“The next fight is coming. Marines will be ready. Ready to fight. Ready to win.”
— General Eric Smith, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps
The U.S. military is back. The Army is back. And the Marines are ready to be the first to fight. In just ten months, President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have transformed the U.S. military from a woke social science experiment where male soldiers were not only permitted to wear female uniforms, but the military was forced to pay for their reassignment surgeries and hormone therapies.
There were even directives and debates under Biden about what the protocol should be for breastfeeding during combat operations, when it has always been the rule that women could not serve in combat arms and pregnant women were kept far from the front lines.
Thank God that President Trump is sitting in the White House during the 250th anniversary of three branches of service, the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, and was able to provide them with the tremendous, overwhelming, and patriotic celebration that the Biden administration would have denied them. Next year will mark 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, and this event will likely be commemorated with the biggest celebration since the Bicentennial.
Of course, liberals protested the Army celebration, commented negatively on the Navy’s, and are angry about a highway closure connected with the Marine Corps. Fortunately, they will get to complain twice, because the actual 250th is on November 10.
Last month, in a speech at Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia, President Donald Trump declared a “reawakening of the warrior spirit” in America’s military and promised unwavering support for the armed forces. Addressing senior military leaders, he said, “We’re a team. And so my message to you is very simple: I am with you, I support you, and as president, I have your backs 100%.” Trump said his administration aims to end the decline that began under the Biden administration and restore the principles of discipline, readiness, and strength that have long defined the U.S. military.
“We’re bringing back a focus on fitness, ability, character, and strength,” Trump said. “The purpose of America’s military is not to protect anyone’s feelings. It’s to protect our republic.” He emphasized that recent recruitment goals for the Navy, Air Force, and Space Force have all been met or exceeded, marking a turnaround from previous years.
The president criticized what he called the “apparatus of political correctness” that replaced merit in military culture, stating, “You can never be great if you’re going to do that.” He continued, “We will not be politically correct when it comes to defending American freedom. We will be a fighting and winning machine. We want to fight. We want to win. And we want to fight as little as possible.”
At the 250th anniversary celebration of the United States Marine Corps, held last weekend at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivered one of the day’s most striking addresses. He opened with a candid remark, saying, “I’m not supposed to say this, really not. But I think you guys might be my favorite.”
Hegseth went on to tell the Marines that their true strength lies not in diversity but in unity. “The truth is, your diversity is not your strength. Never has been,” he said.
“Your strength is in your unity of purpose, in your shared mission, in your oath to the Constitution. It’s the bond that turns individuals into single-minded fighting units. You see, you are set apart. You’re not civilians. You’re devil dogs, leathernecks, United States Marines.”
He concluded with a blunt reminder of the Marine Corps’ defining mission, stating that they are “set apart for a distinct purpose” — to kill bad guys, break things, and “close with and destroy the enemy for a livin
Speaking at the same event, Vice President JD Vance began his remarks by greeting the crowd with, “God bless you, Marines,” and adding, “From one Marine to another, thank you for your service.” He praised the day’s ceremony and display, saying, “I’ve also got to give a special shout out to the incredible display that we saw earlier today. It made my heart sing.”
Vance reflected on his own service, calling the event “a testament to the core strength and unbeatable power” of the Marine Corps. He said it reminded him why he was proud “to have worn the uniform, to be one among your ranks, and to be the very first vice president to have been a United States Marine.”
Recalling his days as a young Marine, Vance shared a story about a gunnery sergeant who once helped him avoid signing a bad car loan. “That gunny’s leadership didn’t just save me money,” he said. “It taught me that Marines look out for each other.” He also injected humor, joking that a story about boot camp faith assignments “wouldn’t work in the Biden administration.”
Turning to policy, Vance promised that the administration would stand by America’s servicemembers. “We will do everything possible to make sure enlisted Marines get paid,” he said. “Political battles in Washington should not come at the expense of troops and their families.”
He honored the bond that unites all Marines, declaring, “Every single person here bleeds Marine Corps green. It is our common purpose that carries us forward.”
His final words captured the warrior’s credo: “Keep kicking a–. Keep taking names. Semper Fidelis, Marines. Happy 250th birthday. God bless you.”