MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, S.C. --
Marines will celebrate
the 240th Marine Corps Birthday Ball throughout the month of November. Marine
Corps Air Station Beaufort and the Tri-command hold ceremonies to honor the
history and heritage of the Corps.
“Welcome as we
celebrate the 240th birthday of our Corps,” said Maj Gen. Charles L. Hudson,
the commander of Marine Corps Installations Command and the assistant deputy
commandant of Installations and Logistics. Hudson was the guest of honor at the
Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron Birthday Ball Nov 6. “If you are wearing
this uniform we look pretty good to be 240 years old.”
Celebrations of
the Marine Corps Birthday begin with a special video presentation entitled the
“Commandant’s Birthday Message,” followed by a customary reading of the first
birthday message by Gen. John A. Lejeune, the 13th commandant of the Corps.
“As we celebrate
the 240th birthday of our Corps, we pay tribute to all who have served and we
remember our fallen heroes,” said Gen. Robert B. Neller, the commandant of the
Marine Corps in his message. “We take great pride in our legacy and in the fine
men and women who carry our colors into the future. And we extend heartfelt
thanks to our families for their steadfast support.”
Traditionally, the
ball recognizes the youngest and oldest Marines in attendance with a cake
cutting ceremony, a symbol of the past and present together. The guest of honor
receives the first piece of cake followed by the oldest Marine present. The oldest
Marine then passes the piece of cake to the youngest Marine, symbolizing the
passing of experience and wisdom.
“At a bar in
Philadelphia, that’s where we were born,” said Hudson. “When you look at the
years since then and what we have done around the world, we have served this
country and fought this nation’s battles in every clime and place.”
On Nov. 10, 1775,
the Continental Congress formed the Marines to help the Continental Navy
conduct ship-to-ship fighting, shipboard security, and assist in landing
forces. Since then, the Marine Corps has marked Nov. 10, 1775 as its official
birthday.
The first formal birthday
ball was celebrated in Philadelphia in 1925, where a memorial plaque was
unveiled at Tun Tavern. The tavern is the official birthplace of the Marine
Corps since the first Marines were recruited there. Since then, the ball has
grown to become a hallowed tradition for Marines around the world.
“Always at this
time of year we look back and remember the birthday of our Corps and those who
came before us whose legacy we try to live up to each and every day,” said
Hudson.
The ceremony
concludes with the retiring of the colors and the playing of Anchors Aweigh and
the Marines’ Hymn.
“Whether you
served on the hallowed grounds of Belleau Wood, fought on the iconic island
battle fields of World War II, navigated the harsh terrain and climate of the
Chosin Reservoir or Vietnam, conducted assaults during Desert Storm, marched on
Baghdad, fought in close combat in Fallujah, or conducted combat operations in
Afghanistan; everyone who wears the Eagle Globe and Anchor is a member of that
storied legacy,” said Neller.