On November 5, 1775, the Second Continental Congress commissioned Samuel Nicholas "Captain of Marines" making him the first Marine officer and, by definition, the first Commandant of the Marine Corps. Brother Nicholas, Lodge 13, Philadelphia, faced a tough recruiting environment head-on by opening his office in the Tun Tavern and provisioning the corps with sharp uniforms of red, white, black, and green that appealed not only to the young recruits but, possibly more importantly, to young ladies.
