Ask any Marine what’s so special about the Marines and the answer would be “Esprit de Corps,” an unhelpful French phrase that means exactly what it looks like – the Spirit of the Corps. But what is that spirit? And where does it come from?

Marines who, one day in September 2009, were abandoned by their chain of command and relied on their own initiative to dislodge a fierce enemy. Their battle has entered military folklore and resulted not only in today’s Medal of Honor but in two Navy Crosses, two investigations for dereliction of duty, three letters of severe reprimand, and a recommendation for a second Medal of Honor.

In the pantheon of Marine Corps eccentrics, “Nuts” Rummel stands alone without peer. Back in the late ’40s when he was standing sergeant of the guard watches with the Marine Barracks at the Norfolk Naval shipyard, Portsmouth, Va., “Nuts” pulled off one of the Corps’ all-time classic loonies. Solely on its own merit, it was an escapade that should guarantee “Nuts” enshrinement among the legends of the Marine Corps.