MARINE CORPS CELEBRATES 239TH BIRTHDAY TODAY
On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress established the Marines. The corps grew from just under 400 enlisted in its first 30 years in existence to now more than 200,000 enlisted men and women. On November 1, 1921 Major General Commandant John A. Lejeune issued Marine Order 47 declaring November 10th as a Marine Holiday and that the order be read aloud that day and each year thereafter. In part, the order reads:
“This high name of distinction and soldierly repute we who are Marines today have received from those who preceded us in the corps. With it we have also received from them the eternal spirit which has animated our corps from generation to generation and has been the distinguishing mark of the Marines in every age. So long as that spirit continues to flourish Marines will be found equal to every emergency in the future as they have been in the past, and the men of our Nation will regard us as worthy successors to the long line of illustrious men who have served as “Soldiers of the Sea” since the founding of the Corps.”
Celebrations occurred throughout the weekend along with the fabled “Marine Corps Birthday Ball” that is held annually on or about November 10 on both a national and local level for servicemen and veterans (there really are no ex-Marines).
Often referred to as the “First To Fight”, the United States Marine Corps is the only branch of the armed services that is forward deployed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year as a complete unit capable of sustaining war all by itself for about a month.
These Marine units are not simply on standby but are spread out throughout the world’s hot spots ready for action. No other branch can make this claim. So when a crisis erupts anywhere in the world, the first responders will most likely be these units aboard their ships.
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