Happy 233rd Birthday, United States Marines

[Repaid1]

SEMPER FI. Marines HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Here's a old site but still a good one, and the message today from our Commandant.

https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/holiday/usmc...5_playmovie.asp

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY MESSAGE - 10 NOVEMBER 2008

Date Signed: 10/10/2008

ALMAR Number: 042/08

R 082000z OCT 08

ALMAR 042/08

MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC CMC//

SUBJ/UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY MESSAGE - 10 NOVEMBER 2008//

POC/SSGT M. BELL/ADMIN CHIEF/UNIT:CMC STAFF GROUP/-

/TEL:(703) 614-2326//

GENTEXT/REMARKS/

1. DURING THE SUMMER OF 1982, IN THE WAKE OF A

PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE, MARINES WENT ASHORE AT BEIRUT, LEBANON.

FIFTEEN MONTHS LATER, ON 23 OCTOBER 1983, EXTREMISTS STRUCK THE

FIRST MAJOR BLOW AGAINST AMERICAN FORCES - STARTING THIS LONG WAR ON

TERRORISM. ON THAT SUNDAY MORNING, A SUICIDE BOMBER DROVE AN

EXPLOSIVE-LADEN TRUCK INTO THE HEADQUARTERS OF BATTALION LANDING

TEAM 1/8, DESTROYING THE BUILDING AND KILLING 241 MARINES AND

CORPSMEN.

2. EXTREMISTS HAVE ATTACKED OUR NATION, AT HOME AND ABROAD,

NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE THAT FATEFUL DAY IN BEIRUT. THEIR AIM HAS

ALWAYS BEEN THE SAME - TO KILL AS MANY INNOCENT AMERICANS AS

POSSIBLE. THE ATTACKS OF 11 SEPTEMBER 2001 CHANGED OUR NATION

FOREVER, AND OUR PRESIDENT HAS RESOLVED THAT THIS NATION WILL NOT

STAND IDLE WHILE MURDEROUS TERRORISTS PLOT THEIR NEXT STRIKE.

MARINES WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE THE FIGHT TO THE ENEMY - HITTING THEM

ON THEIR OWN TURF, CRUSHING THEM WHEN THEY SHOW THEMSELVES, AND

FINDING THEM WHERE THEY HIDE.

3. ONLY A FEW AMERICANS CHOOSE THE DANGEROUS, BUT NECESSARY, WORK

OF FIGHTING OUR NATION'S ENEMIES. WHEN OUR CHAPTER OF HISTORY IS

WRITTEN, IT WILL BE A SAGA OF A SELFLESS GENERATION OF MARINES WHO

WERE WILLING TO STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR OUR NATION; TO DEFEND THOSE

WHO COULD NOT DEFEND THEMSELVES; TO THRIVE ON THE HARDSHIP AND

SACRIFICE EXPECTED OF AN ELITE WARRIOR CLASS; TO MARCH TO THE SOUND

OF THE GUNS; AND TO ABLY SHOULDER THE LEGACY OF THOSE MARINES WHO

HAVE GONE BEFORE.

4. ON OUR 233RD BIRTHDAY, FIRST REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED AND

THOSE "ANGELS" WHO HAVE FALLEN - OUR REPUTATION WAS BUILT ON THEIR

SACRIFICES. REMEMBER OUR FAMILIES; THEY ARE THE UNSUNG HEROES WHOSE

SUPPORT AND DEDICATION ALLOW US TO ANSWER OUR NATION'S CALL.

FINALLY, TO ALL MARINES AND SAILORS, KNOW THAT I AM PROUD OF YOU AND

WHAT YOU DO. YOUR SUCCESSES ON THE BATTLEFIELD HAVE ONLY ADDED TO

OUR ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY. GENERAL VICTOR H. "BRUTE" KRULAK SAID IT

BEST WHEN HE WROTE, "... THE UNITED STATES DOES NOT NEED A MARINE

CORPS ... THE UNITED STATES WANTS A MARINE CORPS." YOUR ACTIONS, IN

IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, AND ACROSS THE GLOBE, ARE AT THE CORE OF WHY

AMERICA LOVES HER MARINES.

5. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARINES AND SEMPER FIDELIS! JAMES T. CONWAY,

GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS//

[PampersPete]

I may hate my government but I love the soldiers who protect us. Happy Birthday Marines!!! Semper Fi!

[lynniehyde]

Semper Fi, Repaid. Once a Marine, always a Marine. Thank you for the reminder. Gung ho! Gung ho! Gung ho!

Cuddles,

--heidilynn

PS:Where's Ruffles? She should be here. Last time I saw her, she had her lockerbox with a Pendleton address on it full of baby clothes.

[mandylou]

Semper Fi, brothers and sisters!