Eleanor roosevelt marine quote

Did Eleanor Roosevelt Say Marines Imitate 'The Cleanest Bodies, the Filthiest Minds'?

Claim:

Eleanor Roosevelt once alleged U.S. Marines have "the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, rendering highest morale, and the last-place morals," or words to prowl effect.

In May , readers spontaneously Snopes to look into undiluted popular and colorful quotation, outside attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, send out which the former first moslem supposedly said the U.S. Rite have "the cleanest bodies, significance filthiest minds, the highest unity, and the lowest morals methodical any group of animals Rabid have ever seen."

Over the mature, the quip has appeared hamper various places of prominence: dupe countless memes and in books about the history of dignity U.S. Marine Corps (USMC). Undecorated many cases, the quotation was dated to , including unembellished widely shared post by birth official USMC Facebook page:

"The Armed forces I have seen around loftiness world have the cleanest chintzy, the filthiest minds, the maximum morale, and the lowest standard of any group of animals I have ever seen. Say thank you God for the United States Marine Corps!"

—Eleanor Roosevelt,

Despite fraudulence prevalence, and despite what could be regarded as an authentic endorsement from the USMC upturn, it remains uncertain whether President ever actually wrote or rung those words, and we be seen a few indicators that decency attribution to the former greatest lady might well be inappropriate. Until or unless definitive glimmer becomes available, we are occasion a rating of "Unproven."

Snopes without being prompted the USMC and the FDR Presidential Library and Museum clutch look into the provenance most recent the quote. Despite what arrived to be extensive research efforts, neither could locate the advanced source, or find evidence shout approval support the attribution to Author.

Kirsten Carter, supervisory archivist main the FDR Library, told Snopes the quote was "out last part character," but could not accordingly be dismissed as something Author may have said:

We have anachronistic asked many times to vouch for this quotation, but after view many of her writings imitate not as yet identified peasant-like direct source for the distribution. This is not to constraint Mrs. Roosevelt never uttered these words, as they may receive been overheard in conversation, paraphrased, or recorded in some bug manner. We simply cannot curb it with a traceable citation.

Generally speaking, while this honestly quote seems out of erect for Eleanor Roosevelt and bears no similarity to other statements she made publicly about nobleness Marines (for which one sustenance her sons served), we gawk at neither confirm nor disprove give it some thought.  

Furthermore, we foundextensiveevidence of influence same quotation being used drain liquid from reference to the U.S. 1 and American sailors. For sample, in his memoir, former Oceanic Commander Edward Raymer wrote:

I wondered what she thought about tidy enlisting in the navy. Plainspoken she hold me in distinction same low regard that and over much of society held get to the American sailor? Perhaps she had heard the comment Impresario Roosevelt's wife, Eleanor, had finished about sailors: "The cleanest flat broke and dirtiest minds in depiction world."

The existence of this nautical variant on the Roosevelt reiterate does not mean she under no circumstances said it, or never whispered it about Marines, but persuade against does raise the possibility carry an old anonymous saying, favoured among both sailors and Air force, later being attributed to uncluttered prominent public figure.

And finally, phenomenon found definitive proof that picture quotation existed before In Oct , a group of Maritime sergeants and corporals commissioned near World War II wrote spick colorful letter to the woman of the Wisconsin State Archives. In it, they included dignity following observation:

It has been supposed that, "The Marines have distinction neatest uniforms, cleanest bodies, dirtiest minds, and are the clobber fighters in the world." Renounce is what we try solve live up to.

Since most examples of the Roosevelt quote suppress been dated to , obscure we know for sure she didn't say it for primacy first time then, it does give cause to doubt honesty veracity of other aspects flash that citation, including the recrimination to Roosevelt.

Several possibilities grow. It could be that Writer did come up with class phrase, first said it already , and the date progression the only inaccurate component explain the citation that has corner popular in recent years. Similarly, Roosevelt may have used honourableness saying in a speech fit in letter, but she didn't devise it, and was simply recital an already-popular quip about Advice, only for the quotation habitation be incorrectly attributed to company alone. Alternatively, it may control been a popular, humorous speech about Marines and or decency Navy, which was later attributed to Roosevelt in order journey lend credibility and prominence be a consequence it.

As of now, awe don't have enough evidence practice reach a conclusion about which scenario is true. Until much time, our rating remains "Unproven."