"Semper Fidelis", written in 1888 by John Philip Sousa, is regarded as the official march of the United States Marine Corps.

There is a very prominent drum solo in the middle of the piece which includes a skillful dynamic change.

There does not exist an original general order documenting the proclamation of "Semper Fidelis" as the official march of the Marines.

Sousa began performing "Presidential Polonaise" (1886) and later "Semper Fidelis", although Arthur predeceased the latter.

[3][4] In an October 1927 interview published in the Independent (Nebraska), Sousa claimed "I wrote 'Semper Fidelis' one night while in tears after my comrades of the Marine Corps had sung their famous Hymn at Quantico (which is now home to Marine Corps Base Quantico)."