October 23, 2025 • 5 mins
Mike Keast with the United States Marine Corps joins us to discuss an event on November 10th celebrating the 250th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps.
More information can be found here: https://www.devosplace.org/events/2025/250th-marine-corps-birthday-celebration
More information can be found here: https://www.devosplace.org/events/2025/250th-marine-corps-birthday-celebration
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And this is West Michigan's Morning new Steve, Kelly, Brett, Pikita,
Laurence Smith. Here the Marine Corps anthem in the background
as we are joined by Marine Corps veteran Mike Keast
also with Armed Forces Thanksgiving and so many other organizations. Mike,
thanks for joining us today.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good morning, Steve. Thank you again for having me on
the on the radio station. I truly appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
The first ever celebration of the Marine Corps birthday, which
is something I think the Marine Corps does more than
any other branch of the services. Right, every marine I
know posts something on November tenth. This year, it's number
two fifty and there's an event that we can all
come to to help celebrate tell.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Us more absolutely, I personally have dubbed this the Beer
City Ball. So this is a first ever citywide Marine
Corps Ball for Grand Rapids Mission. Again being held on
what other day than November tenth, twenty twenty five and
surprisingly fun fact, this will be my twenty fifth birthday
(01:11):
as a Marine.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Your birthday, Yeah, congratulations and happy birthday. And I should
have started by saying thank you for your proud service.
Everybody can come to this thing though, right.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Absolutely yes, Like I said, it is a city wide
ball where we are inviting the entire community. You actually
do not actually need to be a Marine Corps veteran
or anybody closely related to it. We welcome every branch
of service and any community member to attend this ball
and see what the traditions of the Marine Corps are actually.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Like, Hey, Mike, what do you think has been a
really solid way of getting the next generation interested in
military service? This is one of those events that sounds
like a hole in one to kind of talk to
the youth about that journey.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Absolutely well, like Steve indicated, we within the community and
Steve is actually a part of this. With Armed Forces Thanksgiving,
we reach out to community members at the schools in
particular and give our kids and students a military appreciation
luncheon in May, which really broadens the aspects because let's
(02:22):
face it, here in Michigan, we really don't have a
lot of military installations. We have just a handful out
on the shores and then one up north, so it's
really hard outside of seeing veterans and seeing the community halls,
the legions and the vfw's, So it's a really word
(02:43):
of mouth. But other than that, the Marine Corps we
do celebrate every year on November tenth. So this is
a huge tradition for us, and the Marine Corps is
all about tradition. That's what keeps us alive.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Mike, that's a big decision to what Smitdy was talking
about with the military and service.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
But what was it for you?
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Why the Marines?
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I always think that's an interesting question. That is a
loaded question that I get all the time. So I
grew up and my father was a was my inspiration
and his boss growing up. They he had three sons
that were actually much older than me. So I was
in elementary school while they were graduating high school. One
(03:27):
went to uh uh went into the army and was
a tanker, the other one went to the Naval Academy
and became a pilot similar to top gun, and the
other one went into the Coast Guard. So I just
wanted to be better than them. But in all honesty,
it wasn't me being better than them. I just wanted
to be more diversified. And the Marine Corps does have
(03:48):
one of the finest uniforms around.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
How about tickets for the event on November tenth. How
do we get them?
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Yes, you can visit website VETS task Force dot org
and there is a rate on that landing page. There's
a register tab or even a make a donation if
you choose to wish it to make a donation to
help us fund not only this city wide ball, but
future ones. Please please help us out this organization. We
(04:20):
just came together because there's pockets of Marine Corps veterans
and members who appreciate the Marine Corps that all route
always celebrate on November tenth, but we've never had this
city wide ball. We want to make this a tradition
where everybody can appreciate and celebrate together.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
We'll get that link in the podcast section at wood
radio dot com where this interview will live. We'll talk
more about it as we get a little closer to
the event that, as Mike mentioned, I get to be
a part of and I wouldn't miss it for the world,
celebrating two hundred and fifty years of proud service to
our fine country representing the United States Marine Corps. Mike Keish,
(05:00):
thanks for your time today.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Thank you, guys, I truly appreciate it. Sepify
And this is West Michigan's Morning new Steve, Kelly, Brett, Pikita,
Laurence Smith. Here the Marine Corps anthem in the background
as we are joined by Marine Corps veteran Mike Keast
also with Armed Forces Thanksgiving and so many other organizations. Mike,
thanks for joining us today.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good morning, Steve. Thank you again for having me on
the on the radio station. I truly appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
The first ever celebration of the Marine Corps birthday, which
is something I think the Marine Corps does more than
any other branch of the services. Right, every marine I
know posts something on November tenth. This year, it's number
two fifty and there's an event that we can all
come to to help celebrate tell.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Us more absolutely, I personally have dubbed this the Beer
City Ball. So this is a first ever citywide Marine
Corps Ball for Grand Rapids Mission. Again being held on
what other day than November tenth, twenty twenty five and
surprisingly fun fact, this will be my twenty fifth birthday
(01:11):
as a Marine.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Your birthday, Yeah, congratulations and happy birthday. And I should
have started by saying thank you for your proud service.
Everybody can come to this thing though, right.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Absolutely yes, Like I said, it is a city wide
ball where we are inviting the entire community. You actually
do not actually need to be a Marine Corps veteran
or anybody closely related to it. We welcome every branch
of service and any community member to attend this ball
and see what the traditions of the Marine Corps are actually.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Like, Hey, Mike, what do you think has been a
really solid way of getting the next generation interested in
military service? This is one of those events that sounds
like a hole in one to kind of talk to
the youth about that journey.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Absolutely well, like Steve indicated, we within the community and
Steve is actually a part of this. With Armed Forces Thanksgiving,
we reach out to community members at the schools in
particular and give our kids and students a military appreciation
luncheon in May, which really broadens the aspects because let's
(02:22):
face it, here in Michigan, we really don't have a
lot of military installations. We have just a handful out
on the shores and then one up north, so it's
really hard outside of seeing veterans and seeing the community halls,
the legions and the vfw's, So it's a really word
(02:43):
of mouth. But other than that, the Marine Corps we
do celebrate every year on November tenth. So this is
a huge tradition for us, and the Marine Corps is
all about tradition. That's what keeps us alive.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Mike, that's a big decision to what Smitdy was talking
about with the military and service.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
But what was it for you?
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Why the Marines?
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I always think that's an interesting question. That is a
loaded question that I get all the time. So I
grew up and my father was a was my inspiration
and his boss growing up. They he had three sons
that were actually much older than me. So I was
in elementary school while they were graduating high school. One
(03:27):
went to uh uh went into the army and was
a tanker, the other one went to the Naval Academy
and became a pilot similar to top gun, and the
other one went into the Coast Guard. So I just
wanted to be better than them. But in all honesty,
it wasn't me being better than them. I just wanted
to be more diversified. And the Marine Corps does have
(03:48):
one of the finest uniforms around.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
How about tickets for the event on November tenth. How
do we get them?
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Yes, you can visit website VETS task Force dot org
and there is a rate on that landing page. There's
a register tab or even a make a donation if
you choose to wish it to make a donation to
help us fund not only this city wide ball, but
future ones. Please please help us out this organization. We
(04:20):
just came together because there's pockets of Marine Corps veterans
and members who appreciate the Marine Corps that all route
always celebrate on November tenth, but we've never had this
city wide ball. We want to make this a tradition
where everybody can appreciate and celebrate together.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
We'll get that link in the podcast section at wood
radio dot com where this interview will live. We'll talk
more about it as we get a little closer to
the event that, as Mike mentioned, I get to be
a part of and I wouldn't miss it for the world,
celebrating two hundred and fifty years of proud service to
our fine country representing the United States Marine Corps. Mike Keish,
(05:00):
thanks for your time today.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Thank you, guys, I truly appreciate it. Sepify
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