First to fight': Marine VP JD Vance marks Corps’ 250th as Hegseth says unity, not ‘diversity,' is strength

At Camp Pendleton in California, Vice President JD Vance became the first Marine to serve as vice president, marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps. In an address that was marked by solemnity mixed with humor, Vance told Marines and sailors that the Corps remains ready to fight and win.

Vance delivered his remarks alongside General Eric Smith, Commandant of the Marine Corps, who described the Corps as America's "911 force" and warned that Marines must be ready for whatever comes next. The crowd erupted in cheers as Vance took the stage, chanting "Oorah!" in response to his appearance.

The event also included an amphibious assault demonstration on Red Beach, speeches from military leaders and cabinet officials, and a reminder from Vance of the sacrifices made by Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Dakota Meyer, Navy corpsman Charles Cram, and Navy aviator Elmer Royce Williams, who survived the longest dogfight in American history.

Vance's remarks included stories about his own time at boot camp and the bond that ties Marines together. He spoke about the Corps' common purpose, saying "Every single person here bleeds Marine Corps green," and closed with words of pride and unity: "Keep kicking a--. Keep taking names. Semper Fidelis, Marines. Happy 250th birthday. God bless you."

In a more serious tone, Vance also spoke about the need for unity among Marines, warning that diversity is not their strength but rather their shared mission. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth echoed this sentiment in his remarks, saying "Your strength is in your unity of purpose" and drawing cheers from the crowd.

The ceremony marked a quarter millennium since the Continental Congress first authorized the Marine Corps in 1775. The event also came as a response to controversy over the administration's broader theme of America First and peace through strength.

Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom clashed with the White House over the high-profile highway closure ahead of the anniversary celebration, while Vice President Vance took to social media to accuse him of disseminating "fake news."

idk why ppl need 2 be so divided rn its just a milestone in history y'all celebrate the marine corps & their dedication 2 protecting america but i do think its sad that gov Gavin Newsom is causing drama over this... doesnt it jus matter 2 c how they come together 2 honor the marines? anywayz, JD Vance seems like a decent guy & his speech was pretty inspiring, especially when he talked about the bond b/w marines

Just watched that amazing ceremony at Camp Pendleton ! JD Vance brought so much energy and class to the stage . It's awesome that he shared his own boot camp stories and highlighted the importance of unity among Marines . I love how he emphasized their common purpose, even if some people might say it's old-fashioned . And General Smith calling them the "911 force"? That's what we need more of in this country - strong institutions that put public service first .

But honestly, what really stood out to me was the pomp and circumstance . I mean, 250 years of history? That's some serious heritage . And those amphibious assault demos? Absolutely mind-blowing . It's amazing how some events can bring people together like that...

I think it's wild that JD Vance became the first Marine to serve as VP. I mean, he went from boot camp to leading a whole branch of the military in like 2 seconds! And what's up with this 'Oorah!' chant? It feels super out of touch with modern times, you know? Like, yeah, I get it, Marines are awesome and all, but come on, we've got TikTok now . On a more serious note, though, Vance's speech about unity was pretty cool, especially when he talked about the Corps being America's '911 force'. That makes sense, considering they're always ready to jump into action. And hey, it's awesome that they're keeping the spirit of Semper Fidelis alive. I just wish they'd tone down the patriotism a notch - we don't want anyone getting too caught up in nationalism .

The 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps is definitely a big deal... who knew being America's "911 force" was just a euphemism for "we're still kinda old-fashioned"? Anyway, JD Vance's speech was super inspiring – I mean, how many politicians can make you feel like a 90-year-old man yelling at kids to get off his lawn? But in all seriousness, it's cool to see the Corps being taken seriously. Those stories about Sgt. Dakota Meyer and Elmer Royce Williams are mind-blowing... I'm pretty sure even the most seasoned military vet gets chills just thinking about that dogfight

I also love how General Eric Smith described the Marines as America's "911 force" – it's like they're trying to make us feel better, you know? And let's be real, who doesn't want to be a part of something that's been kicking butt for 250 years? But what I'm really curious about is how they're going to deal with the controversy surrounding the "America First" theme. Are we supposed to just pretend like everything's okay when it's not?

I'm not sure how I feel about this whole thing... on one hand, it's pretty cool that JD Vance is making history as the first Marine VP, and it's awesome that he's using his platform to talk about the importance of unity among Marines. But at the same time, I'm a bit worried about the politics behind all this. The whole "America First" thing is kinda divisive, you know? And Governor Newsom seems like he's just trying to stir up drama for attention... ‍

And can we talk about the fact that Vance and Pete Hegseth are basically saying that diversity is a weakness, but I'm not sure if that's really what they're saying. It feels like they're trying to spin it in a way that's gonna make people feel uncomfortable...

omg what's going on at camp pendleton? i was watching it live and idk how they got JD vance to be part of this but yay for marine corps 250th anniversary anyway did u know that the marines are like americas 911 force now? that's kinda cool btw what's up with governor newsom and white house drama? seems like he's getting all salty about some highway closure

just saw that VP JD Vance became the first Marine to serve as VP at Camp Pendleton and it's a huge deal! I'm so proud of him for being part of this momentous occasion. 250 years of the USMC is amazing, but what I love even more is how they're keeping the core values alive - unity, purpose, and being ready to kick some serious butt Semper Fidelis indeed!

idk about this whole thing ...so VP JD Vance becomes first marine VP ever and its like a big deal? i mean, 250th anniv of marines corps or whatever...anyway, the crowd is all hyped but im not buying it yet. its kinda fishy that he uses this "bleeds Marine Corps green" line...who decides what thats supposed to mean again? and whats up with unity vs diversity vibes? isnt that just code for keeping everyone in line without questioning authority? btw, why did governor newsom get all defensive on social media about some highway closure? sounds like he was trying to cover something up...or maybe hes just good at being mad

I THINK IT'S REALLY COOL THAT VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE IS THE FIRST MARINE TO SERVE AS VP!!! 250 YEARS OF THE US MARINE CORPS AND THEY'RE STILL GOING STRONG!!! OORAH! I LOVE HOW HE TALKED ABOUT HIS TIME AT BOOT CAMP AND HOW EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE MARINE CORPS BLEEDS GREEN!!! IT'S SUCH A PROUD MOMENT FOR AMERICA!!!

Ugh another day, another celeb (or in this case, a VP) talking about patriotism and unity while the world around us is literally burning climate change is real and it's not looking good for the future. Did you see that article on the latest species extinction rate? we're losing our biodiversity at an alarming rate and no one seems to be doing anything about it

I'm not really sure if I agree that JD Vance being VP is a big deal or not... I mean, he's still kinda young and inexperienced for the job . But at the same time, it's pretty cool that he's got the Marine Corps' back and all that jazz . Like, who wouldn't want to serve in an elite branch of the military? On the other hand, I'm not really sure if the whole "911 force" thing is such a good idea... doesn't that make them sound too reliant on one specific type of crisis? And what's up with this emphasis on unity and shared mission? Isn't that just code for "don't question authority"? I'm all about diversity being a strength, not something to be squashed . And can we talk about how weird it is that Governor Newsom is getting roasted by the VP over social media ? Like, isn't that kinda petty?

What's up with this whole "America First" thing? I mean, I get that we need a unified front, but can't we just say that instead of "America First"? It sounds like some kinda nationalist propaganda . And what's with the highway closure drama? Can't they just work together for once?

I'm more concerned about the unity of purpose that VP Vance was talking about - I think it's time to focus on our differences, too. Diversity is what makes us stronger, not weaker . We need to celebrate our individuality and backgrounds, not try to suppress them.

And btw, has anyone noticed how weird it is when politicians start using military metaphors in everyday speech? "Keep kicking a--" is just so...2024 .

Wow! The fact that JD Vance became the first Marine to serve as VP is insane! Interesting how he used humor in his address, but also spoke about unity and shared mission. Semper Fidelis indeed! Oorah!

Ugh, can we talk about how this event feels like a total setup? Like, the White House is trying to use this big milestone to shore up their "America First" narrative and it just comes off as forced. And don't even get me started on Governor Newsom - who tries to stir up drama when they can't have control of the narrative themselves

I mean, I'm all for acknowledging the sacrifices made by those Medal of Honor recipients, but Vance's whole "every single person here bleeds Marine Corps green" line felt like a cringeworthy attempt at unity. And let's be real, if he wanted to talk about shared purpose, he should've done it in a way that didn't feel so... patriotic

And what's up with the whole "diversity is not their strength" thing? That just feels like more propaganda from the administration. Can we get some actual substance here instead of just parroting their talking points?

idk about all this politiks ... but its nice 2 c ppl coming together 2 celebrate our marine corps lol . like i get what vance was sayin bout unity & all that. but isnt it kinda weird he's the first marine vp ever tho? and whats up w/ governor newsom? cant we just agree 2 disagree without makin it personal? its not like were gonna solve anythin by bein all salty about highway closures . anywayz, semper fidelis to me!

idk about this whole Marine Corps VP thing . JD Vance is literally a total outsider lol. I mean, i get that he's a patriot and all but...vice president is like, so not exactly the top dog in the Corps. what's next, gonna make Quartermaster General ? and btw, "America's 911 force" ? thats just a fancy way of saying we're always ready to drop everything for you .

Dude, 250 years old and still kicking a**? That's what I call dedication. But seriously, JD Vance's speech was pretty lit , but also kinda messed up. He's saying that diversity is not the Corps' strength, which is like, totally at odds with everything else he's been spewing out lately about America First . And don't even get me started on Gavin Newsom trying to gatecrash the party . It's all just a big mess, but hey, at least the Marines were hyped and chanting "Oorah!" . Semper Fidelis and all that jazz .