National Museum of the Marine Corps

06/14/2026

Not the Army.

But today, we're wishing a very Happy Birthday to the U.S. Army and celebrating 251 years of service to our nation. 🇺🇸

Need help telling the branches apart? Visit the National Museum of the Marine Corps and explore the history, legacy, and traditions of Marines throughout our nation's history.

06/11/2026

So what actually happens once the casting starts?

After a mold is finished, plaster is applied to create and form what are called front and back jackets in order to hold the alginate in place. If this process isn't done quickly, the alginate begins to lose moisture and shape. Resin is then poured into the mold, and this is what becomes the outside shell of the cast figure.

Once every section of the figure is completed, the pieces are carefully packed up and transported back to the studio to begin the next phase of construction.

Inside each finished figure is a metal framework or armature, built to support not only the weight of the cast itself but also uniforms, gear, and decades of interaction from museum visitors. The assembly, finishing, painting, and detailing process can take anywhere from six to nine months for a single figure.

Thousands of intentional decisions flow together to shape your experience at the National Museum of the Marine Corps—in ways you may have never realized were being made. But now, maybe on your next visit, you’ll find yourself looking just a bit closer.



📸Slide 1: Company Commander finished figure
📸Slide 2: Shura Company Commander photoshoot
📸Slide 3: Figure with armature ready to paint
📸Slide 4: Collection of figure parts

06/10/2026

The National Museum of the Marine Corps was proud to host Republic of Korea Marine Corps Commandant Lieutenant General Ju Il-Suk last week. The visit reflected and honored the long legacy of partnership between the Republic of Korea Marine Corps and the United States Marine Corps, forged through decades of shared service and cooperation. The museum remains proud to preserve and share the history of this enduring alliance.

06/10/2026

Scott O’Grady, a former captain and fighter pilot in the United States Air Force, became widely known following the incident near Mrkonjić Grad on June 2, 1995. While patrolling the no-fly zone over Bosnia, his F-16C was struck by a Bosnian Serb SA-6 missile, forcing him to eject behind enemy lines. O’Grady remained undetected for nearly six days, surviving on leaves, grass, and ants while avoiding Serb search teams and attempting to establish contact with Magic, NATO’s airborne command center. He successfully evaded capture until U.S. Marines rescued him on June 8, thirty-one years ago this past Monday.

This painting by Andrew Whyte, titled "Rescue of Capt. Scott O'Grady," depicts the moment O'Grady ran out of the tree line toward the rescue helicopters. The Sikorsky CH-53E, BuNo 162001 is at the center with Sergeant Pfister directing him into the gunner's door. The lead helicopter is at the left with the ground security forces still debarking in the background while the two AH-1W Cobras can be seen circling overhead.

The historic aircraft was delivered to the National Museum of the Marine Corps in September where it is now part of the national collection.

To learn more about the Rescue of Captain Scott O'Grady, visit the National Museum of the Marine Corps website, where you can read a detailed blog post on the rescue.



Image credit: Rescue of Capt. Scott O'Grady by Andrew Whyte, 1995. Collection of the National Museum of the Marine Corps. © Andrew Whyte

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

If you’ve ever had an impression of your teeth done, then you’ve been molded with the same material used to make live casts of Marines displayed throughout the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Throughout the museum, you’ll find dozens of cast figures… 168 of them, to be exact. Every single figure—Marines, civilians, kids, and Afghan citizens—was molded off of a real human using alginate, a safe, plant-based powder derived from brown seaweed that mixes with water to form a rubbery, flexible substance that is skin-safe, non-toxic, and has the ability to capture detail incredibly.

A long process—sometimes up to four hours for a single figure—is very strategically molded, often starting with the legs first, followed by the torso, then the arms, and usually finishing with the head.

But that’s not even where it all starts. How is an individual selected to be cast?

When we're posing a marine, we try to represent that marine accurately. We select active-duty Marines from Marine Corps Base Quantico that hold the same MOS (military operational specialty) as the figure we are portraying. This adds to the authenticity of the figure, as the Marine can more naturally depict the action we need rather than have a novice person “just pretend."

The spatial planning comes next. Our exhibit specialist, Alice Webb, gave us some insight into the spatial planning process:

“Once we determine the scene, we have the Marines and the other “actors” come in, and usually we'll do role-playing as far as what the action of the scene is. For example, there's the Shura scene {in the Iraq and Afghanistan gallery}. There were so many figures in that scene. So we had to physically determine, ‘Is everyone going to fit in this space?’ And then culturally, we had to work with the Afghan representatives and coordinate: ‘Who sits to your right? Who sits to your left? Where does your son sit? Who's pouring the tea?’ Because, you know, there's significance to all of those positions, as well as the corresponding positions of the Marines.”

Lots of photos are taken to document the scene, what the individual will be wearing, their gear, their facial expressions, the individual themselves, and to capture what the emotion of the scene is.

Hundreds of decisions are made before the casting process even begins. And somehow, that’s still only half the story.



📸 Slide 1: Cast figure in our World War II gallery
📸 Slide 2: Casting process
📸 Slide 3: Shura group photoshoot
📸 Slide 4: Shura installation

06/02/2026

Join us on June 16 for a live drawing demonstration, talk, and Q&A with Terminal Lance artist Maximilian Uriarte. Registration is free, but space is limited. 🫏

05/29/2026

: Battle of Belleau Wood Hero, Major Edward B. Cole

Edward Ball Cole was born in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended Harvard University and graduated in 1902. He was appointed as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps on 22 April 1904.

In the fall of 1916, Captain Cole undertook temporary duty assignments to research the use of machine guns and tactics. He was appointed to the War Department's newly created Machine Gun Board; an impressive honor for such a young officer. Serving at Headquarters Marine Corps in the spring of 1917, he toured and studied the U.S. Springfield Arsenal, Savage Arms Company and championed the Marine Corps’ adoption of the Lewis machine gun.

As an instructor, Cole literally “wrote the book” for Marines’ use of machine guns. His Field Book for Machine Gunners created meticulous tables of organization and equipment for machine gun units and explained the proper employment of the weapons on a modern battlefield. Remarkably, he also found time to invent the Cole Cart. Inspired by a design used by German Naval infantry, Cole's invention stowed the Lewis gun, along with its ammunition and supporting accoutrements, to be carried into battle by a team of Marine
machine gunners.

In the fall of 1917, Major Cole was assigned to Quantico, Virginia and commanded the
1st Machine Gun Battalion. When they arrived in France in January 1918, Cole's
battalion was re-designated as the 6th Machine Gun Battalion and assigned to the 4th
Brigade. Cole's Marines and the rest of 2d Division (A.E.F.) trained heavily in the coming
months, until they received orders in May to move to the Chateau-Thierry sector. There

the battalion took up defensive positions and employed long range “battery fire” on
German forces. When the Marines went on the offensive on 6 June, elements of Cole's
battalion joined the assault. The attack was chaotic and some machine gun units
became disorganized and required his personal direction. On 10 June, he was leading a
party of Marines in the assault on a German machine gun nest. There he, “displayed
extraordinary heroism in organizing positions, rallying his men, and disposing of his
guns, continuing to expose himself fearlessly until he fell…” Major Cole was wounded
when an enemy gr***de exploded and shrapnel tore through both arms, both legs, and
his face. He was soon evacuated to the rear but had lost a tremendous amount of
blood. After two blood transfusions, the doctors thought he may make a full recovery
(minus his right hand). However, this recovery was not to be, and Major Edward B. Cole
died on 18 June 1918.

Cole's heroism did not go unnoticed. General Orders #40 specifically called out his
heroism and fearless sacrifice. He was posthumously awarded the Army Distinguished
Service Cross and the French Legion of Honor.



📸 Second image: This collection was accepted at the museum on 19 May 2026. It is highlighted by Cole's original Special Full Dress Officer coat, Full Dress Cap, and sword belt.

📸 Third image: The dress coat retains his captain's ornate rank sewn to the sleeve cuffs. The Full- Dress uniform is particularly attractive due to its excellent condition and the wonderfully undamaged dress cap. The uniforms are documented to have been worn by Cole in several pre-war portraits.

📸 Fourth image: A copy of his Field Book for Machine Gunners is dedicated to his two young boys. The artifact collection is accepted because of its connection to an exceptionally talented, rising young Marine officer, who was tragically killed during the Battle of Belleau Wood.

05/27/2026

It is | The "Other" .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle

After the Vietnam War, it was clear that the Marines needed a long range antimateriel rifle. The ability to precisely eliminate semi-hardened targets with a single rifle would greatly increase the effectiveness of Marine sniper teams. Former Marine Captain Jerry Haskins formed the Research Armament Prototype Company in Rogers, Arkansas. Mr. Haskins creation was a single-shot, bolt-action sniper rifle specifically designed for long range anti-materiel work. The rifle was simple and effective, using a machined steel receiver mated to a heavy barrel with a massive muzzle brake and a recoil-compensating stock.

He delivered his first Special Application Rifles to the Marines in early 1984, just a few months after the Beirut bombing. The first three were serialized as USMC-1, USMC-2 and USMC-3 and were issued to the Rifle Team Equipment Repair Shop at MCCDC Quantico, VA in 1984. All three rifles were quickly shipped to the Marine forces in Beirut, Lebanon after their service acceptance tests. In addition to Beirut, this rifle (USMC-3) deployed to Europe and the Middle East several times throughout its career, seeing combat in Operation Desert Storm among other locations.

However, the limitations of the single shot weapon were overcome by the end of the decade with the Marines adoption of the M82 Barrett .50 cal semi-automatic sniper rifle. The M82, M82A1 and current M107series, revolutionized Marine long-range anti-materiel sniping, but the M500 Special Application Rifle blazed the trail.

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we pause to remember the brave men and women who gave everything in service to our nation.

The Battlefield Cross, also known as the Fallen Warrior Memorial, stands as a powerful symbol of sacrifice, honor, and unwavering devotion to duty. The boots represent the final march of the fallen, the rifle reflects their commitment to defending our freedoms, the helmet and dog tags signify that the soldier’s battle is over and their identity will not be forgotten. The folded flag serves as a reminder that liberty has always come at a cost.

Today, we honor those who never came home and carry forward the legacy they left behind. Their courage, sacrifice, and service will never be forgotten.