Happy Birthday to the Marine Corps
November 10th, 2008
Today the United States Marines Corps is celebrating its 233rd birthday! On this day in 1775, the Second Continental Congress established two battalions of soldiers to serve as the Continental Marines.
Before I provide you with the rest of the history of the Marine Corps, I need to disclose that our founder, Major James Etter, was an enlisted Marine in Vietnam and after attending college on the GI Bill after the war, became a Marine aviator. He retired after twenty-six years of service. When Jim founded American Military University, he solicited the assistance of General Al Gray, the twenty-ninth Commandant of the Marine Corps. General Gray, a soldier’s soldier, not only provided guidance, but became a member of the AMU board, eventually the Board Chair, and continues to serve as a member of the Board today and as our Board Chairman, emeritus. Writing about the Marines from information available on the web might trigger a call from either individual if I am not accurate, but I will attempt to get the facts right.
