SEMPER FIDELIS

I HAVE A PARTIALITY FOR THE MARINE CORPS. ALSO, FOR LATIN, WHICH TRANSLATES THE MARINE CORPS’ MOTTO, ‘SEMPER FIDELIS,’ AS ‘ALWAYS FAITHFUL.’ FAITHFUL IS AN APPROPRIATE VIRTUE TO CONSIDER ON THIS, NOVEMBER 10TH, 2006, THE 231ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE MARINE CORPS. MY FATHER'S MARINE RING AND HIS HONORABLE PIN FROM WORLD WAR I ARE MY MEMENTOES. MEMORABLE TOO ARE ACCOUNTS I HAVE READ ABOUT THE MARINE CORPS’ SERVICES FROM MONTEZUMA AND TRIPOLI TO EUROPE AND THE PACIFIC IN TWO WORLD WARS, TO KOREA, VIET NAM AND IRAQ. TODAY I SALUTE YOU WITH YOUR CODE OF ‘SEMPER FI.’ FROM ALEXANDER POPE'S POETIC TRANSLATION OF THE "THE ODYSSEY OF HOMER" RENDERED IN 1725 (50 YEARS BEFORE YOUR INCEPTION), I QUOTE AN EXAMPLE OF FIDELITY.

"HE KNEW HIS LORD; HE KNEW, AND STROVE TO MEET;
IN VAIN HE STROVE TO CRAWL AND KISS HIS FEET;
YET (ALL HE COULD) HIS TAIL, HIS EARS, HIS EYES
SALUTE HIS MASTER, AND CONFESS HIS JOYS...
THE DOG, WHOM FATE HAD GRANTED TO BEHOLD
HIS LORD, WHEN TWENTY TEDIOUS YEARS HAD TOLL'D,
TAKES A LAST LOOK, AND HAVING SEEN HIM DIES;
SO CLOSED FOREVER FAITHFUL ARGUS' EYES!

YES, PATHOS RYTHMICALLY EXPRESSED; TRANSCENDENT PATHOS AT ITS BEST. WITH GRATITUDE I TODAY SALUTE OUR PRESENT AND PAST, FALLEN AND RETURNED PATRIOTS OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS. WHEN DUTY CALLS THEY ANSWER; WHEN FIDELITY TO THEIR CAUSE IS TESTED, THEY KEEP THE FAITH. LIKE ARGUS, ODYSSEUS' FAITHFUL DOG WHO AWAITED HIS MASTER'S RETURN, ‘SEMPER FIDELIS’.