10 November 1775
Today is the Marine Corps Birthday. The traditon was started by then Comandant John Lejeune to reflect the day the Continental Congress authorized two battalions of Marines to serve on board U.S. Flagged ships.
So is there a New England connection? Yes, most of the intial recruits that Samuel Nichols got in Philadelphia at Tunn Tavern were men who came down from Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachsuetts. Many had sea experience and many had already been in the miltia, so they were somewhat trained. Nichols was the nephew of the Mayor of Philidelphia so training to him would have been something he was used to.
Today I will remember the Marine Corps Tankers that have passed in Iraq, and two of them were from the Boston area.
