text: what does it mean on the tv show ncis when they say "sempafy"? i probobly misspelled it. semperfi....it's a marine thang.....the united states marine corps   united states marine corps emblemthe united states marine corps motto, since 1883, is "semper fidelis". there were three mottos prior to semper fidelis, including "fortitudine" (meaning "with courage") antedating the war of 1812, which was a nod to the british royal marines' "per mare, per terram", and up until 1843 there was also the motto "to the shores of tripoli." the motto signifies the dedication that individual marines are expected to have loyalty to "corps and country" and to their fellow fighting men and women, for the rest of their days and beyond. marines often reduce the phrase to "semper fi."  "semper fidelis" is also the title of the official march of the united states marine corps, composed by john philip sousa in 1889. sousa was director of the united states marine band ("the president's own") when a replacement for hail to the chief was requested, but later rejected. sousa considered it to be his "most musical" march. it was prominently featured in the movie a few good men. lyrics to the march were written by charles burr and can be found on wikisource.  on every eagle, globe and anchor in the marine corps, the eagle holds a ribbon emblazoned "semper fidelis