Semper fidelis
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"Semper Fidelis", or "Semper Fi" (IPA: sɛm pər ˈfаɪ) for short, is Latin for "Always faithful." Best known to Americans as the motto of the United States Marine Corps[1], this phrase has served as a slogan for many families and entities dating as far back as the 14th century. Within the groups below, users are listed in chronological order according to when they are believed to have adopted the motto; however, in many cases dates of adoption are not well established.
[edit] Families and Individuals
- Lynch family (Ireland): Semper Fidelis is the family motto of the Lynch Family. The Lynches were one of the Tribes of Galway who were fourteen merchant families who dominated the political, commercial, and social life of the city of Galway in western Ireland between the 13th and 16th centuries. Members of the 'Tribes' were considered Old English gentry, and distinguished themselves from the Gaelic peoples who lived in the hinterland of the city. The Lynches were descended from William Le Petit who was one of the Norman knights who settled in Ireland following the grant of Ireland as a fiefdom by Pope Adrian IV to King Henry II of England in the early 12th century. Semper Fidelis appears on the Lynch Family coat of arms. Although the earliest traceable reference to its doing so is James Hardiman's history of Galway published in 1820, the history of the family makes it likely that the motto was in use by the 14th or 15th century.
- Edge family (England): The Edge family of Strelley, Nottinghamshire, were using the motto "Semper fidelis" by, at the latest, 1814 (see UK National Archives document reference DD/E/209/32-34).
- Lund Family
[edit] Cities
[edit] Exeter
The City of Exeter, in Devon, England, has used the motto since at least 1660, when it appears in a manuscript of the local chronicler, Richard Izacke. Izacke claimed that the motto was adopted in 1588, to signify the city's loyalty to the English Crown. According to Izacke, it was Queen Elizabeth I who suggested that the city adopt this motto (perhaps in imitation of her own motto, Semper eadem, "Ever the same"); her suggestion is said to have come in a letter to "the Citizens of Exeter," in recognition of their gift of money toward the fleet that had defeated the Spanish Armada. John Hooker's map of Exeter of around 1586 shows the city's coat of arms without the motto, suggesting that the city's use of the motto is no older than this. However the city archives do not hold any letter relating the to motto, and Grey (2005) argues that the Elizabethan origin of the motto may be no more than a local myth, since it is not recorded in contemporary chronicles, and that it may have been adopted at the Restoration of the Stuart monarchy to compensate for the city's less than total loyalty to the crown during the English Civil War.
- The motto is also used by the Royal Navy warship HMS Exeter, which is named after the City of Exeter.
- There is a Masonic Lodge in Exeter, called "Lodge Semper Fidelis."
[edit] Lviv
The motto "Semper fidelis" is applied to the Ukrainian city of Lviv (in Latin, "Leopolis"; formerly Lwów in Polish) in 1658 by Pope Alexander VII in recognition of the city's key role in defending Europe from Muslim invasion. That same year, the Sejm (parliament) of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth passed the Semper fidelis Poloniae ["Ever Faithful to Poland"] Act (as most people construed the Latin phrase).
Curiously, both Leopolis and Exeter, in addition to sharing the same motto, featured a three-turreted castle on their coats-of-arms. This is apparently a coincidence.
Today, in Poland, the motto is referenced mainly in connection with the Polish-Ukrainian War of 1919, following the collapse of Austro-Hungary in the wake of World War I, and more especially in connection with the Polish-Bolshevik War that followed.
In Ukraine, the phrase is much less used, in reference to the survival of the Ukrainian Church through the period of Soviet persecution.
[edit] St. Malo
"Semper fidelis" is the motto of the town of St. Malo, in Brittany, France; the date of its adoption is not known, but it appears to have been in use in the 17th century [1].
[edit] White Plains
"Semper Fidelis" is the motto of the city of White Plains, in New York, United States.
[edit] Martial
[edit] The Devonshire Regiment and antecedents
The Devonshire Regiment of the British Army, the 11th of foot, adopted the motto "Semper fidelis" on its formation in 1881. The motto was already in use by at least some of the Devon militia units from which the regiment was formed, the Illustrated London News reporting its use on a cap badge in its 7th January 1860 issue, and it is thought that it had been in use for many years before that. The motto was continued on the badges of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment when the Devonshires were amalgamated into them in 1958. This use of the motto evidently derives from the regiments' close connection with the city of Exeter, where they had a base for many years.[citation needed]
[edit] The West Nova Scotia Regiment
Semper fidelis is the motto of The West Nova Scotia Regiment (of the Canadian Forces), formed in 1936. It inherited the motto from The Lunenburg Regiment, formed in 1870.
[edit] Cadetcorps of the Dutch Royal Military Academy
Semper fidelis is also the motto of the cadetscorps from the Dutch Royal Military Academy. The corps was founded in 1879.[citation needed]
[edit] The United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps adopted the motto Semper Fidelis in 1883, on the initiative of Colonel Charles McCawley (January 29, 1827 – October 13, 1891), the 8th Commandant of the Marine Corps.
There were three mottos prior to Semper Fidelis including "Fortitudine" (meaning "with courage") antedating the War of 1812, which was a nod to the British Royal Marines, "Per Mare, Per Terram" ("by sea, by land") and, up until 1843, there was also the motto "To the Shores of Tripoli". "Semper fidelis" signifies the dedication and loyalty that individual Marines have for "Corps and Country", even after leaving service. Marines frequently shorten the motto to "Semper Fi".
- "Semper Fidelis" is also the title of the official march of the United States Marine Corps, composed by John Philip Sousa in 1889. Sousa was director of the United States Marine Band ("The President's Own") when a replacement for Hail to the Chief was requested, but later rejected. Sousa considered it to be his "most musical" march. It was prominently featured in the movie A Few Good Men. Charles Burr wrote the lyrics to the march and they can be found on Wikisource.
- On the United States Marine Corps Seal, the eagle of the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem holds a ribbon emblazoned "Semper Fidelis".
[edit] U.S. 11th Infantry Regiment
Semper Fidelis is the motto of the U.S. 11th Infantry Regiment. The coat of arms in which it appears was approved in 1920.
[edit] Canadian Forces Base Valcartier
Semper fidelis is the motto of CFB Valcartier. The base was originally erected as a military camp in August of 1914.
[edit] Swiss Grenadier Regiment
Semper fidelis is the motto of a Swiss Grenadier regiment formed in 1943. There was no Grenadier Regiment in 1943. The Grenadiers only formed one company in each infantry regiment.
[edit] The Republic Of China (Taiwan) Marine Corps
Semper Fidelis (Chinese:永遠忠誠) is the motto of The Republic Of China (Taiwan) Marine Corps since 1947.
[edit] Hungarian Government Guard
Semper Fidelis is the official motto of the Hungarian Government Guard since 28 August 1998.
[edit] Military Institute of Engineering, Brazilian Army
Semper Fidelis is the motto of the 1st company of the Brazilian Military Institute of Engineering.
[edit] Serviciul de Protecţie şi Pază
The Romanian Protection and Guard Service, an organisation which is concerned about national security and personal security of officials in Romania.[citation needed]
[edit] Submarine Force, Chilean Navy
Semper Fidelis is the motto of the Submarine Force of Chilean Navy.
[edit] Trivia
In December 1989, Marvel Comics released a monthly comic book called Semper Fi - Tales of the Marine Corps. This publication lasted for 9 issues.
R. Lee Ermey ended all of his shows of Mail Call on The History Channel by saying "Semper Fi, Carry On".
The main character Leroy Jethro Gibbs of the TV series NCIS says "Semper Fi" in various episodes.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Semper Fidelis placed on the Marine Corps Emblem in 1883, see Marine Corps Seal History
[edit] References
- Grey, T. (2005). The Chronicle of Exeter. Exeter: The Mint Press. ISBN 1-903356-42-3
- Lethbridge, Tony (2005). Exeter: a history and guide (Stroud, Gloucestershire: Tempus Publishing), ISBN 0-7524-3515-9
[edit] External links
- Hardiman's history of the town of Galway
- Exeter City Council site giving supposed origin of Exeter's use of the motto.
- History of Exeter from White's Devonshire Directory of 1850
- Dutch Cadetscorps
