BATON ROUGE — This weekend is the 249th birthday of the United States Marine Corps and local Marines are celebrating.The Choctaw Detachment of the Marine Corps League in Baton Rouge has organized several events to celebrate. "It's an honor because we're celebrating it with our brothers and sisters in the Marine Corps. It's like a family," Todd Messina, Marine Corps League commandant, said when he visited WBRZ during 2une In on Thursday. "We're just enjoying cake with our family."On Thursday, a group of the Marine Corps League travels to the Louisiana Veterans Home in Jackson to deliver $1,500 in supplies.On Friday, the group will serve coffee and donuts to patients and staff at the Veterans Administration Medical Center on Essen Lane. On Saturday, the League will join the Walker Veterans Day ParadeSunday is the Marine Corps' actual anniversary and the League will attend a Veteran’s Day Mass, a wreath-laying ceremony at Gen. Robert Barrow’s gravesite in St. Francisville and a memorial at the Port Hudson National Cemetery.From Baton Rouge, Barrow was a general during World War II, as well as the Vietnam and Korean wars. He died in 2008 at 86 years old.The League encourages active and retired Marines to contact the Choctaw Detachment and get involved in the celebration."I get a piece of joy," Messina said. "All the work that I do, it may be work, but to me its a blessing...It just brings joy to your life knowing you can do something."More information can be found here.Permalink| Comments