Pre-University Paper from the year 2010 in the subject Didactics - English - Applied Geography, grade: 1, language: English, abstract: From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli, We fight our country's battles in the air, on land and sea. First to fight for right and freedom, and to keep our honor clean; We are proud to claim the title of United States Marine. This first stanza of the United States Marines Corps' hymn already briefly describes what Marines are for, also mentioning two of it's important steps to a 21st century high-tech army. The Marines are a special unit in many ways. They are a manifold corps which uses all types of modern warfare and technology. In addition to that they enjoy a lot of attention and are extraordinarily often treated in Hollywood or the world-press. There is much to study in the Marines' 23 decades of existence, but a few moments stand out. These happenings are the historical structure which holds an ethos together. And it is this ethos that distinguishes the Marines from any other army in the world. Only after familiarizing with the history of the USMC it is possible to understand the self-perception of these warriors, which explains their status among the armed forces and their image.