Morning Colors Ceremony - U.S. Marines Corps (observed at Holy Cross College, Notre Dame, IN) Nov. 10, 2019 at 8 a.m.

Following the ceremony those active and retired Marines and the public on hand will be served a free breakfast.

On Sunday, November 10th, Holy Cross College will host its 16th annual Marine Corp’s Morning Colors Ceremony, in honor of the Marine Corps’ 244th birthday.

Marines from the Notre Dame ROTC and the United States Marine Corps Reserves, along with those from around the South Bend area and those affiliated with Holy Cross College, will join in a flag-raising ceremony in honor of the Corps’ birthday at 8 a.m. at the Col. Brian Regan Flag Complex, located on the Holy Cross College campus.

Celebrations will be held worldwide on November 10 as a result of Gen. John A. Lejeune’s order on November 1, 1921, which provided a summary of the history, mission, and traditions of the Corps. Gen. Lejeune directed that the order be read to every command each subsequent year on November 10, in honor of the founding of the Marine Corps. The order will be read in locations across the United States, Afghanistan, and worldwide, wherever Marines are found. Celebrations range from silent observations in austere locations to more ceremonial readings.

Long-time organizer, Mark Lyon asserts that the occasion is much more than simply raising a flag. “The nation’s flag, and the Marine Corps’ flag in particular, are powerful symbols. To the Marines in the community, and to the members of our sister services in attendance and to our families, the Marine Corps Flag is a symbol honoring the Marines’ heroism in epic battles against determined enemies,” states Lyon. “It honors the sacrifice of friends lost in battle and lost to wounds received in battle. It honors the commitment demonstrated earning hard won scars, both visible and not visible. It honors the devotion of family members who suffered through separation and the trepidation of worrying about the safety of their deployed Marine. It recognizes fellow citizens who supported Marines in both peacetime and war. It’s an opportunity for both tears and laughter, while remembering great friends and sharing common experiences, and to recall the pride with which they served a grateful nation,” he goes on to say.

The public is welcome to attend the Morning Colors Ceremony at Holy Cross.