b'The Ordnance Bomb Page 6CUSTODIS PRO FERRUM FREEMASONRY IN THE BIRTHING OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPSBy Dennis Adamssiderableargumentastowhetherthepublishedanarticleon27June1734 firstMasonicLodgeintheAmericangiving an account of the meeting of a Freemasons have always been consciousColonies met in Philadelphia or in Bos- "Grand Lodge" of the fraternity of An-andproudofthegreatcontributionston. Sticklers for formality will point tocientandHonorableFreemasonsat made by our "Ancient and Honorable"the fact that the first charter issued byTun Tavern at which Benjamin Frank-Fraternity to our Countries revolution- the newly formed Grand Lodge in Lon- lin was elected Grand Master. The Tun ary birth. The Craft was so fundamen- don was given to a tavern house in Bos- Tavern Lodge was variously known as a tally influential in so many events sur- ton on 13 April 1733. However, it was"Grand Lodge", a Lodge of Saint John, rounding the institutions formulated atcommon practice for Masons through- SaintJohnsLodgeandTunTavern the time, that individual acts or occur- out the known world at that time, espe- Lodge. Records indicate that the tavern rences have often become lost. It is theciallyincolonies locatedatadistancecontinued to be a meeting place for a formulation of one such institution thatfrom England to gather in "OccasionalMasonic Lodge until it was torn down I would like to discuss and that beingLodges"oftenstyled"GrandLodges",and replaced by another tavern in 1781. theUnitedStatesMarineCorps.ThechooseupofficersandproceedaboutNow,letsdiscusssomeoftheother UnitedStatesMarineCorps,through- the business of Masonry and the mak- individualsinvolved:SamuelNicholas outit\'shistoryhashadanunendinging of Masons. This practice continuedwasborninPhiladelphiain1744 but loveaffairwiththeAmericanpeople.for quite some time even after the newlythe exact date is not known. His entry It\'s victories on land, sea and in the air,formed Grand Lodge in London issuedinto the Masonic Fraternity is not rec-coupled with many non-wartime accom- a public statement that it would reserveordedeither.However,therecordsof plishmentshavebeeninterruptedbyfor it\'s self the right to warrant and con- Lodge Number 13, meeting in Philadel-only a few embarrassing set backs in it\'sstitute subordinate "Regular" lodges andphia, clearly show him as a member of illustrious and well deserved reputationdeclare others to be irregular, if not insome duration and in fact, he is record-and these, for the most part are of re- fact, clandestine. With this bit of leaded as having been the Junior Warden of cent origin. Sothen, what makesthisin, we will move to the Lodge which isthe Lodge on 24 January 1783. Just as a smallandelitebodyofsea-goingsol- centraltoourdiscussion,theLodgenote of interest, his Masonic Apron is dierssonoteworthyonthepagesofmeetinginTunTavern,Philadelphia;on display at the Marine Corps Muse-history?Thecentralthreadthathastheofficiallyacknowledgedbirthplaceum in Quantico, Virginia. Robert Mul-heldtheCorpstogetherthroughtheof the Marine Corps. Published News- len, the son of Peg Mullen, who was the decades has been the dedication, integ- paper articles of the time, as well as aowner of Tun Tavern, was made a Ma-rity and professionalism of its Commis- discovered account booknowheld byson in Freemason\'s Lodge number 2, on sioned and Noncommissioned Officers.the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, seem29 March 1762 and subsequently served InthewordsofBrotherandMajorto dispel any doubt that there was in- asSecretaryoftheLodgeformany GeneralJohnA.Lejeune,TheThir- deed an early occasional Lodge in Phila- years.Hewasobviouslya"dualmem-teenthCommandantoftheMarinedelphia. The account or "minute" bookber" as the records of the Tun Tavern Corps,"ABANDOFBROTHERS".statesthaton24June1731,theen- Lodge list him not only as a member, The question of how Freemasonry wastrancefeeswerereceivedforseveralbut also as an officer. Isaac Craig, born influential in the formation of the Unit- individuals as well as the remainder ofinCountyDown,Irelandimmigrated ed States Marine Corps cannot be an- fees in the case of one Benjamin Frank- to the Colonies in 1765. His entry date swered without first examining the earlylin. The record further states that at thisinto Freemasonry, like many others has beginningsoftheFraternityinthetime the Lodge boasted fourteen mem- been lost in time. However, he was ele-AmericanColonies. Therestilliscon- bers. Further, the Pennsylvania Gazettevated to the Oriental Chair in a Mili- 50 Military Appreciation Resource Magazine HOctober 2020 H Thank You For Your Service'