From the Yuma Sun, Nov 8: Marines mark another year by celebrating 236th birthday
Marines and sailors at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma gathered Tuesday morning to recall the Corps' long and glorious history, and to pay homage to past generations of those who served as part of its 236th birthday celebrations.
The formal celebration, which was held on the MCAS Yuma parade ground, included a pageant of uniforms worn throughout the Corps' history, a traditional message from the Corps 13th Commandant, and the traditional cake-cutting ceremony.
“We are celebrating all the Marines from the American Revolution through the fight in Afghanistan today, and everything in between,” said Col. Robert Kuckuk, commander of MCAS Yuma. “All of those people who toiled for their country, gave up their personal comfort and freedoms in order to wear the eagle, globe and anchor and earn the title of U.S. Marine. Every year we get to revel in our history. We all come together and we thank goodness, and thank God the creator, that we get to be members of this organization whose sole purpose in life is to protect the freedoms that other people have gone and fought for over the course of the history of this great country.”
Sgt. Daniel Malta, from the MCAS Yuma public affairs office, opened the ceremony by sharing a brief history of the Marine Corps with those who attended, while the Marine Hymn played softly in the background.
“The word ‘Marine' spans time, places, people, personalities and exploits,” Malta said. “It is the honor, courage and commitment of those who have preceded us who have set the standards and made the Corps the proud fighting organization it has been since its inception in 1775. We have faith in our God, love for our country, dedication to our Corps, belief in ourselves, and a heritage that sets us apart from any other.”
A reading of a special birthday message from Gen. James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, was also part of the celebration. In his message, Amos said while the Marines have been in engaged in continuous conflict the past 10 years against enemies who would threaten the security of the country, while it has come at a cost, there was much to be proud of.
“This past year in operations around the world, including humanitarian disaster relief, counter-piracy, theater security cooperation, special operations, counter-insurgency and many more, you continued to solidify our place as America's expeditionary force in readiness,” Amos wrote in his statement. “As we celebrate our 236th birthday, let us look forward to future challenges, whatever they may be, and reaffirm to be America's premier crisis response force; to be the first to fight, always ready for the toughest and most challenging assignments.”
During the uniform pageant, which commemorated the long lineage of men and women who have filled the Corps' ranks for more than two centuries, Marines dressed in uniforms took position on the parade field as their eras were read aloud. The uniforms dated from the time of Continental Marines to the present day.
“We use the uniform pageant to highlight our history and quickly move through, what we all as Marines, consider somewhat an illustrious history, while showing the uniforms we wore over time,” Kuckuk said.
What is important to remember about all the battles Marines have fought in is that they were all fought by young people who most likely had no idea where the places were before the fighting began, Kuckuk said.
“Now we look back at some of the greatness and heroism that took place, and all those kids were probably still in high school the year before,” Kuckuk said. “That is the kind of people you are dealing with and the kind of tradition we celebrate.”
Following the pageant, a Navy corpsman rappelled 100 feet out of a SAR HH-1N Huey helicopter to deliver the ceremonial sword that Kuckuk used to cut the birthday cake. The first slice was presented to the oldest Marine on the air station, Lt. Col. Charles Carroll, 52, who then passed it to the youngest Marine, 18-year-old Pfc. Kyle Wilson.
Following the cake-cutting, Pfc. Abraham A Cabrera, who was born in Agua Prieta, Mexico, officially became a U.S. citizen in a naturalization ceremony.
The Marine Corps' official birthday is Nov. 10, 1775, when the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution that “two battalions of Marines be raised.”
