The Marine Corps for the Next 500 Years

February 23, 1945, to February 23, 2445...500 years...On that February day a whole bunch of surly ass, angry pissed off Marines had been assaulting through the volcanic island of Iwo Jima in the Pacific Ocean for the last several days. They'd been inviting the defenders to participate in roasty toasty times, very different from types that you watch on Comedy Central.A small group of Marines had cleared all the way to the top of Mount Suribachi. They were f***in' up the enemy as they went. Slayin' bodies like the damn grim reaper was their younger brother and had to be shown what the f*** was up with the family business.10:20 am February 23rd, 1945 the first flag was raised by Corporal Charles W. Lindberg, Privates First Class James Michels, and Raymond Jacobs, Private Phil Ward, and Navy corpsman John Bradley, it was a small flag, a humble flag carried to the top amidst the brutal fighting. A 54-by-28-inch/140-by-71-centimeter flag from the USS Missoula. It was little. A tiny blue speck.But when James Forrestal the Secretary of the Navy saw the flag being flown atop the mountain, he remarked to General Holland "Howlin' Mad" Smith,"Holland, the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years."The fighting for Iwo Jima continued across the island until March 26th, fighting around the summit of Mount Suribachi also continued. But that flag atop the mount in the opening days of the battle...we had Iwo and we weren't going to f***ing give it back. And we didn't.Fighting tooth and nail for every inch, heroes were made and heroes paid the ultimate price. Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, the hero of Guadalcanal would give his life on Iwo Jima, Hershel W. Williams, also known as Woody, would brave enemy fire and destroy several enemy encampments with demo and flame throwers.A Marine Corps for the next 500 years, we're not going anywhere. Semper.