Many think of the United States Marine Corps as a second land army, but it is foremost a naval expeditionary force able to seize, secure, and defend bases in support of major campaigns. Tracing the Marines back to the Revolutionary War, Paul Westermeyer discusses such battles as Belleau Wood, Iwo Jima, Chosin Reservoir, and Hue, while examining how the Corps has also been adapted for peacekeeping and humanitarian relief.