The MCJROTC Color Guard presents the colors at the celebration of the Marine Corps’ 238th birthday on Nov. 11 in Traditions Courtyard.

Throughout the world, Marines gather to celebrate the 238th birthday of the United States Marine Corps with its traditional birthday cake-cutting ceremony. For Jesuit’s MCJROTC, that ceremony took place twice on Monday, Nov. 11. A lunchtime ceremony was held for all Jesuit students to attend, while an evening ceremony allowed friends and family of JROTC cadets to be present.

While the Marine Corps was established on Nov. 10, 1775, the ceremony seemed especially appropriate this year, as it fell on Veterans Day.

Each year at the ceremony, Jesuit’s MCJROTC honors one person. At the lunchtime ceremony, Academic Asst. Principal Kathy Juhas was honored. At the evening ceremony Principal Peter Kernion ’90 was honored.

The traditional ceremony calls for the birthday cakes to be cut with a sword by the commanding officer, in this case senior Garrett Wolff, commanding officer of the school’s MCJROTC. The first piece of cake was given to the honoree. The second and third pieces go to the oldest and youngest cadets present at the ceremony. During the ceremony, a special message from the Commandant of the Marine Corps was also read.

Since Nov. 1, 1921, the Marine Corps birthday celebration has served, by the order of then-Commandant Gen. John A. LeJuene, as a reminder of the accomplishments of the Corps’ service. The Jesuit MCJROTC celebrates it each year in accordance with that tradition.