On November 10th every year, the United States Marine Corps celebrates their branch’s birthday. However, what is arguably the most important armed force in the powerful United States military, hasn’t always celebrated on November 11th, which was the day the Marines were historically created by the continental Congress during the revolutionary war in 1775. As the Corps was initially abolished at the end of the Revolutionary War, the Corps was reformed and formerly named the United States Marine Corp on July 11th, 1798 by Congress, and under the direction of the Secretary of the Navy. In fact, July 11th was observed as the Marine Corps’ birthday over the next 122 years of American History, until 1921 when Major Edwin McClellan declared that the actual birthday should be November 10th in honor of the Marines who fought in the revolutionary war and helped America win it’s Independence from the British Empire. This also added 23 years to the overall age of the United States Marine branch.
The First Marine Corp Birthday
With this seemingly permanent change, the Marine Corp birthday celebrations began to expand exponentially over the next decade plus. In 1925, the first birthday ball was held in Philadelphia where the heads of the military and members of the Marine Corps dressed in their finest uniforms and celebrated with their significant others, fellow soldiers and officers. At other Marine bases, different forms of celebrations were held on the Corps’ birthday. For example, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a morning of field and water sports and shooting matches precluded a baseball game against Cuban Nationals and a party in the evening; in places like Fort Mifflin, the celebration evolved into a massive parade to celebrate America’s bravest soldiers.
Today, every November 10th is celebrated by Marine commands on every base or deployment around the world. Those Marines stationed in remote American bases have their own unique forms of celebration, as do those soldiers who are actually in conflict zones like the Middle East. It is a time where most Marines look back on past accomplishments and braveries, as well as to the future prepared for new challenges which may lie ahead.
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