MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Last week, Marines around the world celebrated the United States Marine Corps’ 234th birthday. In Iwakuni, Japan, the celebrations spanned a total of three days with three separate birthday balls.
Service members and civilians from across the station celebrated the birthday at an elaborately decorated IronWorks Gym from Nov. 12 to 14.
Simply put, the three celebrations unfolded as such; attendees dressed to the nines found their seats, the lights went off, video from the Commandant of the Marine Corps played, people watched, the video ended, colors were presented, the cake was cut, a speech was made, food was served, food was eaten, and after that people began to boogie their way on the dance floor under a large Eagle, Globe and Anchor disco ball.
Amidst the parties and celebration was an important message directly from the Commandant of the Marine Corps himself, Gen. James T. Conway.
In an official birthday message released on Marines.mil, Conway reveals what is expected of today’s Marines.
Conway says, “Our Nation expects her Marines to be ready when the Nation calls; to leave family and the comforts of home behind; to march into battle and thrive under austerity; and to come home under a victory pennant.”
Conway continues in his message, alluding to the road ahead, “Today, as we write the final chapter on our victory in Iraq we will increasingly take the fight to the enemy in Afghanistan and add new pages to our legacy in places called Delaram, Now Zad, and Garmsir.”
His message is directed at today’s Marines and their place in history.
“Today is our day in the Marine Corps,” said Col. Michael A. O’Halloran, the commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni, Japan. “We all get the chance to leave our stamp on this Marine Corps, leaving our legacy on it; everyone does one way or another. They leave a mark; it’s our Marine Corps.”
The message focused on today’s Marines and the roles they play in forming the Marine Corps’ history. The Marine Corps Birthday is a chance for Marines to gather both themselves and their thoughts.
“This is the single most important event for the Marine Corps because it gets us all together wherever we are and gives us a chance to orient on the Commandant’s message,” said O’Halloran. “We then use this message as a central point to orient on our current situation of where we are. We get together, we recalibrate, we reboot and we move on into the next year and we use all of that as a form of momentum to propel us into the next year, and, come November, we will find out where we are again."