“Ooh-rah” is an all-purpose spirited expression used by Marines when greeting one another. And we welcome you to this web site and to the National Museum of the Marine Corps with that same enthusiasm. The Museum opened on 10 November 2006, in time to celebrate 231 years of United States Marine Corps history. We invite you to follow in the footsteps of Marines: from the yellow footprints that young recruits must fill at boot camp to the boot prints left in the sand of Pacific Island beaches during World War II, in the snow of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War, and on Hill 881 South in Vietnam.

In addition to the central Leatherneck Gallery, you will discover four permanent galleries and two temporary exhibitions on the first deck. On the mezzanine, check for traveling exhibitions after you get up front and personal with the Harrier, Jenny, and Corsairs.

I am especially proud of the photo exhibit in the Global War on Terrorism gallery. Make sure you check it out when you visit.

Museums are all about collecting objects and preserving them forever, and museums use those objects to tell stories. But there is a story told at the National Museum of the Marine Corps that is even more important than the tales told by the tanks, aircraft, landing craft, weapons, and uniforms you find here. It is the all-pervasive message that it takes “every Marine” to accomplish mission.

Please use this web site to help plan your trip to the Museum and to learn more about the artifacts and exhibits you may have seen during your recent visit. Come again many times, since we will be adding new features and more information about the collections in the months to come.

We look forward to your comments about the Museum and about this web site. Don’t hesitate to call or write. Museums are never “done!”

Lin Ezell
Museum Director

Read Lin Ezell’s Biography