On the Marine Corps’ 239th birthday, cake was served at Quantico.
And, much like everything else that comes with Marines, there was a ceremony stemmed in tradition that was held before anyone took their first bite.
The annual cake cutting at the National Museum of the Marine Corps is a special day. Both the youngest and the oldest Marines present are honored during the ceremony.
“The first piece of cake is given to the oldest Marine present to symbolize our heritage and our history, and then the oldest Marine gives that piece of cake to the youngest Marine symbolizing that we pass down our tradition and our knowledge so that they can carry on the traditions of the Corps,” said museum spokeswoman Gwenn Adams.
The youngest Marine to eat cake on Monday is 20 years old and is preparing to become an officer.
And while Charlie Quick, 79, of Arlington served in the Corps during the Korean War, from 1951 to 1960, he wasn’t the oldest this time. “I can’t get that first piece of cake. I’ll be 80 on my next birthday so maybe I’ll get it next time,” said the regular museum visitor.
Since it opened in 2006, the Marine Corps museum has become a national destination for those who served in the Corps. Commemorative bricks were used to fund a portion of the construction, and many come here to see the ones they’ve purchased.
“This is my first time east of the Mississippi,” said Jack Price, of Avon, Mont., a Marine who served from 1951 to 1954. He came to the east coast specifically to see the museum.
The museum attracts travelers and school children from across the country. It’s so busy t that it is about to grow again as the construction of the final wing of the planned museum is set to begin.
The new area will complete the circular design of the base of the museum, its architecture modeled from an Associated Press photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal of Marines raising the U.S. Flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
The final 126,000 square foot phase of the museum will include a 350-seat theater, art galleries, and new classrooms that will open in 2017. Historical galleries, a new exhibit showcasing a time between WWI and WWII, and a changing exhibit area will open in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively.
