[Shooter]

Since we are speaking about a subject of which I am something of an authority (but not the absolute authority), I would like to point out that there were very few "marine corps" world-wide, until after WWII. The Royal Marines were, like the USMC, small organizations, clinging to naval institutions for survival. All other "naval infantry" where it existed at all, was just that.

After WWII, numerous "marine" organizations have sprung up in name, and mostly in the model of the USMC, which is the world's foremost authority on amphibious warfare. For example, the Netherlands has a particularly adept, if tiny, corps of marines.

To the best of my knowledge, Barrett, Germany has never had a "marine" organization of any sort, and the fliers of the Marine jasta were at best nominal naval aviators more than Marines.

The USMC was not a part of the United Fruit Company, however, during the "banana wars" Marine units often fought in Central America to suppress indigionous uprisings which threatened the interests of many corporations, United Fruit amongst them.

The "devil-dog" sobriquet appended to USMC legend and lore might possibly be something made in whole cloth from the mind of Floyd Gibbon. As a war correspondant who had much affection for Marines, he gave them a lot of ink in the press back home and was known to stretch the truth a little here and there (as well as giving credit for activities of the US Army's 3d Division to the Marines). German soldiers may never have spoken the phrase, but the Germans who faced the 4th Marine Bde were righteously awed at the ferocity of martial spirit in their foes. Marines were famous for drilling German strosstruppen " 'tween the running-lights" with their '03 Springfields at ranges up to 600 yds (German riflemen had difficulty hitting targets at 100 yds, by 1918) and were very handy with the bayonet also. Landsers most likely had a lot of names for them which were not as flattering, but about "devil-dogs" who can know?

r/s

Bill