We just want to say a hearty "Semper Fi" to Marines everywhere, as they celebrate here on November 10 the 233rd birthday of the best damn fighting force the world has ever seen.
The Cold, Hard Football Facts are fervent supporters of the U.S. Marine Corps and we are proud to receive e-mails from our readers in the Corps (and other branches of the military) serving in locations such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Okinawa and on the high seas.
Just the other day, we received this email from a Navy commander at sea. No, he's not a Marine, but he serves aboard the USNS Jack Lummus, a ship named for a Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient who once played for the Giants.
Lummus was killed on Iwo Jima, the only NFL veteran killed in action to receive the Medal of Honor. We first wrote about Lummus a few years ago and you can
read his amazing story of heroism here.
Meanwhile, here's the email we received last week from out in the Pacific:
"Hey guys. Great website. I love the NFL/military facts you talk about. I am currently the First Engineer on the mighty USNS 1st Lt. Jack Lummus, the Flagship of the USMC III Marine Expeditionary Force forward deployed in the western pacific (Guam/Saipan).
"We work hard on Jack everyday to uphold his great legacy. An interesting fact about Jack: he was the second to last ship ever built at Quincy (Mass.) Shipbuilding Division before the yard closed in 1986. I see a lot of you guys are from Quincy so that is a cold hard fact! Thanks for celebrating Jack! He is a true NFL badass and the only human to have played in the NFL and to be awarded the Medal of Honor after being killed in action." –
Commander Joseph Gelhaus, First Assistant Engineer, USNS 1ST LT. JACK LUMMUS
THE MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY TRADITION
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 datecelebrates 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:
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 and Marine 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.
Other Marine Corps resources:
The Marine Corps Commandant's 2008 birthday message:
"Casualties, many; percentage dead, unknown; combat efficiency, we are winning." - 
