The official hymn of the U.S. Marine Corps famously begins with “From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, we fight our country’s battles in the air, on land, and sea.” The reference to Tripoli alludes to the Battle of Derna of 1805, the first overseas land combat fought by U.S. troops and a decisive American victory. (A U.S. Marine painter, Charles H. Waterhouse, depicts “The Assault on Derna, Tripoli, 27 April 1805.”)
Recent fighting in Libya prompts a question: Should the Marines be sent anew to the shores of Tripoli, this time to protect not the high seas but the rebellious peoples of Libya rising against their government and calling for assistance as they are strafed from the air by troops loyal to Moammar Qaddafi?
