A Marine field cook stationed in Bermuda shows the cake he baked for the Marine Corps birthday in 1943. U.S. Marine Corps Photo The Marine Corps, 238-years-old Sunday, has served a role in every conflict in the history of the United States.

That's because the Marines operate on sea, air, and land and — unlike the other services — can respond to a crisis in under 24 hours with the full force of a modern military.

Today, there are more than 200,000 active-duty and reserve Marines.

To celebrate the Corps, we've pulled some of the coolest photos from the archives.