The Merchant Marine Reserve had its beginnings in 1913 when it was called the Naval Auxiliary Reserve. The original merchant marine insignia was prescribed in "Changes in Uniform Regulations, United States Navy, 1913 No. 10." Uniforms for the entire Naval Reserve were authorized by Congress on 31 March 1915 as the possibility of U.S. involvement in World War I increased.
The Naval Auxiliary Reserve, comprised of officers and unlicensed seamen, was the beginning of the present Merchant Marine Reserve Program. Merchant marine officers at that time wore their steamship line or company uniform with the Naval Auxiliary Reserve device on the collar of the military coat, or on the lapels of the box coat. The Naval Auxiliary Reserve device was a miniature of the commissioned officers cap device.
In 1925, the Naval Auxiliary Reserve was renamed the Merchant Marine Naval Reserve. The name was changed to the current Merchant Marine Reserve in 1938. The breast insignia of the present Merchant Marine Reserve, U. S. Naval Reserve (Eagle and Scroll) was approved for wear on merchant marine uniforms on 7 April 1938, by Secretary of the Navy, Claude A. Swanson. It replaced the miniature cap device. The authorization for the insignia was the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which states:
"Licensed officers who are members of the United States Naval Reserve shall wear on their uniforms such special distinguishing insignia as may be approved by the Secretary of the Navy."
In April of 1938, at a conference chaired by Captain Chester W. Nimitz, U.S. Navy, Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, the new insignia was presented to the four heads of the state maritime school ships. The insignia was accepted at this meeting along with the inclusion of naval subjects in the regular course of instruction at the schools. This was the beginning of the Naval Science Departments at the maritime academies.
Regulations require the insignia to be a "gold embroidered or bronze gold plated metal pin consisting of a spread eagle surcharged with crossed anchors and shield." It is underset with a scroll bearing the letters "U.S." on one side of the shield and "N.R." on the other side. Originally, this insignia was to be worn on the merchant marine uniform.
The eagle design is based on the original eagle carved into the stern of the USS CONSTITUTION, which reflected the country's determination to remain free. The scroll pattern was often found on the sterns of ships and contained the ships' names. The shield has 13 stars and stripes with crossed anchors and was taken from the U.S. Navy officer's cap device which was first authorized in 1869. Following the design of the cap device, the original merchant marine insignia had the eagle looking to its own left. In 1941, Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox decreed that all Navy insignia bearing eagles were to have the heads facing to their own right.
The insignia was authorized for wear by cadets at the maritime academies who were Midshipmen, Merchant Marine Reserve, in 1942. Presently, all Midshipmen, USNR in the various maritime academies wear the device.
With the start of the present Merchant Marine Reserve, U.S. Naval Reserve (MMR, USNR) Program in 1979, the insignia was authorized for the first time for wear on the Navy uniform.
