Marine Corps Birthday – November 10

The U.S. Marine Corps Birthday celebrates the history, memory of those who served before and rekindles the bond that unites all generations of Marines. It is a celebration of the profound respect for the Marine Corps traditions and reverence of the heritage that distinguishes the Corps of Marines.

History of the Marine Corps Birthday

The birthday itself was formally recognized in 1921 at the behest of Major General John Lejeune, who ordered November 10, 1775 to be officially recognized service-wide as the Marine Corps birthday.

The origins go back to the Revolutionary War in October of 1775. At that time the Continental Congress developed an official plan to use Marines to oversee a mission to intercept ammunition shipments from Britain. This, and a November resolution to create an official standing Marine Corps force, were key in building what eventually became the modern U.S. Marine Corps. Thus 10 November, 1775, the day the Continental Marines were created serves as the official Marine Corps birthday. The motivation for that resolution-a plan to attack Nova Scotia in order to annex it-never happened. But the Marines remained. But for how long?

Out Of Existence, Temporarily

According to the U.S. Marine Corps official site, “Throughout the American Revolution, the Marines served with distinction aboard the Continental vessels, but with the ending of that conflict, the entire Naval Service was so neglected through lack of appropriations and necessary legislation that by 1785 it actually ceased to exist.”

That would be the case until 1794 when Congress issued the first legislation addressing the need for a Navy and Marine Corps since the Revolutionary War.