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Hoover Celebrates 241st Birthday of the US Marine Corps Photos

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Lieutenant Colonel Eric Reid, the marine corps representative in the 2016–17 class of national security affairs fellows, acted as the master of ceremonies. Seated to his right is Hoover fellow George P. Shultz, who served as an active duty Marine from 1942 to 1945, deployed to the pacific theater, and participated in combat at Nanumea Atoll and Angaur Island. Shultz continued his service in the Marine Corps Reserve until 1957, earning the rank of Major.

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Retired marines were asked to stand so that other guests could recognize them for their service.

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This USMC recruiting poster, circa 1918 and held in the Library & Archives’ poster collection, was on display at this year’s birthday ceremony. It is one of the first recorded uses of the nickname “Devil Dog,” which according to marine corps tradition, arose from the ferocity of US marines in combat at the battle of Battle of Belleau Wood during World War I.

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Shultz, shown here addressing the attendees, also received a personal recorded message from General Robert Neller, the commandant of the US Marine Corps.

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Second Lieutenant Joshua King reads General Lejeune’s original birthday message. King is an active duty marine, recent graduate of the US Naval academy, and currently completing a MS in computer science.

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Lieutenant Colonel Reid cleans his Mameluke sword after cutting the first piece of cake. Marines have ceremonially carried the sword, styled after those used by Ottoman soldiers, since the First Barbary War at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Marines use the sword for cutting the cake as a reminder of their common service as warriors.

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Lieutenant Colonel Reid presents the first piece, in accordance with marine tradition, to the youngest marine in the room, Corporal Centino. Marine tradition holds that the second piece goes to the oldest marine in attendance; in this case, the then-ninety-five-year-old Shultz literally took the cake.

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Lieutenant Colonel Reid leads the room in a toast.

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US Marine Corps guests join Shultz for a photo opportunity.

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Former Hoover fellow and current secretary of defense Jim Mattis, whose forty-three year career as a marine included time as commander of US Central Command, also participated in the ceremony. Shultz, Reid, and Mattis represented Hoover’s three in-residence marine corps fellows at the time of the event.

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