MOREHEAD CITY, N.C.- Marines across the country celebrated the 230th birthday of the Marine Corps Thursday. In Havelock, N.C. service members from Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station celebrated the birthday at their annual ball.
Retired Gunnery Sgt. Jay Platt, the keynote speaker at the event, spoke words of inspiration to the Marines in attendance.
"Nothing is impossible for a Marine," he said.
During his retirement, Platt has proven this point. He recently finished a swim from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco with his hands and his feet tied together. He also hiked along the entire 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail through the mountain range. He did all this despite people telling him he was crazy for trying, all to raise money for cancer research.
"Courage is knowing your fears and doing it anyway," Platt said. "To be a Marine today you've got to have courage more than any other time."
Being a Marine is about more than courage for Lance Cpl. Doug Marshall from Indianapolis. It is about tradition and family because both his father and uncle were Marines.
"I wouldn't trade it for the world," he said. "It's something really cool that me and my dad can share together."
Marshall, an air traffic controller, joined the Marines on March 18, 2003 and is preparing to leave for a Marine expeditionary unit in the Mediterranean Sea.
He said he was excited about going abroad to places such as Spain and Italy. However, he said it would be difficult to be away from home for a long time.
"It's just gonna suck being away from family," Marshall said.
Thursday night was not a time for sadness, but celebration, and he joined with hundreds of other Marines around the country in shouting the customary "Ooh Rah!" for greetings and exclamations of "Happy Birthday."
As Platt said, it was a night for celebrating.
"And by the way, you all look good for 230," he said.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
