Brotherhood and Tradition: Marines Celebrate 250th Birthday at Uniontown Brewery
ASHLAND — On a crisp November evening, the sound of laughter, clinking glasses, more than a few hearty “Oorahs!” filled the air inside Uniontown Brewery. Though the doors are normally closed on Mondays, they swung open today for a special reason — to celebrate 250 years of the United States Marine Corps.
What began years ago as a small gathering of a dozen Marines in Ashland has grown into nearly 100 former and current Marines — and their families — gathering each year to honor the birth of their beloved Corps.
“This is my first year celebrating the Marine Corps birthday right here in my hometown,” said Tim Maust, a local Marine veteran who arrived in his 1999 Humvee H1. “It’s a long-honored tradition. We find the youngest Marine and the oldest Marine, and we do our cake-cutting ceremony — just like we did in the field when I served.”
A Tradition Born in a Tavern
The Marine Corps traces its roots to Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, where on November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress called for the formation of two battalions of Marines — making that humble pub the birthplace of the Corps. In honor of that history, Uniontown Brewery even brewed a special beer for the night, fittingly named Tun Tavern Ale.
“This is our Tun Tavern,” said Aaron Kline, one of the event’s organizers and a Marine from 1996 to 2000. “Uniontown has been fantastic. They open for us every year when they’re usually closed. We’ve been doing this eight or nine years now — it’s become tradition.”
Kline smiled as he reflected on one especially emotional memory. “Several years back, we were celebrating here, and my son — who was serving in the Marines — surprised me by showing up. That was one of the biggest moments of my life.”
From 96 Years Young to the Youngest Among Them
This year’s oldest Marine was 96-year-old Lloyd Wygant, who served on active duty from 1951 to 1953 and spent another 15 years in the Reserve. remembers his first Marine party in Quantico, Virginia in1951.
On the other end of the table stood Jack Meyer, 22, the youngest Marine present — fresh out of service after four years. “It’s incredible,” Meyer said. “Two hundred and fifty years of Marines. It’s a brotherhood — like a fraternity with guns. To get the cake from a 96-year-old Marine, that’s history. I’m honored.”
The pair stood side-by-side as they shared the ceremonial cake — the oldest and youngest Marines, separated by seven decades but united by the same oath and the same Semper Fi spirit.
The Brotherhood That Never Fades
From the oldest veterans of Parris Island to the newest Marines fresh from Camp Pendleton, the night was filled with laughter, storytelling, and memories of deployments, boot camps, and birthdays past.
Dan Dubek, a Marine from 1986 to 1990, brought an officer’s sword — not as a relic of rank, but as a tool of tradition. “We use this for the cake-cutting ceremony,” he explained. “The senior Marine and the youngest Marine cut the cake together. It’s symbolic — one generation passing to the next.”
Dubek added, “We’re a brotherhood. We’re different than the rest. Every man and woman here is proud to be a Marine. Semper Fidelis — always faithful.”
Carrying on the Legacy
As the evening went on, the Marines toasted those who came before them and those still serving around the world. Between stories of boot camp and battlefield, the same phrase echoed through the brewery:
“Once a Marine, always a Marine.”
And on this night — in the heart of Ashland — that brotherhood, that loyalty, and that unbreakable tradition burned as bright as ever, 250 years strong.
Opening Prayer by Dan Doubek
Heavenly Father,
In a confusing and evil time there exists a brotherhood of like-minded men. We are born of the legacy of every one that has come before us. Lord, please keep and bless all of your Marines. When the time comes and we are called upon to don the armor of God to protect those who cannot defend themselves, Lord let my aim be true, my strength be indomitable, and my faith in you undeniable. Happy birthday to every Marine around the world but especially to my Marines standing here before me. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
