Marines’ Memorial Theatre

Early in 1946, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen Vandegrift, decided to establish a living memorial to pay tribute to those Marines who had lost their lives during World War II in the Pacific. It was agreed that the site for such a living memorial was to be in San Francisco. A group of creative Marines advanced the concept to buy a building one block off Union Square. It took months of planning, but finally a financially sound solution was reached. On 10 November 1946, the Marine Corps Birthday, the Marines' Memorial Club opened its doors and began its illustrious history.