The drawn sword meas. approx. 34.00 inches long.

The blade itself meas. approx. 29.00 inches long x 0.75 of an inch wide at the ricasso. It has a central fuller that starts just above the ricasso and runs for approx. 26.50 inches. The blade surface is bright and clean with point. Edge is free of nicks. Both sides of the blade are etched with scrollwork, flags and the eagle, globe and anchor on a shield and a riband that reads “UNITED STATES MARINES.” The reverse side of the blade is also etched with the name of the owner whose name, appropriately is “J. D. MARINE.”

Hilt has an ivory grip free of cracks and with a nice mellow finish. Ivory grips are held to the hilt by two brass tacks, two on each side, and each has a five-pointed star on the face. Brass guard is the usual star shape with acorn quillons with a nice patina.

Plated metal scabbard is bright and free of dents but does show some light surface scratching throughout. Both ring mounts are made of brass and decorated with laurel leaves. Both brass rings are present. Brass drag is decorated with a floral design at bottom.

John D. Marine was born in Delaware and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1918 but did not make it to France. Records are spotty but they do show that Marine made it to corporal by 1919 serving as a private in the 2^nd Marine regiment. Though the records do not say so, it is believed that during this time Private Marine served in Haiti. There the official record stops. Other research shows that Private Marine also served in Nicaragua during the early 1920’s and then attended Officers Candidate School.

Marine next appears in the Marine Corps muster rolls in 1924 with a commission as 2^nd lieutenant. Throughout the 1920’s and 30’s he bounced back and forth between the Marine Barracks at League Island, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C along with several stints with HQ Company of the 7^th and 8^th Marine Regiments and an assignment to the rifle and pistol team. He was promoted to 1^st lieutenant in 1926.

The first World War Two listing for Marine is in April of 1942. At the time he was still a 1^st lieutenant and serving in a Service Company of a Service Battalion in San Diego, California. The muster roll for January of 1943 shows him in the same position. There the records end.

However, it is known from other research that Marine served in the Corps for 24 years. In a letter to the editor of the Oakland Tribune published on December 4, 1947, John D. Marine seeks to defend the reputation of Marine Corps General Howland Smith. He says “I WAS AN ENLISTED MAN, AND ALSO A COMMISSIONED OFFICER, WITH OVER 21 YEARS SERVICE IN THE MARINE CORPS. I PARTICIPATED IN WORLD WAR 1 AND THE HATIAN AND NICARAGUA CAMPAIGNS AND WORLD WAR II, AND SERVED WITH GENERAL HOWLAND SMITH BOTH AS AN ENLISTED MAN AND COMMISSIONED OFFICER. I HAVE BEEN ON ACTIVE DUTY WITH HIM ON SEVERAL CAMPAIGNS BOTH IN GUERRILLA WARFARE AND WORLD WARS. I ALSO SERVED WITH HIM AT VARIOUS STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND SERVED WITH HIM IN THIS WORLD WAR II.”

So, in summary, it seems that John D. Marine’s service was more active than the existing records indicate. An interesting lesson that there is sometimes more to the story.  [ad] [ph:L]

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