Marines, On the occasion of our 239th birthday, let me extend a hearty HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINES!!! Let us also take time to reflect on how fortunate we are as Marines. The Marine Corps has a proud history with which few military organizations can compare. But more importantly, as Marines, we have traditions that set us apart, not only from members of other military forces, but from other persons throughout our country and the world. These traditions have been handed down to us from those Marines that went before us. It is our responsibility to ensure these traditions are passed on to those that follow. For others services, It not a job, its an adventure. well, for Marines, its not a job, its a calling. We are different; we set the standard for all to follow. Embrace our traditions and help infuse our famous Espirt de Corps into all that claim the title. One piece of our tradition I will pass on during the occasion of our birthday. Lets talk about our hymn. The correct name of our hymn is The Marines Hymn. There is no such song as The Marine Corps Hymn!! And if you hear anyone use the incorrect title, correct them! Let’s look at that title again and examine its meaning. In the title, The Marines Hymn, we see that the word Marines has an apostrophe that makes it plural possessive. That is for a very important and traditional reason. For you see the hymn belongs to the Marines, all Marines, it does not belong to the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps is an organization made up of orders, regulations, and brick and mortar buildings and is nothing but a structured frame work from which we operate. It is a tangible, three dimensional hunk of matter that doesnt care or feel anything. However, Marines are people imbued with a spirit of honor, courage and commitment. The true meaning of being a Marine can never be put into tangible terms; It can never be fully explained. Only those that have earned the title know what it truly means. They know it in their head, their heart and in their soul. It is for this reason that the Hymn belongs to them. It belongs to all Marines, not just those on active duty. Once a Marine, Always a Marine is not just a jazzy phrase, it holds that once you earn the title it is forever. So, when we hear The Marines Hymn played, the Marine Corps does not (cannot) stand at attention, instead ALL Marines stand at attention and pay reverence for they have earned the title and because this is their hymn. Semper Fi, MGySgt K.M. Grant Proud holder of the title, U.S. Marine
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 00:14:58 +0000
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