WASHINGTON, D.C.

Celebrating 232 Years of Tradition

Birthday cakes, banquet dinners and dancing hardly seem in step with the image of the Marine Corps, but every year at this time Marines around the world — in combat zones or on bases — stop to celebrate the ideals and values on which the Marine Corps was founded. Saturday night the Marine Corps Recruiting Command (MCRC) celebrated the 232nd birthday of the Marine Corps by hosting a ball.

The actual birthday of the Marine Corps is November 10th. And each year the Commandant of the Marine Corps issues birthday greetings to share with the troops. (You can see Gen. James T. Conway’s message here.) Due to sheer logistics, not all the birthday celebrations happen on November 10. The festivities generally begin near the end of October and last until mid-November.

For the MCRC ball, nearly 300 Marines, friends and family members gathered in a hotel ballroom near Washington, D.C. The evening's festivities echoed similar celebrations in remote corners of the globe. Whether a simple slice of cake shared between Marines in a desert in Iraq, a base in Japan, or a hotel in Washington, DC, the sentiment is the same: to be a Marine is something to be proud of and the values the Marine Corps stands for are present wherever a Marine rests his boots. Throughout the celebration there were reminders, some subtle and some not-so-subtle, of what sets the Marine Corps apart from other services.

For example, leave it to Marines to turn even birthday cake into a ceremony infused with symbolism. According to the tradition, a sword is used to cut the cake as a reminder that the Marines are a band of warriors. The first piece of cake is always given to the guest of honor, in this case it was Gen. James T. Conway, the Commandant of the Marine Corps. But it is the second piece of cake that reinforces the history of the Corps, a legacy of older Marines nurturing those following in their footsteps.

Once the second slice of cake has been cut, it is passed to the oldest Marine in attendance. At Saturday night's ball, the honor fell to Master Gunnery Sergeant John T. Allan, 51, from Gray, GA. He joined the Marine Corps in 1977. After a single bite, MGySgt. Allan passed the slice to the youngest Marine in attendance: Lance Corporal William P. Taylor, 20, from Lafayette, LA. LCpl. Taylor joined the Marine Corps in 2006.

As guests left the ballroom at the end of the evening, they passed a small table with a single place setting surrounded by a Purple Heart, blank dog tags and a small bible. This simple visual statement served as a vivid memorial for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. In his birthday message, Gen. Conway also asked Marines to pause and remember those who have served, for "Those who have carried the battle colors of our Corps have forged our heritage."

Few guests left the celebration without a renewed sense of pride in all that the Marine Corps represents.

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