My husband wrote the following on Nov 10th.  I am just now getting the time to publish it.  I thought it was worth sharing.

My fellow Marines and Patriots,

It is almost prophetic that the first Continental Marines were commanded by Captain Samuel Nicholas, the son of pacifist Quakers, showing that regardless from whence we came, Warriors are born of necessity to stand between oppression and liberty.  And as Marines, we are of a special breed of warrior, molded from something innate within the depths of our hearts that breaths a tenacity, conviction, and determination that no enemy of our cause has ever been able to defeat.  For throughout our history, we have stood when there was no safe ground, held the line against overwhelming odds, and advanced through the traps of our adversaries.  For every moment that the enemy found their mark among our brethren, it only steeled the resolve of those still standing, until our foes took breath face to face against us, and breathed their last.  Now, necessity demands Warriors again.

For Two Hundred and Thirty Three years Marines have taken an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Our Hymn rings of our foreign victories, and our uniforms decorated from the battles that were fought, and that continue to be carried out even now.  For defending against our foreign enemies come naturally; it is our heritage.

However, the time is at hand to remember the second part of that oath, for the Constitution, and this Nation it’s founded on, with all its liberties and freedoms, is under constant siege from those who feel that liberty is not fair, and only uniformity through government servant-hood insures equality.

No matter where we are in our life as a Marine, or what uniform we wore in service of our country, we still wear the uniform within us, and still live under that oath, and so we must defend against our domestic enemies.

With the same purpose and tenacity seen at Iwo Jima, we must be ready to press through the hostile landscape which holds hidden traps attacking our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.  We must equip ourselves with knowledge, being at all times ready to share facts, information, and thought provoking dialogue. We must confront the wave of socialism and government control that has become so popular, stopping it with concepts of self-reliance and hard work.  We must learn to recognize every scent of policy that contradicts our Constitution, and eradicate it with the fragrance of ideals that promote Liberty.  We must spend these next years engaging the enemy, sometimes on their own turf, and battle back the socialist agenda.  We must talk to our friends, coworkers, family, and take tactical advantage of the moment when we overhear a conversation and inject the values of the Founding Fathers.
And, we must encourage and motivate those who stand with us, for restoring the hearts and minds of the country will not be easy, and it is only through a motivated, irate, tireless Corps of minutemen that we will see advances.

And when, and we shall as we always have, find victory and plant the flag for all to see, we must remain vigilant, as the moles will only hide in caves, and the battle will be on going.

As Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.  We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream.  It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

It is on this 233rd Birthday, that we must remember that we have been given a gift paid for by those who have gone before, and even fight now, and they have entrusted Freedom to us.  The Theatre of Operations may change, but the objective is always the same, to defend our Nation, our Constitution, and the liberty it promotes.  Every Marine is a rifleman, so every Marine stands on the front line, and that front line is before each one of us every day.

Dr. Joseph Warren, on March 6, 1775 summed the situation like this:
“Our country is in danger, but not to be despaired of. Our enemies are numerous and powerful; but we have many friends, determining to be free, and heaven and earth will aid the resolution. On you depend the fortunes of America. You are to decide the important question, on which rest the happiness and liberty of millions yet unborn. Act worthy of yourselves.”

I have no doubt, that as another year of Marine Corps history begins, that we will act worthy of ourselves indeed.

Semper Fi,
Andy