Happy Birthday, Marines!

Eli and I attended our first ever Marine Ball on Saturday night. It was really fun to get dressed up, and to spend an evening dancing and dining. But this was not just a fun and frivolous occasion; the Marine Ball is held every year all over the world (I'm assuming that there is a ball in nearly every location in which a Marine detachment is located) to celebrate the birthday of the United States Marine Corps. The Corps was established on November 10, 1775 by a resolution of the Continental Congress, and so this year, we celebrated the Marines' 234th birthday!

The evening began with a cocktail hour, and then we moved to our tables and for a little over an hour, heard presentations and speeches about the Marines and the good work they've done for more than two centuries in protecting our country. (In embassies, by the way, the Marines are charged with protecting U.S. property contained within the embassy, and so, in most embassies around the world, there is a Marine detachment assigned to the protection of the embassy.) In a letter from John Lejeune, the thirteenth Commandant of the Marine Corps, written on November 1, 1921, and published in our program for this year's Ball, Commandant Lejeune noted that by that time, the Marine Corps had been engaged in some sort of battle for 90 of the preceding 145 years. I wonder how many of the subsequent 88 years have seen men and women of the Marines fight (and sometimes die) in battle? (I suppose that the historians among us could figure that out in fairly short order)

The most poignant moment of the night, at least for me, came during a short video honoring the lives of two Marines who recently were killed by a car bomb in the Middle East. By doing what they did on that day, those two Marines saved the lives of nearly 100 other people. The mother and father of one of the Marines were interviewed, and they both talked about how proud they were of their son, and how they knew that on that day, he had no other choice but to do what he did in order to protect his fellow Marines and civilians. I am always moved when I hear parents speak with such strength and conviction about the death of their children. I simply cannot imagine how I would feel if I were in their position.

The Marines' motto is "Semper Fidelis'" or "always faithful." We are a fortunate nation, indeed, to have amongst us the sort of men and women who are willing to give their very lives for our peace and security. So, on the eve of the 234th birthday of the Marines, I say thank you to every man and woman who has ever served in the armed forces, and may the strength and protection of God be with each of you and your families.

Erin