Sgt. Beau Lively of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe leads fellow Marines down the home stretch of their 2.32-mile run on at Panzer Casern in Böblingen, Germany. The run was to commemorate the Corps' 232nd birthday, which is Nov. 10. (Charlie Coon / S&S)
Sgt. Beau Lively of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe leads fellow Marines down the home stretch of their 2.32-mile run on at Panzer Casern in Böblingen, Germany. The run was to commemorate the Corps' 232nd birthday, which is Nov. 10. (Charlie Coon / S&S)
Col. Bradley H. Shumaker, right, of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and others hold out their dog tags as those who didn't wear theirs do pushups after the Marines' 2.32-mile run. (Charlie Coon / S&S)
BÖBLINGEN, Germany — A perfect morning.
Thirty-two degrees or so. Just cold enough to see one’s breath. Rising sun burning through what’s left of the morning fog.
A perfect day to kick up some of those freshly fallen leaves.
The approximately 120 members of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe on Friday went on an all-hands, 2.32-mile run around Panzer Casern. The distance was to pay tribute to the Marine Corps’ 232nd birthday, which is Nov. 10.
And how do the Marines know the distance was exactly 2.32 miles?
“Sergeant Major (Joseph Leshinsky) measured it, and if he said it’s 2.32 miles, I believe it,” said Maj. Gen. Cornell A. Wilson Jr., the unit’s commander.
The run was part of festivities that will include the Marine Corps ball on Saturday night. Retired Gen. Michael Hagee, former commandant of the Marine Corps, is the special guest.
Next week, Marines from the command will travel to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center to serve Marine Corps birthday cake to their comrades who are being treated for battle wounds.
