Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) a US Marine.

1894		Lucky Bag (No. 1) (U.S. Nav. Acad.) 68: Gyrene [...] A U.S. Marine [HDAS].
1906		Army and Navy Life Nov. 498: In the remote period of the origin of [midshipmen’s slang] [...] gyrene stood for marine, who was, also, jocosely called a sea soldier [HDAS].
1918		letter in K.F. Cowing Dear Folks at Home (1919) 222: I think the ‘jyrenes’ must have stopped one hundred tons of machine-gun bullets and shrapnel.
1928		H. Brackbill ‘Midshipman Jargon’ in AS III:6 453: Gyrene—A United States Marine.
1933		Nicholson & Robinson Sailor Beware! II ii: Come back here, you lousy, button-polishin’ gyrene!
1944		P. Kendall Dict. Service Sl. n.p.: a gyrine . . . a Marine.
1944		D. Burley N.Y. Amsterdam News 16 Dec. 16A: The Marines, the Marines, those rugged Gyrenes.
1957		(con. 1943) A. Myrer Big War 141: I’m a rough tough gyrene.
1969		Kerouac letter 28 Feb. in Charters II (1999) 468: Suddenly a crazy Polack gyrene came in and beat the shit out of all of us.
1976		P. Conroy Great Santini (1977) 274: Mary Anne [...] would you wiggle up here and lead these gyrenes in your version of the hymn?
1981		J. Wambaugh Glitter Dome (1982) 180: ‘Jist some nudie gy-rene,’ Gibson Hand said. ‘Jist some fruit-hustler from Camp Pendleton,’ Buckmore Phipps added.
1990		(con. c.1970) G. Hasford Phantom Blooper 197: Some big General I never saw in my life is pinning the medal to my chest. The headline reads: gyrene pow hero awarded medal for valor.
2002		Daniel E. Evans Doc: Platoon Medic 8: Young gyrenes slamming big shells into the breeches of howitzers.