The Marine's Hymn. It has graced countless battlefields since its creation in the 19th century, bolstering confidence and lifting spirits. Still a mainstay in the modern Marine Corps' esprit de corps and a constant presence to those attempting to earn the title of United States Marine, the Hymn reflects the emphasis the Marine Corps places on its extensive and impressive historical record. While the Marine Corps has been immortalized in film and fiction for their dogged assault across the Pacific in World War II, their perseverance in Korea and Vietnam, and their most recent service in the Middle East as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, few can identify the true cradle of the modern Marine Corps. In the first four decades of the 20th century, the Marine Corps were constantly engaged across the Pacific and Caribbean, fighting multiple insurgencies simultaneously against determined and skilled guerillas. As the Corps faces a similar situation today in the Middle East, these formative years beg further analysis. No individual is more suited to broach the subject than one of the Marine Corps' most revered heroes, Major General Smedley D. Butler.