“This Sunday Marines in remote parts of Afghanistan’s Helmand province, aboard ships and elsewhere in the world will pause to celebrate the 238th birthday of the corps. The tradition has the youngest and oldest Marine cut a cake, preferably with a mameluke sword. But a k-bar knife will do as well,” USA Today reports.

“The Marines take their birthdays — and other traditions — seriously. From their earliest days in boot camp, young Marines are told about Belleau Wood, Iwo Jima and the Chosin Reservoir. Over the course of their career they learn to revere Chesty Puller, Dan Daly and others in the pantheon of Marine legends.”