As for conundrums, a
recent visit to the nation’s capital developed into one with top ten
proportions. Should I risk readers’
fatigue by writing yet another column slanted towards the Marine Corps? Or should I take a pass on writing about a most
fascinating piece of Americana less traveled?
There is some logic in the “less traveled” element, inasmuch
as the locale for this particular bit of fascinating Americana is deep in the
heart of Southeast Washington, D.C.
Suffice it to say, the area stops short of Pleasant Garden serenity.
It is amazing how hundreds of strategically deployed
dress-blued Marines can influence the peace quotient of a neighborhood trending
gangster. This particular neighborhood
is known simply as, “8th & I,” the confluence of two
Southeastern D.C. streets. It could also
be known by its background music – perpetual alarms and sirens.
More specifically, it is ground zero for Marine Barracks
Washington, the oldest post of the Marine Corps. It has been the home of “The
President’s Own,” U.S. Marine Band since 1801 and the home of every Marine
Corps Commandant since 1806.
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| Marine Corps Band at Evening Parade August 21, 2015 |
The Home of the Commandants was one of the few buildings not
burned by the British when they raided the Capitol in 1814, possibly because of
soldierly respect between Royal Marines and U.S. Marines.
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| JUST ONE OF THE OUTSTANDING MARINES I MET AT THE EVENING PARADE. SGT MAJ BRYAN BATTAGLIA, AS THE ADVISOR/ASSISTANT TO THE CHAIRMAN OF JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, IS THE SENIOR NCO IN THE U.S. ARMED FORCES |
Evening Parades are held each summer Friday. Attendance is free, reservations are made online
at www.barracks.marine.mil, but supply
is often not up to demand – only 3500 seats are available. Unclaimed bleacher seats are given on a first
come, first served, basis. Offsite
parking and free shuttle services are offered. For the brave at heart, the site is just four blocks from Metro access.
Don’t get this confused with Sunset Parades on summer
Tuesdays – very similar in content and performed by the same Marines, but at
the Marine Corps War Memorial across the Potomac. Admission, parking, shuttles and performance
are free – bring a lawn chair or sit on the grass.
Just as the Washington Nationals have their ceremonial first
pitch, so do the 8th & I Marines. However, their pitch is with M-1 rifles
instead of baseballs. M-1 pitching (with
fixed bayonets) is a core syllabus for the Silent Drill Team’s contribution to
the Evening Parade. A variety of
intricate marching and arms movements are flawlessly presented, all without
oral commands. My guess – they could do
it blind-folded just as well.
By the same token, the Marine Band didn’t need sheet music –
many of the marches they performed were written by their former director, John
Phillip Sousa. The “Washington Post
March” and “Stars and Stripes Forever” come to mind.
Drum beats and bugle calls have come a long way since field
musicians were used to pass commands and signals to warriors in battle
formations. The 80-strong Marine Drum
and Bugle Corps is known as “The Commandant’s Own.” These Marines make martial music comparable
to the band while marching and maneuvering as adeptly as does the Silent Drill
Team.
Supporting the Band, Drum and Bugle Corps and Silent Drill
Team in the Evening Parade are two infantry companies. Each Marine is about six feet tall. Each one stands rigidly at parade rest for
over an hour before “Passing in Review,” their moment of glory.
We should not forget Chesty, the most famous English Bulldog
at 8th & I. He was presented with
pomp and circumstance as the official Marine Corps mascot. Even with his globe and anchor shawl, his
appearance was less than warrior-like.
That is not a problem, given his namesake, Lieutenant General Lewis
“Chesty” Puller. With five Navy Crosses,
Puller was the most decorated Marine warrior of all.
Post-ceremony, cuddly, lovable and Marine-like Chesty was
the runaway leader in hugs, rubs, pats and selfies.
By now, it should be obvious the “Evening Parade” is no
garden variety street parade. Given the
pageantry involved, “Evening Pageant” might be more appropriate – excepting
that neither pageantry nor pageant are Marine Corps speak.
“Spit and Polish” is vintage Marine Corps speak, but could
bring some question about crudeness and/or Poland’s involvement.
So, the “Evening Parade” is what it is. It is the most famous ceremony performed by
U.S. Marines. Spectators often find it to
be an emotional experience. Some look at
it as a patriotic pilgrimage. For overt
military excellence, discipline and professionalism, it has no peer.
Taps, blown by a solitary bugler – spot-lighted high atop a
darkened rampart -- sends spectators on their way with an indelible understanding
of “Esprit de Corps.” President Ronald
Reagan may have said it best, “I wish every American could see the Evening
Parade and share the magnificent experience we had.”
Ol'Harry
