Combat Center takes a look at Corps history
By Lance Cpl. Nicole A. LaVine
| | November 9, 2006
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Cpl. Jose Sepulveda stands before the pageant ceremony crowd as a Marine from 1918.
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Marines dressed in uniforms of several eras stand at parade rest before the crowd.
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This three-layer cake caught everyone?s eye during the pageant.
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Lance Cpl. Jesus Ramirez, representing a Marine from the Korean War, stares down the sights of an Enfield rifle.
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -- This year, the Combat Center continued its tradition of celebrating the annual Marine Corps uniform pageant on Gray’s Field Nov. 9, in honor of the Corps’ 231st birthday.
During the pageant, several Marine volunteers wore historical and authentic Marine Corps uniforms ranging from the fancy trim and feathers of the first uniforms in 1775, to the solid green uniforms and wide helmets worn during the Vietnam War.
Each uniform was presented to the crowd with a brief narrative of the events of that uniform era and what the Corps was doing at the time.
The pageant acted as a visual reminder to Marines aboard the Combat Center of their illustrious history.
Brig. Gen. Douglas M. Stone, Combat Center commanding general, addressed the crowd in a speech about the significance the old uniforms held for present-day Marines. The pageant, which was celebrated in unison with a presentation of the birthday cake and a cake-cutting ceremony, was about an hour-and-a-half long and was followed by the birthday lunch at the chow hall.