Redditor Grizz1371, a former Marine, posted this photo of his also-former-Marine buddy's new tattoo. Commenters from the USMC jumped in to share their favorite crayon, while others wanted to know what this was all about. The joke is that Marines eat crayons, indicating they are not all that smart. But far from taking offense, most Marines just run with the idea, making it funnier and funnier. Several ex-Marines have even started businesses selling edible crayons. The "dumb Marine" trope goes way back, but when did the joke about eating crayons begin?
A deep dive into the meme by Task & Purpose finds the first mention of Marines eating crayons only as far back as 2010. That explains why my ex-Marine husband never heard of it, while his Marine son was quite familiar with the idea. But it only took off into the wider world of social media in 2016, possibly with this comic.
(Image source: U.S. Army W.T.F! Moments at Facebook)
Marines will tell you to this day that crayons are the best MRE. Grizz1371 said the tattoo was in honor of Veteran's Day yesterday, but it could also be for the USMC's birthday on November 10. The military branch is now 248 years old!