Marine Corps Birthday Ball!

Semper Fi, Devil Dog!

It's that time of year. Halloween's a quickly fading memory, Thanksgiving's just around the corner, and smack dab in the middle? The Marine Corps Birthday Ball.

The ball is the quintessential example of "mandatory fun": slightly annoying prior to the event, but well worth it once you get there. It inevitably perturbs me that I have to spend time, energy and money getting my uniform set up, from having medals and ribbons mounted to drycleaning. Meanwhile, Jen's annoyed that she has to expend the same to get her hair and nails done, buy a dress, buy shoes, buy a new purse (okay, so I don't think she minded getting the new shoes and purse). Here's a funny story. As part of preparing for the ball I ordered Jen a corsage. Nothing big, just a little wrist corsage made with mini red roses. I thought it would be sweet since I'm pretty sure the last time I've seen her have fresh flowers to werar for an occasion was our wedding. I guess that should have clued me in. So here I am thinking I'm going to score all kinds of points because she's going to think it's so cute that I bought her a corsage. I walk upstairs where she's getting ready, hiding my hands behind my back so she can't see the present. I told her, "I have something for you." She looked me quizzically for a second, then said, and I'm not making this up, "That better not be a corsage."! Bummer. Needless to say, she laughed for about an hour at the fact that I thought it was socially acceptable for a grown woman to wear a corsage to a formal event. I laughed along with her at myself, how could I have been silly? Secretly, though, I was sure that at least one other woman would have a corsage at the ball and that once we were there Jen would wish she had her beautiful floral bracelet with her after all. I was wrong. No corsages anywhere. I checked.

But once you're there, it's all worth it. For those of you who have never been, every Marine Corps Birthday Ball has two constants. The first is the pomp, circumstance, and tradition that permeates the entire affair. A full band (I'm talking trumpets and drums not guitars and keyboards, here) sets the evening into motion and paces the ceremonial proceedings as the colors (translation: the Marine Corps flag and the US flag) are marched up and down through the ball room. Part off this ceremony is the birthday cake; the first piece goes to the oldest Marine present (they read his birthday aloud and snickers and chuckles arise from all around) and the second piece goes to the youngest Marine present (punctuated by groans and everyone present mentally calculating his/her age to see just how much older than the youngest Marine they really are). After the cake cutting, the guest of honor, typically a General or some such VIP, gets up and gives a little speech, and then we watch the Commandant's video message. Over the few years I've been in, I've really enjoyed the messages. They're generally very well produced, and alays avoid being too cheesy or corny. We've been at war the entire time I've been a Marine, and each Commandant has generally used the message as a way to recap the combat operations of the preceding year and to emphasize the stories of individual Marines sacrificing for each other. This year's message included the stories of Cpl Jonathan Yale and LCpl Jordan Haerter, two Marines who gave their lives in Ramadi, Iraq when a suicide bomber driving a vehicle borne improvised explosive device attempted to breach the gate of their compound. Cpl Yale and LCpl Haerter stopped him, but in doing so they also lost their lives. This particular story hit especially close to home because I lost some good friends this year. As always, the message reminded me why it is that we sacrifice as Marines.

The second constant is that everyone always looks so good! All the Marines look sharp in their blues (the best looking uniform our military has to offer, if I do say so myself). Their dates are all dressed to the nines, and by and large the dates are always shockingly better looking than their Marine counterparts. It never ceases to amaze me that my Marine buddies, with their ridiculous haircuts and oft exhibited neanderthal tendencies, manage to land such friendly, intelligent, well-adjusted, and beautiful women. I'm the prime example of this phenomenon. Jen, of course, looked jaw-droppingly gorgeous, and more impressive to me, she always seems to be so at ease in these social situations. The ballroom is filled with acquaintances she hasn't seen since the last Birthday Ball, and even then that she met only briefly, yet she's friendly and endearing to everyone I drag her through the room to talk to. Watching her interactions with all my coworkers and their spouses is probably my favorite part of the entire night.


Last year we cut out of the ball pretty early, but this year we closed it out. The DJ closed up shop around midnight, with about 80% of the dozen or so people that were left in the room all crowding the dance floor. All in all it was a great time, and the best part was, we took some pictures for once!