SoKY’s Choice: Marines mark 250 Years with celebration in Bowling Green

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WNKY) – Marines and community members gathered Sunday night at the Bowling Green Country Club to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States Marine Corps, honoring a legacy of service that officially dates back to Nov. 10, 1775.

The event, hosted by the local Marine Corps League Detachment 1095, blended formal ceremony with a family atmosphere. Emcee Greg Hudson said the Marine Corps Birthday Ball is all about tradition and camaraderie.

“It’s honoring tradition,” Hudson said. “It’s all about the brotherhood that was created through becoming a Marine. You build a camaraderie that is unlike any other.”

That sense of unity extended beyond Marines. Hudson said service members from all branches share a deep bond. “In combat, we fight with all of them,” he said. “They’re brothers and sisters just like Marines, only different.”

For Commandant Bill Kidd, the event was also a chance to highlight the detachment’s community work. Through its Toys for Tots program, the group distributed more than 100,000 toys to 30,000 children across 23 counties last year.

“We don’t compete with other veteran groups,” Kidd said. “We all work together for the same goal, to help people out. That’s a core thing of the Marine Corps.”

State Sen. Mike Wilson, a Marine himself, served as the guest speaker for the evening. He described the connection among Marines as a lifelong bond.

“It’s like a fraternity,” Wilson said. “The fellowship you have with other Marines it’s a bond because you’ve all been through the same training. It’s a brotherhood and a warrior mentality.”

Though the official 250th anniversary falls on Nov. 10, the Bowling Green celebration brought Marines and supporters together early, united by pride, purpose, and 250 years of Semper Fi.