HAPPY 234th Sailors!

[Phantom Blooper]

Navy celebrates 234th

October 14, 2009 6:31 AM
Hope Hodge

Sailors at the Naval Hospital aboard Camp Lejeune took a moment Tuesday to celebrate the Navy’s 234th anniversary with a sweet tradition: birthday cake.

The Naval Hospital Command Master Chief Terry Prince said that the Navy is distinguished by its versatility, noting that it is one service in which military personnel can serve in virtually every capacity, whether by air, sea, land or with the Marines. Also, Prince said, the service is notable for the many great men and women who have worn the Navy uniform, mentioning Alan Shepherd, a Navy captain who was the first man in space.

“There’s legends out there,” he said.

The U.S. Navy traces its history back to Oct. 13, 1775, when the Continental Congress sent a fleet consisting of just two vessels out to look for ships supplying weapons to the British army. That makes the Navy an institution older than the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the United States itself.

Celebration of the Navy’s birthday dates back nearly as far, but Oct. 13 was officially designated as the anniversary in 1972. A slew of events to commemorate the day lit up Washington, D.C. and military installations across the country. In Jacksonville, sailors can celebrate the milestone later this month at the Navy birthday ball; on Tuesday, they marked the day simply.

At noon, Prince entered to the hospital’s mess hall brandishing a sword. The sailors and Marines enjoying a special steak and lobster tail birthday lunch paused briefly to hear him say a few words of congratulation and read a birthday message from Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughhead.

“We serve in the greatest navy that has ever sailed,” Roughead wrote. “And in the words of our first commander-in-chief, George Washington, ‘It follows that as certain that night succeeds the day, that without a decisive naval force, we can do nothing definitive and with it, everything honorable and glorious.’ ”

Then it was time for another simple but poignant tradition: The oldest and youngest active-duty sailors present came forward to cut the cake.

The custom in the Navy, Prince explained, is for the youngest and oldest sailors to cut slices of cake for each other. When the oldest sailor offers cake to the youngest, he said, “it signifies the passing of knowledge and experience.” When the youngest feeds the oldest, it means “we got it, master chief,” he said with a chuckle. “Have a good life.”

The youngest sailor present was Hospitalman Nickolas Lamal, 19, of Green Bay, Wis. This is only the second Navy Birthday he has celebrated. “I never did anything like this before,” Lamal said. “It’s nice to see the older master chiefs passing down a bit of knowledge and a bit of heritage to the younger sailors.”

Master Chief Glenn Baxter, the oldest sailor in the room, said it was the second time that year he had been so distinguished; he was honored as the oldest active-duty corpsman at the Hospital Corps birthday as well.

Baxter, 57, said he had celebrated more than 30 Navy birthdays in his military tenure.

“It’s always a pleasure to be around for another one,” he said.



Contact Hope Hodge at 910-219-8453 or at hhodge@freedomenc.com

[DocGreek]

I'm still a Sailor, a Corpsman, and an F.M.F. Doc!!...................HAPPY 234th...."ANCHOR'S AWEIGH!!!"...Doc Greek....

[Quinbo]

Another birthday present for the swabbies.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33297422...news-military/

I've met a few bubble heads and all that time spent 3 fathoms down drives em nuts. Imagine if women were down there with them.

[charm1110]

Happy Birthday Squids and Corpsmen!

[Wyoming]

Oh ****, the big heads begin.

Nah, Happy B'Day my Brothers!

[ecfree]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all the DOCs,CBs,GATER NAVY,AIRDALES and the rest of you dixie cup wearing SOBs......GET ER DONE.....

[doc h fmf]

Thanks everyone and semper fi

[SGT7477]

Happy Birthday to the Navy,OOHRAH.

[MontezumaCpl]

Happy Birthday Navy! Oooh-Rah Corpsmen, Chaplains and all Navy people!

And a Happy Birthday to my Pops (USN, Ret.)!

Salute!



"You can always tell a Marine, you just can't tell them much!"

[doc h fmf]

thanks It was a pleasure serving my brothers . godbless you all past and present

as always semper fi OOOOOOOOOOOOOOraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh

[Waveslide]

Happy Belated! Go Navy! Beat Army!

[OldSwabbie]

Wow.. she (Navy) doesnt look a day over 233!!

Thanks guys.. I've always been proud to call quite a number of Marines my buddies. Ya'll are the best...

BTW.. I was in Marine Corps JROTC for 3 years. Guess thats why I always got along so well with Grunts?!

My best friend and Father talked me into joining the Navy in 1975.. I did it on November 10th.. the 200th Birthday of the Corps. I told my Dad if I wasnt enlisting in the Marines at least I would do it on the Corps Birthday!

OORRAH!

[MontezumaCpl]

Ooh-Rah, OldSwabbie!