Each November the U.S. Marine Corps marks the anniversary of its founding with birthday celebrations wherever Marines are stationed around the world. Earlier this month I had the great honor of attending my third Marine Ball as Ambassador.

The birthday cake.

Here in Wellington more than 200 guests assembled for cocktails, dinner, and dancing. A brief formal program included a video message from Washington, the posting of the colors, a ceremonial cutting of the birthday cake, and remarks by our special guest speaker, Major General Ronald L. Bailey, Commanding General of the First Marine Division, of Camp Pendleton, California.

The General’s unit has a special relationship with New Zealand. The Marines who first marched off the USS Wakefield onto King’s Wharf in Wellington on June 14, 1942, were from the First Marine Division. General Bailey himself was last in New Zealand just a few months ago to participate in our celebration of the 70th anniversary of that arrival and the launch of formal U.S.-N.Z. diplomatic relations.

Major General Bailey addresses guests at the Ball.

I also spoke briefly to remind guests of the Corps’ long history and of the great service that Marines provide each day to American diplomats around the world. I traced the origins of the Corps back to October 5, 1775, when the Continental Congress of revolutionary American colonists instructed recently commissioned General George Washington to employ and staff vessels to defend against the Crown.

A month later, in November 1775, Continental Congress president John Hancock  commissioned Samuel Nicholas, a Philadelphia innkeeper, as Captain of the Marines. The formal birth of the Corps is considered to be November 10, 1775, when the Continental Congress specifically resolved that two battalions of Marines should be raised. (That makes the Corps older than the American Nation itself.) Using Tun Tavern in Philadelphia as his recruiting station, Captain Nicholas proceeded to fulfill that charge.

I talk a bit about history.

On January 4, 1776, Captain Nicholas and 200 of his recruits sailed from Philadelphia on the Alfred to engage a British garrison in the Bahamas that had been conducting raids against the colonists. On March 3, 1776, the Marines made their first amphibious landing, occupying Nassau and capturing much needed gunpowder and other stores. On April 6, 1776, the Marines engaged in their first naval battle when the American squadron engaged HMS Glasgow.

Since then, the Marine Corps has distinguished itself in legendary battles such as the Christmas 1776 campaign at Princeton (where Marines first died in combat), Barbary Coast, Mexico City, Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Chosen Reservoir, and Khe Sanh. Although far less well-known, the Marines even fought in my hometown during the 1846 seige of Los Angeles.

In Marine tradition the first slice of cake goes to the guest of honor, then to the oldest Marine present (whether active or retired), and then to the youngest Marine. Here, our Gunny Sgt. presents the slice to our youngest Marine.

The Marines have a long history of working with the State Department, guarding missions, serving as couriers, and protecting Americans in unsettled locales since the early days of the American Nation. In December 1948, the Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of State formally established the Marine Security Guard Program and deployed 83 Marines to protect American Embassies overseas.

Today there are more than 1,000 Marines deployed in approximately 150 Marine Security Guard detachments at American Embassies and Consulates around the world. These Marines protect our facilities against attack, assist with evacuations during times of crisis, and insure that civilian diplomats are able to continue their important work. Since 1968, eleven Marine Security Guards have been killed defending the diplomatic missions at which they were stationed.

To commemorate that strong history of collaboration and service, each year the Secretary of State issues a statement on the anniversary of the founding of the Marine Corps. At our Marine Ball here in Wellington this month I read the following words of appreciation and congratulation from Secretary Clinton:

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Statement by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Department of State
November 2012

On behalf of the entire Department of State family, I am honored to extend my warmest congratulations and best wishes to you, the brave men and women of the U.S. Marine Corps, on the Corps’ 237th birthday.  

“In every clime and place,” Marines have repeatedly demonstrated their valor and dedication to service; many have given the last full measure of devotion in defense of our liberty and freedom.  To every Marine – those currently in uniform and those who have proudly worn it in the past – we thank you for your sacrifices, your courage, and your service to this country we all love.

Embassy Wellington Marines present the colors.

This celebration provides all of us in the Department of State a special opportunity to acknowledge and thank all of the Marines who are serving and have served alongside our diplomatic personnel around the world.

The Marine security guards in our embassies, consulates, and missions play a vital role in providing internal security to our facilities and vigilance over classified government information and equipment.  

These Marines do not just stand at “Post One” – they stand for the United States. In my travels, I have met many of our Marine security guards, and I am ceaselessly impressed by the manner in which they represent our country.  

We are likewise grateful to the many other Marines who even now are detailed to protect our facilities and personnel in volatile regions.  For those you protect, it is a comfort to them to know that you are standing post, enhancing their safety and security, and enabling the vital work of our diplomatic and development professionals in a dangerous world.

Our Marine friends and colleagues have met unique challenges in supporting the Department, and they have —without exception – responded bravely and effectively. They have responded to natural disasters, civil unrest, and violent attacks.  They have defended the integrity of our facilities and worked courageously to save human life.  

I want to commend specifically the actions of Marines during recent incidents at our facilities throughout the world.  Despite the dangers, their actions directly contributed to the safety of U.S. government personnel at these embassies, proving once again that every Marine lives the Corps’ credo, “Semper Fidelis” – always faithful.

I join the entire State Department family, and indeed the entire country, in thanking all Marines, and especially those who have served and continue to serve side by side with the Department abroad, for selflessly performing their mission every single day and for being a Marine.  We salute you and your work, today and every day.

Happy 237th birthday, Marines!  Semper Fi!

- HRC

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The Marine Ball is a party, so there was plenty of time for fun after the formal program concluded. We shared a fine dinner, posed for photos with the Marines, and then danced until well past midnight. As usual, the Marines thoroughly enjoyed themselves and mugged a bit for the camera (see below).

All in all it was a great evening. More than two centuries of service and sacrifice was honored. An iconic partnership was celebrated. Appreciation was shown. Tales were told. Cake was eaten. Rugs were cut. (If you’re under about 35 years old, google that last one.) And a good time appeared to be had by all.  Semper Fi.

I’m sitting on an airplane on my way back from Auckland after a great weekend at our biennial Connecting Young Leaders conference which brings together my student advisers from around the country for a couple days of networking, leadership training, and policy discussions. As the plane heads southward, I’m staring at a blank screen and pondering how best to mark an unrelated occasion of some note.

The occasion? While processing email and social media before packing this morning, I realized that I have published 299 articles here since launching this blog, which makes this my 300th post. That fact certainly surprised and slightly embarrassed me. Yes, embarrassed.

I grew up in an extended family with our butcher shop on the first floor, grandparents on the second, and my parents, brother, and me on the third floor. Everybody worked. My grandfather, a German immigrant who at first mined coal to support the family, had a distinct world view conveyed in pithy imperatives, one of the most forceful of which was, “Stop talking. Start doing.” A corollary which I didn’t fully understand until later was, “Any fool can have an opinion, and usually does.”

So, thinking about all the words I’ve written lately is slightly disconcerting. It generates a nagging concern that maybe I should have been doing more and talking less. It might also explain why I’ve gained 15 kilos since arriving in New Zealand. Perhaps I should cut back on my typing and get up and run around the block more. But here I am, 15 kilos heavier and writing my 300th blog post.

The experience has been extraordinarily rewarding, and I’m very grateful to all of my readers for tuning in. My work has been enriched and indeed greatly influenced by the dynamic conversation with you through comments, emails, tweets, and even in-person exchanges spurred by various blog posts. I’ve learned a great deal about the real (not the officially approved or ad agency generated) New Zealand from that blog-initiated dialogue. (By the way, for the record, the real version is far superior.)

And of course there have been funny moments. My favorite reader comments will likely always be the first two that I received. My slightly sardonic first post implied that perhaps narcissistic personality disorder had become one of the pillars of modern culture. We almost immediately received two comments, both from Kiwi media figures. The first cautioned that mental illness was not talked about in New Zealand and that people might thus misinterpret my blog post. The second expressed mild outrage that I appeared to be bashing narcissists. Wow, and wow.

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We welcomed a very special group of visitors to town last month. Forty students from Los Angeles toured New Zealand for three weeks as part of an American rugby exchange program sponsored by the Inner City Education Foundation (ICEF), on an itinerary that included stops in Auckland, Raglan, Rotorua, Turangi, Wellington, Kaikoura, and Christchurch.

ICEF students on tour in New Zealand.

ICEF operates a network of 15 charter schools in the Crenshaw Corridor area of South Los Angeles. Established to prepare under-served students to attend and succeed at top American universities, the ICEF schools provide high-quality, tuition-free primary, intermediate, and secondary education in economically disadvantaged areas of the city. (This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the passage of the California Charter Schools Act, and there are currently more than 980 charter schools educating more than 412,000 students in the State.)

ICEF has offered rugby as part of its athletic program for 10 years, and founder and head coach Stuart Krohn has introduced the sport to thousands of Angeleno students during that time. Discipline, leadership, teamwork, and other character-building elements inherent in team play are at the heart of ICEF’s efforts to produce university-ready secondary school graduates. A key component of the program is international travel, fully financed by student and faculty fundraising.  Past trips have included Hong Kong, South Africa, and the UK.

The point, of course, is to broaden horizons, teach life skills, and create a culture of achievement. And the program has worked brilliantly. ICEF rugby alumni are currently studying at universities across the U.S., including Ivy League bastions such as Dartmouth College and the University of Pennsylvania as well as other elite schools such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

ICEF rugger breaks through.

The first stop on this year’s trip was Tahiti. The boys and girls enjoyed local food and culture, did a bit of sightseeing, and played matches with local Tahitian teams. From what I hear – and from the smiles evident during the telling – that was quite an exciting way to start the overseas adventure.

And things just kept getting better. Upon deplaning at Auckland Airport the group bumped into English rugby star James Haskell, who currently plays Super 15 Rugby for the Highlanders. Being sport scholars, the Angelenos recognized Jim immediately. A true gentleman, he graciously took time to chat with ICEF boys team captain Asa Garrett on tape (in the middle of a duty free shop):

The group drove from Auckland to the Kokiri Center in Raglan where they were welcomed with a traditional powhiri and interviewed by the Waikato Times. Our good friend John Mataira, Consul General of New Zealand in Los Angeles, arranged for the students to be hosted by his family on local marae (both in Raglan and in Turangi later in the trip).

The next day the group spent time with local students from Raglan Area School and learned a haka . The boys then played their first rugby game against the Melville High School U-16 team, with the Melvillites winning 27-25 on a missed conversion after a late try by the Angelenos. Coach Krohn remarked that his students were deeply impressed with the warm welcome they received in Raglan. It was his players’ first experience being on a marae and learning about Maori culture.

ICEF ruggers in action.

After a day of rest and sightseeing the group traveled to Rotorua and visited the New Zealand Sports Academy. There they participated in an excellent rugby training session with the Academy’s director, Jim Love, and spoke with a reporter from the Rotorua Daily Post.

There was a vigorous welcome haka, and the Angelenos reciprocated with traditional American step dancing, a complex performance art that fuses African American folk traditions with popular culture. The ICEF boys are considering incorporating the haka into their pre-game rituals when they get back to the U.S., and I hope that the Academy students make use of their newly developed stepping skills.

The ICEF group then proceeded on to Turangi, where they were received by students from the Maori Performing Arts Academy (MPA) of Tongariro High School. The Angelenos stayed for three days at the school marae, and both the boys and girls played matches against combined rugby squads from the high school. The visitors scored their first victories of the tour.

On the last night in Turangi the ICEF and MPA students enjoyed an evening of cultural exchange, together performing step, poi, haka, and waiata. They also enjoyed a traditional puia hangi, cooked in a steam pit at the Tokaanu-Waihi geothermal field.

A brief stop in Wellington included watching the Hurricanes play the Cheetahs at Westpac Stadium, followed by transit to Christchurch, where the boys and girls stayed with host families throughout the city.  They visited the Orana Wildlife Sanctuary, and then got down to business. The boys’ team played a match against St. Bedes College, besting their hosts 29-24.  The girls’ team played Burnside High School, winning 15-10.

ICEF boys rugby team.

While in Canterbury the Angelenos participated in the annual Christchurch Boys’ High School Rugby Club Rugby Festival. The ICEF girls distinguished themselves during the Festival with hard-fought games against Canterbury and Burnside that reportedly impressed their hosts.

In a promising display of what the future holds for American rugby, the ICEF boys went undefeated in the Festival, scoring dramatic victories against Waimea U16 (20-5), Linwood U16 (47-5), Christchurch Boys High School (33-15), and St. Bedes in a tough rematch (17-16). Cameron Griffin – one of the stand-out players on the ICEF boys’ team – won the U16 most valuable player award in the tournament.

At Westpac Stadium for an afternoon of rugby.

The trip was a life-changing experience for these outstanding boys and girls from the United States. I’m delighted that their parents, teachers, and coaches made such a smart, strategic commitment to their growth and development.

I was also impressed with how well the ICEF students represented their home city and country. More than rising rugby players, the visiting Angelenos were outstanding Ambassadors for America. I look forward to seeing them when I’m next back home, so that I can continue to make the case for careers in diplomacy and other team sports.

I have been following on Twitter the movements of a flotilla of vaka moana (traditional ocean-going canoes) from various Pacific islands as it works its way across the great ocean and then down the coast of my home state of California. The latest update says that the vaka have just left Monterey and are headed for my home town of Los Angeles.

Several vaka in Auckland harbor before their voyage across the Pacific.

For those of you who haven’t been following this voyage, five vaka with more than 100 crew members from Hawaii, New Zealand, Samoa, Fiji, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, and Kiribati sailed from Auckland back in April, heading northeast into the Pacific.

Joined by two more vaka in Tahiti, the flotilla sailed through French Polynesia and on towards Hawaii, where crew members attended the Kava Bowl Ocean Summit, a conference focused on combatting threats to the health of our oceans.  After sailing through the Hawaiian Islands, six of the vaka headed westward to California, making landfall in San Francisco early last week.

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