Happy Birthday, US Marine Corps

bmattock

bmattock

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Today (November 10, 2004) is the 229th birthday of the US Marine Corps. Founded in 1775 in Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, PA(naturally it would be founded in a bar).

Happy Birthday to all my fellow Jarheads and OOHRAH!

Semper Fidelis,

Bill Mattocks
former Sgt, USMC 1979-1985
 
backalley photo said:
nifty factoid!

well, congrats to the marines and to all who bravely serve both our countries.

joe
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Joe,

Marines is a proper noun (LOL)!

We go by "Jarhead," "Gyrene," "Leatherneck," and even "Sea-Going Bellhop" and we're proud of all our nicknames! Some service members hate theirs (Dogface, Rust-Picker, Flyboy, etc), but we love ours!

The Germans called us "Teufel Hunden" in WWI, and we adopted that, too (in English - "Devil Dogs").

And yes - to all who serve. Don't forget (US types) tomorrow is Veteran's Day. Love your freedom? Thank a vet!

Semper Fi,

Bill Mattocks
 
Joe,

My best regards to all the veterans who served in Canada's Armed Forces, especially all those who paid the ultimate price for Canada's enduring freedom.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks
 
Thanks for the info Bill. Military traditions are many, proud and definitley to be honored.
 
rover said:
Thanks for the info Bill. Military traditions are many, proud and definitley to be honored.
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Tonight, all over the US (and in some foreign nations) present and former US Marines will gather together for dinner, drinks, speechifying, and birthday cake. There are no 'ex' Marines, only former Marines, by the way. You're an ex-Marine when they throw dirt on your face and you assume room temperature in a permanent horizontal position. Don't ever call a Marine an 'ex-Marine' unless you really don't like them very much. We pride ourselves on "Once a Marine, Always a Marine."

Many toasts will be given to the Marines, our Commanders-in-Chief, our wars, our battles, our honorable enemies, and most especially to the Honored Dead, the Fallen. One seat at the head table will be left open with a dinner setting in front of it for those who cannot attend any longer.

War stories will be told - many true, some embellished, and some pure 'sea stories.' Much grog will be consumed - we call it 'splicing the main brace' and we do it with gusto.

We'll sing the Marine Corps Hymn and we'll cut the birthday cake. In Marine tradition, the cake is cut by a Mamaluke sword, held jointly by the youngest and the oldest Marine present.

"Semper Fi" for those who do not know it, is short for "Semper Fidelis" which is Latin for "Always Faithful" which is the main Marine Corps motto. We also use "First to Fight," "The President's Own," and "The Few, The Proud," because we are the smallest US fighting force and the hardest to get into and become a Marine.

Anyway, just some Jarhead trivia (we're called Jarheads because of our funny haircuts).

Semper Fi,

Bill Mattocks
 
Bill said:

"... War stories will be told - many true, some embellished, and some pure 'sea stories.' Much grog will be consumed - we call it 'splicing the main brace' and we do it with gusto. ..."

For those who don't know, there is a difference between war stories and fairy tales. Fairy tales begin; "Once upon a time..." while war stories begin; "This ain't no BS ... " :D

Again, Semper Fi and Happy Birthday to all Marines.
 
Once a Marine, Always a Marine!

Semper Fi and Happy B-Day to all my fellow "Devil Dog" brethren, if we were together I'd buy yall a pint of Guiness!

Thank a Vet.

USMC '84-'90
Todd

(BTW, USMC also stands for "Uncle Sam's Misguided Children" )
 
Todd.Hanz said:
(BTW, USMC also stands for "Uncle Sam's Misguided Children" )
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Also "You Suckers Miss Christmas" (speling wuz never our strong suit) and "Uncle Sam's Mental Cases" among other less gentile expressions.

Semper Fi,

Bill Mattocks
 
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