Photo By Sgt. Lisa R. Strickland | Lt. Col. Wayne M. Bunker cuts the cake at the Marine Transport Squadron 1 Marine Corps...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - Outsiders may not understand the significance of Nov. 10. They don’t know the history behind the pride.
Around the world, United States Marines are commemorating the day when 235 years ago the founders of this great nation, facing insurmountable odds, asked a few good men to secure what was a distant dream.
Army Gen. Douglas McArthur said during the Korean War there is no finer fighting organization in the world than the Corps. Marines take that reputation seriously, conscious of the legacy passed to them by generations past.
“Two hundred thirty five years have gone before us of good order, discipline and tradition,” said Col. Russell A. Sanborn, who recently relinquished command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 to become the assistant wing commander of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). “I tell Marines that all the time, especially around the Marine Corps Ball period. History books are filled full of Marine Corps lore – you’re writing the next chapter, and ten years from now people will be reading about you and what we’re doing today.”
At Parris Island and San Diego, recruits learn about the victories of Lt. Gen. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller at the Chosin Reservoir, the trail Opha Mae Johnson blazed for women everywhere, and about Col. John Ripley who, as a captain, destroyed the Dong Ha Bridge in Vietnam. These tales are told to demonstrate to recruits the legacy of the Corps.
“It gives new recruits a historical foundation of Marines who constantly put the safety and security of this country before themselves,” said Sgt. Maj. Michael C. Daley, sergeant major of Marine Transport Squadron 1 and a former drill instructor. “They were significant Marines in the history of the Corps. If you forget the past, you can never prepare for the future. It allows them to solidify the future of the Corps. If they understand the tenacity with which those Marines fought, maybe that can help them overcome adversity in the face of the enemy.”
The legacy of these heroes creates a heritage unique to the Corps. Marines don’t just recite the tales of heroism; they strive to live to the standard set by those legends before them. This has led to successes throughout the history of the Marines.
“For 235 years, at sea and ashore, Marines have succeeded in every clime and place where hardship and adversity have often been the common thread.” said Gen. James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps in this year’s birthday message. “Today, in the rugged mountains and valleys of Afghanistan – and recently in the earthquake damaged Haiti, in fl ood-ravaged Pakistan, or off the coast of Africa, we continue to protect our nation, just as we did 60 years ago in Korea.”
After all they have done, Marines hold the Marine Corps birthday as a celebration of their proud history and a toast to future success.
| Date Taken: | 11.10.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 11.10.2010 11:03 |
| Story ID: | 59832 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 404 |
| Downloads: | 13 |
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