HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARINES!

Today, all American patriots celebrate the founding of our country’s most fabled fighting force, the United States Marines, at the historic Tun Tavern in Philadelphia 246 years ago.

As a token of this celebration, I’d like to tell you a little known story of USMC history —  how John Wayne saved the Marine Corps. Not in a movie but in real life.

In the aftermath of World War II, the psychological letdown after years of war and bloodshed, the huge demobilization of servicemen, the desire to slash military spending, and the antipathy towards the military by left-wingers in the Democrat Party all combined in a call by a number of Senators and Congressmen to abolish the Marine Corps.

In this, they were supported by the Doolittle Board, created by the Truman Administration, which called for the Marine Corps to be “disbanded” as a separate military force, and “unified” with the Army (yes, the board was headed by an Army general, Jimmy Doolittle).

A group of enterprising Marines – you can always depend on Marines to be enterprising – with Hollywood connections thought a movie made around the most iconic photograph of World War II, Joe Rosenthal’s of the Marines raising the flag on Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, could help sway public opinion against their disbandment.

They approached legendary director Allan Dwan, who agreed to commission a script. The movie was to be called “The Sands of Iwo Jima,” and everybody agreed there was only one man who could play the lead role of Sergeant Stryker: John Wayne.

To their great surprise, Wayne turned it down. He didn’t like the script, and he wasn’t enamored of the character of Stryker. The Marines came to the rescue again.

The Marine Corps Commandant, General Clifton B. Cates, got on an airplane and flew from Washington to California to personally request Wayne make the picture. When General Cates explained the stakes involved – the very existence of the Marine Corps – Wayne immediately changed his mind, promising the general he would do everything in his power to have the movie be a success.

The Sands of Iwo Jima was released in 1949 and quickly became a runaway blockbuster, with millions of moviegoers packing every theatre showing it. Wayne was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, establishing him as Hollywood’s Number One box-office star.

The Doolittle Board folded its tent, and no politician on Capitol Hill ever again said a word about disbanding the Marines.

So let’s all say “Semper Fi” to the memory of John Wayne.

In March of 2015, I was privileged to go to Iwo Jima for the 70^th anniversary of the battle.

This is Mount Suribachi from the air.  The memorial where the Marines planted the American flag in Joe Rosenthal’s iconic photo is at the bare patch on the rim above the area of white rocks on the right.

I took the picture flying here with over 30 Marines who fought here 70 years ago. The experience of walking the black sands of Iwo Jima and standing on top of Suribachi with them was emotionally overpowering.  I took this picture of Sgt. John Roy Coltrane on Suribachi with Invasion Beach below. But when I shook his hand to thank him for his heroism, my voice cracked and I fought off tears.

At the memorial atop Suribachi, there is this quote of Admiral Chester Nimitz:

Then again, uncommon valor as a common virtue is what characterizes the Marines.  I know because my son Brandon, who served a Marine Corps Captain with seven months of daily combat in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, embodies that virtue.

So wherever you are and whatever you are doing today, take a moment to express your gratitude, appreciation, and thankfulness to America’s heroes of the United States Marines.  OORAH!