'Must be unmarried' - USMC Recruiting 1918

[RustyCanteen]

Found this old clipping while going through a scrapbook from WWI.

 

[devildog34]

Interesting because there are all sorts of contradictions to that requirement. Lots of these guys that enlisted in 1917 immediately upon America's entrance were married.

[1SG_1st_Cav]

Interesting. Where do I sign up??

[RustyCanteen]

Interesting because there are all sorts of contradictions to that requirement. Lots of these guys that enlisted in 1917 immediately upon America's entrance were married.

 

I thought that was strange too. I'm not sure where the writer got that information?

[RustyCanteen]

Interesting. Where do I sign up??

 

Easy-peasy, 1918 of course.

[world war I nerd]

I think the unmarried part of that information stems from the 1917 draft requirements for deferment, as married men who were the sole bread winner for either their parents, or children of a certain age were reclassified. This didn't meat that they wouldn't be drafted, it just meant that if they were class two, all of the class one men had to be drafted first. As far as the draft goes, there were five classes and only the men in class five were totally exempt from service.

 

Being an all volunteer branch, the Marine Corps was also the only branch of service whose requirements included the ability to read, write, speak and understand English.

 

I've read accounts where men who had volunteered for or were drafted into the Army, were singled out while at an Army training camps because of their physical size and subsequently transferred into the Marine Corps!

[normaninvasion]

Interesting personal note. I had a gr uncle who enlisted in 1918. He stated he was unmarried, come to find out he was married. Turned into a mess, my other uncle who already had 4 yrs in got dragged into it, turned into a mess. Anyhow, he ended up serving in France, with First Marine Aviation. Had an Awol for several hours and under the influence of liquor on his sheet. Manged to get promoted to Cpl. and discharged with excellent character? Strange stuff!