Dress Blues Give Marines The Blues

As we get closer to the 234th celebration of the Marine Corps birthday on Nov 10th, a time when dress blues come out of numerous marine closets for celebration at Marine Corps Balls across the country, I thought it only fitting to tell a story about them that was originally told to me by my all-time favorite marine, my uncle Jack, one of many wonderful stories he told about his beloved Marine Corps, and just before he marched off to that great barracks in the sky.

If memory serves me correctly it went something like this:

Once upon a time a congressmen complimented the United States Marine Corps at a hearing of the House ppropriations sub-committee on defense and, as always when someone says a kind word about them, it was a sad day for marines everywhere. The Marine Corps never loses in a battle and it never wins on a compliment.

This slightly over-indulged looking congressman looked around the room at marine officers dressed in olive green uniforms and said, "I would think that you would show up here in dress blues. As a matter of fact, I would expect marines to wear dress blues anyplace they appear in public ALL THE TIME!  Marines are a gung-ho outfit-at least everyone says you are – you should dress the part."

Such backhanded compliments usually do not dismay the marines, especially when they come from congressmen. If they want to offset a backhanded compliment with a graceful one, smoothly delivered, they will crank up the good old M1A publicity machine and turn out their own compliment. But on this day, for some reason, the congressman was adamant.

One marine officer steps forward, a general, fruit salad across his puffy chest, named Chesty something or other and
patiently explains to the congressman;

That dress blue uniforms are issued free, to marines on special duty, such as the band, guard detachments and on
recruiting duty. Any marine can buy dress blues out of his own pocket but not many do, partly because the high
collars are choking and the heavy blues are uncomfortable to wear in warm weather, or even a warm saloon. I think
that if the marines are allowed to maintain their independence in the matter there will be very little increase in
the wearing of dress blues, except possibly when a new marine goes home on his first leave and wants to impress his
mommy, or his Congressman.

Semper Fi

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