RTTUZYUW RUEWMCS0000 3131313-UUUU--RUCRNAV
ZNR UUUUU
R 091313Z NOV 10
FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC 
TO ALNAV 
BT 
ALNAV 072/10 
MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/NOV// 

SUBJ/SECNAV MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY MESSAGE TO THE FLEET// 

RMKS/1. ON NOVEMBER 10TH, MARINES ALL ACROSS THE WORLD WILL STAND TO 
HONOR 235 YEARS OF HISTORY AND 235 YEARS OF A PROUD AND ENDURING LEGACY. 
IT IS A DAY OF CELEBRATION, AND A DAY TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO FOUGHT IN 
THE MARINE CORPS' FAMOUS BATTLES FROM NASSAU TO TRIPOLI AND FROM 
GUADALCANAL TO MARJAH. 

2. BUT ON NOVEMBER 10TH, ANOTHER CEREMONY - SMALLER AND MORE SOLEMN - 
WILL TAKE PLACE IN LONDONDERRY, NEW HAMPSHIRE. AT THIS CEREMONY, A FEW 
MARINES WILL HONOR THE MEMORY AND HEROISM OF ONE OF THEIR OWN, CORPORAL 
MICHAEL OUELLETTE, KILLED IN ACTION IN AFGHANISTAN AND AWARDED THE NAVY 
CROSS FOR HIS HEROISM. 

3. CORPORAL OUELLETTE WAS A SQUAD LEADER IN FIRST PLATOON, COMPANY L, 
3RD BATTALION, 8TH MARINES. ON MARCH 22, 2009, HE LED HIS SQUAD ON 
PATROL, WHERE HE WAS SEVERELY WOUNDED BY AN IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE 
THAT WAS THE FIRST VOLLEY OF AN ENEMY AMBUSH. ALTHOUGH CRITICALLY 
WOUNDED, CORPORAL OUELLETTE CONTINUED TO DIRECT THE ACTIONS OF HIS 
SQUAD, CALLING FOR AND DIRECTING CLOSE AIR SUPPORT HELICOPTERS AND 
COORDINATING REINFORCEMENTS. WHEN RELIEF FORCES ARRIVED TO AID IN THE 
FIGHT, CORPORAL OUELLETTE REFUSED EVACUATION UNTIL ALL MEMBERS OF HIS 
SQUAD WERE ACCOUNTED FOR. AS HE WAS EVACUATED, CORPORAL OUELLETTE DIED 
OF HIS WOUNDS. 

4. 235 YEARS HAS PROVIDED THE MARINE CORPS WITH A HOST OF VICTORIES AND 
DOZENS OF HEROES: MARINES LIKE SAMUEL NICHOLAS, PRESLEY O'BANNON, CHESTY 
PULLER, AND NOW JASON DUNHAM AND MICHAEL OUELLETTE. NOW, AS THEN, IT IS 
THESE HEROES - AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL MARINE - THAT 
MAKE THE CORPS WHAT IT IS: THE DEADLIEST FIGHTING FORCE THE WORLD HAS 
EVER KNOWN. IT IS EVERY MARINE'S DEVOTION TO DUTY, LOYALTY TO COMRADES, 
AND UNRELENTING COURAGE IN COMBAT THAT ENSURES OUR COUNTRY WILL ENDURE 
AND FREEDOM WILL PREVAIL. 

5. ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, HAPPY 235 YEARS TO THE MARINE 
CORPS. THANK YOU FOR GUARDING OUR LIBERTY EVERY DAY. SEMPER FIDELIS. 

6. RELEASED BY RAY MABUS, SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.//

BT
#0000
NNNN