The Museum of the Marine will bring a world-class museum to Jacksonville, NC that will honor the contributions and sacrifices of Marines, their units, their families, and the Carolina communities that support them by making known the personal stories that reflect the courage and dedication that are the hallmarks of our Nation's history.

Esprit de Corps, camaraderie, a common bond. It's a bond of brotherhood that ties Marines to one another for life. This shared experience not only exists inside the Corps, but spills over to the Marine families, and to the communities that surround these military bases. Their stories are also of service and sacrifice.

In 1941, local families in the Carolinas were asked to give up their land to create a home for the Marine Corps. They turned their land over to the service of our Nation during a time of war. Today when they visit the base, they still feel they are "coming home."

The Museum of the Marine will highlight the strength of the military family, of parents who hold it all together on the home front, and children whose pride in their Marine parent helps them endure the long separations of deployment. There is also a bond that is created between the civilian and military community that is forged during times of crisis. People taking care of each other throughout periods of shared sacrifice. A community wraps its arms around those left behind. Sleepy towns have been forever transformed by the arrival of the Corps. The Museum of the Marine will let visitors walk through a "virtual scrapbook." What was it like to watch these communities evolve from small town to boom town?

Marines are duty-bound to honor the long tradition of those who have gone before them in the Corps. No other branch of the service imbues such pride in its members. Every Marine is taught the history of the Corps, and every Marine understands that his actions reflect on all Marines, past, present and future. The Museum of the Marine will allow visitors the opportunity to understand the ethos of the Marine Corps, and reflect upon those qualities that are important to all Americans. The Museum of the Marine will honor the epic military accomplishments of these Marines from World War II forward. How did Marines from this region change the shape of war-fighting? What other roles does a Marine play? Through war and peace the Marine Corps continues to be America's 911 force.

It was 1939, and the United States was on the brink of war. The Marine Corps needed an amphibious base on the East coast to validate its new amphibious doctrine. The way the Marine Corps did business was about to change, and coastal Carolina was the ideal place to train. Before Marines fought the good fight on Pacific Island beaches, they honed their skills in the Carolinas. This region trained the first African American Marines at Montford Point, and also played a major role the training of Women Marines as well. Carolina Marines led the charge with the use of war dogs in fighting in the Pacific, and continued to push the envelope with the integration of helicopters to the modern battlefield. Today, new airframes like the MV-22 Osprey ensure Marines are equipped with the best that technology has to offer. The Marine Corps has long used the Carolinas to train Marines, but built a significant presence in the Carolinas beginning in the World War II era. Many consider the Carolinas their "birthplace" as Marines.