Throughout its history, the U.S. Marine Corps has earned immense respect from the American people for its success on the battlefield. The fortitude, skill in armed conflict, and fidelity of Marines charged with accomplishing the toughest of missions brought it great honor. From the smallest of firefights to the massive amphibious assaults of World War II, or in the sustained land campaigns of World War I, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf Wars, Marines did what had to be done. Sometimes, however, their hardest tasks had nothing to do with foreign battlefields.
Although World War II was over, 1946 was a tough year for all of the services. The overwhelming victory in the war, while gratefully appreciated, also resulted in a desire for the country to move forward. The time for fighting was over, and Americans wanted to build sports cars and yachts instead of jeeps and landing craft. Demobilizing was not a simple process, however, and the government had to make some tough decisions. The Marine Corps, for instance, was reduced from a peak strength of 485,000 Marines during the war to a peacetime level of 100,000.1
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