Greater Boston was infiltrated this week with patriotism as communities across the region hosted a series of events honoring the 250th birthday of the United States Marine Corps.
From Marblehead’s Revolutionary War forts to Lynn’s Manning Field, Marines, veterans, local officials, and residents gathered to celebrate a legacy of service that dates back to 1775.
On Sunday, on Manning Field in Lynn, the city hosted a Drill Exhibition & Pool Function. The event, part of Marine Week Boston running August 20–25, combined demonstrations with opportunities for potential recruits to train alongside drill instructors.
The program featured performances by the Lynn English High School JROTC team, the Quantico Marine Band, and another appearance by the Silent Drill Platoon. For recruits, the pool function offered both mental and physical challenges designed to prepare them for Marine Corps training.
Boston Marine Corps Recruiting Station Executive Officer Eddie Diaz, a Lynn native and key organizer, said the event was both a salute to Marines past and an inspiration for the next generation. “We want to honor the Marines who laid the pathway before us, and we want to inspire the next generation of future Marines to take on this calling,” Diaz said.
Mayor Jared Nicholson emphasized the significance for local veterans. “To have a capstone event like this that is of regional importance take place in the city of Lynn is a great opportunity to celebrate the city’s connection to the Marines,” he said.
Lynn businessman and veteran of the Air National Guard, David Solimine, was unable to attend the Manning Field event due to recovery from recent surgery, but reflected on the honor of being part of its planning. “I was heartbroken to miss it,” Solimine said. “But it was such an honor to be part of the planning program. It all ties together with next year’s parade for the 250th anniversary of the country. These celebrations show our gratitude to all servicemen and women.”
The commemorations began Thursday in Marblehead, where Fort Sewall’s Revolutionary War-era setting underscored the Corps’ deep connection to the community. The afternoon opened with music by the Quantico Marine Band, followed by the presentation of colors, the national anthem, and a thunderous flyover of F/A-18E/F Hornets.
The program featured a ceremonial cake-cutting, a musket salute by Glover’s Regiment, and a flawless display by the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, whose 24 members perform without verbal commands.
Col. J.J. Wilson, commanding officer of the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-250, reminded attendees that Marblehead was home to the first Marine aviator, Lt. Alfred Cunningham, who in 1912 launched from Marblehead Harbor in a Burgess seaplane. “When you see these aircraft flying overhead … remember that story began right here in Marblehead,” Wilson said.
Ronny Knight, Commander of the Marblehead VFW, noted that many residents were surprised to learn of the town’s role as the birthplace of Marine aviation. “It shows an awful lot of pride,” Knight said. “We’re all very proud of our service, no matter what branch. It wasn’t a show of power. It was a show of pride.”
Knight also reflected on how such ceremonies can inspire young people to serve. “If there’s a young man or woman at the event questioning whether they should go into the military, and they watch those Marines, they might think, ‘I could do that too.’ It doesn’t mean they have to be a Marine; it could be Coast Guard, Army, Navy, or Air Force. But it plants the seed of service.”
The day concluded with the Marine Hymn, another musket salute, and an 11-minute drill display that drew cheers from the crowd. Later, the Quantico Marine Band carried the celebration into the evening with a free concert at The Landing Restaurant.
As Knight put it, the ceremonies were less about military display and more about shared values. “It showed that pride, that we are Americans. We may differ… but when you see something like this, we can all be on the same page.”
As the Marine Corps prepares for its official 250th birthday in 2025, Marine Week Boston offered New Englanders a chance to celebrate not just a military institution, but a tradition of service, sacrifice, and fidelity that continues to shape the nation.
Together, the events in Marblehead and Lynn reflected both history and future, Marblehead, with its role in the birth of Marine aviation, and Lynn, with its proud veterans’ community and new generation of recruits.
