Show From Halls of Montez Montezuma ma Marines' Marines Fighting Song Dates to Mexican War The United States marines have completed an Investigation into the origin of their famous song From the Halls of Montezuma which they have made famous in almost every part of the world The results of the investigation reports a San Francisco Calif United Press correspondent show that the song had Its origin at the time of the tho invasion of Mexico City in September 1847 near the close of the Mexican war Elated with victory of American arms over the Mexican an officer sat down in the Aztec club and scribbled the first firlit verse of the popular popular popular pop pop- ular soldier sea-soldier ballad It is thus that the marines account account account ac ac- count for the beginning of the sprightly ballad which has since become become become be be- come a bulwark of their esprit de corps Later the song gong grew by leaps and bounds verse after verse being being be be- ing tog added by some ome more or less Inspired inspired inspired in In- leatherneck The investigation of the origin of vf the song also developed the fact that the music came from en nn old old French opera Genevieve de Brabant Bra Dra bant bang I Eventually the number I of verses verse became so long that the corps set In for a deliberate pruning of everything that was not in accordance accordance accordance ac ac- with the traditions of ol the corps As the song now stands stand it consists of only three stanzas which begin with Halls of Montezuma Monte Monte- zuma rums the place of origin and em end with the assurance that the marines marine will be found guarding the streets street of hea heaven ven The song has been the battle cry of marines in the Civil war the th Spanish-American Spanish war the World war and In the scores of other in In- International international operations in which the marines have participated |