8th & I Reunion Association - Historical Events of the 1940's

The 8th & I Reunion Association

An organization of Marines
who served at
Marine Barracks
8th & I Streets, S.E.,
Washington D.C.

Historical Events of the 1940's

Two "firsts" in USMC history!

When Bud Hansen left the Barracks shortly after the outbreak of WWII, he was asigned to Northern Ireland pending transfer to the Pacific. While with the First Provisional Marine Battalion in Londonderry, the unit was to participate in two separate "firsts" in USMC history. To read a short account of this fascinating story, click here.

Unusual Barracks Duties Following World War II!

When John Melvin reported to the Barracks as a 2nd Lt. in 1945, he was assigned as a Barracks Detachment (later to become the Ceremonial Guard Company)platoon leader. In addition, he was assigned some very interesting additional duties working for the State Department, as well as at "Shangri La" (later known as Camp David). To read his interesting account of these duties, click here.

The first drill team at its first performance! - October 14, 1948

To read Jim Carmickle's (1948-1950) fascinating 1998 Leatherneck article about the
first Silent Drill Team (1948), click here.

(From Leatherneck Magazine - submitted by Jim Carmickel)

CEREMONIAL DUTIES AT 8TH & I IN 1940
3-11-11 .... Only a real old timer would remember what I am going to tell you about ceremonial duties at the barracks in 1940. There was created a Demonstration Squad, of which I was the acting corporal and squad leader of 8 men. We performed at each parade, there were two a week, and were supported by a small group of "field music's" and the color guard. We did normal marching and manual of arms maneuvers, under verbal command, and wound up our activity with the Queen Ann Salute. It did bring the house down!

Nothing as fancy as today's silent drill but we thought we were pretty nifty. In addition, the group, as described above, was used in the fall and spring in touring local high schools in DC, Maryland & Virginia as a recruiting tool. We would leave the barracks after working all day, in dress blues, at 5 PM without chow, get back to the barracks about 11 PM have cold chow and coffee then fall into our racks and be up again at 6 AM. Some today would call that cruel and inhuman treatment, To us it was a normal thing to do and regardless of the long hours the faces on those young people in their gym watching Marines was the pay back for our efforts.

The major parade participants were the MCI Detachment and the Barracks Detachment.

Semper Fi Norman T. Hatch, Marine Corps Institute Co., 1939-1941, Alexandria, VA. NOTE: Norm is honored on our website's Hall Of Valor, http://8thandi.com/valor.html . He received his awards for valor at Tarawa and Iwo Jima.

March 1947 Leatherneck Article, Marine Barracks, Washington DC

I am writing this on behalf of my father-in-law, 8th & I Marine CHARLES "CHUCK" MAEGLEY, 1946-1947, Cincinnati, OH, CGC and Shangri La Security Detail, Marine Barracks, 8TH & I, Washington, DC, 1946--1947. During a recent family gathering, Chuck was presented with a challenge coin from 8TH & I. While small, it's something he is very proud of as all momentos of his service have been lost over the +66 years since he voluntarily enlisted in the Marines immediately after high school in 1945. When asked if he had any pictures of himself at 8TH & I, he stated the only photo he was aware of was taken by a Marine photographer which appeared in a Leatherneck Magazine article published in 1947 (month unknown). He said the photo showed him polishing the plaque at the main gate. This same plaque or "bronze tablet" was referenced in a 1952--1953 Leatherneck article http://8thandi.com/leatherneck54.pdf that refers to "Generations of Marines" who polished it. While this is not the photo or article in which he appears, when I read it to him he was able to fill in the the lines before I finished them. Specifically, he added: That's the old "Slop Chute" where we stopped for a beer or two at the end of the day. Chuck served at 8TH & I and Shangri La from August 1946 to late November of 1947. He recalls being assigned to the "Shangri La" Marine Security Detail on New Years Eve 1946--47, and returning to the Barracks in early March of 1947.

Semper Fi!
Mike Brady, Sergeant, USMC, 1973 - 1979, BLT 1/4 & 2/4, 1977

To View the March 1947 edition of the Leatherneck Magazine, click here.

This is a list put together by GySgt Kira Wharton in the Marine Band library of Marine Bandsmen who served in World War II in units other than the Marine Band

WWII Marine Bandsmen

Submitted by Ike Evans (Eliot D. Evans, Marine Band 1970 - 1998) (MGySgt)

My name is Jerry L. Long and I served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969. After putting together a shadow box display of my service, I decided to try to put one together for my father's service. I contacted my mother and ask her for any service records she had for dad. She sent me several, but among them was this picture of dad having passed out during an awards ceremony. I remember my dad telling me about this incident and now I have the picture. I have sent the photo as an attachment. I remember my father saying that his fellow marines told him that President Truman simply paused while they removed him from formation. WOW, what a big oops! While doing a search, my wife found a video of the ceremony on the site below. In the still photos you can see the Marine formation in the upper right of the photo.

Marine Honor Guard ceremony video

Submitted for Edward Marvin Long, Marine Honor Guard, 1945 by Jerry Long.

Anyone having additional submissions for this page should send them to: CGC Webmaster.

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