Happy Birthday to the Marine Corps

Tun Tavern Philadelphia, PA November 10, 1775: At the dawn of the revolution the continental congress met at the tavern to sign a resolution that would create two Marine Battalions for amphibious warfare, thus beginning the legacy of Marine Corps.

1776: “A patriot

militia strategically entrenched itself in a field near Moores Creek, anticipating a loyalist army to come across the Moores Creek Bridge. Surely enough, the loyalist army proceeded across the bridge and found itself immediately engaged in musket fire. The patriot militia’s ambush caught it off guard and was too strong. The patriot militia defeated the loyalist army, and the battle is known today as a significant victory for the patriots.” (The Marine Times)

The Battle of Derne 1805: This marked a major victory for the First Barbary War as the mercenary army led by a detachment of Marines overtook the rich and strategic port

city of Derne on the coast of Tripoli.

Battle of Belleau Wood 1918: Deep in the forests of France Marines fought a 27 day battle against the German army and defeated them despite their deadly gas attacks. This battle helped coin the Marine Corps nickname of “Devil Dogs” and the French renamed the woods the “Bois de la Brigade Marine,” (Forest of the Marine Brigade).

Iwo Jima 1945 : “When the United States sent the Marines to capture the Japanese airfields at Iwo Jima, the Marines showed the world their unyielding determination. Japanese soldiers turned the volcanic island into a trap, fighting from a maze of tunnels and steel bunkers beneath Mt. Suribachi. The Battle of Iwo Jima lasted 36 days and resulted in heavy casualties before the Marines secured the island. Four days into the battle, a Marine patrol reached the summit of Mt. Suribachi and raised the American Flag to encourage troops below. Later on, a team of Marines was sent with a larger, more visible flag. This time, the flag raising was captured by photographer Joe Rosenthal. Within days, the photo of the moment that embodied the Marines’ struggle and victory became front-page news. The flag raising at Iwo Jima has become an iconic symbol of the Marine Corps. The monument of the Marine Corps War Memorial is cast in its image, inspiring

each generation of Marines to strive for greatness.” (Source: Marines.com)

1950 Chosin Reservoir: At Chosin Reservoir, the 1st Marine Division found itself surrounded and outnumbered 8-to-1 by the Chinese army. The worst weather in 50 years cut off air support and assaulted the Marines with snow, wind and temperatures of -40 degrees F. Even so, the “Chosin Few,” as they would come to be called, decimated 10 Chinese infantry divisions and fought their way back to the sea to rejoin the American forces. No Marines have ever faced worse weather, terrain or odds than those who fought at Chosin Reservoir, but to anyone familiar with the Marines’ spirit of determination, there was no doubt the 1st Marine Division would prevail. (Source: Marines.com)

Operation Starlight 1965: “When Marine commander, Lieutenant General Lewis W. Walt, received intelligence that the Viet Cong were hiding in a village south of the Marine base at Chu Lai, he didn’t wait to be attacked. LtGen Walt and his commanders devised “Operation Starlite,” a combined helicopter and amphibious assault that would protect the base and neutralize the approaching unit. The operation lasted six days and was a true test of courage. In the end, the Marines dealt the Viet Cong their first major defeat. The success of Operation Starlite not only proved the value of combined amphibious and vertical envelopment operations in combat, it renewed the Marines’ faith in their ability to triumph in ‘every clime and place.’” (Source: Marines.org)

Operation Desert Storm 1990: “The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 led to the largest movement of Marine forces since World War II. Between August 1990 and January 1991, 24 infantry battalions, 40 squadrons (more than 92,000 Marines) deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Shield. The air campaign of Operation Desert Storm began Jan. 16, 1991, followed by the main overland

attack Feb. 24 when the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions breached the Iraqi defense lines and stormed into occupied Kuwait. Meanwhile, the threat from the sea in the form of Marine Expeditionary Brigades held 50,000 Iraqis in check along the Kuwait coast. By the morning of Feb. 28, 100 hours after the ground war began, the Iraqi army was no longer a threat.” (Globalsecurity.org)

Operation Enduring Freedom 2001: “After the attack on our nation on September 11, 2001, the entire American military focused its might on defeating Al-Qaeda. Two months later, Marines were the first major ground forces in Afghanistan. In mid-December, 2001, Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit captured Kandahar Airport and converted it into one of the first coalition command centers in the country. [...] At the start of 2010, Marines lead Operation Moshtarak, the largest military operation since the beginning of the war in Afghanistan and reclaimed cities across southern Afghanistan, including the Taliban stronghold of Marjah. The War in Afghanistan officially became the longest war in U.S. history in June of 2010. Marines continue to fight the Taliban and train Afghan soldiers to eventually shoulder the burden of Afghanistan’snational security

.” (Marines.com)

Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003: Marines secured the capitol of Baghdad with a force of 30,000 troops on April 9, 2003, helping secure control of the nation suspected of harboring WMD’s. 4,474 US troops have died since the beginning of US involvement in Iraq.

http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/10/happy-birthday-to-the-marine-corps-slideshow/

And for what they fight for: