Sunday Story: Having a Ball

United States Marines are reputed to be the hardest of all American servicepeople. The Marine Corps is the smallest department of the armed companies whereas boasting rigorous enlistment necessities and the longest fundamental coaching at 13 weeks. An elite combating drive historically among the many first to reply to a army state of affairs, Marines are referred to as “The Few. The Proud.”

The Marine Corps can be the one armed service to rejoice its birthday yearly with nationwide balls.

Founded on Nov. 10, 1775, the Marine Corps was as soon as a separate service that nonetheless served as naval floor troops; it grew to become a part of the Department of the Navy in 1834 however stays a definite department. The custom of honoring its birthday dates to 1921, when Commandant John A. Lejeune summarized the historical past and mission of the Corps and directed that the knowledge be learn to all Marines yearly on Nov. 10. By 1923, models had been celebrating the founding, and in 1925 Lejeune attended the primary formal birthday ball in Philadelphia.

Mary Ann Wilson, present chair of the annual ball for the Richmond-based James M. Slay Detachment No. 329 of the Marine Corps League, is from a household of veterans and says, “I appreciate service to the country.” She has at all times felt a connection to the Corps, though she was not a member. The day of its commissioning in 1775, the Marine Corps arrange its first recruiting headquarters at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia — a significant historic element for Wilson, who was born within the metropolis. “That makes it more exciting for me,” she says.

Wilson’s late husband, Louis, served within the U.S. Navy for 20 years and, as a result of connection between the sister companies, at all times referred to members of the Corps as “my Marines.” “My husband would say the Navy depends on the Marines and the Marines depend on the Navy,” Wilson remembers.

Chairing the occasion has been a enjoyable studying expertise for Wilson, an affiliate member of the detachment. Her duties embrace overseeing all points of the ball and preserving data flowing between the completely different work teams. “The Marines really know what a mission is and know about teamwork. They have said, ‘Let me know what you need me to do, and I will do it.’ That is very different than any other group I have worked with before,” she says.

Richmond’s James M. Slay Detachment is a part of the Marine Corps League, a congressionally chartered veteran service group, and welcomes Marine Corps veterans and retirees in addition to naval chaplains and medical personnel who serve the Corps. The group was named for Col. James M. Slay, who served in World War II. “He was from the Richmond area, and we adopted him as our namesake for the detachment,” says Rich Van Damme, detachment historian.

“Our members are from different wars and time periods,” Van Damme provides. “We still have some vets from World War II and from more recent conflicts.” Van Damme himself served within the Marines from 1981 to 2001 and retired as a significant.

Because the Corps is smaller than different branches of the army, Marines “have always done more with less,” Van Damme says. “We look at the Marines as a small fraternity. We get to see each other all the time.”

The detachment has been holding its annual birthday ball on the Lakewood Retirement Community in Short Pump for the final 4 years. Many Marines put on their gown uniforms to the occasion, which at all times begins with a army presentation of the colours (flags). 

Next, the visitor of honor is launched — this 12 months, retired Maj. Gen. Craig Crenshaw, Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs for the State of Virginia — then a proclamation and the Marine Corps commandant’s message to Marines are learn.

Befitting a party, Marines throughout the nation carry out a cake-cutting ceremony on the ball annually. The cake is reduce with a sword, and the primary piece is served to the visitor of honor. The second piece goes to the oldest Marine current, who then passes it to the youngest. “This symbolizes the passing of honor and tradition from the older Marines to the younger Marines,” Van Damme explains.

Celebrating the Corps’ birthday — particularly this 12 months’s 250th — brings collectively all Marines, Van Damme says. “From their first day at boot camp, Marines are ingrained with the traditions of the Marine Corps esprit de corps,” he says. “We are taught our history.”

Wilson says she, too, has discovered Marine Corps traditions whereas planning the ball. For instance, she is going to place a lone desk, set for one, on the entrance of the eating room. “We will have one chair and one empty setting,” she explains. “It is our Table of Remembrance for prisoners of war [and] missing-in-action Marines.”

In addition to honoring traditions, the ball permits detachment members to speak store and “show off to other services,” Van Damme says. “It’s what the Marine Corps does. We always have people there from other services.”

Wilson has seen that army officers within the detachment “don’t go by rank. They are team players,” she says. “There is a good mix of pride and humility. It’s very rewarding for me to see the camaraderie with other branches.”

She has drastically valued her involvement with the veterans. “I have learned from their stories and how their training has guided their lives. They have made me feel more patriotic.”

The Virginia War Memorial in Richmond will host a public cake-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on Nov. 7 as a part of the Marine Corps’ nationwide semiquincentennial celebration.

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