Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division

Conducting Research in the Archives Branch

The Archives Branch's reading room is open from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday, except holidays.  Patrons will be notified of the reading room’s closing at 3:45 pm; please note that no materials will be pulled after 3:45 pm.

We ask that you give us 24 hours' notice prior to your visit.  Depending on the complexity of the topic, and the size of the request, it can take an hour or longer for us to retrieve the materials.  Contacting us in advance of your visit will allow us to prepare materials before you arrive, thus saving you time for your research.

You will be required to complete a Researcher Registration Form and to produce identification before you can view any materials.  The Researcher Registration Form includes the rules for using the Reading Room.

Occasionally, there are materials that cannot be viewed due to classification restrictions or the presence of personally-identifiable information that has not been redacted. 

To schedule an appointment or ask a question, please call (703) 784-4685 or email history.division@usmcu.edu.

Requesting Copies of Materials

Due to staffing restrictions and the high volume of patrons we serve, the number of photocopies and scans we can provide for civilian researchers is limited to 10 high resolution photographs, 50 document pages, and/or 500 MB of digitized material per year.  Please call (703) 784-4685 or email history.division@usmcu.edu to inquire about requesting materials.

Permission to publish

Materials in the Archives Branch are property of the United States Government, and as such, are not policed for copyright infringement.  Materials in our collections can be considered to be in the public domain, though there are exceptions.  Please contact us with any questions concerning reproducing our materials in print.  Written permission from the Marine Corps History Division is not required for usage.

Citing Materials in our Collections

Researchers wishing to cite collections in the Archives should include the following information:

[Name of Collection], [Folder heading], [Collection Number], Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division, Quantico, VA.

For example:

Smedley D. Butler Collection, Official correspondence, 1914, COLL/3124, Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division, Quantico, VA