National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, In Memoriam: The 2,403 →
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, also referred to as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day or Pearl Harbor Day, is observed annually in the United States on December 7, to remember and honor the 2,403 citizens of the United States who were killed in the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaiʻi on December 7, 1941.
On August 23, 1994, the United States Congress, by Pub.L 103–308, 108 Stat. 1169, designated December 7 of each year as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. On November 29, President Bill Clinton issued a proclamation declaring December 7, 1994, the first National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. It became 36 U.S.C. § 129 (Patriotic and National Observances and Ceremonies) of the United States Code. On Pearl Harbor Day, the American flag should be flown at half-staff until sunset to honor those who died as a result of the attack on U.S. military forces in Hawaiʻi... - via
The 247th United States Marine Corps Birthday: A Message From The Commandant Of The Marine Corps →
70 years ago, Army Major General Frank E. Lowe was quoted as saying, "The safest place in Korea was right behind a platoon of Marines. Lord, how they could fight." That testimonial rings as true now as it did then, and will remain so tomorrow. As we celebrate the 247th anniversary of our Corps' founding, we reflect on nearly two and a half centuries of exceptional prowess, while also taking objective stock of where we are today and how we will prepare for future battlefields. Our birthday provides us a chance to focus on the one thing common to our success in the past, present, and future: the individual Marine. Victories are not won because of technology or equipment, but because of our Marines.
Since 1775, Marines have fought courageously and tenaciously in every conflict our country has faced. Through the Revolution, the Spanish-American War, World Wars in Europe and the Pacific, conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, and operations in the Middle East, Marines consistently earned a reputation as the world's elite fighting force. We inherit and take pride in this reputation, evolved over time by Marines acquitting themselves with honor and distinction on every battlefield in every clime and place. Battlefields change, and Marines have always adapted to the environment and the changing character of war - but the reason we fight and win is immutable. It's the individual warfighters, and their love for each other, that makes our Corps as formidable a force today as it has been for the past 247 years. It's our ethos and our unapologetic resolve to be the most capable and lethal fighting force that sets us apart from the rest.
Current events around the world remind us that peace is not guaranteed. While we are justifiably proud of our past and pay tribute to the remarkable warfighters who came before us, we understand that the stories of yesterday cannot secure our freedom tomorrow. We must be ready to respond when our Nation calls. It falls on Marines who are in uniform today to write the next chapter of our Corps. The solemn responsibility of maintaining our illustrious warfighting legacy rests upon your shoulders. I know that you are up to that task. The battlefields of tomorrow are uncertain. The future characteristics of warfare are uncertain. But one thing is certain - wherever Marines are called, they will fight and win - today, tomorrow, and into the future.
The 245th United States Marine Corps Birthday: Honor, Courage, and Commitment
A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS
If there were a watchword for 2020, the shortlist would certainly include ‘change,’ ‘uncertainty,’ and ‘adaptation.’ This new dynamic and uncertain environment has impacted how we recruit and train Marines, deploy aboard ship, and even how we honor our Corps’ hallowed traditions. But adapting to change and uncertainty is nothing new for Marines. It is what we have done for 245 years and what is expected of us as the Nation’s force-in- readiness. Where others see challenges, Marines see opportunities. We don’t take a knee. We will always be ready to answer the nation’s call, no matter the crisis.
In a world of seemingly relentless change and uncertainty, some things remain constant–our core values: Honor, Courage, and Commitment. These values are at the very heart of our ability to be, “most ready when the Nation is least ready.” It’s honor that gives us an uncompromising sense of personal integrity and accountability; courage that allows us to face any circumstance with an ironclad resolve to do what’s right; and commitment that binds us together as a family and drives us toward excellence. And while our core values might never change, the way we give life to them requires constant vigilance. This year’s national conversations about race remind us that we must all do better to embody our service’s values.
Commemorating the 245th birthday of our Corps offers us a chance to reflect on our history. We who serve today stand upon the shoulders of giants. While this year’s many challenges are significant and unique, they are not unprecedented, and it is important to remember that our Nation and Corps have endured difficult times in our past. This year, for example, marks the 75th anniversary of brutal battles in the Pacific; when soldiers of the sea defined the term “uncommon valor” on the black sands of Iwo Jima; the 70th anniversary of bitter fighting at Inchon and Chosin Reservoir; 55 years since Marines landed at Da Nang; and a decade since our struggle with the Taliban in the Helmand River Valley. We remember the service and sacrifice of all Marines, and honor the legacy passed down through generations. Our continuing obligation is to honor their legacy by making meaningful contributions to what they started.
From the past, we draw strength, pride, and a responsibility to carry on the warfighting heritage our predecessors built. We must also recognize our tradition of continuous adaptation–one that should inspire our current force modernization and innovation efforts. As has been the case in the past, today’s threats require us to fight as a cohesive team, and our ability to succeed will depend on the Honor, Courage, and Commitment of each individual Marine. From recruiting individuals of great intelligence, strength, spirit, and diversity, to evolving how we train, educate, and mentor Marines throughout their careers, we remain dedicated to developing the world’s finest warfighters, guided by our core values.
In a year of significant change and uncertainty, I am reminded of the words of American novelist, John Dos Passos, “In times of change and danger when there is a quicksand of fear under men’s reasoning, a sense of continuity with generations gone before can stretch like a lifeline across the scary present...” Never forget, what you do today becomes the foundation for the generations of Marines that will follow. There is no challenge we cannot overcome, together, by holding fast to our core values. Happy 245th Birthday Marines.
Semper Fidelis, DAVID H. BERGER General, U.S. Marine Corps Commandant of the Marine Corps
Mercury 7 [Friendship 7 with John Glenn Aboard] Launch Anniversary
Astronaut John Glenn. On Feb. 20, 1962, 58 years ago today, Glenn (then, a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps) was hurled into space aboard the NASA Mercury Atlas (MA-6) spacecraft.
Glenn, both the first American to enter space, also became the oldest human ever to venture into space as a working member of the Space Shuttle Discovery Crew on October 29, 1998.
John Glenn, a United States Marine, a NASA Astronaut and then a United States Senator - his duty bound focus, and incredible heroism helped lead all mankind into space.
John Glenn died on December 8, 2016, and, was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.
2019 United States Marine Corps 244th Birthday Message →
Lest We Forget: All Gave Some, Some Gave All
Memorial Day 2019
Requiescat In Pacem: Fleming Begaye, Sr., US Marine, Navajo Code Talker
Fleming Begaye Sr., World War II United States Marine Navajo Code Talker has died on the Navajo Nation Reservation at Chinle, Arizona. There are now seven remaining elite World War II United States Marines - Navajo Code Talkers alive. So, for an exceedingly short time in our history as a nation, I will be able to tell my grandchildren that yes, it's true that Heroes of this Marine's stature still walk the Earth.
D-Day, Operation Overlord, June 6, 1944 →
“… these men came here – British and our Allies, and Americans – to storm these beaches for one purpose only, not to gain anything for ourselves, not to fulfill any ambitions that America had for conquest, but just to preserve freedom. . . . Many thousands of men have died for such ideals as these. . . but these young boys. . . were cut off in their prime. . . I devoutly hope that we will never again have to see such scenes as these. I think and hope, and pray, that humanity will have learned. . . we must find some way . . . to gain an eternal peace for this world.” – via Carlo D’Este - Eisenhower: A Soldier’s Life (ISBN-10: 0805056874)
The Allies That Landed On The Normandy Beaches That Day In Defense of Freedom: United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Free France, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Poland.
Silent Shout Out: One Hundred and Eighteen Years of Silent Service
On the occasion of 118 years of Heroic Service to the United States of America we welcome the opportunity to extend our heartiest congratulations to the Men and Women of the United States Navy's Submarine Forces in their work to protect, defend and when necessary, take their warfighters to the battle or the battle to the enemy. Happy Anniversary!
USMC MWD of Fallen Marine Handler Adopted by Family - Riding In 2018 Rose Parade →
Former USMC MWD Sirius, who served with the 2nd Law Enforcement Battalion, a battalion component of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (retired during a ceremony at Ashley Kennels at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Feb. 26, 2016). Sirius was adopted by the family of his former handler, Sgt. Joshua Ashley, who was killed while he and Sirius were on duty, patrolling in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012. - photograph's via Lance Cpl. Erick Galera and Cpl. Michelle Reif of the II Marine Expeditionary Force aboard United States Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, United States of America. Sirius will ride the Lucy Pet Foundation's Paws for Life Float in this New Years 2018 Rose Parade. Outstanding.
US Naval Institute, 'Keep Cyber Marines In The Fight' →
Superlative thought piece by Staff Sergeant Michael Gilliland, USMC, via the United States Naval Institute, provides clarity on the fundamentals of Cyber Marine retention within today's U.S. Marine Corps Forces Cyber Command. Outstanding.
"Some think the retention problem is about money. The Marine Corps is not the highest-paying organization for cyber skills today. But men and women do not join the Marine Corps for high pay." - by Staff Sergeant Michael Gilliland, USMC
'Staff Sergeant Gilliland joined the Marine Corps in 2005. He is a cyber Marine who has served as a signals intelligence (SIGINT) analyst, network analyst, member of an NSA red team, SIGINT instructor, and a watch officer.' - via the USNI Editors
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Do Not Confuse Dissent With Disloyalty
Captain William R. Bray's (USN RET) outstanding thought piece (via the USNI's November 2017 Proceedings Magazine issue) detailing the necessity to NOT confuse dissent with disloyalty; this, wrapped up within the Information Warfare genre. Capt. Bray is also the author of the superlative essay Intelligence Is Not Warfare! (both documents are Must Read's).
"Captain Bray was a career naval intelligence officer who retired in September (2017 - ed.). His last operational tour was Director for Intelligence at Naval Forces Europe/Naval Forces Africa/Sixth Fleet." - via the United States Naval Institue
242nd United States Marine Corps Birthday →
10 NOVEMBER 2017 A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS Seventy-Five years ago today, after months of fighting at Henderson Field and along Edson’s Ridge, Marines on Guadalcanal spent the night of 10 November 1942 planning and preparing. Although the Battle of Guadalcanal would continue for three more months, the plans laid on our Corps’ most sacred day became integral to the amphibious campaigns that followed. Success at Guadalcanal proved to be the turning point that ultimately paved the way for Allied victory in the Pacific. Those warriors defended their positions in brutal conditions against a formidable enemy – and triumphed. Through every major conflict our Nation has seen since the Revolution, Marines performed their duty with utmost courage, devotion, and raw determination. Their valiant deeds in the face of overwhelming challenges give us confidence and inspire us to meet the trials of today. As we pause to celebrate the birth of our Corps this year, we honor the legacy that was passed down to us and we recommit ourselves to carrying those traditions into the future.
This November 10th marks 242 years of warfighting excellence. At places like Trenton, Tripoli, Chapultepec, Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Chosin, Khe Sanh, Fallujah, Sangin, and so many others, Marines have fought with an inner spirit – a spirit that bonds us, binds us together as a cohesive team. It’s that intangible spirit that has formed the foundation of our warfighting reputation for the past 242 years. Now it’s our responsibility to ensure we honor and carry on that legacy. The American people expect a Corps of men and women who are committed, selfless, willing to sacrifice, who epitomize honor, courage, commitment, virtue, and character. We owe our Nation and our predecessors no less.
Today, as we celebrate our 242nd birthday, we must remember who we are, where we came from, and why we’re here. We must remember the past, honor those who are no longer with us, focus on today’s battles, and get ready for tomorrow. We can and will prevail as we always have, in any clime and place. But we must prevail together, united by the unyielding spirit in each of us that makes our Corps unique – that willingness to put our Corps and fellow Marines ahead of ourselves. Victory in battle comes through the integrated efforts of many – teamwork. We value the sacrifices and contributions of every Marine and Sailor, as well as our family members without whose support we would not be able to accomplish our mission. And we remain committed to being our Nation’s Expeditionary Force in Readiness that sets the standard for honor, discipline, and courage. I am proud of each and every one of you. Happy Birthday, Marines!
Semper Fidelis, Robert B. Neller General, U.S. Marine Corps Commandant of the Marine Corps