On December 9, 1942, after the start of World War II, KA-BAR submitted a knife to the United States Marine Corps in hopes that it would become a general issue to that branch of the military.
The USMC KA-BAR was adopted by the Marines as well as the Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Underwater Demolition Teams. Years after World War II, many KA-BAR knives were unofficially reactivated in the Korean, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Iraqi Freedom conflicts.
Today, we look back on the KA-BAR’s impact on the Marine Corps and the legacy it has made.
(U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Taryn Escott)