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Vice President JD Vance took the stage at the Marine Corps’ 250th Birthday Ball in Washington, D.C., on Saurday, greeting a crowd of Marines in dress blues with a booming, “How we doing, Marines?”
He grinned as the ballroom erupted in cheers. “It’s so great to be here to celebrate 250 years of the United States Marine Corps,” he said, drawing loud applause.
“That, my friends, is what the Marine Corps does — it keeps us honest.”
The address marked the start of Veterans Day weekend and underscored the White House’s emphasis on military strength and service.
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Vice President JD Vance arrives to speak at the Marine Ball at the Washington Hilton, Saturday, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
The vice president — himself a proud Marine veteran — earned a standing ovation when he reminded the crowd that he was “the very first vice president of the United States to have been a United States Marine.”
Vance reflected on joining the Marines as a 19-year-old recruit on the yellow footprints of Parris Island, South Carolina.
“The Marine Corps has kept me honest,” he said. “It gave me great training, it gave me a sense of purpose, and it gave me lifelong friends.”
He credited those lessons with shaping his life long after service. “The Marine Corps has done more for me than I can possibly repay,” he said. “But the thing that I promise, so long as I have the honor of being your vice president, is that I will continue to honor the United States Marine Corps.”
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Vice President JD Vance speaks during the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary celebration, Oct. 18, at Camp Pendleton, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
In a moment that drew lots of laughs, Vance told the story of meeting a 99-year-old Iwo Jima veteran earlier in the evening….
