Marines gather to celebrate the Corps 251st Anniversary
Amy Clark, Corporal Ben Whipple, Master Gunnery Sergeant Jay Lillefloren and his wife, Diana, were four of the 250 people who attended the 2026 Marine Corps Birthday Ball at the Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn on Saturday night.
BOB KIRKPATRICK\Press
WWII Veteran Robert Wynn.
BOB KIRKPATRICK\Press
Cakes for the 251st Marine Corps Birthday Ball.
BOB KIRKPATRICK\Press
Retired Gunnery Sergeant Tanya Hildebrand was the featured speaker at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball.
BOB KIRKPATRICK\Press
A table of WWII and Korean War Veterans.
BOB KIRKPATRICK\Press
The atmosphere at the 2026 Marine Corps Birthday Ball at the Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn was so thick with pride last night that you could almost cut it with a bayonet.
"We're here for guys who died in front of us and for the guys who are coming behind us," Master Gunnery Sergeant Jay Lillefloren said. "We're carrying on a tradition that's been going on for 251 years and we're going to continue doing it for another 251 years."
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