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Semper Fi! We celebrate 232nd birthday of the Marine Corps
Cold, Hard Football Facts for November 9, 2007
The Cold, Hard Football Facts are fervent supporters of the U.S. Marine Corps and are proud to receive e-mails from our readers in the Corps serving in locations such as Iraq and Okinawa.
So we just want to say a hearty “Semper Fi” to Marines everywhere, as they celebrate on November 10 the 232nd birthday of the best damn fighting force the world has ever seen.
(By the way, as if on cue, we just got our most recent e-mail from the Corps last night as we were preparing this story. It came from Staff Sgt. Darrell Gunter, who's stationed in Okinawa. He’s pissed about a classless move by the Vikings. We’ll have more on that soon.)
The traditional story is that the Marine Corps was founded at the Tun Tavern in Philadelphia on the eve of the American Revolution. The tavern certainly played a role as the first unofficial recruitment center. But officially, the November 10 birth date celebrates the act of the Continental Congress in 1775 that created the Marine Corps.
Here are some links about the Corps and its birthday from around the web and from the Cold, Hard  Football Facts:
Badass American mo-fos: CHFF cultural commentator and former Marine Frankie C. (pictured here at the Marine Corps Museum, in Quantico, Virginia) looks at the five baddest-ass mo-fos in American history. Guess who tops the list?
Heroes of Iwo Jima: Three NFLers lost their lives in Iwo Jima, the signature battle in the history of the Marine Corps. Read about:
- Jack Lummus, the only NFL player to win the Medal of Honor
- Jack Chevigny, the Cardinals coach and Notre Dame legend who scored the winning TD in the “Win one for the Gipper” Game
- Smiley Johnson, the Green Bay player honored for heroism in two World War II battles.
The Commandant's 2007 Marine Corps birthday message:
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"Casualties, many; percentage dead, unknown; combat efficiency, we are winning." - 
