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Marine Corps Is 232 Years Old

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Col. Donald J. Myers USMC (Ret.)

Published: November 22, 2007

On 10 November 1775, the Marine Corps was founded in Tun Tavern in Philadelphia. This was before the United States became a free country. Since that time, Marines have fought in every war that the United States has been engaged and usually it is the first to fight.

When the British burned Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812, they used the Commandant's home as their headquarters and it was one of the only buildings that was not put to the torch. It still stands today as the oldest government occupied building in the city.

Today as in so many years gone by, we find Marines in combat in far away lands. On 10 November, they will celebrate their birthday with special ceremonies worldwide. Here in this country, there will be formal balls commemorating the occasion that are full of many traditions. A guest of honor will cut the cake and present a piece to the oldest and youngest Marine present. A message from General Lejeune will be read explaining the relationship between officers and enlisted dating back to the early twentieth century.

As the Commanding Officer of Marine Barracks in Washington, D. C. I attended several balls each year. One was in Gitmo, Cuba; another at Camp David, one in Washington D. C. for Headquarters Marine Corps; one for our own barracks and another at Camp Smith in New York for the Marines and FBI. It was like Christmas for about ten days.

There were other times when I was either in combat or deployed overseas. Each time we did something special to celebrate the occasion. When I was in graduate school at the University of Virginia, there were about fifteen Marines attending. We planned and executed a formal ball at one of the hotels and invited several of our professors as guests. They had never seen anything like that. Everything done throughout the Corps' ceremonies was done that night.

This celebration is merely one of the many things that make Marines special. All officers attend the Basic School in Quantico Virginia, and all enlisted Marines attend Boot camp at San Diego, California or Parris Island, South Carolina. In each place, tradition and history are inculcated while changing these candidates from civilians to Marines. No other organization does as good a job in developing the basis for future service.

Many very successful people credit their service in the Marines with their success and they are proud to have been associated with the Corps.

There is a special bond that is developed and fostered between Marines that lasts a lifetime and it starts from the very first day. How else can one explain the feats of so many Marines and Marine units throughout the years and wars?

In Korea, the First Marine Division fought its way to the sea through 10 Chinese divisions. In World War I, the Germans called the Marines "devil dogs" because of their tenacity. On Iwo Jima, when the flag was raised on Mount Suribachi, the Secretary of the Navy said that that act guaranteed the Marine Corps for the next hundred years.

Khe Sanh and Hue City during the Vietnam War are among the storied battles fought by the Marines. New chapters are being written in the Middle East at Fallujah, Baghdad, and other areas. It has always been so and it will remain so as long as Americans desire to have a United States Marine Corps.

Col. Donald J. Myers USMC (Ret.) writes regularly for Hernando Today. He lives in Spring Hill.

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