About Us
We participate in parades, commemorations, church services, and concerts. The Color Guard over the years has won many awards for its performances. We are now recruiting Color Guard members from among our Chapter members and applicants, and all SAR members are welcome to join us. If you meet these criteria, please use this website’s “Contact Us” page to let us know that you are interested in participating and we will be in touch.
The life of a Continental Marine
During the American War of Independence, many soldiers, sailors, marines and civilians kept journals of their experiences, and we are lucky to have many of these writings survive to the present.
One of these is a journal written by Lt. William Jennison of Milford, Massachusetts. His journal details his time as a Lieutenant in the Continental Marines. As our Chapter Color Guard uses the Continental Marine uniform, this journal may be of added interest.
William Jennison started his military career as a member of the militia that marched to Cambridge in April, 1775. He served in the 13th Massachusetts regiment before being appointed as a Lieutenant in the Marines. Having resigned his appointment to re-enter the Army, he was again re-appointed to the Marines and served until 1780.
https://archive.org/details/jstor-20083410/mode/2up
Recent Color Guard Activities
Presenting the Colors – Combined Color Guard Event
On June 26th, a combined California Society Color Guard presented colors for the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 6-2, at the Huntington Beach Yacht Club. The Combined Color Guard consisted of members from the South Coast (SC), Harbor (H) and Orange County (OC) Chapters took part in the presentation in front of a very receptive gathering.
Memorial Day 2024
On Monday May 27th, the South Coast Chapter Color Guard presented the colors at the El Toro Memorial Park as part of their annual Memorial Day Event.
Color Guardsmen (L/R) Nolan Forrest, Scott Whitman, Jim Hernandez & Kevin Forrest took part in the event honoring those that gave all for the country.
The event included Wreath presentations from the surrounding cities, keynote speeches, Bagpipes and a VFW Firing Party.
Armed Forces Day Parade 2024
South Coast Color Guard Members Jim Hernandez, Nolan Forrest, and Kevin Forrest, as well as CAR Member Kate Forrest joined a combined SAR, DAR & CAR group at the 62nd annual Armed Forces Day Parade in Torrance on Saturday, May 18th.
Armed Forces Day is held on the third Saturday of May each year and celebrates all six branches of the United States Military under the U.S. Department of Defense. Torrance is one of the few cities nationwide sanctioned by the Department of Defense to honor our Armed Forces through an annual Armed Forces Day Parade and Celebration. The three-day celebration includes a military exhibit, military concert, special flyover surprises, 5K For Freedom, and the highly anticipated parade along Torrance Boulevard.
South Coast color guardsmen Nolan & Kevin Forrest joined Harbor Chapter members in the Musket Firing squad leading the group. Please see event photos below:
U.S. Navy Retirement Ceremony Aboard the USS Iowa, May 2024
Field of Honor in Newport Beach, 2024
On Thursday May 23rd the South Coast Chapter Color Guard joined the Orange County Color Guard to present the colors at the 15th Annual Field of Honor at Castaway Park in Newport Beach.Each year the Exchange Club of Newport Beach places 1776 flags in Castaways Park to honor the men and women who have served this country. Starting on Armed Forces Day, the Field of Honor will display the red, white, and blue along the park’s walkways, which overlook Newport Harbor. Yellow ribbons list those honored. Some ribbons have names put there by loved ones; others say “In Honor of Those Who Served.”
View photos from past Color Guard events
About the Continental Marine Color Guard Uniform
The Continental Marine Color Guard started with Jim Emerson’s vision. He had seen a handsome Revolutionary militia officer’s uniform made by a compatriot’s wife. She had used a Simplicity pattern issued in 1976 for the Bicentennial. Rather than outfitting a color guard in commercially available costumes he envisioned creating an historically accurate uniform. Since Jim was a former Marine his choice fell on that branch of service. He ordered special woolen cloth from Scotland. Pewter buttons, canteens, hats and other accouterments came from the East Coast. And so, in 1992 and 1993, the Chapter Clothier General was busily employed in manufacturing the great coats and breeches. She had to develop her own patterns for the different sizes involved. Others helped in the tedious job of sewing on buttons (with dental floss) and making vests.
Jim recruited active duty Marines to fill the uniforms. The color guard first appeared at the Fall Board of Manager’s meeting November 1993 in Costa Mesa. We next participated at the Massing of the Colors in February 1994. Then, accompanied by an extra-ordinary fife and drum corps of about 15 musicians, we took the First Place trophy in our category at the Huntington Beach Parade. Since then we have been busy participating in numerous patriotic and commemorative events.
A color guard without music is like a silent movie – something to look at but hardly exciting. We add the resonant sound of the rope tension drums and the shrill sound of the fifes to produce a moving experience.
Color Guard Traditions
Before the 20th century, military colors were carried covered except for ceremonies or when in sight of the enemy. A unit’s colors provided battlefield recognition for both friend and foe. These were always the soul and reputation of the unit. Each regiment had two flags: the national color and a regimental flag. To ensure that the men knew the flag of their own regiment the two flags were paraded before them during reviews and other ceremonies. From this practice developed our modern color guard.
Following British custom, American infantry first had a junior officer (called an Ensign) to carry and guard the regimental colors. Since each company had an Ensign and there were eight companies, the ensigns had to take turns guarding the flags. Later, the color guards were selected from among the strongest and bravest soldiers. So the task was performed by enlisted men instead of officers. They wore the same uniform as other troops.