75 Cool USMC Tattoos – Meaning, Policy and Designs (2020)
With the many designs and types of tattoos, the U.S Marine Corps tattoos stand as one of the most unique. The USMC tattoos are basically designed for the Marine Corps. They are one of the few tattoos that have some rules when you want to apply them.
Any Marine soldier that needs the tattoo will be needed to have papers to show that they abide by the specified rules. The good thing about these tattoos is that the civilians can also have them. However, the civilian may apply the tattoo as a way of paying tribute to a fallen soldier.
Whichever way, anyone that wants to apply these tattoos must maintain their dignity, in relation to the design.
Contents:
History
Earlier on in the 17th Century, the French soldiers resumed from the South Pacific with new tattoos. The practice spread all across the world, including the US. Nonetheless, Maurice Berchon issued a scrutiny on the possible medical complications of tattooing. Berchon was a French Naval surgeon.
This stopped in France and its surroundings. In The US, the practice went on and currently, it is commonly practiced by the Marine corps and the civilians in general. Technically, the US Marine Corps is the most common army troop that have their symbols applied as tattoos.
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Meaning
The tattoos are more common among men and different bearers of the tattoos will come up with their own designs. These tattoos are also great inspirational designs and they also tend to be patriotic. The tattoos will come with different signs and symbols, which will have different meanings.
Some of the major symbols of the US Marine Corps include the Globe, Anchor, and Eagle. These are the common emblems of the Marine Corps.
The Eagle, for example, will symbolize America, which is the nation that the Marice Corps are dedicated to protecting. The Globe symbol represents the presence of the Marines around the world. On the other hand, the Anchor symbolizes the rich naval history of the USMC. Also, it symbolizes the ability of the Marines to access whichever coastline around the world. This could be related to flexibility.
When the three emblems are combined together, they will represent the commitment of the Marines to protect the country. This could be by air, sea or land.
In general, the US Marine Corps tattoos will symbolize America, courage, respect, family, pride, heritage, navy, marine, dedication, success, faithfulness, and commitment.
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Placement
The placement of the US Marine Corps tattoos is somewhat open, but it also has some regulations. Since these tattoos are used to symbolize commitment and such, they are mostly applied on open areas. That is, they will be applied on areas that are open to the public.
Most of the tattoos care applied on the upper arm and the biceps. There are also others that will be applied on the upper back at the base of the nape.
Others may be applied on the forearm, on the wrist area. They can also be applied on the sides from under the armpits towards the hips. These tattoos hold a high value and they are very much respected, because of the symbols that they contain.
For that, they are not recommended to be applied to other areas, like the thighs.
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Types
The types of the US Marine Corps tattoos will depend on the emblem or symbol applied. These tattoos can entail a bulldog, which is one of the major emblems of the tattoos. The bulldogs are considered the bravest and strongest, which are able to help the soldiers in their operations.
Here is a look at some of the types of the US Marine Corps tattoos:
Just like most of the soldiers wear the dog tag chains, they also apply them as tattoos. These symbols are highly valued in the military. They can be applied in different patterns, but the meaning is still the same. They may be applied on the upper arm, with the chain going around the arm.
These tattoos may also be included with a folded flag. They can be used as a memorial of a fallen soldier in a battle.
These chains may be designed into a heart or the can be decorated with a barbed wire. Some will have the dog tag wrapped around praying hands or around a cross. This one might be used to symbolize the religious aspect of the bearer.
They might also be used to symbolize the protection of God to the Marine troops when in the fields.
The skull tattoos are also quite common with the US Marine Corps tattoos. They are more common with the servicemen who are frequently engaged in war. Since the battlefields are very dangerous, the skull tattoo is commonly used to show that the soldier is determined to face anything that come their way.
They are used to show the courage of the soldier on the battlefield.
- Arabic writing US Marine Corps tattoos.
There are some soldiers that are engaged in the Middle East wars. They will apply the tattoos, depending on what they experienced on the battlefield. Nonetheless, the most common Arabic word used by the Marine is Infidel.
- Semper Fidelis tattoo.
This is a common phrase of the US Marine Corps. The phrase, Semper Fidelis means Always Faithful in Latin. This is a code used by all the Marines and it can also be applied as a tattoo. When applying this tattoo, you must ensure that you specifically practice the value.
The value here is faithfulness or fidelity, which is a common value in the US military.
- USMC memorial tattoos.
These tattoos will be used as a memorial and tribute to a fallen soldier. This is the tattoo that is allowed to be applied by the civilians. They may be applied with the dates of service of that soldier or the exact date of death. These tattoos can be applied along with specific words to celebrate the fallen soldier.
When you want to apply these tattoos, you will need to ensure that you understand the meaning. Above all, you must adhere to the regulations of the US Marine Corps. They are not like any other tattoo, so you must understand them before you apply them.
