Starting next Monday, downtown Cleveland will become a U.S. Marine Corps showcase. Different sites will display everything the Marines use, from waterborne landing crafts, attack helicopters and cannons, to field kitchens and a marching band. Captain Craig Thomas is a Marine Corps spokesman. He says the purpose of Marine Week is to show cities without nearby Marine bases how the Corp operates.

Thomas:  “If you look on the east and west coasts of the United States you’ll see a lot of Marine installations because we’re amphibious by nature, we’re a department of the navy. So we deploy from the east and west coasts. So we started going inland. The next thing we’re looking for is cities that have a history with the Marine Corps.  Ohio has over 9,000 Marines currently serving in active duty and the reserves.  And we’re talking about a force that’s around 200,000, so obviously it’s a huge portion.”