Blake Hall
The United States Marine Corps birthday ball is a gala event thrown every November to celebrate that fateful day in 1775 when the “Continental Marines” were first established — and a tradition, a way of life was born.
Actually, the Second Continental Congress (you remember those scraggly old guys from history class, right?) created the order with this decree:
That two battalions of Marines be raised consisting of one Colonel, two lieutenant-colonels, two majors and other officers, as usual in other regiments; that they consist of an equal number of privates as with other battalions, that particular care be taken that no persons be appointed to offices, or enlisted into said battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve for and during the present war with Great Britain and the Colonies; unless dismissed by Congress; that they be distinguished by the names of the First and Second Battalions of Marines.
Here’s the skinny regarding TIME Magazine and their inability to correctly call the ball what it really is: a ball. Check out these posts from them via Facebook, about the story we also covered about Ronda Rousey agreeing to accompany a Marine to the prestigious event:
A “prom”? A PROM? Yeah, okay. What’s next? Calling going to war in the Middle East “playing in the sandbox”?