Congratulations to my Marine friends

Today is the 241st birthday of the US Marine Corps.  Congratulations to them, and in particular to my friends who are current or former Marines.

In their honor, here’s one of the more famous (and true) Marine birthday reminiscences.

On the occasion of the 1978 Marine Corps Birthday Ball at Camp LeJeune, and in the presence of several thousand Marines and their ladies, General Louis H. Wilson Jr., then Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, rose to deliver his address to the troops.

He approached the rostrum, nodded to the Base and Division Commanders and proceeded to explain to the captive masses that he would be short on words that night.  He turned to his bride, took a glass, and amid dead silence he offered this toast, then promptly sat down.

LOVE

The wonderful love of a beautiful maid,
the love of a staunch true man,
the love of a baby, unafraid,
have existed since time began.

But the greatest of loves,
the quintessence of loves,
even greater than that of a mother,
is the tender, passionate, infinite love
of one drunken Marine for another.

There were a few seconds of silence… and then the room exploded. It was ten minutes or more before order was restored.

Quite so!

Peter

6 comments

  1. Thanks for the good wishes Peter. Many cups were hoisted yesterday around the world. I especially appreciate good wishes by a comrade-in-arms.
    Tom

  2. "No Better Friends, No Worse Enemy" – you've gotta love that –

    It's a long-term and deeply(mostly)-honored tradition within The Corps that, while all the Services take The Oath when joining up, U.S. Marines take it as a lifetime commitment. There is no "used to be" for a proper Marine – they don't really "retire"; they simply become "less active".

    A very Happy Birthday, Marines – blow out the candles, cut the cake and belly up to the bar…

    J. S. Bridges
    Wilmington, NC

    (Previously-made an entry on Fakebook)

  3. Thank you, Peter. No matter how much older, slower and more in pain I get, I'll always fondly remember my active duty time in the Corps.

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