SEMPER FIDELIS!

By Homer Hirt

With all the recognition of November 11 as Veterans’ Day, we often forget the significance of November 10.

Two hundred and thirty three years ago the oldest of our armed forces was formed. In 1775 the Continental Congress authorized the United States Marine Corps, and within a few days a committee had signed up the first recruits. There is a joke that has gone around for years about this. Always somewhere in the Corps there would be a corporal or a gunnery sergeant that would gather a group of recruits and say "let me tell you how it was in the ‘old’ corps". So, that day at Tun’s Tavern in Philadelphia the committee signed up the first man and sent him outside. In a few minutes the second man joined him, and the first one said: "Let me tell you how it was in the ‘old’ corps".

One of the most honored traditions is the cutting of the Marine birthday cake. On each anniversary on November 10, there is always a celebration, and whether the unit is small or large, there is a properly decorated birthday cake. It may not be fancy, and it may be cut with a Ka-Bar knife or an officer’s dress sword, but the first slice is taken by the oldest Marine, and is presented to the youngest. Thus the traditions are passed down, saying, in essence, "You are one of us. Now, go and pass the tradition on". And the terms "honor, "courage" and "commitment" are part of the continuing way for them.

The story of the Corps is about the battles and the wars fought, but even more, of the men who fought them.

Theodore "Ted" Williams is remembered as one of our finest baseball players. Many don’t know that Ted was also a Marine pilot in two wars. Ted was called back after World War II to fly again over the skies of Korea. I often wonder what kind of records he would have garnered if his sports career had not been interrupted.

One of my personal favorite Mariane stories was about General Holland M. "Howling Mad" Smith. Smith was born near Eufaula, Alabama, and served in World War I, Mexico, Dominican Republic and World War II. He was responsible for leading many of the Pacific amphibious landings where he earned his nickname because of his distain for incompetents, especially officers. Supposedly he once fired an Army General, whose name was also Smith.

No account of the Corps would be complete without mentioning Lewis "Chesty" Puller. Puller fought not only in World War II and Korea, but led men in many other places, including some "Horse Marines" in China. In Korea he brought his men down from the Chosin Reservoir in temperatures which dropped to forty and fifty degrees below zero F. He was awarded five Navy Crosses, the highest award except for the Medal of Honor, and an Army Distinguished Service Cross for a total of fourteen personal decorations in combat. His fame and reputation stays with the Corps. Many a drill instructor, supervising calisthenics over a recruit squad in boot camp, ends up by shouting: "NOW, GIVE ME TWENTY PUSHUPS FOR CHESTY". And they give twenty for Chesty!

The Marine Corps has many, many more heroes: Joe Foss, who later was governor of his home state of South Dakota, bagged twenty six Japanese planes in combat, including twenty Zero fighters.

Daniel "Dan" Daly, was awarded the Medal of Honor in Haiti. Daly was pinned down at Belieau Wood in France with his men. He jumped out of the trench and yelled back: "Come on, you s---- of b-------, do you want to live forever?" He won his first Medal of Honor in the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900.

Greg "Pappy" Boyington flew over Guadalcanal and gained the Medal of Honor. He personally shot down fourteen enemy fighter planes in thirty two days, and commanded the "Black Sheep" Squadron. You may remember him for the television show that purported to tell his story. His real actions were more exciting than the show..

It is always said that there is no such person as an "ex-Marine", and there is no better example of that than Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, who says he runs his company "Marine Corps" style. In recognition of employee performance, he even passes out flag lapel pins that stand for "Bravo Zulu", the Navy and Corps "well done" signal that is their highest accolade.

We Navy men acknowledge, albeit somewhat reluctantly, the wonderful history of our Marine comrades, since they, too, are "sea service". We joke about our landing them on foreign beaches, then going back to our ships to drink coffee while they fight. So, when I hear the last lines of the

Marine Corps hymn:
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven’s scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded by
The United States Marines!

I tip my glass to them and echo: SEMPER FIDELES!, and if I make it to that exalted place, I will feel safe!