It's Marine Corps Ball Season Again

This post will just serve as a composite of the Marine Corp Balls we attended this November. They are all alike in program and menu (including that wooden, frosted cake, into which they just insert one square of real cake, under the word "Corps,", and frost over again each night for the cake ceremony). Even with that, they do vary by how dynamic (or not) the speaker is, and by the guests in attendance.

The ceremony is my favorite part, actually. I just love a marching band, so this gets my heart pumping.



This year we were fortunate enough to have an actual bag piper. In the USA, this would be a no brainer. On Okinawa...it's a special treat.



Mmm...mmm! Love that pomp and circumstance.



Sweet!



Gorgeous, even if not entirely real. There's enough buttercream there to scent the whole room with it, though.



The first slice is given to the guest of honor (he's not in this pic), then it's handed to the oldest Marine present (we're getting closer and closer in age to the oldest present every year)...



Then the next piece goes to the youngest Marine present. All this is happening while the emcee is reading off the stats of when and where they were born, when they enlisted, etc., while the Marines' Hymn plays softly in the background. This guy pictured...was Troy's age. Yep. Little bit of a reality-slap.



And there they go....



Of course, we're all riveted by the speakers...



From the looks of it, this one was pretty good. I'm pretty sure it was the Deputy Wing Commander this night. He was funny.



Each speaker is given a gift. I imagine over time, these guys get quite the collection.



Wow. I think this is a coat rack? He told his wife they were going to put it in the baby's room.

So then, after the formalities are over, it's time for the real party to start. Remember how I mentioned it varies by those in attendance? Yeah...I wasn't lying. Some balls are pretty straight-laced, but in a fun way...


And others...not so much.



Some of them, you have to fight for space on the dance floor...



And watch carefully for the spilled drinks.



I couldn't resist this shot. This guy is feelin' fine, evidently, and decided to march along with the piper after his little bonus, half-time performance. It reminded me of one of the balls we attended at Camp Pendleton years ago. Cliff was saying the prayer (the reason we have to attend so many...Cliff and his whole "will pray for food" gig) and there was a Marine who had hit cocktail hour pretty hard. He evidently was feelin' the spirit and decided to pray along with Cliff, much to the discomfort of everyone around him. Turns out, he was leaving the Corps the following week, and wanted to go out with a bang. I wonder if the GySgt I saw screaming in his face in the lobby afterward was what he had in mind? That was the same ball where a young, female Lance Corporal lost her balance, fell backward...and literally into the lap of the CO's wife, who I was chatting across the table with at the time. You just can't make this stuff up.



While I love to dance the night away, I have to come to the reality that we are now in the category of people they are wishing will leave as early as possible so the party can really start. That's OK. I'm thrilled to have this guy all to myself, anytime!