The Blood Stripe is worn to honor casualties from which event?

• A. The 50% casualty rate at Iwo Jima.
• B. The 90% casualty rate of Marine officers and NCOs at Chapultepec.
• C. The 10% casualty rate at Guadalcanal.
• D. The 70% casualty rate at Normandy.

Answer: (B)

The Blood Stripe represents the sacrifice of Marines at Chapultepec during the Mexican-American War. In the 1847 assault on Chapultepec Castle, many Marine officers and noncommissioned officers led the charge and were killed or wounded in great numbers. The oft-cited figure is that a very high percentage—around 90%—of those leading the assault fell, which made that battle a lasting symbol of leadership, bravery, and the price paid by Marines. The red stripe on dress blues honors those losses and the courage shown by the officers and NCOs at Chapultepec. While other battles like Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, or Normandy were indeed pivotal in Marine history, they are not the origin of the Blood Stripe’s tradition.