Scaled-down celebration marks
Marine Corps' 226th birthday
By David Josar,
Stuttgart bureau
David Josar / Stars and Stripes
Marine Gen. Carlton Fulford, U.S. European Command deputy commander in chief, takes a bite
of cake Thursday at Patch Barracks to mark the 226th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps. At
right is Maj. Gen. Arnold Fields, deputy commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe. |
STUTTGART, Germany — U.S. Marine Forces Europe celebrated the 226th birthday of
the Marine Corps on Thursday with a scaled-down cake-cutting ceremony and a reduced-size
ball.
About 75 Marines were joined by a handful of members from other services for the
30-minute cake-cutting ceremony at the Schwabian Special Events Center at Patch Barracks.
Throughout the speeches and recollections was the specter of Operation Enduring
Freedom, the U.S.-led war on terrorism.
"We’re here today to remember the great Marines from 226 years ago who served
the Corps and our country and the values we stand for," said Marine Gen. Carlton W.
Fulford, deputy commander in chief of the U.S. European Command. "Osama bin Laden and
his kind never had the wildest idea of what they unleashed when they attacked the U.S.
I’m excited to be part of that."
Marine Staff Sgt. Darrin Alexander said part of the Marine history is to recall,
wherever you are stationed or deployed, its founding on Nov. 10, 1775.
"It’s tradition," said Alexander, who has been a Marine for 14 years.
"I’ve remembered it when I’ve been in the middle of the jungle and in the
middle of the desert … there is always a celebration."
This year, Marine Forces Europe scaled back the ball at its Stuttgart headquarters,
said spokesman Master Sgt. E.A. Pacheco.
In prior years, the ball had been held in the local German community but due to force
protection issues it was held Thursday night at the Patch Community Club on base, Pacheco
said.
Still, about 300 people will attend this year, down from roughly 470 last year, he
said.
Other Marine units across Europe also have scaled back or canceled their balls.
Fulford said the Marine tradition continues in the war on terrorism.
So far, he said, Marines are flying off aircraft carriers and dropping bombs on
Afghanistan, rescuing soldiers downed in combat, and "sharpening their bayonets to do
some cave hunting."
Military escorts Lance Cpl. Rudolph Darden and Lance Cpl. Paul Gorski said the history
and tradition of the Marines is why they chose this branch of the service.
"There is such a strong sense of tradition. That’s why I became a
Marine," Gorski said.
Darden said it was not only the tradition of the Marine Corps but that it was the
smallest and best-known branch of U.S. military service.
"We hold ourselves extremely high. That’s what I wanted," he said.
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