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The History of the Golden Eagle Battalion

Military Training at Marquette dates back to October 1918 when a unit of the Students Army Training Corps of the United States was established on campus as part of the World War I effort. At the end of the war, the Student Corps was demobilized. In 1940 a Naval ROTC unit was established at Marquette. In September 1951, the United States Army Corps of Engineers started a branch Army ROTC at the request of the university. Effective with the fall enrollment of 1960, the AROTC program was changed to General Military Science to provide a broader base for student participation. In 1973, the ROTC program was opened to women. This tradition continues as each year young men and women are commissioned officers in the Active Army, Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard. 

The History of the Battalion Crest

Battalion crestOur Battalion crest is based on the heritage of Marquette University, our host institution. A golden eagle wraps around the sun rising over Milwaukee's three major rivers, illustrating the school's pride in the city. The blue waves not only represent the rivers, but also sybolizes Marquette's longstanding history as a Jesuit institution. The gold signifies an abundance of knowledge and alludes to the university's mascot, the golden eagle. The Latin Motton "SEMPER MILITIBUS" translates to "Always Warriors," which celebrates the history of the school's ROTC program. In flight, the golden eagle personifies the cadets as future service members with the developed skills to support and protect the local community and nation. 

The History of Marquette University

Marquette began as a dream of the Most Rev. Martin J. Henni, the first Catholic bishop of Milwaukee, but it took a trip overseas to find an investor to make it a reality. Belgian businessman Guillaume Joseph DeBuey promised 16,000 dollars for the proposed "academy of learning"; hardly enough to fund the establishment of a college, but just enough to keep Bishop Henni's dream alive for the next eight years until he could purchase a parcel of land on a hill topping today's North 10th and West State streets. Nearly three decades would pass before the doors of Marquette College, a small liberal arts school for men named after Father Jacques Marquette, opened on Aug. 28, 1881. Bishop Henni died just two days later, one might guess satisfied that his work was finished. Throughout the years, thousands of students have passed through Marquette's halls and classrooms, aspiring to achieve not only academic success, but a spiritual foundation to last a lifetime.

 

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