R 272135Z OCT 97 ZYB
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//CMC//
TO ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS //N05060//
ALMAR 357/97
MSGID/GENADMIN//
SUBJ/U.S MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY MESSAGE, 10 NOVEMBER 1997//
RMKS/1. THE FOLLOWING IS A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE
CORPS:
TODAY THE CORPS AND ITS FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD GATHER TO
CELEBRATE 222 YEARS OF MAKING MARINES AND WINNING BATTLES FOR
OUR NATION. OVER THE COURSE OF THOSE YEARS, THE NAME "MARINE"
HAS TAKEN ON A LEGENDARY, ALMOST MYSTICAL, WARRIOR STATUS. IT
IS A STATUS FORGED IN THE CAULDRON OF BASIC TRAINING, TEMPERED
BY SHARED HARDSHIP, AND SHARPENED IN THE CRUCIBLE OF BATTLE.
MAKING MARINES AND WINNING BATTLES ARE INSEPARABLE, BUT ON THIS,
THE 222ND BIRTHDAY OF OUR CORPS, I WOULD LIKE EACH OF US TO
REFLECT ON WHAT WINNING BATTLES MEANS.
WINNING BATTLES IS AS MUCH A TRIUMPH OF MARINE SPIRIT AS IT
IS A VICTORY OVER A FOE. IT MEANS REACHING DEEP WITHIN OURSELVES
TO UNLEASH THE SPECIAL INNER STRENGTH...THE INDOMITABLE WILL TO
WIN...THAT IS THE LEGACY OF OUR CORPS. PRINCETON, TRIPOLI,
BLADENSBURG, CHAPULTEPEC, BELLEAU WOOD, IWO JIMA, THE CHOSIN
RESERVOIR, HUE CITY, THE OIL FIELDS OF SOUTH WEST ASIA...THE MERE
MENTION OF BATTLES SUCH AS THESE FLOODS US WITH DEEP EMOTION.
OUR HEARTS SWELL WITH PRIDE, AND OUR THOUGHTS DRIFT TO MEMORIES
OF FALLEN FRIENDS, BRAVE DEEDS, AND THE PROUD LEGIONS WHO HAVE
GONE BEFORE. OUR EYES SEEK OUT, AND LOCK WITH, OTHER MARINES IN
A SILENT REAFFIRMATION THAT WE TOO ARE READY--IN BODY, MIND,
AND SPIRIT--TO WIN THE BATTLES LOOMING ON OUR NATION'S HORIZON.
NO MARINE IS TOLD TO FEEL DEEPLY ABOUT THE BATTLES OF OUR
CORPS. BUT WE DO. THIS INNER COMMITMENT, THIS SPIRIT, IS
PASSED FROM MARINE TO MARINE, GENERATION TO GENERATION--NOT IN
WORD--NOR IN PRINT--BUT IN RESOLVE. IT IS A RESOLVE TO BE
THE MOST READY WHEN THE NATION IS LEAST READY--TO SORTIE INTO
THE UNKNOWN--TO MEET THE UNEXPECTED--TO OVERCOME THE
IMPOSSIBLE--TO DEFEAT THE FORCES OF TYRANNY--TO GUARANTEE
VICTORY. THIS SAME DETERMINATION HAS SUSTAINED OUR CORPS IN
TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY, IN TIMES OF ADVERSITY, AND IN TIMES OF
COMBAT--JUST AS IT WILL IN THE BATTLES WE WILL FIGHT--AND
WIN--TOMORROW AND THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW.
THE BATTLES OF OUR STORIED PAST ARE OUR LEGACY. THOSE
BATTLES, THE ONES WE FIGHT TODAY AND THOSE WE WILL SURELY FACE
IN OUR FUTURE, FORM THE HEADWATERS OF A MIGHTY RIVER THAT FLOWS
THROUGH ALL MARINES--ITS CURRENT RIPPLES THROUGH OUR SOULS,
RENEWING US, SUSTAINING US, AND FORTIFYING US. WINNING BATTLES
IS WHAT WE SHOULD REFLECT UPON TODAY--AND EVERYDAY.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARINES. GOD BLESS YOU, AND SEMPER FIDELIS,
C. C KRULAK, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE
CORPS.//
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