The U.S. Marine Corps Raiders, 1942–1944

Abstract

In 1942, the U.S. Marine Corps created the Marine Raider battalions, the first American special forces units of World War II.However, the introduction of an elite subculture within the ranks of the Marine Corps, which already prided itself on being the nation’s elite fighting force, resulted in conflicting cultures and competing identities.The preferential treatment and widespread publicity accorded to the Raiders, combined with the Raiders’ sense of exceptionalism and claims to superiority, garnered resentment among other Marines.Ultimately, the leadership of the Corps concluded that the Raider battalions were a detriment to the morale and esprit of the Marine Corps, leading to the end of the Raider program in early 1944.As an elite organization operating within the culture of a recognized corps d’elite, the Raiders present a unique case study in the nature of elitism in military cultures.