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234
Years of
Honor,
History, Tradition
United
States Marine Corps
Subject: CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
Originator: CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
DTG: 161950Z Dec 08
Precedence: ROUTINE
DAC: General
To: AL ALMAR(UC)
--------------------------------------------------
UNCLASSIFIED//
ALMAR 052/08
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC CMC//
SUBJ/CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS//
REF/A/DESC: DOC/CMC WASHINGTON
DC/05MAY2003//
AMPN/REF A IS MCO P5060.20, MARINE CORPS
DRILL AND CEREMONIES MANUAL.
//GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. THIS ALMAR
REINFORCES THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS AND AMPLIFIES THE
PROVISIONS OF THE REFERENCE FOR RENDERING
SALUTES AND HONORS TO THE NATIONAL FLAG; THE
PROPER CONDUCT OF THE MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY
CAKE CUTTING CEREMONY; AND THE PLAYING OF
THE MARINES' HYMN.
2. CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS PROVIDE A LINK
TO THE PAST; THEY BOND
MARINES WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE WITH MARINES
WHO WILL CARRY THE TORCH THROUGH THE
FUTURE. ANY LOSS OF TRADITION OR IMPROPER
OBSERVATION OF CUSTOM BLURS OUR IDENTITY AND
WEAKENS US AS AN INSTITUTION. THROUGH
THE FAITHFUL ADHERENCE BY COMMANDERS AND
EACH INDIVIDUAL MARINE, WE PRESERVE OUR
IDENTITY AND REPUTATION AS A UNIQUE AND
ELITE FIGHTING ORGANIZATION.
3. SALUTING. A RECENT CHANGE TO THE LAW
HAS AUTHORIZED ACTIVE DUTY AND RETIRED
SERVICEMEMBERS TO SALUTE THE NATIONAL
COLORS, WHETHER COVERED OR UNCOVERED,
INDOORS OR OUT. BY CUSTOM AND TRADITION,
MARINES DO NOT RENDER THE HAND SALUTE WHEN
OUT OF UNIFORM OR WHEN UNCOVERED. LET THERE
BE NO CONFUSION; THAT HAS NOT CHANGED.
DURING THE PLAYING OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM,
OR THE RAISING, LOWERING, OR PASSING OF THE
NATIONAL FLAG, MARINES WILL CONTINUE TO
FOLLOW NAVAL TRADITIONS AND THE POLICY /
PROCEDURES CONTAINED IN REFERENCE (A).
SPECIFICALLY, MARINES NOT IN UNIFORM WILL
FACE THE FLAG, STAND AT ATTENTION, AND PLACE
THE RIGHT HAND OVER THE HEART. IF COVERED,
MARINES NOT IN UNIFORM WILL REMOVE THEIR
HEADGEAR WITH THE RIGHT HAND AND PLACE THEIR
RIGHT HAND OVER THEIR HEART. WHEN THE FLAG
IS NOT PRESENT, MARINES WILL ACT IN THE SAME
MANNER WHILE FACING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE
MUSIC. IN CASES SUCH AS INDOOR CEREMONIES,
WHEN MARINES ARE IN UNIFORM AND UNCOVERED,
THEY WILL FACE THE FLAG, OR THE DIRECTION OF
THE MUSIC WHEN THE FLAG IS NOT PRESENT, AND
STAND AT ATTENTION.
4. THE MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY CAKE
CUTTING CEREMONY. THE MARINE
CORPS BIRTHDAY CAKE CUTTING CEREMONY IS
ONE OF OUR TIME-HONORED
TRADITIONS IN GARRISON, IN THE FIELD, AND
IN COMBAT. ONE OF THE
MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THE CEREMONY
IS THE TRADITIONAL
RECOGNITION OF THE OLDEST AND YOUNGEST
MARINES PRESENT. TO CLARIFY THE LANGUAGE IN
REFERENCE (A), THE COMMANDER CUTS THE CAKE
AND HANDS THE FIRST PIECE TO THE GUEST OF
HONOR. THEN THE COMMANDER HANDS THE SECOND
PIECE OF CAKE TO THE OLDEST MARINE PRESENT
AS A SIGN OF HONOR AND RESPECT TO EXPERIENCE
AND SENIORITY. AFTER TAKING A BITE, THE
OLDEST MARINE PASSES THE SECOND PIECE OF
CAKE, AND A CLEAN FORK, DIRECTLY TO THE
YOUNGEST MARINE PRESENT; THIS ACTION
SYMBOLIZES THE PASSING OF WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE,
AND EXPERIENCE, AS WELL AS TRUST AND
CONFIDENCE IN THOSE WHO WILL CONTINUE TO
CARRY ON OUR MARINE CORPS TRADITIONS.
5. PLAYING OF THE MARINES' HYMN. THE
MARINES' HYMN IS THE OFFICIAL HYMN OF THE
MARINE CORPS. IT IS THE SONG OF PRAISE TO
OUR INSTITUTION AND THE LYRICS ARE A DIRECT
TRIBUTE TO OUR WARFIGHTING CULTURE. BY
CUSTOM AND TRADITION, THE MARINES' HYMN IS
THE LAST
SONG PLAYED AT CEREMONIES AND GATHERINGS
OF MARINES. ALTHOUGH THE REFERENCE ALLOWS
FOR THE PLAYING OF SPECIAL MUSIC REQUESTS
BEFORE THE MARINES' HYMN, SUCH AS "ANCHOR'S
AWEIGH," THIS IS BY EXCEPTION AND AT THE
DISCRETION OF THE LOCAL COMMANDER.
6. ONE OF OUR HALLMARKS AS MARINES IS
THAT WE ARE AS GOOD ON PARADE AS WE ARE IN
THE ATTACK. OUR SHARP APPEARANCE - IN AND
OUT OF UNIFORM - AND OUR SUCCESS IN BATTLE
ARE TWO IMPORTANT PARTS OF OUR IDENTITY. WE
TAKE PRIDE IN OUR TRADITIONS, AND THEIR
UNIFORM APPLICATION, WHEREVER MARINES ARE
ASSIGNED.
7. SEMPER FIDELIS, JAMES T. CONWAY,
GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//
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