Training and Education Command

 

Training and Education Command

United States Marine Corps

Quantico, VA
The true meaning behind the chiming instruments

By Cpl. Jennifer Brofer | | April 22, 2005

MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, SC -- They can be heard chiming aboard the Depot every morning as "Colors" sounds, and also every Thursday morning accompanying the echo of running cadences when recruits participate in their final motivational run before becoming Marines.

They are the bells that are placed in front of each battalion that serve as a reminder of the history, heritage and traditions of the United States Naval Service.

According to the Naval Historical Center Web site at www.history.navy.mil, "Bells have a centuries-long tradition of varied use in the navies and merchant fleets of the world."
The origin of the bell being used on a ship dates back to 1485, when the earliest recorded mentions of a bell's use was aboard the British ship the Grace Dieu, according to the Web site. 

Traditionally, the bells were used on ships for signaling, keeping time and providing alarm. Bells on ships were used as a warning signal to other vessels in times of poor visibility and fog. In 1858, British Naval regulations made it mandatory to use it for that function. Today, maritime law requires all ships carry an efficient bell.

Before precise timepieces were invented, time was measured through trickles of sand that fell through a half-hour glass. Once all of the sand had run out, it was a boy's job to turn the glass and to ring the bell signaling every half hour. The bell was rung twice every hour until his four-hour post was completed, and this continued with the succeeding watches.
To this day, the tradition of ringing the bell eight times continues each morning before the colors are raised.

In the event of a fire, the bell was used as a warning signal and rung repeatedly for at least five seconds to alert members aboard the ship. The ringing was followed by one, two or three rings to indicate the location of the fire - forward, amidships and aft, respectively.

The bell was also sometimes used as a christening bowl during baptism ceremonies. Once the ceremony was complete, the child's name may have been inscribed inside the bell.

After a ship is decommissioned, the bell remains with the Department of the Navy, and may also be loaned out to museums for historical purposes, naval commands and vessels to proudly display in honor of those who have served before them.

Ringing the bells also serves to symbolize the "rite of passage" of recruits becoming Marines. The day of the Eagle, Globe and Anchor Ceremony, recruits run a three-mile "motivation run" aboard the Depot, with a few select recruits from each platoon ringing each of the bells that are placed around the Depot, one for each battalion.

"They ring [the bells] as if to say 'here I am; I've made it,'" said Gunnery Sgt. Juan Miles, lead series gunnery sergeant, Kilo Co., 1st RTBn. "It's basically to signify that they've passed all tests and they're here. When I was a recruit, we rang them, and it does mean a lot. You can almost feel the accomplishment when you ring them."

"When they ring the bells they are sounding off for the whole Depot and letting them know they're graduating, and they're letting them know they're the senior recruits on the Depot," added Gunnery Sgt. Brian Lahr, follow series gunnery sergeant, Kilo Co., 3rd RTBn.

Whatever their use, naval bells remain a powerful and tangible reminder of the accomplishments of the naval service, and with every chime of the bell by Marines and recruits, those traditions continue to ring true.