Disclaimer: The only thing I own are the two female OC's in this story. Everything else belongs to those other guys.
Author's Note: I wanted to do a story to honor the Marine Corps birthday. To do so we're going back in the day when Gibbs was a Probie and worked with Mike Franks. The two female characters will be familiar to everyone who has read my story "El Viejo". For everybody else, you could read the chapters "Malfunctions" and "DIY" and be up to speed. It's not essential however to enjoy this story. The Corps is 237 years old this year. Happy Birthday, Marines.
Technical Notes- Some notes concerning the United States Marine Corps:
Dress Blues- Long sleeve choker collar midnight blue outer blouse (jacket) with red piping, white web belt with brass waist plate, white barracks cover (peaked cap), medium sky blue trousers with "blood stripe" and black shoes. It is the only uniform of the US military to use all the colors of the nation's flag.
Blood Stripe- Scarlet stripe worn down the outside leg seams of the trousers of the Dress Blue uniform. Stripe is only worn by Officers, Staff NCO's and NCO's. Marine tradition holds that due to high casualties among officers and NCO's at the Battle of Chapultepec in 1847 the blood stripe was added to the uniform to honor this sacrifice.
Mameluke Sword- Cross hilted curved scimitar like sword carried by the Mamluk warriors of Ottoman Egypt. USMC lore holds that a sword of this type was presented to First Lieutenant Presley O'Bannion by an Ottoman Empire viceroy as a gesture of respect and praise for the Marines actions at the Battle of Derna in 1804. The Mameluke sword was adopted by the Corps in 1825 and is still worn by Marine officers during ceremonial occasions to this day. A Mameluke sword is used to cut the birthday cake at Marine Corps birthday balls.
Marine Corps Birthday & Ball- The United States Marine Corps was born November 10, 1775, when the Second Continental Congress authorized that "two battalions of Marines be raised". The first of these Marines were recruited at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia. When the American Revolution ended in 1783 the Continental Navy along with the Continental Marines was disestablished. The Corps was reestablished on July 11th 1798. Up until 1921 July 11th was quietly celebrated as the birthday of the Corps. In October of 1921 a Major in the Corps historical section sent a memo to then Commandant John A. Lejeune suggesting the original birthday of the Corps, November 10th be declared a Marine Corps holiday to be celebrated throughout the Corps. Commandant Lejeune so ordered in Marine Corps Order 47(Series 1921). At birthday balls around the world this order is still read today, along with birthday greeting s from the present Commandant. There is also a birthday cake, which is cut using a Mameluke sword. The first piece cut is given to the oldest Marine present. The second piece to the youngest Marine. There is usually a banquet and dancing.
The First Commandant- Samuel Nicholas was the first officer commissioned in the Continental Marines with the rank of Captain. As such, by tradition he is considered the first Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. He was born in Philadelphia in 1744. Nicholas was educated at the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania). He was commissioned on November 5, 1776. After the Continental Congress passed a resolution on November 10, 1775 that 'two battalions of Marines be raised', Nicholas started recruiting at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia. After the men were recruited, Nicholas led them in the Battle of Nassau (see below). On June 25, 1776 the Continental Congress promoted him to Major and placed him 'at the head of the Marines with the rank of Major'. The Marines took part later in the year in the battles of Trenton and Princeton. At the conclusion of the war, after the disestablishment of the Continental Navy and Marines, Nicholas returned to civilian life. He died in Philadelphia during a yellow fever epidemic, August 27, 1790.
First Amphibious Operation- On March 3, 1776, barely four months after first being established the Continental Marines performed their first amphibious assault landing as the Marines gained control of Forts Montague and Nassau in New Providence, the Bahamas. Commanded by Captain Samuel Nichols, the two battalions of Marines seized a quantity of gunpowder and cannon.
1ST Marine Division- Is the oldest and largest active duty division in the USMC. It was activated 1 February 1941. Its nickname is "the Old Breed". It has participated in some of the Corps most famous campaigns: Belleau Wood, Chateau Thierry, Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, Okinawa, Inchon, and the Chosin Reservoir. It served in Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Over the years there have been many interesting quotes from and about Marines:
"Come on, you sons of bitches. Do you want to live forever?"Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly, Medal of Honor recipient, Belleau Wood 1918
"The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle- General of the Army John J. Pershing
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem."- President Ronald W Reagan, 1985
"The raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years"- Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal February 23, 1945 after seeing the picture taken by Joe Rosenthal
"By their victory, the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and other units of the Fifth Amphibious Corps have made an accounting to their country which only history will be able to value fully. Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue."- Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, US Navy
"We stole the Eagle from the Air Force, the Anchor from the Navy and the Rope from the Army. On the 7th day while God rested we overran his perimeter, stole the Globe and we've been running the whole show ever since."-Unknown Marine
"Marines die, that's what we're here for. But the Marine Corps lives forever. And that means YOU live forever."- R Lee Ermey as GySgt Hartman, Full Metal Jacket, 1987
"I've always been proud of being a Marine. I won't hesitate to defend the Corps."- Jonathan Winters, comic and Marine
"We live like soldiers, talk like sailors and slap the hell out of both of them. Killers by day, lovers by night, drunkards by choice, MARINES BY GOD!"- Unknown Marine
"A ship without Marines is like a garment without buttons."- Admiral David Porter, USN
"Gone to Florida to fight the Indians. Will be back when the war is over."- Colonel Commandant Archibald Henderson, USMC in a note pinned to his office door, 1836
"Hell, these are Marines. Men like them held Guadalcanal and took Iwo Jima. Baghdad ain't shit. - Marine Major General John F. Kelly
"There are only two kinds of people who understand Marines: Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion."- General William Thornson, US Army
"The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!"- Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States, 1945
A/N: I was going to make this all one piece. It seemed too long that way so I broke it up. Hope I haven't offended the FFN gods. The story follows. As I said earlier, we're back in the day…..