Dan put this in the comments. It deserves a spot on the main page.
USMC: Only branch of the military conceived, created and formed for battle ... in a Bar!
( Tun Tavern -- Philadelphia, PA -- 11/10/1775)
November 2004
USMC Birthday!
When: Wednesday, 11/10/04 - All Day
Where: Everywhere around the Globe!
Description: Happy Birthday to the United States Marine Corps!
November 10, 1775
Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, PA
Tun Tavern and the U.S. Marine Corps
On the 10th of November in 1775, the Continental Congress passed a resolution which said in part:
"...Resolved, that two battalions of Marines be raised, consisting of one colonel, two lieutenant colonels, two majors, and other officers as usual in other regiments; and that they consist of an equal number of privates with other battalions; that particular care be taken, that no persons be appointed to office, or enlisted into said battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve to advantage by sea when required; that they be enlisted and commissioned to serve for and during the present war between Great Britain and the Colonies, unless dismissed by order of Congress; that they be distinguished by the names of the first and second battalions of American Marines..."
With that resolution the Continental Marines were officially born. November 10th is still celebrated around the world today as the Marine Corps Birthday.
Some of you were with me as part of 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1stMarDiv as recently as Viet Nam. 3/1 is under arms as you read this (in Fallujah); 2/1 has the honor of having Lt. Lewis B. Puller Jr. ("Fortunate Son") as one of it's own; 1/1 (and my beloved Charlie Company) was in a place called Hue City in 1968 doing what 1/1 is doing today in Iraq.
Semper Fi! While the term does decidedly NOT mean we will live forever individually, it DOES MEAN that we have lived and died (since 1775!) on the honor of the weakest amongst us as well as the strongest. Such is the Society of MARINES!!!
HAPPY Birthday, Corps!
"The Worst among us is better than the Best can throw against us!"
Actually Semper Fi is short for Semper Fidelis which literally means always faithful.
I was a squid and squids and jarheads do not always get along. When I was on the Iredell County, LST-839 in Viet Nam ...
You were in Viet Nam, GOC?
Yeah, but mostly I was safe aboard a ship.
...we sometimes carried jarheads. We took some from the Philippines to Da Nang once. Navy guys like to get Marines seasick. On an LST that ain't too hard to do. Hell, I spent a lot of time seasick myself.
One of the tricks we used went like this. On the first day out the cooks always liked to serve greasy foods like pork chops. There's nothing like a greasy pork chop sloshing back and forth in grease on a tray to send a jarhead to the rail.
Greasy bacon at breakfast was just as good. One of my fellow squids even picked up a piece of bacon and wrung the grease out into his mouth. Gangway! One jarhead heading for the rail to upchuck.
That's all right. They got even with us by beating the crap out of us on shore.
BTW. My buddy Wahoo was in the Corps.
Happy Birthday Marines!
Thanks for remembering us, GOC.
I was HMM362, the Ugly Angels Marine Helicopter squadron from 68-69. Aboard the Okinawa a few months in early 69.
We enjoy your site over at the Sgt. Grit Open Marines board.
Keep up the good work.
They will have that cesspool in Fallujah cleaned up real soon. Semper Fi boys. We appreciate you !
Posted by: Robert on November 10, 2004 08:04 PMSemper Fi Denny,
I was also in 1/1 in Vietnam. From 1969-1970.
60 minutes had a segment last night on the wounded in falluja. I know because my blog, Alternatevoice.com, got hit this morning with requests for info about the Semper Fi Marine Fund to help wounded Marines families cope with travel expenses to be with their wounded Marines. I had done a piece on this a week or so ago. Here's the info for anyone interested:
www.fisherhouse.org
http://www.marinemoms.us/usmc/
Posted by: Jesse Brown on November 11, 2004 06:14 AMGreat post, thanks!
My dad was a Marine, and got sent to China at the end of WW2. For part of that time, he spent tried to advise the Nationalist Chinese on the best way to defeat the children of Chairman Mao. Didn't have any luck but he tried.
My Dad is one of the last living China Marines and I'm certainly proud of him.
Posted by: Moogie on November 11, 2004 11:13 AMJesse:
Who, what, where, when? I looked at your material & I think I might know you from that era.
Let me know!
d.sea@comcast.net
Unfrigging believable! Dan and I have been corresponding off line over at my place. He actually remembers me from VietfuckingNam! He says he remembers my sister and that I promised I'd set him up! Ha! We were both in the Comm Platoon of 1/1.
Amazing how things work out.
Posted by: Jesse Brown on November 13, 2004 08:19 PMMy son was a proud marine, he earn the title of marine with a lot of hard work. He can't wait to get out of this group of teenagers with no respect to any one. I never been in the military, but for what I hear from my son and other parents of marines; the enemy of a marine is not a Iraqui citizen, it's your own semper fi marine.
Now I understand the slogan "The Few, The Proud"
only a handfull knows what going on, for the proud I still had to figure out why. If you as a marine feel ofended for this word well I'll tell you suck it up.