The Scoop February 2016

Transcription

1 Marine Corps League South St. Louis Detachment 183 The Scoop February 2016 Commandant s Corner: Bob Scannell It has been a quick year since being installed as your Commandant last May. There have been many rewarding times and there have been difficult times. We also said goodbye to several of our dear members. We are proud to have the oldest and largest Detachment in the State of Missouri; if not, the Mid-west region. It takes a lot of work on the part of all Officers and Staff. It takes all the staff members working together to make it a success. It's not full time work, but it does take a commitment of some time. In April you will have an opportunity to show your feelings on the positive or negative running of your Detachment. Your officers, when installed last year, took an oath stating that they would do their best to maintain the quality and reputation of our organization. Now it is time for our member s voices to be heard. We have a few positions on our Board, that because of term limits will be open. But according to our by-laws, all positions are open for nominations. Nominations will be made 29 March at the monthly Detachment meeting. Elections will be 26 April at the monthly meeting. Installation of Officers on 31 May. Chaplain s Desk: Ken Dieckmann February is a time I enjoy to relax and take a breath. Our yard is brown and gray this time of year and seems to be sleeping, resting, and waiting for Spring just as I am. Sure we have a few fun things to look forward to, Mardi Gras, our Detachment Valentine s Day Party, and the St. Pats parades both downtown. All are ggod times to spend with friends and family. But the rest of the month we can pause to think about what God has given us. The gifts of life, happiness and joy challenge us to understand that all things are possible. Our families and friends are to us and deserve the time and thoughts for the many issues they may be confronting. We pray to do right by everyone; however patience is a virtue we all need to practice. survivors, but our Detachment Honor Guard and 3 rd Battalion, 23 rd Marines were there to Honor our fallen comrade. Acting Commandant Jim Appelbaum and I represented the Detachment while MSgt Russ Avery provided Taps and our Honor Guard of Charles Dooling, Dave Winkler, and Mike Lee were led by Honor Team Leader Bob Jost. In addition to the Marines, 25 Patriot Guards escorted the funeral procession. Six employees from the nursing home where Marine Belk resided were there to share in the ceremony. In closing remember our food pantry. It is always in need of your help. Volume 2 Issue 2 Commandants Corner 1 Chaplain s Desk 1 Ladies Auxiliary Associates View Honor and Color Guard This Month in Marine Corps History Haberberger Gift 4 Eagle Scout Project MCL 184 Pistol Shoot Valentine s Party Pix Ladies Auxiliary Scholarship St Pat s Day Party Missouri State Convention Flag Ceremony At Busch Stadium League Calendar 11 Marine Robert Belk received his final call and honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on 4 February. Marine Belk had no living Oct-Nov-Dec 2015 Families Served 237 Total Individuals Served 1,868

2 Page 2 The Scoop LADIES AUXILIARY MISSION: The Marine Corps Auxiliary was formed for the purposes of promoting the interests of the Marine Corps, the Marine Corps League and to protect and advance the welfare of Marines and their dependents. Auxiliary members participate in a wide variety of programs that benefit and preserve the fundamental rights and freedoms of every person of this Nation, young and old. Ladies Auxiliary: Sharon Easter January has sure flown by, and here we are already well into February. Where does the time go! While our Auxiliary did not have much going on in January, February shaped up to be a busy month with the Valentine s Day party on the 13 th, the Toys for Tots Appreciation dinner for the volunteers on the 19 th, and Pizza Day at Jefferson Barracks Building 52 on the 20 th did keep our Ladies Auxiliary on the go. Our Nominating Committee has already been at work making their telephone calls preparing the Slate of Officers for the year. It really is a very rewarding experience to serve as an Officer on the Board, and I hope you will consider a positive response when you are called. OR, if you are interested in serving in a particular position, please contact Carole Lyston or Betty Frazier to make your interest known. As you may have noticed in the January Scoop, we are once again awarding $ Scholarships to two (2) high school seniors graduating in the class of 2016 who meet the qualifications set up by the Auxiliary Scholarship Committee. The students must be a relative of a member in good standing of the South St. Louis Marine Corps League Detachment and/ or Auxiliary. This member could be a parent, grandparent, stepparent, aunt or uncle even great grandparents. The deadline for submission to Chairman Carol McCarthy is Saturday, April 30, See the application and guidelines in the Scoop for more details. The League meal for February 23 will be Pork Loin, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, a vegetable, Tossed Green Salad, Rolls, and most certainly desserts. Honors and Color Guard: Bob Jost, Bob Kinney, Jim Appelbaum WE NEED YOU. Step up Marines! Contact one of our team leaders, volunteer to be a part of one of these teams. Since it s inception, MCL 183 has participated in over 7,850 Honors Ceremonies. How many Honors have you been a part of? An Associates View: Larry Idoux I saw on a calendar that the anniversary of the flag raising on Iwo Jima is February 23 rd. Besides reading Flags of our Fathers (which I enjoyed very much) I do have a personal connection to Iwo Jima. I had a first cousin on my father s side who was killed there. My first supervisor when I started my claims career (Buzz) had been wounded at Imo Jima and was confined to a wheel chair. He thought he recognized my cousin s name but it was 25 years later when Buzz and I were discussing Iwo Jima. To me, Iwo Jima, is the most famous Marine battle but you Marines may have a different opinion. Probably I think this way is because of the flag raising and the books about Iwo Jima. On a personal note, the warm weather over Mardi Gras weekend reminded me of some very cold Saturdays that one of your Past Commandant s and I spent freezing our you know what going from one bar to another down at Soulard.

3 Volume 2 Issue 2 Page 3 This Month In Marine Corps History 1 February 1967 Operation Prairie II was begun in Quang Tri province by elements of the 3d Marine Division. During the 46-day search-and-destroy operation which terminated 18 March, 93 Marines and 693 of the enemy were killed. 6 February 1968: Two reduced Marine battalions, the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines with two companies, and 2d Battalion, 5th Marines with three, recaptured Hue's hospital, jail, and provincial headquarters. It would take three more weeks of intense house to house fighting, and nearly a thousand Marines killed and wounded, before the imperial city was secured. 15 February 1898: 28 Marines and 232 seamen lost their lives when the battleship Maine was mysteriously sunk by an explosion in the harbor of Havana, Cuba. Though no definitive evidence linked the Spanish with the sinking, the cry went up, "Remember the Maine!", and by late April the U.S. and Spain were at war.. 17 February 1967: The first full day of Operation DECKHOUSE VI, which lasted until 3 March, was conducted near Quang Ngai city. The Special Landing Force (BLT Y4 and HMM-363) accounted for 280 enemy killed. 23 February 1945: Four days after the initial landings on Iwo Jima, 1stLt Harold G. Schrier led 40 men from Company E, 2d Battalion, 28th Marines, up Mt. Suribachi to secure the crest and raise the small American flag that battalion commander LtCol Chandler Johnson had given Schrier. Within an hour, the patrol reached the rim of the crater. After a short firefight with Japanese defenders emerging from several caves, the small American flag was attached to an iron pipe and raised over the island. 24 February 1991: The I Marine Expeditionary Force and coalition forces began a ground assault on Iraqi defenses in the final chapter of Operation Desert Storm. The 1st and 2d Marine Divisions stormed into the teeth of Iraqi defenses while heavily armored allied forces attacked the Iraqi defenses in Iraq from behind. In 100 hours, U.S. and allied forces defeated the Iraqi Army. 28 February 1991: Operation Desert Storm ended when the cease- fire declared by President George Bush went into effect. I Marine Expeditionary Force has a strength of more than 92,000 making Operation Desert Storm the largest Marine Corps operation in history.a total of 24 Marines were killed in action during the Gulf War The four Marines reached the top of the mountain around noon, where Gagnon joined them. Despite the large numbers of Japanese troops in the immediate vicinity, the 40-man patrol made it to the top of the mountain without being fired on once, as the Japanese were under bombardment at the time. [26] Rosenthal, along with Marine photographers Pfc. Bob Campbell and SSgt. Bill Genaust (who was killed in action after the flag-raising), [27] were climbing Suribachi at this time. They considered turning around, but Lowery told them that the summit was an excellent vantage point from which to take photographs. Rosenthal's trio reached the summit as the Marines were attaching the flag to an old Japanese water pipe. Rosenthal put his camera on the ground so he could pile rocks to stand on for a better vantage point. In doing so, he nearly missed the shot. The five Marines and Navy Pharmacist Mate Second Class John Bradley began raising the flag and flagpole. Realizing he was about to miss the action, Rosenthal quickly swung his camera up and snapped the photograph. Ten years after the flag-raising, Rosenthal wrote: Out of the corner of my eye, I had seen the men start the flag up. I swung my camera and shot the scene. That is how the picture was taken, and when you take a picture like that, you don't come away saying you got a great shot. You don't know. Sergeant Michael Strank, Corporal Harlon H. Block, PFC Franklin R. Sousley, PFC Ira H. Hayes Navy Pharmacist Mate 2nd Class John Bradley Three Spent Shells, One for Duty, One for Country, One for Honor. Presented to the Deceased s next of kin.

4 Eagle Scout Project Scout Will Griffith poses with Terry Strahan, Jim Grimm, Frank Ginther, Ken Dieckmann and Chris Nieweglowski. Will, in quest of his Eagle Scout Award, interviewed these Marines and Airman as a documentary about their service. This spanned the time from Viet Nam to The Gulf War. The videos will be filed in the Library of Congress. Many thanks to Haberberger Mechanical Contractors, for their recent donation of $1, to MCL 183. This will aid in our mission to provide for Marine Veterans and their families. Remember our donors. Haberberger Mechanical Contractors, Inc Pauline Place St. Louis, MO MCL 184 Pistol Shoot 11 June hrs to 1400hrs The Range St. Louis West Manchester Road Ballwin, MO $50.00 ENTRY FEE, INCLUDES AMMO*, T-SHIRT, AND LUNCH 1ST, 2ND, 3RD PLACE WINNERS RECEIVE PLAQUES PAPPY S SMOKEHOUSE WILL HAVE BBQ AVAILABLE ALL DAY. 50/50 DRAWINGS, RAFFLES. RAFFLE TICKETS $10 EACH OR 6 FOR $50. WINNERS CHOICE SIG SAUER 320C OR CUSTOM BUILT AR-15 Kickoff luncheon Friday 10 June: Johnny s 1017 Russell St. Louis, MO MCL 184 Point of Contact Cary Williams * Ammo 9mm,.40 S&W,.45 ACP Commandant Bob Scannell (l.) presents a certificate of apprec i a t i o n t o L e e Wisniewski (r.) for his leadership in planning and execution of the Marine Corps Ball. New Member Ed Dodson is sworn in during the January Detachment Meeting

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6 SOUTH ST. LOUIS UNIT MARINE CORPS LEAGUE AUXILIARY 5700 Leona St. St. Louis, MO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM $ will be awarded each to two young men or women that meet the qualifications set up by the Auxiliary Scholarship Committee. The awards are to be given only to current high school seniors graduating in the class of The student must be a relative of a member in good standing of the South St. Louis Marine Corps League Detachment and/or Auxiliary. This member could be a parent, grandparent, stepparent, aunt or uncle even great grandparents etc. Complete the formal application and return it to the Auxiliary by April 30, Write an original essay (500 words or less) stating What the US Marine Corps Means to You and/or Our Country. Enclose a Letter of Recommendation from your Principal or teacher. List any or all of your extra- curricular activities. Also any organizations outside of school that you actively take part in. Did you hold office in any of these activities? If so, what office(s). What are your hobbies or special interests? Application must be signed by the sponsoring MCL or MCLA member and applicant. Additional applications are available at the Detachment. Award money will be sent out in August of This money will be sent directly to the school where the student plans to attend. The student can draw from this fund to pay for tuition, books or whatever is needed for his/her education. The student can choose to attend an accredited college or Trade school of their choice. They must show that they have applied and/or been accepted by that school. We will confirm this before issuing the check. These scholarships will be based primarily on merit. The award will be decided by the Scholarship Committee. We are interested in the students that show potential leadership and interest in the welfare of their fellow being. All winning recipients of the scholarships will be notified by June 30, If you have not been notified by this date and wish to learn who the winners are please send a self addressed stamped envelope along with your application. If you have any questions please contact: Carol McCarthy or Adrienne Steinke

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8 Department of Missouri Annual Convention June 10-11, 2016 AGENDA FRIDAY 10 June Registration Ships Store Hospitality Room TBA 1500 Nominating Committee Breakout Room Commandant s Council Breakout Room Auction Salon F (Colonnade) Hospitality Room Re-opens St Louis City Center Hotel SATURDAY 11 June 2016 Breakfast on your own Registration Continues 0830 MCL-MCLA Joint Session Salon B 0915 Memorial Service On-Site 1000 MCL Meeting Salon B 1001 MCLA Meeting Salon C Lunch Sun Deck 1300 MCL MCLA Meetings Reconvene 1400 MCLA Presidents Meeting Breakout Room MODD Growl Salon C 1430 Flea Scratch Breakout Room Hospitality Room Cocktail Hour Ballroom Foyer 1900 Grand Banquet Salon B or City View C Hospitality Room Reopens after Grand Banquet Located in Downtown St. Louis, just minutes from the Arch, Laclede s Landing, Lumiere Place Casino, Busch Stadium, The Edward Jones Dome, and numerous great restaurants. Use group code MAF09A. Room rate, $ per night, 10% off meals at the hotel restaurants, includes parking, (have ticket validated at the front desk). Call direct for reservations. 400 S. 14th Street St. Louis, MO

9 Volume 2 Issue 1 Department of Missouri Annual Convention June 10-11, 2016 Page 9 MCL MEMBERS Name: Detachment: Title Office: Phone: AUXILIARY MEMBERS Name: Unit: Title Office: Phone: GUESTS Name: Phone: Banquet and $60.00 Hospitality $20.00 Banquet $40.00 MCL Registration Fee $3.00 Make Checks Payable To: South St. Louis Detachment 183 Mail To: Steve Michalski 3670 Wyoming St. St. Louis, MO Total $ Total $ Total $ Total $ Total Enclosed $

10 Mark your calendar Wednesday 6 July 2016 Flag Ceremony Cardinals vs Pirates Gametime 19:15 hrs Be a part of something big! We will be unfurling the Large ceremonial US Flag All branches, Men and Women are invited to participate Tickets are $21.00 Monies are due by 17 June Let s show our true colors. MCL 183 We want to be the largest VSO at Busch See your Commandant or Senior Vice Commandant. Reservation Forms in March Scoop

11 Volume 2 Issue 2 Page 11 MCL Leona Avenue St. Louis, MO (314)352-USMC Monthly Meetings Last Tuesday of the month 1900 Hrs Dinner Bell 18:00 Hrs Commandant Robert J. Scannell (314) bobscannell@hotmail.com Senior Vice Commandant James Applebaum (314) Junior Vice Commandant Steve Michalski (314) Paymaster Dr. John Hamilton. PhD (314) Adjutant David (Moose) McArthur (314) Chaplain Ken Dieckmann (314) Sergeant At Arms Ken McGuffey (314) Jr. Past Commandant James L. Vance (314) Judge Advocate Eric Salabay (314) Advisers Hal Holmes David Rowley Lee Wisniewski Auxiliary President Sharon Easter (314) Scoop Editor Michael Lee (314) theeditor.mcl183@att.net Honors Commander Robert Jost (636) The Scoop, the newsletter of Marine Corps League 183, South St. Louis Detachment is a monthly publication, self-published Leona St. Louis, MO Marine of The Year: 2009 Jack Steinke 2010 Dick Sopp 2011 James Vance 2012 Dave Winkler 2013 Dick Sopp 2014 Mike Lee League Calendar: James Applebaum Sr. Vice Date Event Location 12 March St. Patrick s Day Party Detachment 29 March Detachment Meeting Detachment Nominations for 2017 Officers April Midwest Spring Conference Overland Park, KS 20 April 2nd Annual Norb Butz Jazz Festival Detachment (see enclosed brochure) 26 April Detachment Meeting Detachment Election of Officers for May Night At The Races Detachment 31 May Installation Officers for 2017 Detachment Annual Nominations and Elections: Eric Salabay, Judge Advocate Its time to take a stand. Nominations for Detachment officers are due at the March regular meeting. Three officers need be elected. The Paymaster, Judge Advocate, and one Adviser must be elected in April. According to our bylaws, their terms of office, (2 years), have expired. Now is the time for you, a member, to step up once again and say " I do". You can be nominated for more than one office. You can nominate yourself, but it will require a second. As an officer, you would be serving in a leadership role for the Detachment performing the duties that are outlined in our bylaws. You don't need a red blazer, only a red cover. You will be expected to attend the staff and regular monthly meetings and participate in fund raising activities and projects of your Detachment. Let our Commandant know of your intentions or one of his nomination committee members. Hope to see you in March and thanks for allowing me to be your Judge Advocate

12 Once A Marine, Always A Marine United States Marine Corps Established 10 November 1775 MCL 183 South St. Louis Detachment COMING SOON! March 12 St. Pat s Party Food, Drinks and Entertainment 20 April 2nd Annual Norb Butz, Jazz Festival Marine Corps League South St. Louis Detachment Leona Street St. Louis, MO Non-Profit Organization U. S. Postage Paid St. LOUIS, MO PERMIT No. 1845