As the 19th century closed, the Marine Corps transitioned from a small peacetime force into a rapidly growing expeditionary unit. The Spanish-American War was the catalyst.
Marines executed the first amphibious assault in Cuba, secured Guantánamo Bay, and played a role in key operations across the Pacific.
This episode tracks the shift on how the Corps went from being a marginal asset to a key player in America’s emergence as a global power. It wasn’t a long war, but its legacy reshaped the military, set new standards for combat readiness, and solidified the Marine Corps' identity as the nation’s forward-deployed force.
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