Pioneering African-American Marines. honored, with your help. You honor Marines on Memorial Day

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1 Welcome to the - Issue Pioneering AfricanAmerican Marines honored, with your help You honor Marines on Memorial Day Headline Twice-wounded Marine is eager Captionto return to the fight Articles Twice-wounded Marine is eager to return to the fight Sergeant Than Naing, USMC, is unstoppable. At least, our nation s enemies probably think so. Continue Reading > Pioneering African-American Marines honored, with your help Between 1942 and 1949, more than 20,000 African-American Marines the first African Americans allowed to join the Corps received their basic training... Continue Reading > You honor Marines on Memorial Day Last spring, President and CEO General Ed Usher asked you and other MCA&F members and supporters to tell us the names of Marines you wished to honor... Continue Reading > Order Birthday Ball items today and beat the rush! Whether you re in charge of your unit s preparations for this year s Birthday Ball or want to host your own party, it s not too early... Continue Reading > From the General: Welcome aboard! Welcome to the inaugural issue of, the newsletter for members and supporters of the Marine Corps Association & Foundation. Continue Reading > Where is my digital edition??

2 - Twice-wounded Marine is eager to return to the fight Helping and honoring Marine Wounded Warriors is just one of the ways you re building a stronger Corps Sergeant Than Naing, USMC, is unstoppable. At least, our nation s enemies probably think so. In 2006, while serving in Iraq, Sgt Naing was wounded by enemy sniper fire. He recovered, reenlisted in the Corps, and in 2010, was deployed to Afghanistan. There, he was caught in an ambush and wounded by enemy machine guns. Sgt Naing is today a member of the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment. When he completes his recuperation, his goal is to return to active duty yet again, and continue defending the country that gave him so much when he and his family emigrated from Burma (now Myanmar) many years ago. Sgt Than Naing, USMC, shown here practicing archery for the 2012 Warrior Games, is one of the many Wounded Marines you help and honor through your support of the MCA&F. (photo by Lance Cpl. Chelsea Flowers) Sgt Than Naing is one of countless Marines whose professionalism, honor, and sacrifice you recognize through your support of the Marine Corps Association & Foundation. He was also one of three Marines honored at the MCA&F s first Wounded Warrior Awards Ceremony a few months ago. Sgt Naing was presented with the Wounded Warrior Regiment Wounded, Ill, or Injured Service Member Award. SSgt Ryan Harris, USMC, received the Leadership Award, and retired Marine Shawn Cheney received the Civilian of the Year Award. The Wounded Warrior Regiment was established in 2007 to assist Wounded, ill, and injured Marines as they prepare to return to active duty or transition to civilian life. Sgt Than Naing, USMC, (third from left) is one of the heroic members of the Marine Wounded Warrior Regiment you helped honor through your support of the MCA&F. With Sgt Naing are, from left, MCA&F President and CEO MajGen Ed Usher, USMC (Ret), Sgt Naing s friend Hay Man Lian, and John Frame of Caterpillar, which sponsored the award. Thanks to generous friends like you, the MCA&F works closely with the Wounded Warrior Regiment. We have given on-the-job training to more than 80 recuperating Marines and Sailors; provided dozens of laptops, ipods, and Kindles loaded with Professional Reading List and other books; shared free copies of Leatherneck and the Marine Corps Gazette with Wounded Warrior families; and much more. Col John L. Mayer, USMC, second commander of the Wounded Warrior Regiment, thanks you for your partnership. All of us at WWR greatly appreciate the hard work, dedication, and financial commitment you made to ensure our recovering Warriors received the proper recognition, Col Mayer says. MCA&F has been and remains a true friend, and has helped us move our mission and command forward with great success. Honoring and helping heroic Wounded Marines is just one of many, many ways your gifts to the MCA&F build a stronger Marine Corps. Thank you for your generosity! Please use the enclosed form to send another tax-deductible gift today.

3 - Pioneering African-American Marines honored, with your help Between 1942 and 1949, more than 20,000 African-American Marines the first African Americans allowed to join the Corps received their basic training at the segregated Montford Point Boot Camp at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Seventy years later, a grateful nation is honoring those men and you re helping to do it. Congress voted late last year to present the Congressional Gold Medal, the legislative branch s highest civilian award, to the Montford Point Marines. The Marine Corps Association & Foundation worked with the Tawani Foundation, Manuel Carazo, Marine Federal Credit Union, and friends like you to raise the funds needed to present replica medals to the 550 surviving Montford Point Marines. In June, we presented a check for nearly $25,000 to Dr. James T. Averhart, Jr., president of the Montford Point Marine Association. I m so proud to partner with the MCA&F, Dr. Averhart said. They did so much to help a sister organization that really could not help itself. The core of what we do is advance leadership and recognize excellence, MCA&F President and CEO General Ed Usher replied. The Montford Point Marines, individually and collectively, represent Marine Corps excellence. When President Roosevelt ended discrimination in the military in 1942, Howard P. Perry (above) became the first African American to volunteer for the Marine Corps. He and 20,000 other African-American Marines received their basic training at Montford Point Camp. Seventy years later, you are helping honor them.

4 - You honor Marines on Memorial Day We asked for your memories, and you shared them by the thousands with us and with the Corps Last spring, President and CEO General Ed Usher asked you and other MCA&F members and supporters to tell us the names of Marines you wished to honor on Memorial Day You responded in an amazing way. Both our mailroom and our website were flooded with remembrances of Marines who have gone to their final duty station. We were proud to share their names and stories on our website and on displays at Quantico and Camp Lejeune. It was a powerful reminder that the bonds that unite the Corps embrace not just Active-Duty Marines, but all who have worn and will wear the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. A Marine reads Memorial Day cards from MCA&F members and supporters like you at The MARINE Shop at Quantico. This was one of several displays at Quantico and Camp Lejeune. You honored hundreds of fallen Marines with your words and memories, both in printed cards and online.

5 - Order Birthday Ball items today and beat the rush! Whether you re in charge of your unit s preparations for this year s Birthday Ball or want to host your own party, it s not too early to order everything you ll need from The MARINE Shop. From plates and cups to flags, mementos, and elegant presentation gifts, The MARINE Shop has you covered. We even carry the Marine Corps Birthday Ceremony & Guidelines Booklet, to help guarantee your Birthday Ball is one LtGen Lejeune himself would approve of. If you re not ready to order yet, you can also download a free copy of our gift guide. Best of all, MCA&F members qualify for special pricing on most items. Log in with the address associated with your membership. Don t wait until the last minute. Plan ahead and order today! Capt Joseph F. Monaghan, Marine Barracks Washington logistics officer and ceremony adjutant, reads LtGen John A. Lejeune s birthday message during a Birthday Ball ceremony aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum Complex.

6 - From the General: Welcome aboard! Welcome to the inaugural issue of, the newsletter for members and supporters of the Marine Corps Association & Foundation. As I m sure you know, sitrep means situation report. It s the way a Marine in the field keeps other Marines updated on his situation, his actions, his challenges and opportunities, and his plans. That s why we created this newsletter: to report back to you on how your support of the MCA&F is helping strengthen the Corps, recognize achievement, reward excellence, and benefit all Marines. From the founding of the Marine Corps Association in 1913, the MCA has been the professional association for all Marines. Today s MCA&F is that and much more. Because membership is open to Active, Reserve, Wounded, retired, and veteran Marines and Friends of the Corps, your MCA&F unites the generations, honors the Corps roots, and builds for the future. No other organization does what your MCA&F does. That s a tribute to the vision and commitment of members and supporters like you. MajGen Edward Usher, USMC (Ret) President and CEO In this and future issues of, I hope to give you a vivid picture of all your support is helping to accomplish. I am proud to serve alongside you in service of our Corps. Semper Fi! Ed Usher Major General, USMC (Ret)