November 10th, 1775. The official birthdate of the United States Marine Corps. Celebrated with retelling of the legends. With song. With tribute. With cake and bravado. Only Marines party like Marines.
The solemnity of the tradition mixed with the pride of the Corps and the chance to celebrate that each and every single one of them are truly The Few and the Proud.
My brothers and sisters of clean body and filthy mind will be cracking cold ones and throwing the tap lever. They’ll be dressed up smartly for ceremony until its time to dress down and party rightly, probably wearing a plate carrier and nothing else. They will tell stories, trade jokes and insults, and revel in the simple existing fact that they are… that we are Marines.
And that’s just its own brand of awesome.
It doesn’t even really matter what kind of experience you had with the Corps. as a job. You love the Corps. You might’ve hated your boss or thought a rule was archaic dumb and getting in the way. You might have found a fantastic job after the Marines even though Sgt. Major said you would be living in a van down by the river under the bridge if you didn’t reenlist.
Those negatives though, are traced to individuals or small groups. Marines love the Corps. The Corps. is eternal. It is not spoiled by a bad leader, an injury, or a system that sucks to navigate in a human resource capacity.
Tradition is tradition. And we keep it today.
Semper Fi, Marines. Here’s to us. Every legend and honorable member spanning 245 years.
