Marines take Corps history very seriously.
They can name battles that most civilians have probably never heard of, such as the assault on the castle Chapultepec in Mexico in 1847, which is commemorated in the opening lyrics of the Marine Corps Hymn, “From the Halls of Montezuma.” That battle also begat a central piece of Corps lore: the “Blood Stripe.”
Legend has it that 90 percent of NCOs and officers were killed storming the castle, so a scarlet stripe was added to the Dress Blue uniform pants for E-4 Marines and above to commemorate their sacrifice – hence the name “Blood Stripe.
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