Eagle, Globe, and Anchor

The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor (commonly referred to as an EGA) is the official emblem and insignia of the United States Marine Corps.

[3][4] During the early years numerous distinguishing marks were prescribed, including "black cockades", "scarlet plumes", and "yellow bands and tassels".

The design included a United States shield, half wreath, a bugle, and the letter "M."[4] In 1868, the USMC's commandant, Brigadier General Jacob Zeilin, appointed a board "to decide and report upon the various devices of cap ornaments of the Marine Corps."

[4] The emblem recommended by the 1868 board consisted of a globe (showing the continents of the Western Hemisphere) intersected by a fouled anchor, and surmounted by a spread eagle.

The anchor, which dates back to the founding of the corps in 1775, acknowledges the naval tradition of the Marines and their continual service within the Department of the Navy.

The emblem is displayed on a scarlet background encircled with a blue band bearing the phrases "Department of the Navy" above and "United States Marine Corps" below in white letters, the whole edged in a gold rope U.S. President Eisenhower approved the design on June 22, 1954.

the South Vietnamese marine corps (VNMC), also used an emblem similar to that of the USMC, with the exception of a map of Vietnam and a red star superimposed onto the globe.