If you’ve spent any time around the United States Marine Corps—or even just browsed military history forums—you’ve likely run into a specific, biting, and surprisingly gritty quote attributed to the most famous First Lady in American history.
It goes like this: "The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!"
It’s a banger. It’s got that perfect mix of "respect for the warrior" and "shocked civilian grandmother" energy. But honestly? Most of what you think you know about the marine quote eleanor roosevelt is actually a mix of military folklore, wartime rumors, and a very real, very grueling trip to the South Pacific in 1943.
Did Eleanor Roosevelt actually say it?
Here is the short answer: there is no record of her ever saying or writing those exact words.
Historians at the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project haven't found a single diary entry, "My Day" column, or recorded speech where she describes Marines as "animals" with "low morals." In fact, Eleanor was famously careful with her language. She was a diplomat. While she was tough, she wasn't exactly known for calling American servicemen "animals," even as a joke.
So where did it come from?
The quote is likely an "apocryphal" one—a story that feels true because it fits the vibe of the era. Marines have a long tradition of "embracing the suck" and being the black sheep of the military branches. Having the First Lady "insult" them in a way that actually highlights their toughness is the ultimate badge of honor for a jarhead. It’s the kind of thing that gets passed down from drill instructor to recruit until it becomes gospel.
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The 1943 Pacific Tour: Where the Legend Started
Even if the quote is a myth, the relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and the Marines was very real. In August 1943, Eleanor went on a trip that most people thought was insane. She flew 25,000 miles across the South Pacific to visit troops.
She wasn't just staying in fancy hotels. She was in the mud.
Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, who was basically the king of the Pacific theater at the time, absolutely hated the idea of her coming. He called her a "do-gooder" and thought she’d just be in the way of the war effort. He tried to block her from visiting Guadalcanal, which was still a dangerous active combat zone.
Eleanor didn't care. She showed up in a Red Cross uniform, carrying her own typewriter, and proceeded to outwork every officer on the islands.
What she actually saw
- The 2nd Marine Raider Battalion: Her son, James Roosevelt, actually served with this legendary unit. She went out of her way to review them and check on their conditions.
- The Hospitals: This is where she spent most of her time. She didn't just walk through; she stopped at every single bed. She took names and addresses of mothers and wives, promising to write them personally when she got home. And she did.
- The Cemeteries: She visited the graves of the men who fell on Guadalcanal. She wrote about how some were buried exactly where they fell because the fighting was too intense to move them.
By the time she left, Admiral Halsey completely changed his tune. He admitted she had done more for the morale of his men than any other person who had visited the area.
The "Quarantine" Rumor: The Dark Side of the Quote
If you think the "clean bodies, filthy minds" quote is a bit edgy, there was a much nastier rumor circulating during the war. It’s actually one of the reasons Eleanor was so determined to visit the troops.
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A story started spreading that Eleanor Roosevelt had advocated for a "six-month quarantine" for Marines and soldiers returning from the Pacific. The rumor claimed she thought the men had become "beasts" or "animals" (notice the overlap with the famous quote?) and weren't fit to live in civilized society with "normal" people.
She was horrified by this.
In her "My Day" column on September 26, 1944, she explicitly addressed it:
"It has absolutely no foundation in fact... I am alleged to have said that all paratroopers are beasts and will have to be re-educated for living! I have seen too many of our men in too many places to have anything but the greatest admiration for them."
It’s very possible that the "marine quote eleanor roosevelt" we hear today is a sterilized, "pro-Marine" version of that original, negative wartime rumor. Over decades, "she thinks we're animals who need quarantine" turned into "she thinks we're animals, and thank God for us!"
Why the Marine Quote Eleanor Roosevelt Still Matters
Whether she said it or not, the quote captures a specific truth about the Marine Corps identity. It highlights the "highest morale" and "cleanest bodies" (the discipline) alongside the "filthiest minds" (the rough-and-tumble nature of infantry life).
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Marines love the quote because it acknowledges that they aren't "polite" society—and that's exactly why they're effective.
Actionable Insights for History Buffs
If you're researching this quote or Eleanor's wartime contributions, here’s how to get the full story:
- Read the "My Day" Columns: The George Washington University has a digital archive. Search for her entries from August and September 1943 to see what she actually wrote about the Marines.
- Look for the Red Cross Uniform: Most photos of her in the Pacific show her in a simple Red Cross dress. She chose this specifically so she wouldn't have to carry a lot of luggage or worry about "First Lady" fashion.
- Check the Context of "Animals": If you ever see a source for the quote, check if it’s from a primary source (a diary/letter) or a secondary source (a book written in the 1990s). To date, no primary source exists.
Eleanor Roosevelt didn't need a catchy, edgy quote to prove she cared about the Marines. She proved it by flying into a war zone, losing 30 pounds from exhaustion, and visiting 400,000 troops in the middle of the Pacific.
The next time you see that quote on a T-shirt or a forum, remember that the real story—the one about a 58-year-old woman in a Red Cross uniform walking through the mud of Guadalcanal—is actually a lot more impressive than the myth.
Next Steps to Fact-Check Historical Quotes:
- Cross-reference the quote with the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project database.
- Search for Admiral Halsey’s memoirs to read his first-hand account of her visit.
- Verify the date of the quote’s first appearance in print; it usually surfaces in the 1950s or 60s, long after the war ended.