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The first article in a series commemorating the centennial of the Marine Corps' service in the Spanish-American War.
Knowledge of the Spanish-American War is clouded, at best, in modern memory. Most Americans know that the USS Maine blew up and sank in Havana harbor in 1898, and that the United States soon afterwards declared war on Spain, fighting to free Cuba with the motto, "Remember the Maine!" Along the way, Adm George Dewey, USN, sank the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay in the Philippines, and the U.S. Army stumbled into a few small victories before an armistice was declared. When it was all over, Spain lost Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, and the United States gained recognition as a world power. Marine Corps enthusiasts know that a small force of Marines fought in Cuba before the Army landed there, and Sgt John Quick earned the Medal of Honor for his exploits in saving fellow Marines from misdirected naval gunfire.
What is not so well known is the political and diplomatic background to the conflict or the position of the armed forces of the United States at the time. More importantly for the Marine Corps, this conflict served to raise public consciousness of the Corps as no other event had in its previous 100 years of existence. Marines would participate actively in every theater of the war, from manning guns with Adm Dewey, to hoisting the first U.S. flags on Spanish territory in the Philippines and Cuba. The First Battalion of Marines fought well, efficiently, and hard at Guantanamo. The number of Medal of Honor recipients outnumbered deaths in the Corps, and seven future commandants served as company grade officers, both ashore and afloat.
This article is the first of several to commemorate the participation of the Marine Corps in the war with Spain. It will provide a background of the conflict. Later articles will focus on the Corps' contribution to the war and its effects on the modernization of the Corps.
As the last remaining major Spanish colony in the New World, Cuba held a special fascination for many Americans. Some had suggested purchasing the island from Spain, with the possibility of subsequently granting Cuba statehood. American interest cooled somewhat during the...