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Established in 1801, Marine Barracks Washington, is the "Oldest Post of the Corps" and has been the residence of every commandant of the Marine Corps since 1806. The selection of the site for the Barracks was a matter of personal interest to President Thomas Jefferson, who rode through Washington with Lt. Col. William Ward Burrows, the second commandant of the Marine Corps, in search of a suitable location. The site now occupied was approved due to its proximity to the Washington Navy Yard and because it was within easy marching distance of the Capitol.
8th & I
"Oldest Post of the Corps"

Sgt. Coutrney R. Lawrence, Houston-native who served the role of drum major for the Marine Drum & Bugle Corps, leads in front of the D&B as it marches onto the field at the start of a Tuesday Sunset Parade at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va., July 24. Sgt. Maj. Micheal P. Barrett, sergeant major of the Marine Corps, served as the hosting official for this parade, which featured noncommissioned officers in positions traditionally held by officers and staff noncommissioned officers. The drum major, a position traditionally held by a gunnery sergeant or higher, is the senior-billeted Marine in the D&B and leads the musical unit in its ceremonies by both directing the Marines as they march and conducting them as they play. - Sgt. Coutrney R. Lawrence, Houston-native who served the role of drum major for the Marine Drum & Bugle Corps, leads in front of the D&B as it marches onto the field at the start of a Tuesday Sunset Parade at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va., July 24. Sgt. Maj. Micheal P. Barrett, sergeant major of the Marine Corps, served as the hosting official for this parade, which featured noncommissioned officers in positions traditionally held by officers and staff noncommissioned officers. The drum major, a position traditionally held by a gunnery sergeant or higher, is the senior-billeted Marine in the D&B and leads the musical unit in its ceremonies by both directing the Marines as they march and conducting them as they play.

Lt. Gen. Willie Williams, director of Marine Corps staff, presents a Montford Point Marine with a bronze replica Congressional Gold Medal during a special ceremony at the historic parade grounds of Marine Barracks Washington June 28. In 1942, President Roosevelt established a presidential directive giving African Americans an opportunity to be recruited into the Marine Corps. Between 1942 and 1949 approximately 20,000 African American Marines received basic training at the segregated Montford Point instead of the traditional boot camps of Parris Island, S.C. and San Diego, Calif. These men fought for their country with honor and valor that are hallmarks of the Corps, but they were not treated as equals to their white counterparts at the time. Gen. James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, set out to begin to right this wrong when he invited the Montford Point Marines to the Barracks Aug. 26, 2011 to be the guests of honor at a Friday Evening Parade, bringing their story to the national forefront and starting a chain of events that lead to this historic day. - Lt. Gen. Willie Williams, director of Marine Corps staff, presents a Montford Point Marine with a bronze replica Congressional Gold Medal during a special ceremony at the historic parade grounds of Marine Barracks Washington June 28. In 1942, President Roosevelt established a presidential directive giving African Americans an opportunity to be recruited into the Marine Corps. Between 1942 and 1949 approximately 20,000 African American Marines received basic training at the segregated Montford Point instead of the traditional boot camps of Parris Island, S.C. and San Diego, Calif. These men fought for their country with honor and valor that are hallmarks of the Corps, but they were not treated as equals to their white counterparts at the time. Gen. James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, set out to begin to right this wrong when he invited the Montford Point Marines to the Barracks Aug. 26, 2011 to be the guests of honor at a Friday Evening Parade, bringing their story to the national forefront and starting a chain of events that lead to this historic day.