Marines celebrate upcoming 239th birthday | VIDEO

MCLB-ALBANY — Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany held its annual Marine Corps birthday cake-cutting ceremony and uniform pageant Wednesday to celebrate the Marine Corps’ inception on Nov. 10, 1775.

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This year marks the 239th Birthday of the Corps and the traditional cake-cutting ceremony and uniform pageant allowing Marines to showcase and highlight those who have gone before, as well as the past and present uniforms of those who fought, and are currently fighting, in defense of the nation around the world.

Since Nov. 1, 1921, by order of the 13th commandant, Gen. John A. LeJeune, the Marine Corps birthday has served as a reminder of the service of the Corps and its inception. The tradition calls for the birthday cake to be cut with a Mameluke sword by the commanding officer, in this case Col. Donald Davis, commanding officer of the Albany installation. The first piece goes to the oldest Marine present to be passed along to the youngest Marine present at the ceremony.

The oldest Marine present Wednesday morning was Marine Corps Logistics Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Davenport III, 55. The youngest Marine there was Lance Cpl. Kadrie Paul, 19.

The uniform pageant featured Marine Corps garb from the Revolutionary War era onward, with a brief overview of the Corps’ history.

“(The purpose of the birthday celebration) is to get together and celebrate the heritage of our Corps,” said LOGCOM Commanding General Maj. Gen. John Broadmeadow. “(The uniform pageant) is representative of the Marines whose shoulders we stand on.”

As someone in a command position, Broadmeadow said the opportunity to remember the Marines who have gone before him means a lot to him because he gets to spend the birthday serving with those who, while spending their time maintaining vehicles used in combat, impact so many in the Corps.

“Today means an awful lot,” the major general said. “Commanding Marines is very special; it is a very sacred trust. (The mission of LOGCOM) has an impact on Marines around the world.”

Marine Depot Maintenance Command also conducted its birthday cake-cutting ceremony aboard the base later in the day.

In a message sent ahead of the birthday, the newly-minted Marine Corps commandant, Gen. J.F. Dunford Jr., noted the words of Gen. Alexander Vandegrift in his birthday message in 1944 that “A birthday is a fitting time to peer backward — and forward” as Marines were engaged in an amphibious drive across the Pacific Ocean. Dunford also noted that, as 2004 drew to a close, Marines were able to look back on their accomplishments with pride and confidence while 20,000 of them were on deployment in Iraq, and also after they had been called upon to assist in the Pacific following a tsunami that claimed more than 200,000 lives.

“As we celebrate our 239th birthday, Marines are in combat in Afghanistan,” he continued to say in his statement. “Since we last gathered to celebrate our Corps’ birthday, we also responded to crises in the Philippines, South Sudan, Libya, and Iraq.

“Some things change. This year found us in different climes and places than our predecessors in 1944 and 2004. We have adapted our organization, training, and equipment to the ever-changing operating environment. Some things remain the same. Marines attacked this year’s challenges with the same courage, commitment, loyalty, self-sacrifice, and adaptability as their predecessors in Peleliu and Fallujah. For that reason, on 10 November 2014, we Marines can look back with pride on our accomplishments — confident in our ability to meet future challenges.

“Thanks for who you are and what you do. Happy Birthday, Marines.”