238 years ago today the Naval Committee of the Continental Congress was directed to raise two battalions of Marines, and so we got the naval infantry. The first amphibious assault by the new Marine Corps occurred in the Bahamas on March 3, 1776 when the force seized Fort Montague and Fort Nassau, a British ammunition depot and naval port in New Providence.
So Happy Birthday, Marine Corps. From the Halls of Montezuma to shores of Tripoli. From the peak of Suribachi to the alleyways of Fallujah.
All my best to all of Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children!!
Semper Fidelis, Marines.
238 years of kicking ass all over the world! Happy birthday.
Happy birthday to all of my brothers and sisters out there
From Uncle Sam Ain’t Released Me Yet, to Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children —
A heartfelt HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Dear Jarheads,
Happy birthday.
Happy Birthday US Marine Corps.
On a related note: I selected November 10th as my retirement ceremony date. On the following day November 11th, 2011 RADM Bonelli, CAPT Tate, myself and a 5 other MCPO, SCPO, and CPO lead the Navy contigent of over 1000 up 5th Ave during the largest Vet’s Day parade in the US.
The US Marine Corps birthday and Vet’s Day of 2011 was my final military duty … Awesome way to go out.
Mrs UpNorth and I attended the USMC Birthday Ball last night, with my son, a Master Sergeant, USMC, and his family. His last one, as he’ll be retired next year. Happy Birthday, Marines.
@8 His last one as an active-duty Marine.
Happy Birthday, Marines. I keep hoping they don’t succeed in changing you.
Happy Birthday Brothers and Sisters. Joe
Happy Birthday USMC!
To all Marines, hand salute and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
This is the day I call a number of my Marine friends, wish them a Happy Birthday, catch up on news, and relive times both good and bad. I am especially looking forward to calling one of my drill instructors…I always wondered what had happened to them, and this year I was able to locate and connect with one. We’ve had a number of phone conversations since then.
Us boots were in awe of him during recruit training…he was awarded the Silver Star for heroism in Vietnam, he set a terrific example for us, and he made a lasting impression on me.
He is of course retired now, and it is a delight to talk with him each and every time we call. So this will be the first Birthday since we connected, and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to wish him many more Happy Birthdays.
LtCol Mike Stroebel, USMC (Ret’d) wrote eloquently about the Marine fraternity and our camaraderie in his epic story “Taking Chance”. I highly suggest you read it http://www.blackfive.net/main/2004/04/taking_chance.html, if you haven’t already (heck, if you have, reread it anyway), and that you rent or buy the movie based on his account.
At the end of the story, he is at a post-funeral reception at the local VFW when this happens:
“Later, as I was walking toward the pool tables, a Staff Sergeant from the Reserve unit in Salt Lake grabbed me and said, “Sir, you gotta hear this.” There were two other Marines with him and he told the younger one, a Lance Corporal, to tell me his story. The Staff Sergeant said the Lance Corporal was normally too shy and modest to tell it but now he’d had enough beer to overcome his usual tendencies.
As the Lance Corporal started to talk, an older man joined our circle. He wore a baseball cap that indicated he had been with the 1st Marine Division in Korea. Earlier in the evening he had told me about one of his former commanding officers; a Colonel Puller.
So, there I was, standing in a circle with three Marines recently returned from fighting with the 1st Marine Division in Iraq and one not so recently returned from fighting with the 1st Marine Division in Korea. I, who had fought with the 1st Marine Division in Kuwait, was about to gain a new insight into our Corps.
The young Lance Corporal began to tell us his story. At that moment, in this circle of current and former Marines, the differences in our ages and ranks dissipated—we were all simply Marines.
His squad had been on a patrol through a city street. They had taken small arms fire and had literally dodged an RPG round that sailed between two Marines. At one point they received fire from behind a wall and had neutralized the sniper with a SMAW round. The back blast of the SMAW, however, kicked up a substantial rock that hammered the Lance Corporal in the thigh; only missing his groin because he had reflexively turned his body sideways at the shot.
Their squad had suffered some wounded and was receiving more sniper fire when suddenly he was hit in the head by an AK-47 round. I was stunned as he told us how he felt like a baseball bat had been slammed into his head. He had spun around and fell unconscious. When he came to, he had a severe scalp wound but his Kevlar helmet had saved his life. He continued with his unit for a few days before realizing he was suffering the effects of a severe concussion.
As I stood there in the circle with the old man and the other Marines, the Staff Sergeant finished the story. He told of how this Lance Corporal had begged and pleaded with the Battalion surgeon to let him stay with his unit. In the end, the doctor said there was just no way—he had suffered a severe and traumatic head wound and would have to be med’evaced.
The Marine Corps is a special fraternity. There are moments when we are reminded of this. Interestingly, those moments don’t always happen at awards ceremonies or in dress blues at Birthday Balls. I have found, rather, that they occur at unexpected times and places: next to a loaded moving van at Camp Lejeune’s base housing, in a dirty CP tent in northern Saudi Arabia, and in a smoky VFW post in western Wyoming.
After the story was done, the Lance Corporal stepped over to the old man, put his arm over the man’s shoulder and told him that he, the Korean War vet, was his hero. The two of them stood there with their arms over each other’s shoulders and we were all silent for a moment. When they let go, I told the Lance Corporal that there were recruits down on the yellow footprints tonight that would soon be learning his story.”
Semper Fidelis
Semper Fi, brothers.
Mrs. LostBoys and I were swilling cocktails in a dive in Key Largo last night and saw a sign saying Marine Corps Birthday-all welcome at the local American Legion. We asked the bartender where it was and he said, “I”m an ex-Marine, follow me over there. ” The all welcome and ex-Marine comment should have been warning enough but as two retired Marines, we couldn’t resist celebrating the birthday with fellow Marines.
Long story short, the master of ceremonies was wearing black fatigues tucked in his boots and a green beret with a Marine emblem on it and the first speaker talked about how both of her grandsons were Force Recon and one was “studying to be a sniper” at a location she couldn’t discuss because it was classified. We beat a tactical retreat and continued our celebration together.
Late Happy Birthday to my fellow Marines and a peaceful Veterans’ Day to all the rest of you miscreants.
I usually only troll on here during the week because I have two youngin’s who keep their dad pretty busy on the weekends. That said, Belated Happy Birthday and continued success to the Corps. I hope all of my fellow jarheads were able to celebrate in some form or fashion. I would be remiss if I did not mention our youngsters who are currently in harms way.
Thanks to all of you who had something nice to say about the Marine Corps. You only have to do it once a year!!!
Semper Fidelis!!