Today marks the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps. On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia resolved that "two Battalions of Marines be raised" for service as landing
forces with the fleet. This resolution established the Continental
Marines and marked the birth date of the United States Marine Corps.
Serving on land and at sea, these first Marines distinguished themselves
in a number of important operations, including their first amphibious
raid into the Bahamas in March 1776, under the command of Captain (later
Major) Samuel Nicholas.
The first commissioned officer in the Continental Marines, Nicholas
remained the senior Marine officer throughout the American Revolution
and is considered to be the first Marine Commandant.
Today's Marine Corps stands ready to continue in the proud tradition of
those who so valiantly fought and died at Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, the
Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh, Fallujah and Afghanistan - and many other locations to numerous to list here. Combining a long and proud heritage of
faithful service to the nation, with the resolve to face tomorrow's
challenges continue to keep the Marine Corps the "best of the
best."
The date itself,
November 10, 1775,
comes from a
resolution of the
Second Continental
Congress calling for
“two battalions of
Marines” to serve
aboard the fledgling
Continental Navy.
Those first Marines
fought in the
Caribbean and at sea
before the unit was
disbanded after the
Revolution. The
Corps was formally
re-established in
1798, but it
was not until 1921 that
the 13th Commandant,
Major General John
A. Lejeune, issued
Marine Corps Order
No. 47 directing
that the original
date be observed as
the official
birthday of the
Corps. The decision
linked two eras –
the Revolutionary
“soldiers of the
sea” and the modern
amphibious force
that would go ashore
at Belleau Wood,
Tarawa, and Fallujah
– into a single
lineage.
The
earliest
celebrations were
modest. The first
formal Marine Corps
Ball was held in
Philadelphia in
1925, featuring a
memorial plaque at
Tun Tavern, the
tavern widely
regarded as the
Corps’ birthplace,
followed by a dinner
at the Benjamin
Franklin Hotel. Some
early balls were
eccentric: one 1937
event featured a
cake baked in the
shape of Tun Tavern.
The now-standard
cake-cutting
sequence – where the
first slice goes to
the guest of honor,
the second to the
oldest Marine
present, and the
third to the
youngest – was not
codified until 1952.
Each detail, from
the reading of the
order to the
distribution of
cake, layers
tradition with
symbolism: the
transmission of
knowledge and duty
from generation to
generation.
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven’s scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines
(From the third verse of the Marines' Hymn)
Happy birthday to all Marines. I think that Bernie and Doug are both smiling as they guard the streets of Heaven today.
