Although he held the title “Captain of Marines” at this point, Samuel Nicholas was the first officer commissioned to the Continental Marines (later the US Marine Corps), and by tradition is therefore considered to be the first Commandant of the Marines.

Hey, are YOU going to argue with the USMC? I didn’t think so. Not me, either.

Nicholas was commissioned on November 28, 1775, and almost immediately began setting up his recruitment operations in Philadelphia.

His first major mission, which began on this day in 1776, took him hundreds of miles from the action in America, but with good reason.

We’ll hear from Samuel Nicholas again in the future, as he was involved in at least one other important battle.

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