HAPPY BIRTHDAY! On Nov. 10, commissaries honor the Marine Corps’ 248 years of service

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FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. – On Nov. 10, the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) will salute the U.S. Marine Corps on the 248th anniversary of its establishment by the Continental Congress in 1775.

Throughout its history, the commissary has gained the admiration and gratitude of Marines and their families, said Navy Command Master Chief Mario S. Rivers, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director.

"We salute the Marine Corps' 248 years of service as we deliver their commissary benefit," Rivers said. "And we encourage Marines and their families to use their benefit to boost their financial and food security with at least 25 percent savings on their purchases."

From their creation in 1775 to the legendary battlefields of Guadalcanal and the Chosin Reservoir, to Afghanistan and Iraq, Marines have fought our nation’s battles, Rivers added. “Ready to deploy in a moment’s notice, to fight in every climate and place in defense of our nation’s interests, or to provide humanitarian aid wherever they are needed, Marines remain a certain force for an uncertain world.”

It’s never been an easy job of feeding the troops, but it was very difficult during the American Revolution War. All branches of the service relied heavily upon fresh food and drinks. The quantity and quality of the rations for men at sea was crucial because they couldn’t forage the countryside to supplement their diet the way the Army could. Sailors and Marines on ships had to settle for whatever food was onboard.

Ships replenished their supplies of fresh foods, which included salted beef and pork kept in barrels. The salted meats had to be soaked overnight in tubs of fresh water before being boiled in large copper or iron cauldrons on the galley stove. This was to leach out the salt, however a lot of salt still remained in the meat.

Marines and sailors on the warships were issued weekly rations that consisted of 3 pounds of salt pork, beef, or fish; a pound of dried peas; a pound of flour; a pound of coffee; a wad of tobacco and biscuits known as hardtack, a staple in their diets also known as ship’s bread. The rations lacked nutritional value and flavor.

Hardtack was unleavened biscuits made of flour and water and baked until they were hard and dry. They had a long shelf life and could be stored in barrels for a couple of years, but legend has it that trying to bite into them could knock out a few teeth. Some men wrapped the hardtack in cloth and smashed it with something hard until it broke apart into bite-sized pieces; other men soaked the hardtack in hot liquid to soften it before trying to eat it.

Shipboard Marines also received a half pint of spirits each day, but it was served to them and sailors in controlled manners to prevent drunkenness aboard ship.

One major challenge that faced Marines and sailors was procuring fresh fruit and vegetables at sea. When they pulled into port, the crew would often times purchase goods from local vendors, however the fruit and vegetables began to rot within a couple of days of being on the ship.

Bumboat operators, vendors who peddled their provisions, sold a vast array of foods to the crews when they pulled into port including fruit, vegetables, coffee, tea, rum, tobacco and even baked goods. However, these vendors often charged exorbitant prices for their foods and took full advantage of the fact that the Marines and sailors were desperate for these goods.

Congress, in an attempt to combat the bumboat operators, began establishing ships’ stores aboard each ship in 1909. These became the first Navy commissaries long before its brick and mortar stores were created.

The Marine Corps eventually began establishing commissary sales stores in buildings that had once been used as warehouses. Customers entered through one door, showed their ID, approached the counter and gave a list to the clerk. The clerk filled the order with foods and goods from the shelves, a cashier rang up the order and the customer paid and exited through another door.

By the 1920s, self-service commissaries began to become popular. After World War II, there were just under two dozen Marine Corps commissaries.

In 1991 these commissaries joined the other service commissaries in consolidating under the newly created Defense Commissary Agency.

Today, there are 17 commissaries at Marine Corps bases, including three in Okinawa and one on the mainland in Japan. However, members of the Marine Corps, as well as other armed forces, can shop at any of the agency’s 235 commissaries at U.S. military installations worldwide.

All of the commissaries offer modern conveniences such as ordering online and picking up groceries with Commissary CLICK2GO, self-checkouts, digital coupons, sushi bars, hot foods, deli/bakeries, credit and debit card acceptance, gift cards and even dietitian-approved resources to help identify healthy food in the stores.

As the Marine Corps continues its mission as the nation’s maritime land force, DeCA will continue to offer them superior customer service and the items they want for them and their families at the best possible savings.

“As the Marine Corps continues to build on its legacy, we will keep providing them a commissary benefit that gives them value and convenience, while delivering superior customer service and the items they want at the best possible savings,” Rivers said.

“DeCA is committed to being THE grocery provider of choice for Marines and all our eligible patrons – soldiers, sailors, airmen, Guardians and Coast Guardsmen – delivering an exclusive benefit they’ve earned.”

-DeCA-

About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.