Happy Birthday to the United States Marine Corps... a reflection on our history and "6" Degrees of Kevin Bacon!
Paul McBride
Veteran: USMC, MBE Senior Healthcare Executive: US/State Governments, Health Systems, Payers, VA/VHA Veterans Advocate: Writer, Keynote/Inspirational Speaker, Board Member Corporate Speaker: Leadership/Team building
By Paul M. McBride, Captain, USMC (1983 - 1989)
Today, November 10th, 2021 marks the 246th birthday of the United States Marine Corps.
NOTE WELL: This article originally appeared FOUR years ago on November 9th, 2017 in celebration of the Marine Corps' 242nd Birthday.
When I "extemporaneously" shared this story with my son back in 2017, he and I both were surprised when we traced back the dates and years. We both likened it to a "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" scenario. I then shared with my son that Kevin Bacon and I have a lot in common...
Kevin Bacon as LtCol. Mike Strobl, USMC in "Taking Chance" 2009
In an interview with Leatherneck.com in January of 2009 Bacon shared the following -
"This is the third Marine I've played. The others were for the films "A Few Good Men'' and "Frost/Nixon.''
"The one thing I will say is that there is no part of me that ever considered being a Marine... could make it in the Marine Corps. I am definitely not that guy. I'm not. I'm not the guy to throw myself in harm's way. I would never make it through boot camp. It's all acting.''
As a Marine, I appreciate Kevin's honesty and I truly appreciate the characters he plays. "Taking Chance" is a must for anybody interested in what it's like to escort a fallen servicemember "home". Kevin Bacon "became" Mike Strobl in the movie and does an outstanding job portraying the many emotions that came upon Mike as he "accompanied" Chance on his final trip home.
Here's the "rest of the story..."
Happy Birthday to the Marine Corps, a reflection on 38 years...
November 9, 2017.
Tomorrow, November 10th marks the 242nd Birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Tradition states that on a cold November evening in 1775, “a few good men” gathered at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia and founded the Continental Marines.
My first formal introduction to the Marine Corps came in the Fall of 1979 – on the Corps' 204th Birthday!
As a newly matriculated Midshipman in Villanova University’s NROTC Program, I had the distinction of being the “youngest Marine present” at the Birthday celebration on November 10th. I had just turned 18 two weeks before.
18 year old Marine Paul McBride - Top... note the "old" steel pot and sateen utilities.
Tradition holds that the youngest Marine and the oldest Marine present at the birthday celebration jointly cut the cake with a Mameluke Sword. The story behind the sword itself is pretty fascinating.
Marine Corps history states that a sword of this type was presented to Marine First Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon by the Ottoman Empire viceroy, Prince Hamet, on December 8, 1805, during the First Barbary War, in Libya, as a gesture of respect and praise for the Marines’ actions at the Battle of Derna (1805).
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Upon O’Bannon’s return to the United States, the state of Virginia presented him with a silver-hilted sword featuring an eagle head hilt and a curved blade modeled after the original Mameluke sword given to him by Prince Hamet. Its blade is inscribed with his name and a commemoration of the Battle of Tripoli Harbor. This of course, is the reason for the line “To the shores of Tripoli” in the Marines Hymn.
Birthday celebrations range from high-end formal balls held in luxury hotels to the sharing of a C-RAT/ MRE Fruitcake - (the absolute WORST) - under a rain-soaked poncho in the field. During my Marine Corps career, I participated in both types. I’d have to say that while the formal balls were more “fun”, the “celebrations” in the field were more meaningful.
The Villanova celebration in 1979 was a “somewhat” formal affair in that it was held in an oak paneled room in Dougherty Hall. The attendees were primarily older professors and their families – along with the Midshipmen and the NROTC Battalion Staff. The professors were in their “uniform” - tweed sports coat with elbow patches, button down oxford and school tie - while the Marines and Midshipmen were turned out in their Dress Blues.
Typically, two formal messages are read each year – the 13th Commandant, General John A. LeJeune’s Birthday message and the current Commandant’s message.
These are then followed up by toasts to the Corps and “absent” companions.
As the youngest Marine present, I was asked to share General LeJeune’s message. Upon conclusion of the reading of the Birthday messages and the Toasts, the cake was then cut and shared.
The “oldest” marine present that fall day in 1979 was an 80 year-old retired professor. Dr. Thomas Smith.
When you do the simple math, you realize that the professor was born in 1899. He shared his story of serving “Over - There” as a 19 year- old private in June of 1918 at the Battle of Belleau Wood.
He served with Captain Lloyd Williams… when soldiers in the retreating French army suggested that the Marines retreat as well … Williams uttered the famous reply – “Retreat? Hell, we just got here!”
This battle is also where the Marines earned the title “Teufel Hunden / Devil Dogs” for their hard fighting against the Germans.
When I shared this story with my youngest son, he said “Wait a minute dad… you’re talking about meeting a man who fought in a battle that took place a hundred years ago”!
I shared with him that to give some historical perspective to his thoughts – you could look at it this way… If I were to meet the “youngest Marine present at this year’s Birthday Celebration in 2017 – that student would look at me as an OLD TIMER from 38 years ago… 1979.
My son’s conclusion once he looked at my perspective was that we’re not THAT far removed from our forefathers!
"Long live the United States and success to her Marines, past, present and future!"
For more on Marine History check out www.marines.com
About the author... Paul McBride is a former Marine Officer and the Founder and President of American Military Society Press. Currently he serves as RVP at ZeOmega Population Health Management Software. You can contact him at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on the amsp1775.com website on November 9, 2017?