Marine Corps history and those street names ...
By JoAnna M. McDonald, Education Specialist, Command Museum

When you head out to run or jog around the Depot you pass roads with such names as: St. Thomas Ave., Belleau Ave., Guantanamo St., Henderson Ave., Seminole St., Chosin Ave., Tientsen Ave. and Tripoli Ave., to name only a few. Even an uneducated guess will tell you these names have significance in Marine Corps history. So, where are these avenues and streets, and what do they represent that is of importance to us all? You can refer to the MCRD map on the back of our phone directory as we navigate the depot.

St. Thomas Avenue is near the depot’s travel department known as SATO and TMO. St. Thomas Island lies about 1,075 miles east/south-east of Miami, Florida, and is part of the collective islands known as the Virgin Islands. In 1825 a devastating fire spread on the island; the Marines and sailors from the Grampus successfully aided in stopping the fire and preventing any further damage. Prior to U.S. involvement in World War I (1917) the Marines returned to St. Thomas. Denmark had sold possession of these islands to America, and at that time two companies set up a garrison on the island.

While these Marines prevented any German occupation of the Virgin Islands, the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments were sent to France, and this is where St. Thomas Avenue runs directly into Belleau Ave. It continues from Henderson Ave., at Gate 2, along the front far, east side of the base near Barrett Ave. and ends just before Gate 5 at Midway Ave.

Belleau Wood is only 50 miles north-east of Paris. On June 6, 1918, the two regiments attacked the Kaiser’s elite troops entrenched in the wood. The Marines fought for twenty-six days in this dark forest. In the end they defeated the Germans and gained the nickname “Devil Dogs” or Teufelhunden.

As you turn south-east along Belleau Ave. (picturing the tenacious fighting) the road stops at Midway Ave.; you then make a gradual right turn and proceed down “the back forty.” This path runs parallel with the San Diego Airport. After racing those airplanes taking off, the back forty becomes Guantanamo Street. The Marines arrived at Guantanamo Bay (Bahia de Guantanamo) as early as May 1898 during the Spanish American War. Through four months of fighting the Marines distinguished themselves in numerous battles and raids in defense of Guantanamo. In August, 1898, Spain surrendered. U.S. politicians were so impressed with the Corps that they doubled its strength. On February 23, 1903 the U.S. began leasing Guantanamo Bay from Cuba where Marines continue to play an active role against the war on terror.

Once you have traveled down Guantanamo, you take a u-turn and head east again and make a left at Henderson. This road goes from the back forty and cuts across the base in front of Pendleton Hall to Gate 2. Col Archibald Henderson was selected as the Corps’ 5th Commandant in 1820. When the Seminole War erupted in 1836-1837 the Marines were sent to fight the Seminole and Creek Indians in Florida (the conflict also included Georgia). Although a Commandant, Col Henderson saw fit to lead his Marines in battle. It was reported he nailed a sign on his door: “HAVE GONE TO FLORIDA TO FIGHT INDIANS. WILL BE BACK WHEN THE WAR IS OVER.” For his leadership in battle he earned the rank of brigadier general. He served as Commandant until 1859.

As you travel along Henderson Ave. you pass Seminole Street for this reason. This street runs east to west on the south side of Pendleton Hall. Before you reach Gate 2 you turn right onto Belleau Ave., less than 1/8 of a mile you have a choice: turn left or right?

By taking the right turn you merge onto Chosin which runs past the recreation center, the gym, and behind the Recruiters School and Legal services. Chosin Ave. (the Korean word is “Changjin” ) refers to the Korean War battle where 10 Chinese Communist divisions attacked the 1st Marine Division. From November 26-December 11, 1950 the outnumbered leathernecks successfully fought a withdrawal retreat in sub-zero temperatures. The survivors of this campaign are known as the “Chosin Frozen or Chosin Few.”

If you take a left at Haiti Ave. and pass the Home and Garden Store you will then turn right on Tientsen. This small Chinese town lies just south-east of Beijing. During the Boxer Rebellion the Marines participated in several significant battles from June to July 1900. Second Lieutenant Smedley D. Butler (future commanding general of MCRD, San Diego) was promoted to captain by brevet for his actions during the Second Battle of Tientsen, July 13, 1900. After the Boxer Rebellion this town continued to be a vital port for the Marines until after World War II.

Now that you’ve learned a little about Tientsen you’re headed for the home stretch on Tripoli Ave. – at least for those of us who work at the Museum. We have sung the words to the Marine Corps Hymn hundreds of times, “…to the shores of Tripoli.” This small harbor town is now in Libya. Tripoli, in the early 1800s, was considered a Barbary State, loosely ruled by the Ottoman Empire. There was a dispute with the United States and Tripoli over commerce. In 1803 the Tripolitans captured the navy ship USS Philadelphia. Navy captain William Bainbridge, his sailors, and 44 Marines were captured. In 1805, William Eaton, an ex-American diplomat, seven Marines led by Lt Presley N. O’Bannon, 67 Greeks and Turks, 100 Arabs, and 200 camel drivers, trekked 600 miles for seven weeks across the desert, attacked the fort at Derna. The Marines quickly defeated an overwhelming enemy on the shores of Tripoli province. This was the first time the American flag flew over an Old World fortress. The battle in Tripoli at the time went fairly un-noticed by Americans, but the event was immortalized in the famous hymn.

As one of my professors said, “History is fluid, not fixed; everything is connected to everything else.” We’ve taken a quick trip around the depot and, metaphorically, in time and space. Like the streets of this complex, our lives and actions intersect to tell the story, which is still being written. Perhaps one day a street somewhere will be named for you, or maybe even an entire town. The next time you pass a street or avenue on base, think about the events and persons that we honor here. If you are unfamiliar with the street name’s context, give the Museum archives a call or drop by for a visit.