As a cake was sliced with a ceremonial saber, about two dozen Marines and a handful of guests celebrated the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps on Monday morning.

The U.S. Marines were created by militiamen on Nov. 10, 1775 , at a tavern in Philadelphia.

Monday's event took place at the Culture Center in Charleston. The Marines, all members of the West Virginia chapter of the Marine Corps League, were joined by officials from the League and Gov. Patrick Morrisey.

Morrisey recounted several notable West Virginia connections to the U.S. Marines, including their quelling John Brown's 1859 raid in Harpers Ferry, Jefferson County, in what was still Virginia, through Hershel "Woody" Williams, a Marion County native who was the last living World War II Medal of Honor

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