Good morning Leathernecks, and on this the 4th day of December in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1775, Marines are among those taken prisoner when the Washington is captured in Massachusetts Bay by two British Frigates.
In 1895, Marines in Tientsin, China were awarded the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal for the period 4 December 1894 through May 1895.
In 1927, the first Marine transport plane, a three-engine Fokker, is flown to Nicaragua and put into service primarily to haul cargo to distant, inaccessible outposts.
In 1944, Marine air assets of the 1st and 2nd Marine Aircraft Wings arrived in the Philippines to support Army forces.
In 1950, the tail end of the 5th and 7th Marines column reaches Hagaru-ri.
Its vehicle train numbers over a thousand. Marine, Navy, and Air Force air support sorties now reach 200 per day.
To control them, a Marine R5D transport plane is rigged as a flying tactical air direction center, to relieve ground units of that burden.
It is the first ever use of a transport plane in this role.
That night, Marines and soldiers beat back a fierce CCF assault on East Hill.
In 1983, a heavy bombardment in Lebanon kills eight Marines and wounds two.
This marks a resumption of heavy exchanges of fire.
Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas!
Often Tested, Always Faithful, Brothers Forever!
-Richard W. Pettengill, Corporal USMC
And damn proud of it!