Happy Birthday, Marines!
The 249th Marine Corps Birthday
Each year, on November 10th, Marines around the world honor the founding of our Corps. This day is special to us not just because it marks the Corps' birth but also because it brings every Marine—past and present—together in spirit, no matter where we are.
Whenever two Marines meet on the Corps' birthday, there's an unspoken understanding. No matter the rank, time served, or years since wearing the uniform, we celebrate the day together. It might be a simple handshake, a "Happy Birthday, Marine," or a toast to honor our Corps.
I have celebrated the Marine Corps Birthday in places ranging from fancy ballrooms to barren wilderness, from fieldhouses to amphibious shipping afloat. I once climbed a mountain in the Austrian Alps with another Marine, carrying two cupcakes and a General Lejeune’s message. Phil and I attended a Marine Corps Ball together with our wives some 30+ years ago while stationed together at a Fleet Intelligence Center.
It has become customary for the Commandant to release a birthday message. Enjoy!
General John A. Lejeune’s 1921 birthday message solidified November 10th as a day for Marines to reflect on our shared heritage, the battles fought, and the Marines who came before us. This message is read aloud at birthday ceremonies worldwide, reminding us all of the Corps' legacy and our commitment to each other.
Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps Washington, November 1, 1921 (Order No. 47)
On November 10th, 1775, a Corps of Marines was created by a resolution of the Continental Congress. Since that date, many thousand men have borne the name "Marine." In memory of them, it is fitting that we who are Marines should commemorate the birthday of our Corps by calling to mind the glories of its long and illustrious history.
The record of our Corps is one which will bear comparison with that of the most famous military organizations in the world's history. During 90 of the 146 years of its existence, the Marine Corps has been in action against the Nation’s foes. From the Battle of Trenton to the Argonne, Marines have won foremost honors in war, and in the long eras of tranquility at home, generation after generation of Marines have grown gray in war in both hemispheres and in every corner of the seven seas, so that our country and its citizens might enjoy peace and security.
In every battle and skirmish since the birth of our Corps, Marines have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term "Marine" has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue.
This high name of distinction and soldierly repute we who are Marines today have received from those who preceded us in the Corps. With it, we also received from them the eternal spirit which has animated our Corps from generation to generation and has been the distinguishing mark of the Marines in every age. So long as that spirit continues to flourish, Marines will be found equal to every emergency in the future as they have been in the past, and the men of our Nation will regard us as worthy successors to the long line of illustrious men who have served as "Soldiers of the Sea" since the founding of the Corps.
John A. Lejeune, Major General Commandant
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARINES
Happy Birthday, Marines. May you see many, many more. I raise my glass to you all today.