Why the Marine Hymn Contains "Shores of Tripoli"

[rfreedom4u]

I recall the history of the Corps being pounded into us when I was at MCRD San Diego! It is a source of pride for all Marines.

Semper Fi!

[realcleanguy]

Liberals will want that removed soon, to make nice nice with radical Islam

[2ndDivisionVet]

So they don’t teach history in school any more?

[rktman]

Probably because it’s easy to fit in rhyming with “air, and land and sea”. Oh, and the barbary pirates too.

[mountainlion]

I lost my concentration before I got to the end of the article but “Leather Necks” is a related term that refers to the leather neck armor Marines word to protect them form getting their heads cut off by the barbarians.

[eyeamok]

Sounds like the creation of the Marine Corp is and was based on Racism. /s

[Parmy]

If I recall what I have read, these pirates were the reason 'Old Ironsides' was built.

Our history with Islam goes back a long way and the lessons learned over the years have been lost on the educated fools that now lead us.

[clintonh8r]

I was stationed at MCRD San Diego when I returned from Vietnam in 1970. Best year of my life. But then, my experience was different from yours!

[Big Red Badger]

So muzzies have been attacking us Before 9-11?

This Is Big News!

/s

[HiTech RedNeck]

TJ beat back the Barbary Pirates. That he was interested in any kind of religious war per se is news to me, except that he tended to be secularist in all spheres (reducing the bible to a book of good advice sans miracles).

[ColdOne]

Great post...thank you for posting

[US_MilitaryRules]

That is in the article.

[gusty]

Bad history. Lets adds some facts. The war with Tripoli ended with Jefferson's representative Tobias Lear agreeing to pay Tripoli the ransom. The Marines performed heroically more than you indicate. Their march through the Libyan desert from Egypt with a force of Greek mercenaries and rebel tribesman loyal to the Bey of Tripoli's brother to capture the city of Derna is an epic that deserves treatment on the movie screen. However, the ending of this episode did not bring glory to the US. Lear's negotiation with the Bey left our allies in Derna swinging in the breeze. Jefferson's administration pulled the Marines out prematurely, sound familiar. The commander of the expedition, William Eaton, went to his grave with a hatred for Thomas Jefferson. He saw the ending of the war as a disgrace. As for 1815, the war was with Algiers, not Tripoli for one. That one was more conclusive. It featured a real pummeling of the Algerine fleet. However the Barbary Pirate period ended with the end of continental warfare after the Congress of Vienna. Algiers, the biggest of the North African states, was militarily destroyed and occupied by France twenty years after. I would suggest that instead of googling, people should actually read real history books. A great read is “The Pirate Coast”.

[Loud Mime]

I’ve never understood the romantic Disney portrayal of Pirates. There were horrible people....which makes some sense that Hollywood joins in.

[gusty]

They were the organized crime of that period. A very large percentage of pirate commanders and crews were from the American colonies. New York City was a favorite for recruiting crews.

[lormand]

Extortion is in the Koran...the Barbary Pirates were motivated by Allah and Mohammed....same as today.

Verse 9:29: "Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low."

[lormand]

Sarcasm noted.

How can the left and the Ron/Rand Paul lemmings blame the Barbary Pirates on America?

[Jane Long]

So they don’t teach history in school any more?

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Sadly, no. CommieCore doesn’t allow it.

[gusty]

Let’s teach real History. What I do not like is the Left’s PC history and some on the Right’s comic book history.