Good morning Leathernecks, and on this the 29th day of May in the history of our beloved Corps:
In 1776, the Andrew Doria and her Marine contingent capture two British troopships trying to reinforce Boston (already abandoned by the British army).
In 1900, Captain John T. Myers, 28 Marines, and a few sailors from the Oregon, reinforced by the cruiser Newarkâs (C-1) 26 Marines under Captain Newt H. Hall, land at Taku and proceed to Peking to guard the legation as the anti-foreign Boxers grow more menacing.
In 1906, a battalion of 229 Marines under Major Lejeune arrives in Panama to deal with civil disturbances in the Canal Zone.
In 1917, Secretary of the Navy Daniels orders creation of the 5th Regiment.
Commandant Barnett already has begun drawing together forces at Philadelphia from the U.S. and the Caribbean.
In 1945, the 5th Marines seizes the crest of Shuri Ridge and against light opposition take Shuri Castle, the heart of the Shuri Line defenses.
VMTB-131 lands in Ie Shima and begins supporting the Tenth Army.
President Truman increases the authorized strength of the Marine Corps to 503, 000.
In 1953, VMA-332 arrives in Korea from MCAS Miami to replace VMA-312 on the Bairoko.
The relief is completed on 10 June.
In 1969, during the period 29 May through 23 June, the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines (2/9) and the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines (3/9) participated in OPERATION CAMERON FALLS, an operation southwest of Ca Lu, in the Quang Tri. Province.
During OPERATION OKLAHOMA HILLS, the 7th Marines completes a search and clear mission south of Da Nang.
The regiment killed 596 enemy in 60 days, at a cost of 53 Marine dead and 487 wounded.
In 1973, Air Force Colonel Theodore W. Guy files charges against five Army and three Marine enlisted men, accusing them of misconduct while they were prisoners of war.
The charges against the Marines are subsequently dismissed by the Secretary of the Navy.
In 1975, Sergeant Henry H. Black succeeds Sergeant Major Puckett and becomes the seventh Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.
In 1976, the helicopter ship Tarawa (LHA-1) the first ship of its class, is commissioned.
In addition to roughly 1,900 Marines and a squadron of helicopters, it has a well deck.
In 1997, the 22nd MEU(SOC) begins evacuation of civilians escaping a civil war in Sierra Leone.
Over the next five days, the MEU pulls out more people, including 450 Americans.
In 2002, MV-22 test aircraft resume flying following significant changes instituted in the wake of two major mishaps in 2000.
Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas!
Often Tested, Always Faithful, Brothers Forever!
-Richard W. Pettengill, Corporal USMC
And damn proud of it!