Quantico Crossroads of the Marine Corps

This brief history of the Quantico Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia, was initiated in early 1975 at the suggestion of Lieutenant General Edward S. Fris, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired), then the Commanding General, Marine Corps Development and Education Command at Quantico. This project was begun as the Marine Corps approached its two hundredth anniversary and as the United States moved into its Bicentennial year. Because of the Bicentennial spirit and geographical location of the base, a decision was made early in the project not to limit it to just Marine Corps activities, but to include a summary of the preceding events of this very historical area. Many persons who tackle a project of this sort are frustrated by the lack of available information and the necessity for lengthy and extensive research. This was not exactly the case with this one. The Marine Corps must be one of the most written-about organizations in the history of the United States. The problem with this project was not the lack of information, but the sheer volume of material scattered among hundreds of official and commercial books, letters, diaries, official correspondence, personal collections, research studies and reports, files hidden away in cabinets or boxes, and personal recollections of hundreds of Marines, former Marines, and their families. Indeed, the biggest problem with this project was the location, selection, sifting, evaluation, and compilation of the vast quantities of information available.