What is a toast to the services?

A very special event for all who serve....Find out here

Jan 20, 2025

Good afternoon Norwich,

In the military way of life, there is always another mission that needs to be done in order to meet the unit’s goals. Everyone knows what is expected and works together as a team and the job gets done.

The toast of the services celebration is a toast to all the military members and their branch of service and wishes for a healthy and happy new year. At the end of this story will be the ceremony from last years event.

Legion member Jim Harlow explains the toast to services ceremony and then several members read their toast for each branch of military services.

Starting with Commander Jeff Goodrich and then:

Each designated legion member read one of these which gives a bit of information and then a toast for each service was performed.

Toast to the Army
From Trenton and Valley Forge, to New Orleans, Shiloh and Gettysburg,
from the Argonne Forest and Chateau-Thierry to the Philippines,
Normandy, and Bastogne, from Pusan and the Outpost Battles to the
jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Mesopotamia and Baghdad to
the snows of the Hindu Kush, fighting and winning our battles on lands all
around the globe since 1775, the heroism and sacrifice of the American
Soldier has preserved a free and grateful nation.

Toast to the Marine Corps
The glorious history of the Marine Corps began with its founding at Tun
Tavern and has been made in such places as New Providence, and Port
Royal, El Caney and Peking, Belleau Wood and Haiti, Wake Island,
Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh and
Hue. From its birth in our Revolution to Anbar and Helmand, the United
States Marine Corps has always been the First to Fight, and has earned
anew with the courage and sacrifice of her Marines, the motto of Semper
Fidelis, always faithful.

Toast to the Navy
Since its founding in 1775, the fighting spirit of our Navy has carried it to
victory against every foe on the world’s oceans. Led by John Paul Jones,
Decatur, Farragut, and Dewey at Manila Bay, Halsey and Nimitz, the Navy
has defeated our enemies in the North Atlantic and at Midway, in the
Solomons, Leyte, and Okinawa, in Korea to Cuba, the Tonkin Gulf and the
Persian Gulf. The United States Navy has been the bulwark of our Nation’s
security against enemies on and below the sea.

Toast to the Air Force
From its beginning as the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, flying above
France in the Great War, to the skies over Europe and the Pacific as the
Army Air Forces during World War II, down MiG Alley in Korea, to the air
over Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, the United States Air Force has
always prevailed. For over a century, their command of the skies has been
invaluable in ensuring our ground forces’ success against every foe.

Toast to the Coast Guard
Since its origin in 1790 as the Revenue-Marine, through its mergers with
the U.S. Life-Saving Service in 1915 and the U.S. Lighthouse Service in
1939, the United States Coast Guard has stood constant vigil along
America’s shores. Fighting alongside the Navy in every conflict, and risking
their lives to save all mariners in distress, the dedication and bravery of the
Coast Guard is stated in their unofficial motto: “You have to go out, but you
don’t have to come back!” They battle our enemies and they battle the sea,
always ready to risk themselves to save others. Semper Paratus!

Toast to the Space Force
Interest in creating a U.S. military presence in space began with the Cold
War. After the formation of NASA, the Air Force assumed responsibility for
all military space operations. In 1982, these operations were organized into
the Air Force Space Command, providing crucial tactical support via
satellite for air and ground forces in the conflicts of the 1980’s and the Gulf
War. The United States Space Force was signed into being on December 20,
2019 as the sixth U.S. armed service branch, whose mission is, in part, “to
provide freedom of operation... and deter aggression... in, from, and to
space.” As their motto Semper Supra promises, these Guardians of the
heavens are always above to defend freedom and peace.

Photos below will show the members reading the toast for each military branch that is listed above and spending quality time visiting with one another.