Dress Blues
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The Marine "dress blues" uniform is the only uniform that contains all three colors of our nation's flag. Blue represents bravery. Red represents sacrifice. White represents honor. Marines not only defend these colors, they live by them.
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The collar of their "dress blues" uniform is similar to the leather stock American Revolution-era Marines wore around their necks for protection against swinging swords. That is how Marines earned the nickname "leatherneck."
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The scarlet stripe on the trouser leg is the "blood stripe," which was earned in "the halls of Montezuma" during the Mexican War.
