Are the Marines really needed and are just a waste of taxpayer money?
The United States Navy has long been an over-indulged and spoiled branch of the American military. And that branch has been very vocal lobbying in the U.S. Congress that it was able to get its very own air force (carrier-based planes and recon/patrol aircraft) and its own army-the U.S. Marine Corps. And what's more, the Navy's own army-the Marine Corps-has its own air force, too with helicopters, Harriers, Ospreys, and F-35's.
The highly regarded Marines
The Marine Corps was originally created as the U.S. Navy's ground combat force, initially with duties that combined, as in the British Royal Navy, the protection of ships from enemy boarding during the Age of Sailing Ships, and for forming landing parties by being organized with the ship's company of armed sailors.
The marine corps claimed they are needed for amphibious operations. But the Allied invasion of Normandy (D-Day) in World War II, the largest amphibious operation in history, were all done by the Army and not the Marines. The Marines famously did pretty good in executing amphibious operations in the Pacific during World War II. The Battle of Tarawa screwed them up pretty good and when they thought they have mastered the amphibious landing, there were no studies that proved they were much better at it than the Army was in Europe. Also, an amphibious landing is just a limited role. The Earth does not have that many beaches.
Currently the Marine Corps is striving to justify its existence because it cannot conduct amphibious operations in the face of modern adversaries increasing use of Shore-based Anti-ship missiles which deny them access to the Area of Operations ashore.
The Marines still exist because they could throw a fit in Congress, calling anyone a "liberal" or a "leftie" whenever anyone points out that they do not have a separate mission from the Army. It is recommended to let them continue to exist and wear their unique uniforms in recognition of their tradition and history, but make them a subsidiary or division of the Army, not the Navy. Their mission would be like that of the Tenth Mountain Division and Army Airborne Rangers: elite Army divisions with specialized functions.
The Army could perform, and does perform, all the functions of the Marine Corps.
References: http://www.combatreform.org/USNAVYINDANGER/
https://www.quora.com/Why-do-the-Marines-exist-if-we-already-have-the-Army-Navy-and-Air-Force
Image Source: Google images for noncommercial use
