Scene: Tun Tavern, Philadelphia. Date: 1775 Time: Evening.
Lt. O’Bannon was sitting at a candle-lit table with a feather pen and an open ledger before him.
He was recruiting the world’s first U. S. Marine Detachment. The first potential recruit, whose name has been lost in antiquity, walked up and said, “What’s the deal?” O’Bannon said, “Just sign this book, and I’ll give you $5, which is your first month’s pay, a bottle of whiskey and you’re in. Of course you have to have your own musket.”
The recruit thought for just a second and said, “OK. I have a musket”, signed, became the USA’s very first Marine recruit, took his $5 and bottle into the back room to wait. Second potential recruit walked up and asked, “What’s the deal?” O’Bannon said, “Just sign this book, and I’ll give you $5, which is your first month’s pay, a bottle of whiskey and you’re in. Of course you have to have your own musket.” Looking sad, the second recruit said, “I’d really like to be a Marine, Sir, but I don’t own a musket.”
To which O’Bannon replied: “Don’t worry about it, son, we’ll find you one.” (…which meant he was going to steal one from the Army.) So he signed, became the USA’s second Marine, and walked to the back room with his $5 and bottle of whiskey. The first Marine looked the second Marine over and, by and by, asked, “So what was your deal?” The second Marine said “Well, I got $5, a bottle of whiskey and a musket.” The first Marine thought on it for a while and finally said: “Yeah. I figured, but you know, back in the Old Corps, you had to bring our own musket.”
And so it began.
And as they say, the rest is history. I wonder how many of us enlisted never knowing how it would change us forever. God Bless the Marine Corps and every Marine ever. SEMPER FIDELIS!
As the second Marine complained, the first Marine refrained, “It wasn’t like this in The Old Corps!”
Semper Fi!!! Top Pro
5 Bucks! that’s like almost $170 today! What did an E-1 get paid in 1967? I can’t remember. Dang! Plus Whiskey! What fun PI would have been if every recruit came with a bottle of whiskey! Before you get your skivies in a twist, I know it’s a joke. It is a joke! Right? Harry 1371
Harry, in 1966 it was $87.50 per month don’t think it changed for a few years. Then plus $65 combat pay. Murray 1371
Thanks Murray, Overseas and Combat pay, No income tax! Harry 1371
Harry – In 1964 a Pvt. under 2 years active service base pay was $68 a month. Minus income (?) taxes, social security/medicare, SGLI, and bond allotment, I fondly remember the pay officer counting out about twenty bucks. Hell, I pay that much for a haircut now. Semper Fi!!! Top Pro
Thanks M/Sgt Edd, Still have my W-2 from 68-69 somewhere I’ll have to dig it out. Harry 1371
Just for shots and giggles, I dug out my w-2’s from my time in Marines. 1967 I made $258.39 and paid $5.40 income tax. 1968 I was paid $1,451.25 ($ 306.45 was taxable) paid $9.70 income tax, 1969 was paid $ 2,356.24 ( $ 1,807 was taxable) paid $183.70 income tax. Harry RVN 4 Apr 68- 22 Apr 69.
Kapena, You are right about how the Corps changes a man. In August of 1979 as the smartest 17 year old in the world I entered boot camp. I learned more in my 12+ years in the Corps than I did the previous 17. 41 years later to the day, I’m the smartest 58 year old in the world.
Copy that. I didn’t realize how smart I would become! Right?!
Outstanding story. I have to believe that one day I won’t be fighting anymore. I’m 72 and got into a fist fight about 4 weeks ago and, of course, he was younger than me. No one my age wants to fight. Anyway, the next day the two of us were having a beer together and acting like nothing ever happened. Our buddies were looking at us a bit strangely. An old Marine and an old biker just reliving the good old days.
At the risk of sounding too academic, permit me to correct a bit of Marine Corps lore expressed in this story.
Tun Tavern – popular with the politicians and businessmen of the day – was operated by Robert Mullen who was known to our history as the ‘chief Marine recruiter’ but many historians believe the actual recruitment took place at the Conestoga Waggon, owned by Samuel Nichols. Nichols was appointed a Captain by the Continental Congress to raise the first Marines and his unit was made up of 100 Rhode Islanders. He’s considered the first Commandant of Marines.
Lt Presley O’Bannon wasn’t born until 1776, son of William O’Bannon, then a captain in the Continental Army. Lt O’Bannon joined the Marines in 1801 and resigned in 1807.
Nice history lesson.I kinda like the phrase “Born in a tavern”, though. It has some biblical undertones. Kinda sounds like “Born in a manger”. OOORAH!
You beat me to it!
Semper Fidelis