In 1805, the bey of Tripoli in Libya captured a ship of the US navy and imprisoned the 308 members of the crew. The American consul organised a military unit consisted of American marine corps and 30 Greek mercenaries. This group crossed 600 miles through the Sahara desert and after a battle in Derna managed to liberate the imprisoned.
There is a reference to this operation in the first two lyrics of the US marine’s hymn.
