On Saturday, a dozen old Marines, and a few younger ones, celebrated the 243d birthday of the United States Marines. They sat together in Robinson’s Wharf, ate lunch, told a few fibs, had a few laughs and told a few more fibs.

All Marine functions have rules of conduct, and Jim Singer, a former Major, made sure we complied. A Marine Corps birthday party has to have a birthday cake. Robinson’s patrons are used to “interesting” celebrations, but Singer drew more than a few “interesting” looks when he pulled his official dress sword out of the scabbard and handed it to Sonny Webb and Robin Ford.

You see, the rule requires you always cut the Marine Corps birthday cake with a sword, and the task is assigned to the oldest Marine, assisted by the youngest. The same tradition awards the first piece of cake to the youngest Marine.

Singer read the official birthday greeting from the Commandant, and led the veterans as they stood and sang the Marine Corps hymn.

By this time, the rest of the restaurant patrons figured out what was going on, and they applauded.

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, world leaders gathered to mark the 100th anniversary of World War I armistice, after a conflict which took the lives of the millions of soldiers, sailors, and civilians.
I am not going to go through the history of that war and recite the casualty list, chapter and verse, but you are welcome to do so. If you do, you will quickly realize why military leaders are the last to urge our nation to send young men, and now, young women, in harm's way.

June 1918 marked the first time the American troops had taken the lead in the Allied effort to halt the German offensive. The Marines took the point of the U.S. attack at a forest known as Belleau Wood.

After three weeks, at a cost of about 10,000 casualties, the Marines drove the enemy out of the wood, stopping the German advance on Paris. It was the battle that transformed the Marines from a small unit force into a modern corps capable of waging and winning large scale battles, as they did in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq. Belleau Wood is sacred ground to the Marines.

On Saturday, world leaders stood in the rain as part of a special ceremony to commemorate the bravery and tenacity of the Marines who consecrated Belleau Wood with their blood. It was a solemn and moving moment.

Representing our nation was Retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, the chief of staff for the president, and his pal, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Unfortunately, our president was unable to attend. President Donald Trump’s visit to the Belleau Wood cemetery and battlefield was canceled Saturday, as rainy weather across France prevented the planned helicopter excursion to mark one of the deadliest World War I battle sites.

“The President and First Lady’s trip to Ainse-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial has been canceled due to scheduling and logistical difficulties caused by the weather,” the White House said in a statement.

A World War I army vet's story

An old editor once assigned me to interview a World War I veteran who was cited by the French government for his service to the republic. It was part of an effort to identify and honor the last living American World War I veterans by awarding them the Legion of Honor.

When I arrived at his home, the old vet grabbed me by the shoulder and shook me as he said “I am not a hero. Don’t make me out to be a hero.”

He said he joined the U.S. Army and was soon sent overseas. “It was August,1918 and I had just arrived at my unit. It was lunch time, so I wandered over to the mess tent and begin to eat.

“I had not more than sat down when I noticed the big guns had gone silent. I looked around, and there was a strange look on the faces of the other soldiers.

“At about that time, a courier ran into the tent, stopped in front of the officer’s table, saluted and shoved a package in front of the colonel. The officer put on his reading glasses, opened the dispatch case and smiled. It is over,” he said.

The old vet insisted he was not a hero. “I was there, sure, but they stopped the war before I was sent into the line. So don’t make me out to be a hero. I was not.”

Then the old vet leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Don’t tell my wife, but that night, we sneaked into the nearby village. The girls were very friendly to us.”