The Marine Corps Birthday is not a public holiday and this year, it fell on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019.

 

This birthday celebration is celebrated by Marines and is marked with a Marine Corps Birthday Ball, dinner, birthday cake and entertainment.  

 

On Saturday November 9, Skip Flint, Bo Fears and Chuck Forbes organized the first Marine Birthday in Greensboro and along with other veteran Marines, celebrated at their 244^th Birthday at Richard’s Wine Bar in Greensboro.

 

This first birthday dinner celebration began with a Welcome and Pledge of Allegiance by Bo Fears.  OPAS Artistic Director Jeffrey Wells, accompanied by his wife Jo Ellen on piano, sang ‘Star Spangled Banner’ and the ‘Marine Corps Hymn’.  Dinner by Gloria Slaughter was served and after dinner, Chuck Forbes gave the Port Wine Toast, before cutting the cake, which is also a time honored tradition with the Oldest and Youngest Marine.  Being the oldest at 90, Chuck Forbes used his sword and with the youngest marine, Harold Nowell, they cut the cake and ate the first piece together, before it was cut up for all those present.  While the cake was being cut and distributed, Chuck Forbes, who has a Purple Heart, again spoke and asked the Marines to give their stories and testimonials of their time as a Marine.  What is said between Marines, stays with Marines!

 

The US Marine Corps, was formed following the introduction of the Continental Marine Act and known as the Continental Marines on November 10, 1775.  On that date, the Second Continental Congress decided that 2 battalions of Marines were needed to serve as landing forces with the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War from 1775-1783. First led by Commandant Samuel Nicholas, this branch of the burgeoning U.S. armed forces would culminate at just over 2,100 servicemen. In contrast, the number of active troops in the Continental Army at one time would reach a peak of approximately 80,000. 

 After the war, the Continental Navy and the Marines were disbanded, but with conflict increasing with revolutionary France, the Marine Corps was formally re-established on July 11, 1798.  Throughout the 19th century (and a portion of the next), this would be the date upon which marines would celebrate the founding of the Corps as an official entity.  This changed in 1921 when Major Edwin North McClellan of the Marine Corps History Division proposed a proposition to the ranking commandant asking for the anniversary to be celebrated on November 10 and since the 1950’s, Marines treat the anniversary with great importance.

The United States Marine Corp is the US Armed Forces combined-arms task on land, sea and air.  They have more than 180,000 active duty personnel and over 49,000 in the Marine Corps Reserve.

We thank all our Marines, Veterans and military for their service to keep America safe and free.

If you are a Marine and would like to attend next year’s Marine Birthday, please email sflint@plantationcable.net