What Is the Marine Forces Reserve Birthday? All About the Military Branch’s Celebration and Remembrance

Labor Day is almost upon us, and while we’re gearing up to honor the professional and social contributions of workers across the country, we must stop and take a moment to celebrate the Marine Corps Reserve Birthday.

A lesser known day of honor than say Memorial Day or Purple Heart Day, the Marine Corps Reserve Birthday takes place on August 29, and is a chance to celebrate the reservists who have worked for decades to keep our country safe.

To learn more about the Marine Corps Forces Reserve Birthday and how best to honor those who have served, keep scrolling.

What is the Marine Corps Reserve Birthday?

A yearly day of commemoration, the Marine Corps Reserve Birthday honors the “heritage and culture” of the military branch, according to Veteran. While it’s not a bank holiday or regularly marked on the standard calendar, the holiday is intended to “honor the creation of the United States Marine Corps Reserve on its birthday, August 29.”

What is the Marine Corps Reserve?

We’ve all heard of the Marine Corps, but what is different about its reserve troops? The United States Marine Corps Reserve is the result of the Naval Appropriations Act passed on — you guessed correctly — August 29, 1916, and is designed to train individual service members and units for active duty mobilization, whether that be for a national emergency, a contingency operation or active duty in a war zone.

There are approximately 100,000 members of the Marine Forces Reserve at any given time, regularly training and fine-tuning new techniques, military procedures and tactics used in combat and beyond.

President Woodrow Wilson saw the need for the Marine Corps Reserve during World War I, as the reserve at that point in time only consisted of three officers and 32 enlisted personnel — certainly not enough manpower to wage war on the scale that was occurring overseas. As the war came to a close, the Marine Corps Reserve had grown to 6,000 servicemen. Approximately a decade later, the Naval Reserve Act of 1925 allowed the reserve to better organize — after some back and forth, the Marine Corps was established as a standalone branch, with support from elected officials.

By the time World War II was rearing its ugly head, the Marine Corps Reserve expanded its parameters, and the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve was established. In 1943, Major Ruth Cheney Streeter was sworn in as the women’s reserve director, and 71 officer candidates trained the U.S. Midshipmen School shortly thereafter. Just one year after it was established, the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve had 700 enlisted women embarking on boot camp.

How can you honor the Marine Forces Reserve Birthday?

Honoring the Marine Forces Reserve Birthday consists of a number of different acts of service. If you have a Marine reservist in your life, simply thanking them for their service will go a long way — the more we can show our veterans we care, the better.

If you happen to live close to the National Museum of the Marine Corps located in Virginia, consider a visit. The museum features more than a century of the military branch’s history, and is an excellent place to learn more about it.

If flying the Stars and Stripes is your preferred show of patriotism, consider flying the Marine Corps Flag. As recommended by Veteran, please read the Marine Corps Flag Manual to ensure that your flag is properly displayed.

Another way to honor the Marine Forces Reserve Birthday is to support the Navy-Marine Corps, which works to offer “financial, educational, and other assistance to members of the Naval Service of the United States, eligible family members, and survivors when in need; and to receive and manage funds to administer these programs,” as its official site details.