U.S. Marine Corps Traditions Trivia Quiz

Answer: Marines wore leather collars on their uniforms to protect against sword strikes to the throat

The leatherneck was issued to American and British marines in 1798, it attached to the collar of the uniform to protect against vicious sword strikes to the throat. This leather attachment stopped being issued in 1872 after surviving three uniform changes in 1833, 1839, and 1859.

Answer: The nickname given by German soldiers because of the marines' iron hard resilience during the battle of Belleau Wood

This question was a bit of a trick, but before someone argues with the correct answer, this term didn't "originate" as a nickname of new marines fresh out of boot camp, even though it now is a common nickname for those marines. Many older, more seasoned marines, still call each other "Devil Dog" from time to time.

Answer: Smedley Butler

Brigadier General Smedley D. Butler was the first to introduce an official Marine Corps mascot, an English bulldog named Jiggs. This English bulldog enlisted as a private in the United States Marine Corps, in an official ceremony on October 22, 1922. Jiggs served in the corps for five years until his death in 1927, after achieving the highest enlisted rank of sergeant major.

Answer: The large amount of deaths and injuries of marine NCOs and officers during the battle of Chapultepec

This stripe is also referred to as the "blood stripe", because of that bloody battle of Chapultepec where more than 90% of the marine NCOs and officers were killed. This battle was fought in 1847, just outside of Mexico City, Mexico on "Chapultepec Hill".

Answer: Jacob Zeilin

On November 13, 1868 the seventh commandant of the Marine Corps, Brigadier General Jacob Zeilin, ordered a committee to create an emblem worthy of representing the corps. Brigadier General Zeilin officially accepted this emblem four days later on November 17, 1868.

Answer: Lemuel Shepherd

This seal was established by the 20th Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Lemuel G. Shepherd, on June 22, 1954. The official Marine Corps colors are scarlet and gold, but navy blue and gold outlines the whole symbol to show that the Marine Corps is still a huge portion of the Department of the United States Navy.

Answer: It comes from a World War I recruiting poster

This phrase was indeed first seen on a World War I recruiting poster. It was also used as a title of a military simulator game for XBOX and PC.

Answer: November 10, 1775 in Tun Tavern located in Philadelphia, PA

The Marine Corps was established in a bar by a few good men to fight against the tight British rule. These brave men were known as continental marines at this time and fought in numerous places. At the time of the revolution, the marines were serving as security for naval vessels, because they were and still are under the Department of the Navy.

Answer: Lewis Puller

Lewis "Chesty" Puller is known, by some, as the "greatest Marine to have ever lived". He started his Marine Corps career right out of high school by enrolling into the "Virginia Military Institute", but dropped out after a year and enlisted into the Marine Corps as a private.

He fought in a variety of different wars from the beginning of his career in 1917 to May 19, 1951 upon which retiring as a lieutenant general.

Answer: Carlos Hathcock

Gunnery Sergeant Hathcock is a legend in the Marine Corps with 93 confirmed kills as a sniper during the Vietnam War. This amount of kills surely helped develop the Sniper Program. This program was designed to enhance a marine sniper's ability to not only fire a rifle more accurately, but to also improve their own concealment techniques.