Birthday of the Marine Corps

November 10th is the 236th birthday of the United States Marine Corps.

I had the great privilege of serving on active duty in the Marine Corps for three years back in the early Seventies. Apart from my family members, a few close friends, and the 4th of July, the only other birthday I point to each year is the birthday of the Corps.

It’s worth noting that the Marine Corps birthday is a big deal to Marines. It’s been celebrated for as long as this nation has existed. Marines have been mounting up, moving out, and following their commanders into every clime and place since those first young men stepped forward at Philadelphia’s Tun Tavern in 1775. And they’re still stepping forward, thankfully. Indeed, they’re still performing brilliantly—the very best and brightest and bravest this nation possesses, as good now as they’ve ever been.

These young men and women who wear the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor belong to the United States of America, to us, to all of us, and we should stop and thank God for them. Countless generations of Marines have said goodbye to loved ones, endured harsh weather and debilitating disease, faced and defeated determined enemies, shed their blood, lost their buddies and sometimes even their own lives, and in the process honored us and the Corps they served by keeping us a free nation. Their sacrifices, their courage, their magnificence is what I remember and celebrate every November 10. It’s a small act for such an incredible lineage of honorable, gallant, and victorious service.

I feel blessed to have worn a uniform upon which the world-renowned initials USMC were etched.

Happy birthday, Marines.

And by the way, Thank You.

Airports & Airplanes: Observations of Useful Things (Or Not)

• When eating peanuts, women often place the peanuts on a napkin and proceed to consume one at a time. Men will often open the bag and invert directly into the mouth. Southerners will open the bag, pour a few into their free hand, gently shake back and forth as if cleansing, and then toss into the mouth. I can always spot a fellow grit.

• If someone in the coach section reclines their seatback into your face, well past the one or two customary clicks, then try coughing with such force that their hair actually parts. It very often works. Throw in some sniffles for additional urgency. “Oh, I think I’m gonna sneeze,” can be the clincher. If it’s a long flight, throw in a warning cough every half-hour, or so.

• If a female traveler with a carry-on bag strikes up a conversation with you in the gate area, know that she is judging your trustworthiness. Soon you may hear, “Will you watch my bag while I make a quick trip to the ladies room?” Just beware that on average a quick trip will take 16.25 minutes, so if you’re eligible to board early, you’re obliged to stay with her bag. You gotta do it. A good preemptive move would be to declare, “Yes, I’ll watch your bag,” as soon as eye contact is made. Could save you five or six minutes; could make you look like a fool, too. Whatever.

• American air carriers have an extraordinary record of safety, but it’s always worthwhile to know where the emergency exits are located. It’s also worthwhile to guess which of the passengers will be the ones pushing and crawling over others in a mad attempt to escape first. I’ve always assumed that the biggest men would be the most ruthless (and thereby the least helpful) in an emergency. And then I have to remind myself that I’m a big man.

• Remember that the most dangerous part of any trip starts when you get off the airplane and get into a car.