Sometimes as a Marine Corps wife, you wonder, when do I get a night off?  And as all Marine Corps wives know, your one guarenteed night off a year is the Marine Corps Birthday Ball.  Every birthday ball is different.  Some serve an appetizer, some serve chicken and/or steak, some are open bar and some cash bar, some are held in town while others are out of town.  But there are also things that do not change, that is every one in their best dressed, every one exchanging "Happy Birthdays", the KIA/POW/MIA table at the corner of the room, the reading of Commandant Lejeune's birthday message as well as the current birthday message, the guest of honor, the ceremony and the presentation of the birthday cake.  There is a comfort in the Marine Corps traditions at the Birthday Ball. 

Some people say, oh its the same thing every year and gets old, but my question is, what gets old about 200+ years of tradition wrought with honor, courage, and commitment.  I love that every year I walk in, I know I am surrounded by heroes.  There is an awesomeness about that that never changes.  What gets old about honoring those heroes that have come before you, ones that are currently serving and those that have made the ultimate sacrifice.  And as a mom and wife, its nice to dress up in your formal best and have a night out on the town with your handsome husband.  This year at the ball, the oldest and youngest Marines ages were funny for me as the youngest was born in 1993 and the oldest in 1962, the youngest is years younger than my baby sister and the oldest is years younger than my father.  I realized I am getting older, but with that is more of an appreciation for the event, more than just getting dressed up and going on a nice date.  I realized that there is a reason these traditions are so important. 

What hit that home was a couple of years ago, we invited my grandparents to the ball with us when we lived in Nashville for recruiting duty.  My grandfather was a Marine for ten years in the 1950's and was a driver for the infamous Chesty Puller.  He had never been to a birthday ball.  He stood at attention with the rest of the Marines during the ceremony, and I saw the hint of tears in his eyes during parts of it.  My big tough grandfather and this tradition could bring tears to his eyes.  Wow.  Hits home the saying, Once a Marine Always a Marine.  This tradition ties together all Marines, whether you served one enlistment or five+.  This tradition ties together heroes of the past and heroes of the present.  This tradition ties together those still living and those gone before us.  One of the things they say about the KIA/POW/MIA table is about the blank dog tags and reiterating that they are blank because it could hold the name of any one of them in the room.  How true.  And because of these Marines I was surrounded by, my husbands name did not appear on them.  It can bring tears to my eyes as well. 

Happy Birthday Marines!