United States Marine Corps History Division Explained

Unit Name:	United States Marine Corps History Division
Dates:	8 September 1919
Country:	United States
Branch:	United States Marine Corps
Type:	Historical
Garrison:	Marine Corps Base Quantico
Garrison Label:	HQ
Commander1:	Dr. Edward T. Nevgloski^[1]
Commander1 Label:	Director

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.

History

The History Division was formed on 8 September 1919, by Order Number 53 of Commandant of the Marine Corps George Barnett as the Historical Section of the Department of the Adjutant and Inspector.^[2] 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.^[3] It is organized into four branches:^[4]

• 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• The Historical Reference Branch provides historical research and reference services and historical analysis.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 (oral history, written/electronic plans, operation orders, maps, overlays and artifacts) 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:

	Rank	Name	Tenure began	Tenure ended
1	4Major	McClellanEdwin N. McClellan
2	4Major	SturdevantEdward W. Sturdevant
3.03	3Captain	BurnhamLucian W. Burnham
3.5acting	0Mr.	JenkinsJames C. Jenkins
4	3Captain	PlattJonas H. Platt
5	4Major	McClellanEdwin N. McClellan
6	3Captain	EllsworthHarry A. Ellsworth
7	4Lieutenant colonel	DeCarreAlphonse DeCarre
8.08	5Lieutenant colonel	MetcalfClyde H. Metcalf
8.1acting	0Mr.	JenkinsJames C. Jenkins
8.28	6Colonel	MetcalfClyde H. Metcalf
8.3acting	3Captain	CarletonPhilips D. Carleton
9	6Colonel	PottsJohn Potts
10	6Colonel	KenyonHoward N. Kenyon
11	5Lieutenant colonel	MurrayEllsworth N. Murray
12	5Lieutenant colonel	HeinlRobert D. Heinl Jr.
13	5Lieutenant colonel	GayleGordon D. Gayle
14	5Lieutenant colonel	HoughFrancis O. Hough
15	5Lieutenant colonel	EdwardsHarry W. Edwards
16	6Colonel	HarrisonCharles W. Harrison
17	4Major	KuokkaHubard D. Kuokka
18	4Major	FinkGerald Fink
19	6Colonel	MillerWilliam M. Miller
20.020	6Colonel	RoeThomas G. Roe
20.1acting	4Major	JohnstoneJohn H. Johnstone
21	6Colonel	WagnerJoseph F. Wagner Jr.
22	5Lieutenant colonel	ScheningRichard J. Schening
23	6Colonel	CaldwellFrank C. Caldwell
24.024	7Brigadier general	SimmonsEdwin H. Simmons
24.124	7Brigadier general (ret.)	SimmonsEdwin H. Simmons
25	6Colonel	MoniganMichael F. Monigan
26.026	6Colonel (ret.)	RipleyJohn W. Ripley
26.1acting	0Mr.	MelsonCharles D. Melson
26.2acting	6Colonel (ret.)	CampRichard D. Camp Jr.
27	0Dr.	NeimeyerCharles P. Neimeyer		December 2017
28	0Dr.	NevgloskiEdward T. Nevgloski		December 2022
29	0Dr.	CallahanShawn P. Callahan		Present

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.

See also

• History of the United States Marine Corps
• Naval History & Heritage Command
• United States Army Center of Military History
• Department of Defense Historical Advisory Committee
• National Museum of the Marine Corps & Marine Corps Museum
• Marine Corps University
• Bibliography of early American naval history

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Staff Directorate. Marine Corps History Division. 2 February 2010.
2. Amerman. Annette D.. Fourth Quarter 2009. Celebrating 90 Years of Collecting, Preserving, and Promoting of Marine Corps History. Fortitudine. United States Marine Corps Historical Program. Quantico, VA. 34. 4. 1925. 978-0-16-010404-6. 1 February 2010.
3. Web site: Organization and Personnel – History Division. Marine Corps History Division. 2 February 2010.
4. Web site: Mission Statement. Marine Corps History Division. 2 February 2010.