R 101652Z AUG 12
UNCLASSIFIED/
ALMAR 033/12
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS //
SUBJ/4TH MARINE DIVISION ANNIVERSARY//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  ON BEHALF OF ALL WHO WEAR THE EAGLE, GLOBE AND ANCHOR, I AM PLEASED TO CONGRATULATE THE MARINES AND SAILORS OF THE 4TH MARINE DIVISION ON THEIR 69TH ANNIVERSARY. 
2.  SINCE ITS ACTIVATION AT CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA ON 16 AUGUST 1943, THE 4TH MARINE DIVISION HAS CONSISTENTLY ESTABLISHED A RECORD OF COMBAT EXCELLENCE.  BY PARTICIPATING IN FOUR MAJOR AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS IN THE PACIFIC THEATER - ROI-NAMUR, SAIPAN, TINIAN AND IWO JIMA - IN A PERIOD OF JUST 13 MONTHS, THE "FIGHTING FOURTH" WITNESSESD SOME OF THE HEAVIEST FIGHTING OF WORLD WAR II.  LATER RE-ESTABLISHED IN THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE, THE 4TH MARINE DIVISION CONTINUES TO ANSWER THE NATION'S CALL IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD. FROM THE JUNGLES OF VIETNAM TO THE DESERTS OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, THE 4TH MARINE DIVISION HAS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR FORWARD DEPLOYED AND ENGAGED CORPS. 
3.  AS YOU CELEBRATE THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE DIVISION'S ACTIVATION, IT IS FITTING TO PAUSE AND REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US - ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUR NATION. THIS COMMEMORATION OF THE HISTORIC 4TH MARINE DIVISION IS ALSO AN OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL MARINES TO REFLECT UPON OUR HISTORY AND REMEMBER THE VALUES ON WHICH OUR CORPS WAS BUILT.
4.  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY AND SEMPER FIDELIS!  JAMES F. AMOS, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//