Happy Birthday Marines - Let's Party Like It's Our 243rd Birthday
I know Chaps already covered this & that I’m about to sound like a giant cornball, but a genuine ‘happy birthday’ to all the Marines out there!
Ah yes, November 10th, 1775 – when our Marine Corps came alive at the Tun Tavern, a bar in Philadelphia. Though it’s no longer there & is only marked by a plaque I’ll still be celebrating in the area at Cookie’s Tavern today. It’s like a wild block party for Marines in South Philly & last year I was in a weird mind-place, got overly jazzed & made out with another Marine so hard I got rug burn on my chin from his vet-beard. Neat.
(In case he’s reading this: Sorry I ghosted you to grab a cheesesteak & never came back but it was freezing out.)
This year I’m laying off the sauce (sort of!) to soak it all in & am making a video that’ll be out sometime next week.
Today’s shindig marks our 243rd & there are *balls held across the country to celebrate (*sorry, the party kind). At these balls our traditions are honored; The oldest & youngest Marines present cut the cake with a sword, we remember & honor those who are MIA & those no longer with us, a Lance Corporal gets a little too frisky with an officer’s wife after too many beers, and a message from the Commandant & Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is played. And then we drink & dance until our medals fall off.
Here’s this year’s message from CMC Gen. Robert B. Neller & not gonna lie, I got the moto chills. It’s a great watch whether you were a Marine or not:
“Though battlefields will change & capabilities evolve, history tells us that true victory comes from the individual… A Marine with *steel resolve, the drive to overcome any obstacle, and the warrior spirit to fight & win against all odds.”
(*A Marine with Steel Reserve is also a force to be reckoned with.)
That resolve is the type Chaps had in mind when he created ZeroBlog30 and we’ve had many guests who exemplify that spirit, like Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter.
The friendships a lot of us form when we’re in are so fierce you tend to have trouble finding anything like it after you get out, but simply being a part of the tribe gives you a network for life. And the special bond Marines have is a huge part of why I work at a job I absolutely love today. Marines watch out for each other & Chaps became a mentor & gave me a shot that changed my life for the better. In fact, it was exactly this time last year.. woot, woot!
At times like our birthday & Veterans Day I sometimes worry that I talk about the Marines or military too much, but 1) I’m on a military show so it’s kind of my job and 2) I’m a proud alumni… it’s a huge part of my life story and much like a dedicated cross fitter, vaper or vegan, I’m never going to shut up about it. We’re the best branch around, we’re the few, we’re the proud, we’re the Marines. And today we’re gonna party like it’s our birthday.
On one final, more somber note.. when we pause today to remember those no longer with us I’ll be keeping Marine Dan Manrique & his family at the top of my list.