They’re different, the Marines.
They don’t just exist, they live life with a passion. They’re don’t just walk, they swagger. They don’t merely engage in combat operations, they fight with the ferocity of a wild beast.
The Marine Corps came into being on November 10, 1775, but it wasn’t a normal birth. Instead, like mighty swords of ancient times, the new service was forged with fire and steel. New recruits signed up in a Philadelphia tavern to fight the British during the Revolutionary War. Today, instead of promising educational opportunities, technical training or adventure, the Marines promise sweat, hardship and combat. But they also promise the ulitimate payoff – the honor that comes with being a Marine.
[youtube]7JKBjWsepyw[/youtube]They live as one. The newest Marine can trace his/her geneology back to the first leathernecks who signed up at Tun Tavern in 1775, and the bloodline has continued undiluted for over two centuries. The character of the Corps hasn’t changed over the years either, manifesting itself whenever a fearsome fighting force is needed somewhere in the world.
They have fought in every war since the beginning of our nation. Their battles are legendary: Tripoli, Chapultepec Palace, Guantanamo, Formosa, Guadalcanal, and Belleau Wood. Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Pusan, Inchon, Chosin Reservoir and Khe Sanh.
These and countless other battles shaped the soul of the organization, and crystalized the brotherhood that can only be enjoyed by those who wear – or have ever worn – the eagle, globe and anchor.
And they’re still out there – winning today’s wars by doing what Marines have done for 232 years: by accepting nothing less than total victory, and risking nothing less than their own lives to protect the liberties we all hold dear.
Their core values are honor, courage, commitment. Their official motto is Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful). And they live each one, every day.
Happy Birthday, Marines.
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