MAIL CALL March 2010

Commandant Mike DeBauche Volume 9 Issue 3 March, 2010

Spring is upon us, and activities for the detachment are picking up. If you have the time, keep our schedule in mind. With warmer weather, we will have more opportunities for parades and other community activities. And, of course, we have the racetrack, poker run, and other events coming up.

Another important upcoming event is the annual officer elections. If you are interested in running for a position, don’t hesitate to make your intentions known. I believe we’ve had a good year, with many accomplishments, including an increased awareness in the community. Let’s keep up the trend, with officers willing to get involved and promote the Marine Corps League. Even if you do not wish to be nominated as an officer, I urge each and everyone of you to participate in detachment community activities.

My thanks to all the Marines who have put up with cold weather, snow, and juggling their schedules throughout this winter to continue our success. As usual, we take care of our own, whether it be supporting the Marine Corps Reserve with Toys for Tots, or honoring those we’ve lost by providing Fallen Marine ceremonies.

Semper Fi.

Mike DeBauche

Commandant

Mail Call! Gen. Larry Oppenheimer Detachment #1025

6521 Nieman Road, Shawnee, KS www. mklops.org

Commandant’s message

General Larry Oppenheimer Detachment #1025 Vol 9, No. 3 March 2010 pg 2

Sick and Distressed

Please convey info. on sick and distressed to Chaplain Reyes at 913/432‐3688.

I am happy to say that I did not have anyone to report on for this month!

New Century Young Marines Jim is following up with Comm Reyes on YM helping at a pancake feed on March 27th at 95th and Pflumm. DC trip is still planned for May 27- June 5 April 15th, we are out at the T Bones, Community America Ball Park trying to collect donations for our May 27th Washington DC trip. April 24th, we are having a Poker Run, I will forward the flyer for distribution, please, to also benefit our DC trip. We are now meeting every Wednesday from 6-8 at the Gardner American Legion.

Fallen Marines

There is no finer compliment than being called a Marine. It represents the highest honor & tradition bound together with courage & sacrifice on behalf of all mankind. Our Fallen Marine Honor Guard had the distinct honor of performing at the services of these marine who have answered the call.

Daniel Weaver March 7th

Jack Gibbs, of Prairie Village, was a Marine in Vietnam March 11th

Jim Graham March 14th

General Larry Oppenheimer Detachment #1025 Vol 9, No. 3. March 2010 pg 3

Our next meeting is Wednesday, March 24th, 2010, from 1900, at our usual meeting place: American Legion Post 327, 6521 Nieman Rd. in Shawnee.

VAVS (VA Volunteer Service) Anyone interested in learning more about the VA volunteer service, please contact Mr. Art Peter at 816-331-4622. Mail Call Editor encourages submissions of any announcements, pictures, stories, to the editor from detachment members. Deadline for all submissions by the 15th of every month. Email: [email protected] or Call: John Sims @ 913.530.2535. Mail Address: 14004 west 72nd Terrace, Shawnee, KS 66216. Marine DeBauche is soliciting ideas to enhance our website – www.mclopks.org – Submit These to Mike at [email protected], ph. 913/484-5909. There is now much more information on our site, including photos – check it out. Websites & Email The website of the Marine Corps League on the National level is http://www.mcleague.org and our Detachment’s website is www.mclopks.org. Anyone receiving a paper newsletter, but has email, please email John Sims at [email protected] with the subject of “email newsletter”. Thanks. Volunteer needed for the Community Activities position if you are interested, please contact commandant Mike DeBauche. To have items sewn on to your covers and shirts, contact Marsha Davey at 913/268-1017 (10409 W 53rd St. in Shawnee); to have alterations done on your dress blues, contact Louise Bland at 913/831-4647 (10149 Edelweiss Circle in Merriam – near 75th & Switzer). Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Raffle

1st prize - A trip for 2 to Hawaii 2nd prize - 42" Hd Tv 3rd prize - Blue Ray DVD Player

$5 per ticket or a book of 5 for $20. Contact Bill Clinton at 913-484-3078 or [email protected]. Tickets for sale at the next meeting. Be sure and bring in your sold tickets.


Announcements

Parades, Ceremonies, and our Color Guard Any member who can devote time to the Color Guard, please contact Steve at 913/764-3901, or at [email protected].

Marines in Need

Any member who is aware of a marine or his family in need is asked to first submit a request in writing to Marine Pat O’Malley of our Financial Assistance Review Committee, including a statement of the purpose, a cost estimate and the time period. Pat’s email is [email protected]; his address is 12412 Flint, Overland Park, KS 66213-2120. There were no Marines in need this past month

Marines launch a counterattack to regain enemy‐held positions at Outpost Vegas on Korea's Western Front on 27 March 1953. It was the bloodiest action Marines on the Western Front had engaged in up to that date. (Photo from 1st Marine Division Historical Diary Supplemental Documents, March 1953.


Marine Corps History

This Month in History

Selected March Dates of Marine Corps Historical Significance

2 March 1867: Jacob Zeilin, Colonel Commandant of the Marine Corps from 30 June 1864, was this date promoted to the rank of Brigadier General Commandant, the first time Congress authorized this rank for the Marine Corps. The statute, however, was repealed in June 1874 so that the rank of Commandant would again revert to colonel upon Zeilin's retirement.

8 March 1965: The 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade landed at DaNang, Republic of Vietnam as the first U.S. ground combat troops to be committed to that conflict. The 3,500 men arrived both across the beach with Battalion Landing Team 3/9, and at DaNang Airfield with Battalion Landing Team 1/3.

11 March 1778: Marines participated the action when the Continental Navy frigate Boston, enroute to France, sighted, engaged, and captured the British merchant ship Martha. As the drum of the Boston beat to arms, John Adams seized a musket and joined the Marines on deck until the frigate's captain, Samuel Tucker, sent him below for safety.

13 March 1943: The first group of71 Women Marine officer candidates arrived at the U.S. Midshipmen School (Women's Reserve) at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The Navy's willingness to share training facilities enabled the Marine Corps to begin training Marine Corps Women's Reserve officers just one month after the creation of the MCWR was announced.

17 March 1967: The first woman Marine to report to Vietnam for duty, Master Sergeant Barbara J. Dulinsky, began her 18-hour flight to Bien Hoa, 30 miles north of Saigon. MSgt Dulinsky and the other officer and enlisted Women Marines that followed were assigned to the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) based in Saigon. Most worked with the Marine Corps Personnel Section providing administrative support to Marines assigned as far north as the DMZ, but two Lieutenant Colonels, Ruth Reinholz and Ruth O'Holleran, served as historians with the Military History Branch, Secretary Joint Staff, MACV.

25 March 1945: After 35 days of bitter fighting, the amphibious assault on the rocky fortress of Iwo Jima finally appeared over. On the night of 25 March, however, a 300-man Japanese force launched a vicious final counterattack in the vicinity of Airfield Number 2. Army pilots, Seabees and Marines of the 5th Pioneer Battalion and 28th Marines fought the fanatical Japanese force till morning but suffered heavy casualties --more than l00 killed and another 200 American wounded. Nearly all of the Japanese force was killed in the battle.

27 March 1953: The 5th Marines, supported by the 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, in the first full day of fighting after the Chinese assault the previous evening of Outpost Vegas on Korea's western front, counterattacked to regain enemy-held positions. Companies E and F of 2/7 , down to only three platoons between them, managed to regain partial control of Outpost Vegas that day.

31 March 1801: On this date, LtCol Commandant William W. Burrows rode with president Thomas Jefferson to look for "a proper place to fix the Marine Barracks on." President Jefferson was a personal friend of the Commandant, and deeply interested in the welfare of the Corps and accompanied Burrows on horseback on the morning of 31 March. They chose a square in Southeast Washington, at 8th and I streets, because it lay near the Navy Yard and was within easy marching distance of the Capitol.


PLATOONS FORWARD PROGRAM

Here is some information concerning the program and how you can help.


THIS SPACE FOR RENT

THIS SPACE FOR RENT

THIS SPACE FOR RENT

THIS SPACE FOR RENT


Good day everyone, I wanted to take this opportunity to make a few comments about the "Mail Call". As you may have notice in this issue, I have added an advertising section. It is very important that if you can, you support our advertisers. The rate to advertise in the Mail Call is just $40.00 per year for 12 issues. This Mail Call will be self-supportive, we will not require any funding from the detachment.

My plan for the Mail Call is to expand it to cover a few more areas of interest to our membership and if possible to issue 2 or 3 additional "special" editions each year covering topics we all have an interest in, WWII. Korea, Vietnam and IRAQ. These issues will go into detail covering our members who served in those wars, their memories and any photos they wish to share with us. My overall goal is to have our Mail Call full of sections/information that makes you look forward to receiving it each month. Also, for you to be proud of it and what our detachment is doing and how we are getting involved in our community and how we are helping the Marine Corps League to grow. Remember, all of the projects and programs that the Marine Corps League has undertaken or plans to undertake is supported by us, the members of the League. There is no one out there giving us large amounts of money, every dollar we receive, we work for!

I have researched quite a few Marine Corps detachments on the internet and am amazed at how creative they are in raising funds to support their detachments and the local community. I found two that are having a golf tournaments to raise funds for their detachments. Another one is sponsoring a rodeo bull riding event, others are collecting used printer ink cartridges and turning them in for the money, car washes, raffles, the list goes on and on. My point is that everything done by these detachments is for the detachment. Just imagine the community involvement we could undertake if we had a budget of an additional several thousand dollars!

Anyway, my final thought concerning the Mail Call is that we all should be using it as a recruiting tool. Every time we have the opportunity to speak to a former active duty marine or navy corpsman we should be talking up the detachment, what we are doing as a detachment in our community and sharing our camaraderie with them. Remember every marine should be a member of the Marine Corps League!

Semper Fi,

John Sims - Mail Call Editor