Marines –
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 230 years of the special breed. Another year has gone by, for some in the Corps, for some after the Corps – but for all Marines, today is your day. It is your time for fond reflection on your love of the Corps. It is your time for reflection on the life altering events you have traversed in the Corps. It is your time to honor those who gave all they could in defense of the American ideal and those who paved the way for us. We have all lost someone who was family to us, and our Corps has lost her sons and daughters in seemingly incomprehensible numbers. We few, we happy few, must remain ever vigilant against the fading of their memory. We must be fiercely protective of our customs, history and traditions. We must ensure that the name Marine is forever synonymous with the ideals of honor, courage and commitment. I have met Army Airborne Rangers and Navy Chief Petty Officers, who have told me that because I am not one of them, I could not understand what it is, to be them. This concept I understand. Because you cannot know what a Marine knows, unless you are a Marine. Do Soldiers know what it is to be a Ranger? No. Do Sailors know what it is to be a Chief? No. There are different communities within other services, but every Marine knows what it is to stand on the footprints. Every Marine knows what it is to march on the parade deck and be called Marine for the very first time. Our identity is not tied to our uniforms, our rank, not even our jobs; our identity is tied to our name:
MARINE
From the Halls of Montezuma
to the Shores of Tripoli,
We fight our country's battles
in the air, on land and sea.
First to fight for right and freedom,
And to keep our honor clean,
We are proud to claim the title
of United States Marine.
Our flag's unfurl'd to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun.
In the snow of far-off northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes,
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.
Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.
By the way. In the pic, you will notice that the Officers' emblem is on the bottom. I have already been asked about this (because the two tone emblem would be showcased so much better....) so let me explain.
I believe that an officer's obligation is to his or her Marines. The officer's responsibility is to ensure that his or her Marines have nothin to worry about except thier tasking. So, who works for who? Who supports who? The backbone of our Corps are the enlisted Marines who keep it running and are the true protectors of our history, customs and courtesies. It is they who we must elevate, because it is through them that we execute. And ultimately, regardless of the brilliance of the plan, its success or failure is determined in the execution.
Semper Fidelis.
<!--EDIT|MC MUSTANG
Reason for Edit: "Old breed, new breed? What matters is the Marine breed."|1131603716 -->
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 230 years of the special breed. Another year has gone by, for some in the Corps, for some after the Corps – but for all Marines, today is your day. It is your time for fond reflection on your love of the Corps. It is your time for reflection on the life altering events you have traversed in the Corps. It is your time to honor those who gave all they could in defense of the American ideal and those who paved the way for us. We have all lost someone who was family to us, and our Corps has lost her sons and daughters in seemingly incomprehensible numbers. We few, we happy few, must remain ever vigilant against the fading of their memory. We must be fiercely protective of our customs, history and traditions. We must ensure that the name Marine is forever synonymous with the ideals of honor, courage and commitment. I have met Army Airborne Rangers and Navy Chief Petty Officers, who have told me that because I am not one of them, I could not understand what it is, to be them. This concept I understand. Because you cannot know what a Marine knows, unless you are a Marine. Do Soldiers know what it is to be a Ranger? No. Do Sailors know what it is to be a Chief? No. There are different communities within other services, but every Marine knows what it is to stand on the footprints. Every Marine knows what it is to march on the parade deck and be called Marine for the very first time. Our identity is not tied to our uniforms, our rank, not even our jobs; our identity is tied to our name:
MARINE
From the Halls of Montezuma
to the Shores of Tripoli,
We fight our country's battles
in the air, on land and sea.
First to fight for right and freedom,
And to keep our honor clean,
We are proud to claim the title
of United States Marine.
Our flag's unfurl'd to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun.
In the snow of far-off northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes,
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.
Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.
By the way. In the pic, you will notice that the Officers' emblem is on the bottom. I have already been asked about this (because the two tone emblem would be showcased so much better....) so let me explain.
I believe that an officer's obligation is to his or her Marines. The officer's responsibility is to ensure that his or her Marines have nothin to worry about except thier tasking. So, who works for who? Who supports who? The backbone of our Corps are the enlisted Marines who keep it running and are the true protectors of our history, customs and courtesies. It is they who we must elevate, because it is through them that we execute. And ultimately, regardless of the brilliance of the plan, its success or failure is determined in the execution.
Semper Fidelis.
<!--EDIT|MC MUSTANG
Reason for Edit: "Old breed, new breed? What matters is the Marine breed."|1131603716 -->
