- November 28, 2024
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Thomas Burneston sits at a table with fellow Marines during the 14th annual Marine Birthday Celebration at Marina Jack. The event commemorated the 241st anniversary of the Marine Corps.
Joseph Dromeshauser stands with his head bowed before attendees sang the Marine anthem to end the event.
Alaine Thomas claps after event organizer Tom Smith wished the Corps a happy 241st birthday. Thomas, the only female Marine in attendance, quietly added "and sisters" when Smith expressed solidarity with his Marine brothers early in the program.
A saber sits by the Marine Corps birthday cake before it was cut. Cutting the cake with a saber is a tradition at the celebration.
There is no such thing as a former Marine, or so the cliché goes. But if you looked around the room during the 14th annual Marine Corps Birthday celebration, you would probably believe it.
Current and retired active duty Marines gathered at Marina Jacks to commemorate the 241st anniversary of the Marine Corps. Although some Marines in attendance actively served as long ago as the 1940s, it's clear that these men and women will always be Marines.
A variety of eras and experiences were represented, but generational distinctions were blurred as World War II, Vietnam and Korean veterans exchanged handshakes and war stories with their younger counterparts who served in the Gulf War and the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The event honored the service of Hector Cafferata, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and Korean War veteran. Although Cafferata died earlier this year, his widow Doris Cafferata and her daughter, Lynn Cafferata-Coovert, attended the event as the guests of honor in his wake.
The event began 14 years ago when 14 Marines gathered at Marina Jacks to celebrate the 227th anniversary of the Corps. The event has come a long way from it's beginnings with just over a dozen attendees to today's celebration in the packed ballroom on the second floor of Marina Jacks.
"Look at us today, unbelievable," event organizer Tom Smith said.
Despite the new faces, the old traditions remain the same. A cake is cut with a saber, with the first piece going to the guests of honor. The second piece is initially given to the oldest Marine in attendance, who then passes it to the youngest Marine in attendance to symbolize the passing on of the Marine legacy.
The event always ends with the singing of the Marine anthem, and as men and women stood to honor the branch of the military in which they served, it was clear: There is no such thing as a former Marine.
