The ceremonial bell with names inscribed under its rim at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., photographed March 25, 2025. The ceremonial bell at Marine Barracks Washington holds deep significance in military and naval traditions, marking the start of parades, the arrival of distinguished guests, and memorial ceremonies for fallen Marines. Carefully maintained, its resonant tone symbolizes both solemnity and celebration. Bells have long been an important part of naval tradition, historically used on ships to signal time, events, and important transitions. The bell at MBW continues this practice, connecting the present to the long-standing customs of the Navy and Marine Corps. The bell originated from the USS Nicholas, a U.S. Navy destroyer commissioned in 1942 that served as an escort for the USS Missouri during Japan's surrender in WWII. Named after Major Samuel Nicholas, the first commissioned Marine officer and regarded as the first Commandant of the Marine Corps, the original bell cracked after a Marine, challenging its durability, struck it. As a result, the bell was replaced with a new one from the USS Nicholas, which now hangs on the flagpole. The original cracked bell remains inside Center House, and the names of babies christened at the bell are inscribed under its rim, further linking it to Marine Corps traditions. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Christopher Prelle)