I know that you have been waiting with bated breath and bayonets to hear more about “our” Marines. Yes, I am sharing them. Here is lesson #2, which continues with the re-establishment of the Marine Corps:

Following the Revolutionary War and the formal re-establishment of the Marine Corps on 11 July 1798, Marines saw action in the quasi-war with France, landed in Santo Domingo, and took part in many operations against the Barbary pirates along the "Shores of Tripoli". Marines participated in numerous naval operations during the War of 1812, as well as participating in the defense of Washington at Bladensburg, Maryland, and fought alongside Andrew Jackson in the defeat of the British at New Orleans. The decades following the War of 1812 saw the Marines protecting American interests around the world, in the Caribbean, at the Falkland Islands, Sumatra and off the coast of West Africa, and also close to home in the operations against the Seminole Indians in Florida.

During the Mexican War (1846-1848), Marines seized enemy seaports on both the Gulf and Pacific coasts. A battalion of Marines joined General Scott's army at Pueblo and fought all the way to the "Halls of Montezuma," Mexico City. Marines also served ashore and afloat in the Civil War (1861-1865). Although most service was with the Navy, a battalion fought at Bull Run and other units saw action with the blockading squadrons and at Cape Hatteras, New Orleans, Charleston, and Fort Fisher. The last third of the 19th century saw Marines making numerous landings throughout the world, especially in the Orient and in the Caribbean area.

Ah, “from theHalls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli” – the Marine Hymn! Here are the inspiring words:

From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.


Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun.
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job --
The United States Marines.


Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.

Now, sing along! I am one big tear duct. I had tears in my eyes as I was singing along.

I talked about tears in my eyes? I did not realize that the misting would recur. It did as I was reading this blog, Pink in a world of Camo. This gives us a screen’s view of the world of a Marine family. I salute the strength of Mrs. P.

I am completely out of my league with the job of a scout sniper. But, I know all I need to know – that this young scout sniper is going to stand between me and any of the bad guys who would like to kill me.

Scout snipers, like Gearhart, employ the M-40A4 sniper rifle with a Schmidt and Bender scope as their primary weapon of choice when conducting operations. Along with the months of training, these are the tools that make Gearhart a valuable asset to the platoon.

"In order to be a good sniper, you’ve got to be a good Marine. Gearhart possesses all those qualities," said Staff Sgt. Joseph Chamblin, platoon commander for Scout Sniper platoon, Weapons Company. "He’s mature, and I know I can trust him with anything and not have to think about it."

"Gearhart has never met somebody who wasn’t his friend. He just walks up to them and they’re immediately his buddy," said Church. "Everybody likes him. He’s just got a great personality."

A top scout sniper, a good Marine,  a good buddy…what more can we ask?

What we can ask is: “Where should I donate”? Here is the donation center.

I leave you with a heartwarming story of a new recruit. I was rooting for him and especially for his male trainers. I am going to do 50 pushups for that blatantly sexist remark! Chalk it up to my incurable condition of “man in a uniform syndrome!”

God bless all of our troops. They stand between us and loss of liberty or even invasion. Today is the anniversary of the Fort Hood massacre.  Please donate as you are able, to Project Valour-IT.