Oohrah and Semper Fi! Today, November 10, is the official 243rd birthday of the United States Marine Corps!
Founded in 1775 in Philadelphia by the Second Continental Congress, the USMC is older than the United States itself. Today, the Marine Corps boasts over 183 thousand active duty service members (more than 15 thousand of whom are women) who have pledged to uphold the Marine Corps values of honor, courage and commitment.
The Marine’s Hymn
Most of us know the first verse of The Marine’s Hymn by heart, but the entire song is stirring:
From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli
We fight our country’s battles
In the air, on land, and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.
Our flag’s unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun.
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job —
The United States Marines.
Here’s health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we’ve fought for life
And never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven’s scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines
So, sing it with me as we honor all the Marines who served and toast to another great 243 years!