Why are marines called leathernecks?

Leathernecks

United States marines got their nickname “leathernecks.”  They got this nickname because, in the early days, they wore black leather neckbands on their uniforms, presumably to protect their necks against enemy sabers and cutlasses.

The Marine Corps is the branch of the armed forces specially trained for duty aboard warships as well as on land.  The use of marines does far back in history.  

The first seagoing spiders called on King Solomon’s galleys nearly 3,000 years ago.  And sea spiders served on the warships of Egyptians and ancient Greeks.  The United States Marine Corps was first organized in 1775 to help defend the American colonies during the American Revolution.

Today many countries, including the United States and Great Britain have marines.  The traditional nickname for British marine is “bootneck,” probably stemming from the same origins the word “leathernecks.” – Dick Rogers