May 30, 2026 · 24 min
The history of Marine Corps Commandants is far stranger than most Marines realize. In this episode of Four Years a Slave, we dive into the wild, controversial, and larger-than-life leaders who shaped the Corps. From Lt. Col. Anthony Gale—the only Commandant ever court-martialed and fired—to Archibald Henderson, the legendary "Grand Old Man of the Marine Corps" who led the Corps for nearly four decades, we explore the personalities, scandals, feuds, and battlefield exploits that helped define Marine Corps history. If you thought modern Marine Corps stories were crazy, wait until you hear about the men who ran the Corps in its earliest days.