For those that don't know, here is a brief explanation on the origins of the terms "Leatherneck" and "Devil Dog" as penned by yours truly better than a decade ago-
Back in the days of yore Marines were used to repel boarders and as boarding parties and for other cannon fodder type duties. This is back in the days of sail when you tried to take the prize by grappling her up close and swarming her decks. Anyhoo, since the primary weapon of the day was a naval cutlass, (had a guy try and lop my head off with one once, woulda worked if he'd gotten closer), and the action was up close and personal, wounds were common. Using good sound Marine judgment, with a dose of self preservation thrown in, some genius figured that if they had a guard up in the throat area it might save a few Marines from that nasty illness called "lopped off head disease". That way the Marines could be spared for more important things like roughing up recalcitrant sailors and spreading various social diseases around the world. So someone took a leather belt of some sort and tried that. Viola! After the sword play was finished his head was still firmly attached to his shoulders. The other Marines, knowing a good thing when they saw it, copied their buddies idea and retained use of their noggins also. I suppose some poor Barbary Pirate or maybe a Confederate Raider saw the Marines coming over his bulwarks (there's a word you don't use everyday) and said something along the lines of, "There goes the neighborhood. It's those darn Leathernecks!" From such simple beginnings legends are born.
I suppose next you'll want to know about "Devil Dogs"? It was in WW1 and a buncha the Kaisers finest were laying back congratulating themselves for kicking a lot of froggy butt. As history shows, beating the French is about like winning a bet that Rosie O'Donnell is fat and ugly, so these guys should have known better than to sit back and play games with the French lassies. (At this point I should note that any invasion of France improves the bloodline. I'm half French, I benefited.) So anyways, these future dead German types were sitting around diddling the maidens and abusing the French "men" when all the sudden about 400 of their buddies go running by screaming like banshees! "Whutnell isht you runnink from Hans!?!?" they asked the fat kraut at the end of the line. "Mien Gott! It is the Amerikan Marines!!! They haff wiped out the rest of the Battalion!!! They are supermen! Vee can not kill them!! Vee shoot, but they do not fall!!! They are DEVILS I tell you, DOGS of the DEVIL!!!! Satan has unleashed the Hounds of Hell upon us. Run mien leberschnistzen!!! Run for your very lives!!! THE DEVIL DOGS APPROACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! About then 3 Marines sorta strolled into the town and killed every German but the fat guy who they left for a witness. Then since it was the oldest Marines 19th birthday they celebrated by impregnating every willing French lass they could find in the area. That part of France later produced every French kickboxer known to exist and the next 27 Commandants of the French Foreign Legion. Then the Marines polished their brass and shaved and generally cleaned themselves up 'cuz the Gunny was due in town soon and he was a REAL MARINE and they didn't want to get on his bad side.
Every word I've written is true, more or less.......pretty much anyways.
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