862), just to name a few. November also has America honoring Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving Day. Nestled in amongst these great days in our history stands another that should not be overlooked: the birthday of the United States Marine Corps.

On 10 November 2005, the Marine Corps celebrated its 230th birthday, so I jumped onto the Internet to find what websites exist that honor and salute the men & women of that grand corps. I have grouped the best websites I found into two sections - Modern (current news and information), and Historical (websites that hold data on the USMC’s past).

Take your time here as you peruse these websites, and ponder all that America has to be thankful for due to those few, those proud, those Marines.

Modern

Official Website for the United States Marine Corps Marines. The Few. The Proud. The American fighting force with the best TV commercials, hands down. If you happen to be looking for the most current news about where in the world the twenty-first century Marines are kicking butt, look here first. There are newslinks all over the website, up-to-date press releases, ‘The Week in Photos’, and even videos (including their new commercial!).

U.S. Marine Corps Know a young stud or studette who may be looking to join the US Armed Forces, but is not sure which one to join? Show them this website. They’re sure to be sitting taller and bolder in their seat afterwards. This Flash Player-driven recruiting website is how the other military branches should show their presence on the Web; high-quality, informative, and, well, HOO-AH!

The Women Marines Association On 13 August 1918, Opha Mae Johnson made history when she became the first woman to enroll in the US Marine Corps. This website is dedicated to them and their history and service. They may number a bit fewer than their male Corps brethren, but they are no less proud.

The Marine Corps War Memorial This National Park Service hosted website describes the memorial statue of an easily-recognizable scene in USMC history, and tells the tale surrounding its conception and creation. Basic information, but enough to maybe spark an interest to go visit the Memorial in person.

Marine Corps Brotherhood This website was created by a former United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant, and is an online dedication to that special feeling of brotherhood shared exclusively between those who are serving and have served in the USMC. He has brought some very good information and photos together under his banner. Of particular interest to ACG/SZO readers may be the link to the United States Marine Corps Gamers.

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