Happy 250th Birthday Marine Corps!

This week, our nation celebrates a truly historic milestone: the 250th birthday of the United States Marine Corps.

On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress created a new fighting force—the Marines. From that moment on, the Marine Corps has stood at the ready in every major conflict in our nation’s history, earning a reputation for discipline, courage, and excellence.

Every Marine knows that November 10 is more than just a date. No matter where Marines are stationed—on deployment, at home, or half a world away—they find a way to celebrate. And they remain proud of one detail no other service can claim: the Marine Corps was founded in a bar: Tun Tavern in Philadelphia.

For two and a half centuries, the Marine Corps has been a symbol of America’s fighting spirit. From the sands of Iwo Jima to the streets of Fallujah, from the Chosin Reservoir to Helmand Province, Marines have led from the front. In every generation, the Marine Corps has produced men and women who embody the highest ideals of service, sacrifice, and brotherhood.

I retired recently after more than 30 years in the Marine Corps—both on active duty and in the reserves. Representing Alaska in the U.S. Senate is a great honor. But I’ve often said that, besides the titles of husband and father, the one I’m most proud to hold is United States Marine. Many of my fellow Marines will say the same.

What is it about the Marine Corps that makes us feel this way? I think it is this: the Marine Corps represents the best of America—honor, courage, commitment, discipline. Our oath, Semper Fidelis, focuses on fidelity not just for the Marine Corps, not just for America, but also to each other, to our fellow Marines.

I’ve seen this spirit firsthand. It lives in the unbreakable bond among Marines who serve side by side, in the strength of the families who stand beside them, and in the deep sense of civic duty that compels so many Marines to keep serving their communities and their country long after they leave the Corps.

Here in Alaska, that spirit runs deep. Our state is home to more veterans per capita than any other state in the country; thousands of veterans and active-duty service members who carry forward the Marine Corps’ proud traditions. Alaskans understand what it means to serve, to endure hardship, and to stand ready. Patriotism is in our DNA, and our Marines are a reflection of that.

There’s no better place to celebrate patriotism than in Alaska. Earlier this week, I was scheduled to attend the Alaska Marine Corps Ball in Anchorage, a celebration with my fellow Alaska Marines and their families that has been one of my favorite events over the years. Unfortunately, I was stuck in Washington, D.C., working to get our government reopened and couldn’t make it home. Though I was disappointed to miss it, I was reminded that wherever Marines gather—whether in Anchorage or on the national stage—they carry the same traditions and the same sense of purpose. So instead, I attended the Commandant’s Marine Corps Ball in D.C.

Vice President JD Vance was the guest of honor—the first Marine Vice President ever—so he got a lot of shouts and recognition. But the Marine who stole the show was the oldest Marine there: Cpl. Nils Mockler—99 years old. Born in 1926, Cpl. Mockler is an Iwo Jima combat Marine, D-1. He looked as strong as he did when he was an 18-year-old corporal storming the beaches of Iwo Jima. When he was introduced, the Ball exploded in applause—a five-minute standing ovation for this great American hero. It was an incredible moment.

That moment captured everything we celebrate on this 250th birthday: the enduring spirit that connects generations of Marines, from those who fought at Iwo Jima to those serving on today’s front lines. From wooden ships and muskets to stealth aircraft and cyber defense, the Marines have adapted to every era, proving again and again that the strength of the Corps lies not in its tools, but in its people.

The United States Marine Corps is more than a branch of the military. It is an enduring promise: that when America needs courage, discipline, and sacrifice, Marines will be there.

So to every Marine—past, present, and future—thank you for your service to our country and your fidelity to one another.

Here’s to 250 years of honor, courage, and commitment.

Semper Fi.

U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan was sworn into office in 2015. He sits on the Veterans Affairs and Senate Armed Services Committee. He retired as a Colonel from the Marine Corps Reserve on February 1, 2024.