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Lt Samuel Nicholas was recruiting his first recruit for the Marine Corps in Tun's Tavern, Philadelphia, November 10, 1775. His first recruit came up to him. "Here , sign your name or make your mark. Here's $10 pay for your first month. Did you bring your rifle?" The first Marine Recruit signed his name, took the money and said, "Yes, Sir, I have my rifle." "Lt Nicholas said, "Outstanding! Go sit down in the room in the back!" The second Marine recruit shows up. Lt Nicholas says, "Here, sign your name or make your mark! Here's $10 for your first...

SHENANGO TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A woman in Shenango Township said she has seen a raccoon with its face stuck inside a jar for four days. Tammy Yakubic said she is worried that if it doesn't get help soon, the raccoon will die. Yakubic called the Pennsylvania Game Commission, but the animal is up too high in a tree for it to intervene. "Their hands were tied, unless the animals would actually come down to the ground, which he has not. I mean, this is going on four days now, so I didn't know what else to do," Yakubic said.

A black bear cub affectionately named Jarhead has been saved from a slow death after conservationists in Florida removed a plastic container that had been stuck on the cub's head for at least 10 days. A team of biologists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission believes 6-month-old Jarhead was nosing around in trash in Ocala National Forest when it got its head stuck in the jar. It took the team 10 days to track down Jarhead and its sibling and tranquilize their defensive mother. Biologists were then able to subdue the cub and pry the jar from its...

THe USMC has a great slideshow andvideo on the birthday of the USMC on top of the page and top right of the URL listed here. One of the great ads is here:http://our.marines.com/cms_content/showblogvideo/rel_id/169/id/870

... For the public, the President's address was the first alarm bell of danger. But for many days the Commander-in-Chief Atlantic (CINCLANT) had been preparing to counter this newest aspect of the Russian buildup in Cuba. On October 18th, the prepositioning of forces to reduce reaction time in the event of action against Cuba continued. A reinforced infantry battalion, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines and Bravo Battery, 11th Marines from the Pacific Command's 5th MEB was ordered transferred to the operational control of CINCLANT and a light antiaircraft-missile battalion (Hawk) was ordered to Guantanamoto augment forces there. On October 22, 1962,...

SUPPOSEDLY, THESE ARE REAL ENTRIES 1. "Since my last report, this Marine has reached rock bottom and has started to dig." 2. "His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of morbid curiosity." 3. "I would not allow this employee to breed." 4. "This Marine is really not so much of a 'has been,' but more of a definite 'won't be.'" 5. "Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap." 6. "When he opens his mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet." 7. "He would be out of his depth...

SEMPER FIDELIS, SEMPER................

The Witherill family's property is like a billboard for the Marines, with license plates, bumper stickers and decals covering cars and windows everywhere. And the odds are good Joe Witherill will put a Marine sticker on the car of anyone who visits their property, too. This proud Marine veteran never insisted his children follow in his footsteps. But that's what happened. Not once. Not twice. Not three times. But four times. First his oldest son Albert joined and earned a place on the family's Marine Corps wall in the basement of their home. That inspired oldest daughter Andrea. "When I...

Oscar-winning film director Sam Mendes claims American viewers don't understand his new movie Jarhead as well as Europeans - because they expect war films to be one-sided. The movie based on the novel Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles by Anthony Swofford, and focuses on the frivolousness of war, rather than the glory - something Mendes feels Americans don't grasp. Mendes says, "I feel they've understood in Europe. In America, it's like talking about a different movie. "Fundamentally, Jarhead disobeys all the laws of American movies, and not just the political laws of American movies...

Mike Neven, author of the following editorial, will be a guest with Mike Rosen. The leftist leanings of Swofford, Gyllenhall, Mendes, et al will be discussed. Speakout: 'Jarhead' a viciously dishonest lie By Tom Neven, Special to the News November 11, 2005 By now you've probably read the varying reviews of Jarhead, the new movie that purports to be about the Marine Corps and the first Persian Gulf War. Based on the memoir of the same name by Anthony Swofford, both the movie and book bear only a superficial resemblance to anything real. First, the book. Third-generation enlistee Swofford joined...

San Antonio, Tex.—Yesterday, November 10, was the 230th anniversary of the founding of the United States Marine Corps. Today, November 11, is Veterans’ Day. Lance Cpl. Aaron Mankin, USMC, observed both celebrations from Brooke Army Medical Center here in San Antonio. He’s been here for months—recovering from burns and wounds he received earlier this year near Al Qaim, Iraq. I was there, covering his unit for FOX News when the Assault Amphibious Vehicle he was in was blown apart by an improvised explosive device. This week, I was privileged to spend part of this year’s Marine Corps anniversary with him...

Joel Turnipseed, a former marine who wrote "Baghdad Express," a memoir of the first gulf war, was sitting in Minneapolis watching "Monday Night Football" with his wife last week when a commercial for the film "Jarhead" came on the television. "Jarhead" was directed by Sam Mendes and is based on Anthony Swofford's memoir of the first gulf war. The commercial showed marines in the desert hurrying to don their chemical protection gear. One of the characters, Troy, played by Peter Sarsgaard, put on his hood and turned to another, Swoff, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, and in his best Darth Vader...

By now you've probably read the varying reviews of Jarhead, the new movie that purports to be about the Marine Corps and the first Persian Gulf War. Based on the memoir of the same name by Anthony Swofford, both the movie and book bear only a superficial resemblance to anything real. First, the book. Third-generation enlistee Swofford joined the Marines to escape a dysfunctional family, but unfortunately he brought a lot of that dysfunction into the Corps. In the end, he dishonored the uniform he wore.

Jarhead Cheapens Vets' Heroism by Oliver NorthPosted Nov 11, 2005 San Antonio, Tex.—Yesterday, November 10, was the 230th anniversary of the founding of the United States Marine Corps. Today, November 11, is Veterans’ Day. Lance Cpl. Aaron Mankin, USMC, observed both celebrations from Brooke Army Medical Center here in San Antonio. He’s been here for months—recovering from burns and wounds he received earlier this year near Al Qaim, Iraq. I was there, covering his unit for FOX News when the Assault Amphibious Vehicle he was in was blown apart by an improvised explosive device. This week, I was privileged to...

On this Veteran's Day Mike Rosen's weekly movie review will be take on the recent released 'Jarhead'. In Mike's show preview on Colorado Morning News all he said that he absolutely HATED the movie. Mike served in the Army back in the 60's and is always at the forefront of supporting our men and women in uniform from his 50,000 watt blow torch of the Rockies here on 850am KOA. Listen on-line LIVE at: (1pm ET, Noon CT, 11am MT, 10am PT) http://www.850koa.com (Listen Live link on top left, no registration required) (Admin Moderator) - I will send a request...

'Hollywood: Rotten To The Corps' By Oliver North November 11, 2005 SAN ANTONIO, TX -- The 230th Anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps. Nov. 11th -- Veterans' Day. Lance Corporal Aaron Mankin, U.S.M.C., observed both celebrations from Brooke Army Medical Center here in San Antonio. He's been here for months -- recovering from burns and wounds he received earlier this year near Al Qaim, Iraq. I was there, covering his unit for FOX News when the Assault Amphibious Vehicle he was in was blown apart by an improvised explosive device. This week, I was privileged to spend...

Semper Fi to all Marines! Happy Birthday, lets all go down to Tun Tavern for a few then head out to Iraq for business.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARINES By Michelle Malkin   ·   November 10, 2005 08:28 AM ***updated with links galore*** It's the 230th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps. A new commemorative stamp series is being unveiled this week. Here are the honorees: Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone Basilone received the Medal of Honor during World War II for holding 3,000 Japanese soldiers at bay for 72 hours at Guadalcanal. He also destroyed a Japanese gun emplacement at Iwo Jima and was killed there during battle. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart. Sgt. Maj. Daniel 'Dan' Joseph Daly Daly received the...

JARHEAD, the movie based upon Anthony Swofford's book, came out on Friday, 4 November. Any word on whether the movie supports the War Effort or if it is another Hollywood attempt to undermine the military? I don't want to vote with my dollars and see it if it turns out to have an agenda. Please advise!

"Jarhead," based on Anthony Swofford's best-selling Gulf War memoir, is not so much about war as about waiting for war, and about the impact that waiting has on a not-yet-formed young man. Jake Gyllenhaal, head shaved and eyes frightened, is Swoff, who "got lost on the way to college" and became a Marine in 1990. After training, he's quickly on a plane to Saudi Arabia, wondering how long he'll be there. Two weeks, says somebody confidently. Not exactly. Once in the desert, weeks stretch into months, and Swoff and his cohorts play football (in 112-degree heat), mourn the women left...