On November 10, 1775 the United States Marine Corps was formed in Tun Tavern in Philadelphia. 231 years old and she still looks great!
Buy A Marine a drink and wish him Happy Birthday!
Stupid question, but consider it's coming from a Canadian ...
I've never really understood what the mandate of the USMC is. I mean it's pretty easy to match the army, navy and air force to land, sea and air. How exactly does the USMC fit in to the big picture?
Oh, and happy b-day!
__________________
"Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right." - Henry Ford
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss
"Life is no brief candle to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
Don't you have the History Channel in Canada? The Marines were originally formed to fight as ship borne infantry in the American Revolution. That was back in the day when ships fought close enough to shoot muskets at and board each other. They have since evolved into a realatively lightly armed amphibious force who can go anywhere there's water and cause real harm to evil doers and their ocean front property.
In fact, during the opening stages of the Iraq war, the Marines had to borrow fuel trucks and supply vehicles for that initial advance. They got them from the Army, since the Army, historically, does most of the marching.
marines are the pointy end of the spear. they go kill people and break things really fast and hard.
army is almost a deffensive beast. think of a giant, not too quick, not too smart, but has a big ass stick.
navy kills things on\in\around water
air force is a technical force. attacks relying primarily on speed, and range
There's also the lesser known Merchant Marines, who work on cargo ships during peacetime, but become affiliated with the Navy during wartime. Those who go through the Merchant Marine Academy are considered officers in the Naval Reserve, as well.
Merchant Marines have recently been given their right to be buried in a National Cemetary and now receive retirement pensions from the government. During WWII, they had the highest casualty rate of all front line servicemen (1 in 24). There's a Merchant Marine Memorial, in San Pedro, CA.
The United States Coast Guard, obviously plays a big role in law enforcement and rescue operations. They have participated in major battles in all US wars since they're inception. Coast Guard vessels and personel are currently active in Middle East/Persian Gulf duties. During wartime, they are under the command of the Secretary of the Navy.
Many Coast Guard personel have more combat, ship to ship, and boarding experience than Navy and Marine personel, since the Coast Guard has remained active in these tasks, even during peacetime.
Thanks for the info, guys. Appreciated. And, yes Bill, we have a version of the History Channel in Canada but oddly enough it's not entirely focussed on US history.
__________________
"Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right." - Henry Ford
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss
"Life is no brief candle to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
The Coast Guard and Air Force Reserve have most of the rescue divers in the services and so are activated for combat duty when there is a war or even an undeclared one.
__________________
"Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right." - Henry Ford
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss
"Life is no brief candle to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
Happy Birthday U.S.M.C.!
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