By Terry Orr
USN Retired
Happy
Birthday Marines and thank you for your sacrifice, loyal and dedicated service! Bravo Zulu
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
BIRTHDAY MESSAGE 2013
Date Signed: 10/29/2013
ALMARS Active Number: 037/13
R 291451Z OCT 13
UNCLASSIFIED/
ALMAR 037/13
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2007/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS(UC)/F002//
SUBJ/UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY MESSAGE 2013//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. FOR 238 YEARS, THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
HAS PROUDLY SERVED OUR GREAT NATION WITH UNFAILING VALOR - BOLSTERED BY THE
ENDURING FORTITUDE OF OUR FELLOW MARINES, OUR FAMILIES, AND OUR FRIENDS. THIS IS WHY EACH YEAR ON NOVEMBER 10TH,
MARINES FROM ALL GENERATIONS GATHER TOGETHER, IN GROUPS LARGE AND SMALL, TO
CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAY OF OUR CORPS AND TO REFLECT ON THE PROUD LEGACY AND
WARRIOR ETHOS WE SHARE. THIS IS WHAT
UNITES US AS MARINES. FROM OUR FIRST
BATTLE AT NEW PROVIDENCE TO TODAY IN AFGHANISTAN, MARINES HAVE ALWAYS SHOWN
THAT THEY WERE MADE OF TOUGHER STUFF - THAT WHEN THE ENEMY'S FIRE POURED IN
FROM ALL ANGLES, AND THE SITUATION WAS GRIM, MARINES UNEQUIVOCALLY KNEW THAT THEIR
FELLOW MARINES WOULD STAY BEHIND THEIR GUNS, FIGHT COURAGEOUSLY, AND DRIVE THE
ENEMY FROM THE BATTLEFIELD. WE HAVE
ALWAYS KNOWN HARDSHIP, FATIGUE, AND PAIN ... BUT WE HAVE NEVER KNOWN WHAT IT IS
TO LOSE A BATTLE!
2.
MARINES OF GENERATIONS PAST BUILT OUR REPUTATION AS THE MOST DISCIPLINED
AND HONORABLE WARRIORS TO EVER SET FOOT ON A BATTLEFIELD, AND WE HAVE TRIUMPHED
IN EVERY BATTLE BECAUSE OUR CORPS HAS ALWAYS FOCUSED ON IRON DISCIPLINE AND
COMBAT EXCELLENCE. THIS IS WHO WE
ARE...THIS IS WHAT WE DO! IT MATTERS NOT
WHETHER YOU CARRIED AN M-1, AN M-14, OR M-16.
IT MATTERS NOT WHETHER YOU FOUGHT ON A LONELY ISLAND IN THE PACIFIC,
ASSAULTED A CITADEL IN THE JUNGLE, OR MARCHED UP TO BAGHDAD. IT MATTERS NOT WHETHER YOU ARE A GRUNT, A
PILOT OR A LOGGIE. WHAT MATTERS IS THAT,
WHEN THE CHIPS WERE DOWN AND THINGS GOT TOUGH, YOUR FELLOW MARINES COULD COUNT
ON YOU TO STAND AND FIGHT ... AND FIGHT YOU DID!
3.
THIS YEAR, WE CELEBRATE THE ANNIVERSARY OF SEVERAL EPIC BATTLES IN OUR
CELEBRATED HISTORY: THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 2D MARINE DIVISION LANDING ON
TARAWA, THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF HUE CITY, AND THE 10TH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE "MARCH UP" TO BAGHDAD. MARINES WHO FOUGHT IN THESE LEGENDARY BATTLES
EACH MADE THEIR MARK UPON THE HISTORY OF OUR CORPS. THEY HAVE PASSED A RICH AND ILLUSTRIOUS
LEGACY ON TO US - A MUCH HERALDED REPUTATION.
IT IS OURS TO JEALOUSLY GUARD, AND IT IS UP TO US TO MAKE OUR OWN MARKS
AND THUS PROUDLY PASS IT ON TO THE GENERATIONS OF MARINES WHO WILL FOLLOW.
4.
SERGEANT MAJOR MICHEAL BARRETT JOINS ME IN CONGRATULATING EACH OF
YOU. BECAUSE OF YOU, YOUR SELFLESS
SERVICE, AND YOUR MANY SACRIFICES, OUR CORPS REMAINS STRONG AND READY TO
RESPOND TO ANY CRISIS. THROUGHOUT
HISTORY, MARINES HAVE FACED TOUGH TIMES AND THERE WILL BE TOUGH TIMES AHEAD,
BUT THERE IS NO CHALLENGE WE CANNOT OVERCOME IF WE REMAIN HONORABLE AND ALWAYS
FAITHFUL TO OUR NATION, OUR CONSTITUTION AND EACH OTHER. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARINES!
5. SEMPER FIDELIS. JAMES F. AMOS, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//
