Happy 235th Birthday to The Few, The Proud, The Marines

I have had the distinct pleasure to serve alongside Marines in two separate wars: Vietnam and Operation Iraqi Freedom. I'm an old Army guy, but one of my favorite books in high school was "Battle Cry" by Leon Uris, a novel about Marines in World War II.

I must admit that during one of my in-country R & Rs in Vietnam, I linked up with a Marine in Vung Tau. We tore the town up, and both of us ended up passed out from too much Vietnamese beer. In Baghdad in 2004, a Marine officer signed out an M79 grenade launcher to my Protective Service Detail when I was unable to get an M203 assigned to my team. For this reason alone, I love the Marines...

The Marine Corps is celebrating its 235th birthday, and this old soldier wishes them well for the next 235 years.

Semper fi, Marines. We thank you for your courage and your continued sacrifice on our behalf.

Charles M. Grist
http://www.mylastwar.com/