November 10th is the official birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps. The Marine Corps traces its roots back to the Second Continental Congress in 1775, which established a resolution stating that "two Battalions of Marines be raised" as forces to land with the fleet. 

The Marines' first land battle on foreign soil was in Libya in 1805, where 600 Marines stormed the city of Derna to rescue the crew of the USS Philadelphia from pirates.

The Marine Corps has been a component of the U.S. Department of the Navy since 1834 working closely with naval forces for training, transportation, and logistics. The USMC operates posts on land and aboard sea-going amphibious warfare ships around the world, and several of the Marines' tactical aviation squadrons, primarily Marine Fighter Attack squadrons, are also embedded in Navy carrier air wings and operate from the Navy's aircraft carriers.  The Marines have over 1300 manned aircraft. 

Today, our country is defended by almost 220,000 Marines, including the reserves.

Latin for "Always Faithful," Semper Fidelis became the Marine Corps motto in 1883.  According to the Corps, Semper Fidelis is a permanent reminder that "a Marine will forever live by the ethics and values of the Corps."