Saturday marked the 232nd birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps and about two dozen Marine veterans gathered at an annual celebration in East Fork Justice Court on Friday.
The gathering hosted by Justice of the Peace Jim EnEarl featured cake, coffee and fellowship.
Following tradition, the youngest Marine attending the gathering served cake to the oldest, Pearl Harbor survivor Don Bowman .
The youngest this year was 31-year-old Deputy Brian Auchenbach, who served from 1997 to 2006 and left the service with the rank of staff sergeant.
Before the cake was cut, EnEarl asked for a moment of silence for those who are in combat.
"And keep them safe," he said, which was followed by an "amen," by the others present.
Marine widow Pam Martin was honored by the group, as was author Mike Archer, who wrote "A Patch of Ground," about the battle of Khe Sahn.
Archer and fellow Khe Sahn veteran Steve Orr are planning to return to Vietnam in the next few weeks.
A 30-year Douglas County resident, Bowman, who joined the Marines in 1939 and fought in the battle of Guadalcanal, has also written his memoirs.
EnEarl has marked the Marine Corps birthday for more than three decades. He has hosted the event in his court since his election in 1994.
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