Marine Corps League
Anne Arundel County
Detachment 1049

SEMPER FI MARINES!

Detachment Newsletter - Monday, March 24, 2003

   Commandant Earl Parker 410-551-7846

Our meeting held 26 Jan was quite eventful. I presented life membership certificates to the members who had yet to receive them previously.

Congratulations Marines. there has been some new members who became a part of our family recently. Welcome aboard Marines Opie Davis, Charles Young, Richard Owens, James O'Toole, Gene Puntie, Henry Massy, Charles Dorn, Bill Hanna, Fred Kiminski, Rick Owens, Ed Grove, Bob Hole and Robert Cox, Jr.


Our upcoming meeting of 24 Mar 03 will be continue the nominations of officers for the upcoming year. On 28 April 03 we will elect and informally install those elected so they can attend the Department Convention 9 May 03 through 10 May 03 representing
their office.
 

   Mannie Airey, Sr. Vice Commandant 410-255-9129

I am in the process of organizing a fund raising trip to the gaming resorts at Harrington, DE. I have made reservations with Dillon Charter Bus for Monday, 21 April. We need at least 35 bodies to go by charter coach. Please keep this in mind. April meeting I will bring it to your attention. Please pass it along to Friends and neighbors who are also invited. We need all the help we can
get on this outing.
 

  Ed Ross,

The offices of Commandant, Sr. Vice Commandant, Jr. Vice Commandant and Judge Advocate will be open for nominations. All other offices and committee chairpersons shall be appointed by the elected commandant.

If you have aspirations of wanting to run for any of these positions and cannot make it to a meeting to be verbally nominated by someone, you must submit a letter of intent or someone nominates you in absenteeism and you cannot physically be present, you must submit a letter so stating you will accept that particular position if elected.
 

  Guy Hall, Adjutant 410-761-2592

I just returned for a weekend retreat sponsored by the National MCL Org. at Fairfax, VA. MCL members and National Officers of the League and Auxiliary attended from all corners of the USA. It was a very great conference. A great deal of information was disseminated in many areas concerning the future of the MCL. I had hoped that a few of our officers and members would be in attendance.

Secretary of V A, Anthony Principi was the guest speaker Friday morning. He expressed his desire to improve upon the V A but needs assistance and cooperation from all concerned. He really seems to be earnestly and personally involved into making this organization (VA) work. He has a lot of great ideas but he also has an uphill battle with the politicians.

There now is in access of 55,000+ members in the MCL worldwide..

Toys for Tots had another successful year. There were 12.6 mil toys donated to 5.7 mil children. Those of you who were a part of this great endeavor, give yourself a big hoooorrraahhh. A job well done Marines.

The National Convention will be held in Spokane. WA on 3 Aug through 9 Aug 03. Reservations must be made prior to 2 July 03 for special rates to be in effect. Those of you who may be interested can contact me for further details. rates, hotels, airlines, etc. 410-761-2592. The next is Irving. TX in 2004.

For those of you who have received occasion cards, labels, etc. and not sent in your donation, please do so ASAP. This money they receive goes to a lot of needy programs for needy people and children. Income for 2002 has been the lowest for many years.

Many thanks to all of you who contributed the $200.00+ to the young Marine L/Cpl MP at Quantico. Another great example of what we are all about. You Marines are the GREATEST.

Between our detachment and members of the VFW we had a nice turnout for the JVC affair at the State House 3 Feb 03. The "powers to be" listened to our positions on V A measures we have been touting for many months. No-state income taxes on military retirees living in Maryland. Flying the POW flag with the American Flag on State property and other proposals too numerous to mention. The food and fare were in abundance and very delicious thanks to the JVC of Maryland.

Myself, Vic Halme and Danny Fischio represented our detachment in welcoming the VFW National Jr. Vice Commander Thurgess to Post # 160 with several other VFW members in the 6th district.

Be aware that a lot of activity has been planned for the upcoming months. Please try to adjust your vacation or start making plans now for the Dept. MCL Convention in Ocean City on 9 and 10 May 03. Four of our Marine Puppy Dogs, Danny Fischio, Mike Hadley, Warren Lindgren, Vic Halme will be elevated to the degree of "Red Collar" Devil Dogs. They will need all the support they can get.

As I have informed you in the past of our Young Marine Program, headed up by Marines Carl Shultz and George Martin they could use some additional help. George can be phoned at 443-822-3597, Carl @ 410-519-8227. They will be meeting and drilling at the VFW Post #160. So far they tentatively have 20 young men and women enrolled. More on this will be forth coming.

There are 236 YM Units in 42 States with 900 + adults involved at an average age of 40 yrs. The average age of the YM is 12 yrs of which 30% are Young Women enrolled. You can see it is not a "Rinky-dink" outfit. If you know of a young man or woman between the ages of 8 and 18 yrs who would like to get involved let us know.

For those of you involved in the NASCAR circuit, a bit of "kudos" for us. Kelly Sutton, who is a qualified race driver is none other than the daughter of our own Marine, Eddy Sutton of our detachment. Kelly has received several honors herself in the past few months while driving on the NASCAR circuits. We will look forward to watching her performance during the upcoming months Congratulations, Kelly.

 

 

Raid on North Vietnam began 2 Mar After the story hit the headlines, Truman 1965. Star Spangled Banner made gave the Corps a public apology for his National Anthem 3 Mar 1931. choice of language but he did not back Operation Utah 4 March 1966. Ops. down from his view of the Corps. Ripper began 7 Mar 1951. Invasion of Okinawa began 1 Apt 1945. Siege of An Loc began 8 Apr 1972. Bataan fell 9 Apr 1942 and death march started 10 Apr. Battle for Lang Vei began 10 Apr 1968. 2 Persian Gulf War cease fire 11 Apr 1991. Battle if Pork Chop Hill began 16 Apr 1953, Ops. Delaware began 24 Apr 4 1968. Ops. Little Switch began 20 Apr 1953.

During WW II Marines suffered 91,718 casualties, of whom 19,733 were killed in action, died of wounds or missing, presumed dead. In addition, 67,207 Marines were wounded and 4,778 were non-battle casualties in combat zones. 80 Marines received the Medal of Honor, 48 posthumously: earned 957 Navy Crosses for heroism. Seven Navy corpsmen serving with the Marines were awarded the Medal of Honor and corpsmen and other naval medical personnel received 69 Navy Crosses.

Commandant Alexander A. Vandergrift, the hero of Guadalcanal who in April 1945 had become the first 4-star General on active duty in the history of the Corps.

Not all has been good fortune for the Corps by our Commanders in Chief. President Truman was asked by a congressman to give the Marine Corps Commandant a voice on the Joint Chiefs of staff. Truman exploded and wrote the congressman: "For your information the Marine Corps is the Navy's police force and as long as I am President that is what it will remain. They have a propaganda machine that is almost equal to Stalin's."

After the story hit the headlines, Truman gave the Corps a public apology for his choice of language but he did not back down from his view of the Corps.
 

DON'T FORGET THE MEETING at 1900, 24 Mar 2003.