Good morning Leathernecks, and on this the 5th day of August in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1861, The Revenue Act of 1861, formally cited as Act of August 5, 1861, Chap. XLV, 12 Stat. 292, included the first U.S. Federal income tax statute.
The Act, motivated by the need to fund the Civil War, imposed an income tax to be “levied, collected, and paid, upon the annual income of every person residing in the United States, whether such income is derived from any kind of property, or from any profession, trade, employment, or vocation carried on in the United States or elsewhere, or from any other source whatever”
The tax imposed was a flat tax, with a rate of 3% on incomes above $800.
In 1944, the 3rd Marine Division smashes through the Japanese defensive line around the town of Finegayan.
In 1950, the Sicily moves into the Yellow Sea and VMF-214 makes the first Marine attacks on the Inchon-Seoul region.
VMF-323 flies from Itami airfield on to the escort carrier Badoeng Strait (CVE-116).
It launches its first airstrikes the next day.
In 1953, OPERATION BIG SWITCH begins in Korea.
The Communists return 157 Marines-129 from the division and the rest from 1st MAW-plus six corpsmen.
Of the 221 Marines believed to have been captured during the war, 20 had escaped, 174 had been released., and 27 died in captivity.
Nearly a quarter of these men had fallen into enemy hands on 29-30 November during the attempt of Task Force Drysdale to reach Hagaru-ri.
In 1964, in retaliation for the naval attacks, U.S. aircraft bomb North Vietnamese naval targets and an oil storage depot.
In 1990, elements of the 22nd MEU(SOC) fly into the U.S. Embassy compound in Monrovia, Liberia and begin evacuating Americans and other foreign nationals as a civil war rages in the country.
OPERATION SHARP EDGE continues until 30 November and pulls out over 2,400 civilians.
Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas!
Often Tested, Always Faithful, Brothers Forever!
-Richard W. Pettengill, Corporal USMC
And damn proud of it!