Anniversaries | Leonard W. Kidd Memorial

Today, the United States Marine Corps celebrates its 245th birthday.

A special message from Marine Corps General David H. Berger;

“While this year’s many challenges are significant and unique, they are not unprecedented, and it is important to remember that our Nation and Corps have endured difficult times in our past,” Berger said in his message to the Corps.

In addition to marking the 245th birthday of the Marine Corps, 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of World War II battles like Iwo Jima and Okinawa, in Japan, the 70th anniversary of Inchon and the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War, and the 55th anniversary of Marines arriving in Da Nang, Vietnam, Berger reminded the Corps. “From the past, we draw strength, pride, and a responsibility to carry on the warfighting heritage our predecessors built. We must also recognize our tradition of continuous adaptation–one that should inspire our current force modernization and innovation efforts,” Berger said.

Read the full message here.

In Remembrance of 9/11

On September 11, 2001, a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks were perpetrated, against the United States, by the Islamic terrorist group Al Qaeda. The attacks resulted in 2,977 fatalities, over 25,000 injuries, and substantial long-term health consequences. This was the single deadliest terrorist attack in human history and the single deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement officers in the history of the United States, with 343 and 72 killed, respectively.

Four passenger airliners, which had departed from airports in the northeastern United States bound for California were hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists. Two of the planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, crashed into the North and South towers, respectively, of the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan. Within an hour and 42 minutes, both 110-story towers collapsed.

Debris and the resulting fires caused a partial or complete collapse of all other buildings in the World Trade Center complex, including the 47-story 7 World Trade Center tower, as well as significant damage to ten other large surrounding structures. A third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, was crashed into the Pentagon (the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense) in Arlington County, Virginia, which led to a partial collapse of the building’s west side. The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was initially flown toward Washington, D.C., but crashed into a field in Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania, after passengers thwarted the hijackers.

Heroes from 9/11