thedrifter
11-15-06, 07:18 AM
In dress blues, Avenel Marines celebrate birthday
Marine Corps Ball commemorates two centuries of Marines
BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
WOODBRIDGE - Vice Commandant George J. Little of the Avenel Detachment let out a loud "Ooh-rah," which began the festivities of the United States Marine Corps celebration for their 231st birthday at the Forge Inn on Route 9 over the weekend.
Former and active-duty Marines, some dressed in their formal Marine dress blues - black jacket with gold buttons and red piping, blue trousers with the blood stripes down the sides, and shiny black shoes - celebrated at the birthday ball hosted by the Avenel Detachment of the U.S. Marine Corps League with their brothers and sisters of the Marine Corps on Nov. 11.
"There is a special bond among the Marines," said Larry Markiewicz, who has been a member of the Central Jersey Leathernecks of the U.S. Marine Corps League in Westfield for 16 years and was a member of the Avenel Detachment for four years.
"I served in the Marines from 1959 to 1963 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and if you look around at all the other older Marines, we would go back and help the younger Marines right now if we could. From a young Marine who is 17 or 18 years old to a 75-year-old veteran, there is a connection that will never go away. It's a bond of brotherhood."
The birthday ball had the traditional cake-cutting ceremony that is celebrated the same way by all Marines around the world. Guest Speaker Lt. Col. Robert M. Hagan, inspector instructor, 6th Motor Transport Battalion, stationed in Red Bank, did the honors by cutting the first piece of cake for the youngest Marine, Joseph Pietz, 22; the second piece of cake for the oldest Marine, Steven Cherepon, 84; and the third piece of cake for himself.
With a thumbs-up, Pietz signaled to the crowd of close to 100 people that the cake was good to eat.
The night began with the Marine Jr. ROTC Color Guard of St. Peter's High School in New Brunswick as they marched and showed their colors. Marty Martino, commandant of the Avenel Detachment, and George Little, vice commandant, led the processions throughout the night.
The phrases "Ooh-rah," which originated from the Marines from the 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Company aboard the submarine USS Perch in 1953, and the U.S. Marine Corps motto since 1883, "Semper Fidelis," Latin term for always faithful, were heard throughout the night.
As the Marines and their families enjoyed shrimp hors d'oeuvres to chateaubriand, Michael Tango, who served as a Marine from 1961 to 1965, said this was the first formal Marine Birthday Ball he ever attended.
"I used to attend one in Rahway, but not formally," said Tango, who came with his wife. Tango spoke about his days in the service.
"Nowadays, these kids have to serve four tours of duty, I don't know how they do it," said Tango. "We only had to
serve two tours; tours were 13 months and we only had to do one tour overseas. I remember when I was overseas, we had to train the South Vietnamese. The Marine Corps took orders from the president of the United States, who were President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson at the time."
The Central Jersey Leathernecks celebrated the Marine Corps' birthday with a big bash in Scotch Plains the night before.
"If there was a birthday bash the next night, we would also go," said Markiewicz.
Ray Fleming, who is commandant for the Central Jersey Leathernecks, is glad he was drafted into the Marines in the early 1950s.
"I served from 1951 to 1953 during the Korean conflict," said Fleming. "I was drafted into the Marines and spent my entire tour of duty in Panama. I am glad I was drafted into the Marine Corps because of the brotherhood. It's 53 years later and I am still a Marine. You won't call a general of the U.S. Army a soldier and you won't call the chief of naval operations of the U.S Navy a sailor. But you can call a general in the Marines a Marine."
Like the saying "Once a Marine, always a Marine," Fleming said times have changed since he served.
"Everything is different with each different war or conflict," said Fleming. "In Korea, we were fighting in the mountains; during the Vietnam War, we were fighting in the jungles; and now with the conflict in Iraq, we are fighting in the desert and fighting pretty much from house to house."
Tango said the World War II veterans are the essence of what makes them what they are today.
"We definitely owe them," said Tango. "What they endured in Iwo Jima is horrible."
The annual birthday celebration dates back to Nov. 1, 1921, when John A. Lejeune, 13th commandant of the Marine Corps, directed that a reminder of the honorable service of the Marine Corps be published worldwide on the Corps' birthday.
The Corps' birthday has been officially celebrated on Nov. 10 ever since.
The first so-called "birthday ball" was held in Philadelphia in 1925. It has not been determined when the first cake ceremony was held, but there is evidence of a cake ceremony held at Quantico, Va., in 1935.
The celebration included a reading of an excerpt from the Marine Corps Manual and a birthday message from the commandant. Ward 1 Councilman Charles Kenny and Council-at-Large and Vice President Brenda Velasco were on hand to present the Avenel Detachment with a Mayoral Proclamation from state Sen. and then-interim Mayor Joseph Vitale extending the township's birthday greetings.
Lt. Col. Robert M. Hagan presented George Little, who served as a Marine for 12 years, with the 2006 Marine of the Year award.
Martino said the Forge Inn owner was grateful to the Marine Corps.
"He donated the cake and the U.S. Marine Corps ice sculpture," said Martino. "The owner told me that he would give us a night that we will never forget, and they definitely have."
Ellie
Marine Corps Ball commemorates two centuries of Marines
BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
WOODBRIDGE - Vice Commandant George J. Little of the Avenel Detachment let out a loud "Ooh-rah," which began the festivities of the United States Marine Corps celebration for their 231st birthday at the Forge Inn on Route 9 over the weekend.
Former and active-duty Marines, some dressed in their formal Marine dress blues - black jacket with gold buttons and red piping, blue trousers with the blood stripes down the sides, and shiny black shoes - celebrated at the birthday ball hosted by the Avenel Detachment of the U.S. Marine Corps League with their brothers and sisters of the Marine Corps on Nov. 11.
"There is a special bond among the Marines," said Larry Markiewicz, who has been a member of the Central Jersey Leathernecks of the U.S. Marine Corps League in Westfield for 16 years and was a member of the Avenel Detachment for four years.
"I served in the Marines from 1959 to 1963 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and if you look around at all the other older Marines, we would go back and help the younger Marines right now if we could. From a young Marine who is 17 or 18 years old to a 75-year-old veteran, there is a connection that will never go away. It's a bond of brotherhood."
The birthday ball had the traditional cake-cutting ceremony that is celebrated the same way by all Marines around the world. Guest Speaker Lt. Col. Robert M. Hagan, inspector instructor, 6th Motor Transport Battalion, stationed in Red Bank, did the honors by cutting the first piece of cake for the youngest Marine, Joseph Pietz, 22; the second piece of cake for the oldest Marine, Steven Cherepon, 84; and the third piece of cake for himself.
With a thumbs-up, Pietz signaled to the crowd of close to 100 people that the cake was good to eat.
The night began with the Marine Jr. ROTC Color Guard of St. Peter's High School in New Brunswick as they marched and showed their colors. Marty Martino, commandant of the Avenel Detachment, and George Little, vice commandant, led the processions throughout the night.
The phrases "Ooh-rah," which originated from the Marines from the 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Company aboard the submarine USS Perch in 1953, and the U.S. Marine Corps motto since 1883, "Semper Fidelis," Latin term for always faithful, were heard throughout the night.
As the Marines and their families enjoyed shrimp hors d'oeuvres to chateaubriand, Michael Tango, who served as a Marine from 1961 to 1965, said this was the first formal Marine Birthday Ball he ever attended.
"I used to attend one in Rahway, but not formally," said Tango, who came with his wife. Tango spoke about his days in the service.
"Nowadays, these kids have to serve four tours of duty, I don't know how they do it," said Tango. "We only had to
serve two tours; tours were 13 months and we only had to do one tour overseas. I remember when I was overseas, we had to train the South Vietnamese. The Marine Corps took orders from the president of the United States, who were President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson at the time."
The Central Jersey Leathernecks celebrated the Marine Corps' birthday with a big bash in Scotch Plains the night before.
"If there was a birthday bash the next night, we would also go," said Markiewicz.
Ray Fleming, who is commandant for the Central Jersey Leathernecks, is glad he was drafted into the Marines in the early 1950s.
"I served from 1951 to 1953 during the Korean conflict," said Fleming. "I was drafted into the Marines and spent my entire tour of duty in Panama. I am glad I was drafted into the Marine Corps because of the brotherhood. It's 53 years later and I am still a Marine. You won't call a general of the U.S. Army a soldier and you won't call the chief of naval operations of the U.S Navy a sailor. But you can call a general in the Marines a Marine."
Like the saying "Once a Marine, always a Marine," Fleming said times have changed since he served.
"Everything is different with each different war or conflict," said Fleming. "In Korea, we were fighting in the mountains; during the Vietnam War, we were fighting in the jungles; and now with the conflict in Iraq, we are fighting in the desert and fighting pretty much from house to house."
Tango said the World War II veterans are the essence of what makes them what they are today.
"We definitely owe them," said Tango. "What they endured in Iwo Jima is horrible."
The annual birthday celebration dates back to Nov. 1, 1921, when John A. Lejeune, 13th commandant of the Marine Corps, directed that a reminder of the honorable service of the Marine Corps be published worldwide on the Corps' birthday.
The Corps' birthday has been officially celebrated on Nov. 10 ever since.
The first so-called "birthday ball" was held in Philadelphia in 1925. It has not been determined when the first cake ceremony was held, but there is evidence of a cake ceremony held at Quantico, Va., in 1935.
The celebration included a reading of an excerpt from the Marine Corps Manual and a birthday message from the commandant. Ward 1 Councilman Charles Kenny and Council-at-Large and Vice President Brenda Velasco were on hand to present the Avenel Detachment with a Mayoral Proclamation from state Sen. and then-interim Mayor Joseph Vitale extending the township's birthday greetings.
Lt. Col. Robert M. Hagan presented George Little, who served as a Marine for 12 years, with the 2006 Marine of the Year award.
Martino said the Forge Inn owner was grateful to the Marine Corps.
"He donated the cake and the U.S. Marine Corps ice sculpture," said Martino. "The owner told me that he would give us a night that we will never forget, and they definitely have."
Ellie