Today, November 10th is often thought of as just the day before Veterans Day but the day actually has its own significance to it. November 10th is the Marine Corps birthday, one of our armed forces whose members we support on the 11th. The exact birthday of the Marine Corps, or creation of, is November 10th 1775.

The Marine Corps was first known as the “Continental Marines” and the first war that they served in was the American Revolutionary War. It was after the Revolutionary War that the Continental Marines and the Continental Navy ceased to exist anymore. It was after some consideration that the Marine Corps was brought back into existence but renamed. 

The Marine Corps is not the first military branch created but it is the first to be sent in to fight on ground when in times of conflict. The Marine Corps is also special because they fight on air, land, and sea; which is mentioned in the Marine Corps Hymn. The Marine Corps is also a brotherhood that you don’t see in other places among other people, they are taught to not leave any other Marine behind, this bond that they have also makes them more formidable. They consider every Marine, past and present a Marine; there is no such thing as a “retired Marine” or a “former Marine”, they coin this concept with “Once a Marine, always a Marine”.

Marines are also sometimes called “devil dogs”, not many people know why they are called this and where the term arose. The name Devil Dogs was not given to the Marines by themselves but rather to the Germans that they had been fighting in one of their official reports. These Marines were ordered to take this hill being occupied by the Germans, and so they did. Wearing gas masks they fought their way through the Germans mustard gas and were relentless, earning them their nickname. 

Not very many people know exactly what the Marine Corps mascot is or even that they had one, some may think of it as an eagle, or even their eagle globe and anchor that they use. In reality, the Marine Corps mascot is a bulldog, named Chesty. The Marine Corps has retired Chesty the Bulldog 14 times now. 

One tradition that the Marine Corps participate in during their yearly birthday is cutting a large cake. The first slice of cake in a wedding typically goes to the Bride and Groom. In the Marine Corps, the first slice goes to the oldest Marine and then down to the youngest in terms of age.

One final thing about the Marine Corps is a term that they use with each other. This term can mean either a greeting, a motivation, or an expression. This term is Semper Fidelis, this term should not be used by a non marine about the Marine Corps because it is something that Marines earned the right to use with each other. If one wished to say Semper Fi, the short version of Semper Fidelis, they should end it with, Marine (ex. Semper Fi, Marine) and be speaking to a Marine. 

Happy Birthday to the United States Marine Corps!