As in any military organization, the official and unofficial traditions of the Marine Corps serve to reinforce camaraderie and set the service apart from others.The Marine Corps Core Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment have gained increased prominence in recent years.[4][5] As an emphasis on performing morally on and off duty, the concept of core values has infiltrated into many aspects of Marine life, beginning in recruit training and continuing into combat.[12] On 22 June 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an executive order which approved the design of an official seal for the United States Marine Corps.The seal had been designed by Felix de Weldon at the request, and with the assistance, of the Commandant Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr.[13] The seal consists of the traditional Marine Corps Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem in bronze; however, a bald eagle replaced the crested eagle depicted on the 1868 emblem and is depicted with wings displayed, standing upon the western hemisphere of the terrestrial globe and holding in his beak a scroll inscribed with the Marine Corps motto "Semper Fidelis" with the hemisphere superimposed on a fouled anchor.It was adopted in 1883 when Commandant Charles McCawley added it to the seal, before which the traditional mottos were "Fortitudine" (With Fortitude); "By Sea and by Land", a translation of the Royal Marines' "Per Mare, Per Terram"; and "To the Shores of Tripoli", which was later revised to "From the Halls of the Montezumas to the Shores of Tripoli" and formed the first lines of the Marines' Hymn.75705--21The celebrations were formalized by Commandant Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. in 1952, outlining the cake cutting ceremony, which would enter the Marine Drill Manual in 1956.Formal ceremonies, such as the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, a change of command, or a retirement, will almost always incorporate some form of close order drill.The Marine Corps uses close order drill to teach discipline by instilling habits of precision and automatic response to orders, increase the confidence of junior officers and noncommissioned officers through the exercise of command and give Marines an opportunity to handle individual weapons.[26] Except for the annual celebration of the Marine Corps Birthday, no social function associated with the smaller of America's naval services is more enjoyed, admired and imitated than the mess night.In addition, height and weight standards and body fat percentage ensure that Marines are fit and present a good military appearance.[37][38] For decades, Marines learned a variety of martial arts and other methods of hand-to-hand combat, but these were irregular processes that varied greatly between units and eras.[7] The Marine Corps Martial Arts program is an eclectic mix of different styles of martial arts melded together and consists of boxing movements, joint locking techniques, opponent weight transfer, ground grappling, bayonet, knife and baton fighting, non-compliance joint manipulations, and blood restriction chokes.Every year of the Gallup poll has shown that the American public regards the Corps as the most prestigious of the four branches of the armed forces of the Department of Defense.
A rendition of the emblem on the flag of the U.S. Marine Corps