1901: Pacific Operations

At the end of the 19th century, a secret society took hold in China; the "Boxers" fueled anti-Western attitudes in the nation and began burning foreign homes and businesses.  
 
When the Chinese government refused to step in, Western foreign ministers pleaded for relief. Five-hundred sailors and Marines, who had just successfully calmed insurrection in the nearby Philippines, joined international forces to quell the Boxer Rebellion.  
 
In the Philippines and China, the Marines proved indispensable. They deployed at a moment’s notice and fought admirably.  
 
These two triumphs established America’s military presence in the Pacific, and laid the groundwork for the role of the Marine Corps in the upcoming world war.