Devil Dog
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- For the rock band , see Devil Dogs
- For the edible snack product , see Drake's Devil Dogs
Devil Dog (Teufelshund) is the nickname given to the U.S. Marines who fought in the Belleau Wood in 1918.
[edit] Origin
During the course of World War I the Marines took over a village just northwest of Chateau-Thierry, France, Belleau Wood. The courtyard contained decorations of devildogs and was eventually utilized as the area headquarters. In the course of a three week battle, the Marines lost control and quickly regained the village from the Germans. As a result of the fierce fighting to recover the village with the devildog fountain, the Germans gave the Marines the nickname Teufel Hunden.
[edit] Alternative origins
An alternate German source is Teufel Hunden, which appears on a recruiting poster by Charles B. Falls made during World War I.
According to Naval History (December 2005), reputable German historians do not associate the term (or its German origins) with US Marines. Other publications and websites present the explanation as legendary and the term most likely developed by Americans.[citation needed]
A term given to Marines by the Germans in WWI at the Battle of Beleau Wood in France. During the battle, the Marines charged into the German trenches through mustard gas (which made their eyes red), and faught with such ferocity that the dying Germans called them devil dogs. The term is still used today between Marines as a motivational nickname.
[edit] Modern use
Currently in the Marine Corps, the term devildog is used as a common nickname for all Marines. It is used most commonly when one's rank and name cannot be determined first. Many Marines find it contradictory that what was once considered to be an honorable name earned in extreme conditions has now largely become a term of condescension to junior Marines.
