COMMANDANT S CORNER. Semper Fi! Hank Melanson

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1 MARINE CORPS LEAGUE MELVIN M. SMITH DETACHMENT #586 MCL AUXILIARY UNIT #305 JIM CHAMBERLAIN POUND #185 SPOKANE, WA December, 2011 Editor: Randy Ott Otter COMMANDANT S CORNER I have just a few words of thanks to all of our members, families, and friends. A great big Thank You to all those who have been able to make it out to our meetings, and the incredible amount of volunteers who helped out with the Marine Corps Ball, the morning brunch at the VFW, Toys For Tots warehouse and the Salvation Army (Tom's Turkey Drive), and the month isn t over with. I hope you re as proud of the work that has been done this month as I am; and I hope you can all come out and help out at the Toys for Tots drive this year. God Bless you All. Semper Fi! Hank Melanson Commandant Melanson welcomes aboard Marine TJ Morgan. Thanking him for stepping up and being a big help. Please consider coming to our meetings; we had a record 38 members attend November s Cake & Ice Cream Social.

2 Greetings from Senior Vice Commandant Greetings Marines, Corpsmen & Associates, Thank you for your support at our recent SOS Brunch on Nov. 19th. It was a hearty success regardless of the darn snow! We are holding our Annual Toys For Tots Spaghetti Dinner on the 9th of December from 4:30 til 7:30pm. All you can eat for $7.00. Kids under 12 are $5. Plus our raffle and silent auction are sure to bring in the crowds. Jim Eggers has volunteered to cook some incredible Spaghetti again this year. Don t be shy, spread the word and invite your friends. We encourage your families to join us. A hearty Semper Fi! Raffle items still needed for our big dinner. Please call me if you want to bring something for the raffle or auction. Let s make this a great fundraiser! Pat Rowand

3 VA Bingo, is held every 2 nd Wednesday of the month at Come join the fun! Our Veterans love the fun and company. Next session is Dec 14th. Members Celebrating Birthdays in December Ann Whitney Norm Sanborn Rick Freier Bob Greer Dean Ladd Don Kilgore Andrew Thew Gordon Habbestad Congratulations Marines! Hello Marines, Corpsmen & Members! I challenge everyone in the Detachment to sell the two spaghetti dinner tickets that I ve included in this month s newsletter. Whether you come to the dinner or not, please cut them out and sell them to your family, friends or neighbors. You can bring the money to the meeting or the night of the dinner. 18 Also, we are looking for volunteers at the T4Ts Warehouse. Call Pat, me or Hank. Set up is pretty much complete. Now the hard part, Fill the orders. There are going to be more now than ever. Respectfully submitted, Jim Brown (509)

4 From the guy in the back of the room Our Jr. Past Commandant Christmas greetings Marines! As I write this, SGT Dakota Meyer has just received his Medal of Honor. This makes him the first living Marine recipient since Vietnam. As the wearer of many "I was there" ribbons, I am interested in the men that had the courage and guts to act when others did not. I am also an incurable history buff. Here is a trivia question for you. Who was the highest decorated hero in WWI? Pvt John J. Kelley, USMC received 2 MOH and 4 silver Stars; Cpl John H Pruit (kia) received 2 MOH, 3 Silver Stars and a Purple Heart: Sgt Louis Cukela, USMC recieved 2 MOH and 3 Silver Stars: SGT Matej Kocak (kia) recieved 2 MOH and 2 Silver Stars and a PH: Capt Eddie Rickenbacker, Army Air Service, received one MOH and 7 Distinguished Service Crosses; The most unusual recipient was PVT Charles D. Barger US Army received one MOH and ten foreign awards for valor. It was common to have Americans decorated by European countries, after all, we came to their aid. I even wore a fourragére of the Criox de Guerre (cross of war) when I served in the 2nd Bn 5th Marines. (awarded by France to the 5 and 6th Marine Regiments.) Now you know. Have a happy New Year! Fair winds and Following Seas. EVENTS IN JANUARY HAPPY NEW YEAR VA 19:00 VA Nursing Unit 12MCL/MCLA Meeting at 19:00 VFW Post VFW Post MODD 08:00-10:00 Perkins on N. Division Semper Fidelis! Jim Bennett KE7ZPF

5 EVENTS IN DECEMBER Toys for Tots Campaign Starts MCL/MCLA Meeting at 7pm VFW Post 51 9 SPAGHETTI DINNER 16:30-20:00 $7.00 PLUS RAFFLE/ AUCTIONS FOR TOYS FOR TOTS 10 VET S CEMETERY IN MEDICAL LAKE 12: VA 19:00 VA Nursing Unit T4Ts last day of Operations Christmas New Year s Eve From the desk of Doug, By the time this is published we should be in Yuma for the rest of the winter season. If any of you need any of the "real" neat Marine Corps stuff from the MCAS clothing sales store let me know. I will also be going to Camp Pendleton the 1st of February for the EXPO (wind permitting) and the cash sales there is much larger. Contact me at the numbers at the end of the article if you want to purchase anything. Payment on delivery!!! in April, unless you want to pay shipping for faster delivery. Got to attend a breakfast, along with Hank, on the 4th of November and gave a Toys for Tots promotion talk. The group will be having a breakfast in December to collect toys and some of the attendees have volunteered to bag toys at the warehouse to see how the operation works. They are coordinating this through Hank & Randy. Linda has regained slight movement of her foot and is to see the Doctor in April when we return. My shoulder is still sore but I'm getting more motion now. The drive to Yuma will be the real test. Your thought for the month (sports): Torrin Polk, University of Houston football player, on his coach John Jenkins: "He treats us like men. He lets us wear ear rings." Semper Fi, Doug Our Yuma information: Cell (509) ; land line (928) Address 1480 Michelle Lane Yuma, AZ

6 VOLUNTEERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AT DETACHMENT EVENTS. PLEASE COME JOIN US & SHARE IN THE FUN. KEY VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS ARE: Doug Shurtleff, Jim Brown, Dennis Dressler, Jim Bennett, Hank Melanson, Pat Rowand or Randy Ott. Just call one of them to find out what s happening. If you are at the VAMC, say howdy to Mike O Flaherty, Renee Weimer, Stacia Keiffer & Ted Siekerman. to join the Campaign. Call Hank or Pat to get details. Discussion was lengthy, but the need is here. Patience will be a key to our success. The Salvation Army is helping Tom s Turkey Drive and the 2 nd Harvest Food Bank on November 22 from 8 am to 8 pm. We have been asked by the Battery to support this event to the best of our abilities. Good of the League: Cake and Ice cream was enjoyed by all who attended this meeting. The cake was made by a family friend of the Marine that we gave assistance to earlier in the month, James McCoy. Spaghetti Dinner Tickets were available at the meeting for sale. Ceremony of Installation of Officers: N/A. Announcements: Brunch will be held on Nov 19 th at VFW Post 51 from 1000 to 1300 for $7.00. Our T4Ts Spaghetti Dinner reminder on December 9, 2011 at 4:30-8pm at VFW Post 51. A Ceremony honoring all Veterans will be held at the Spokane Veterans Arena at 10:00 am. All are invited to attend. Closing Ceremony: Appropriate. Next Meeting: 1900 on December 8, 2011 Present at Meeting: Members (38) Respectfully Submitted, Randy Ott Adjutant/Paymaster Older Vets to Get GI Bill 6 Please consider joining this event to give honor to our fallen heroes. Saturday December 10th, 12:00 noon (PST) Wreath Laying at Washington State Veteran s Cemetery in Medical Lake, Washington Contact Jim Brown or Randy Ott. Week of November 21, 2011 The President signed the VOW to Hire Heroes Act into law on Monday, Nov. 21. The new law has several provisions that will have a positive impact on the veteran unemployment rate, including tax credits for employers that hire veterans and improved transition assistance. But, the provision that will be most welcomed by older veterans is a new program that will give veterans over the age of 35 a new shot at 12 months of the Montgomery GI Bill. This benefit can be used for finishing up a college degree, advanced professional certification, vocational training, On-the- Job Training and more. 15

7 Melvin M. Smith Detachment Business Meeting Minutes for Nov 10th, 2011 The meeting was brought to order by Commandant Hank Melanson at 19:00. The Roll Call of Officers revealed that all Officers were present. Opening Ceremony was held. Commandant read a birthday message from the 35 th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Amos. Introduction of Dignitaries: Appropriately held with the following Past Commandants present: Tom LaVigne, Dennis Dressler, David Hamm, Doug Shurtleff, Randy Ott, Jim Bennett, and Dick Jamieson. National Officers present were PDD Dennis Dressler, PDD Doug Shurtleff and PDD Randy Ott. All Marine of the Year recipients were properly recognized. Introduction of Guests: Commandant introduced our guests: Will Harkham, Kelly Hill, James McIntosh, and Chris Hill. Quorum of Board of Trustees (Elected Officers) Present: YES Application(s) for Membership: Jr. Vice Jim Brown verified and accepted the DD214s and applications for James McIntosh. He will be sworn in December. Presentation of Life Memberships: None. Minutes of Previous Meeting: Minutes from the October meeting were published and distributed. Motion to accept the minutes from Dennis Dressler, seconded by Bryan Smith. Motion Carried. Correspondence: Randy passed around letters/cards from students in the area for Veterans Day. Also, passed around the West Valley News about Marine Rick Freier and his firedog, Mako. Report of Adjutant/Paymaster: A full October report was given and a report was turned into the Officers. Balance in the accounts and membership are in a healthy status. Membership is at 116. The old Wells Fargo account is closed. Dennis Dressler motioned to accept as read. Seconded by Bryan Scott. Motioned carried. Report of Sickness/Distress: Chaplain Town reported on our many members and their statuses. Charles Henry, 27; W. L. Camron, 82; Paul W. Uptongrove, 70. A moment of silence was held. Reports of Elected Officers: None Reports of Standing Committees: VAVS Chaplain Town gave an update on VAMC construction and the need for more doctors at the Mental Health unit for our Vets with PTSD. Also, the Christmas trees need to be set up at the VA Nursing Unit in the first part of December. Membership Updates needed if you move. Awards None Newsletter Get the info turned in before the 20 th of the month and it will get into print. Coffee Stop None. Calling Committee None. Reports of Special Committees: Funeral Details No notes. Memorial Day No report. Americanism Work in progress with Marcus Poulin stepping forward to work on the 2011/2012 History. Homeless Vets No report. Veterans Court update from the Commandant on mentors needed for the court. The court is doing well, but needs support for the young Vets in need. BSA Jim Eggers reported about presentation to Eagle Scout Jared Dineen and that picture will be submitted to Semper Fi Magazine. Old Business: Randy brought forth an idea about the Lt Gen Puller museum and a brick for the Detachment at $210. Tabled for now. New Business: Commandant brought forward to the Detachment the upcoming Toys for Tots Campaign info from the meeting he and Pat Rowand. The location will be the same as the past two years on E. Francis. Volunteers are welcome 14 You re Invited! The Salvation Army s Celebrate The Season Spokane s 3rd Annual Premier Holiday Luncheon celebrating the community s largest Holiday fundraiser The Red Kettle Campaign! Tuesday, December 6th, :00 Noon 1:30pm The Davenport Hotel Grand Pennington Ballroom The sounds of carolers The ringing of bells Local celebrity singers and More! The Gift of Giving! Get in the holiday spirit. This will be the perfect start to your Christmas Season! If you can make this, please contact Randy or Jim Brown. Red Blazer is recommended. 7

8 Profile: Timothy J. TJ Morgan I joined the Corps in July of I quickly stepped on to the yellow footprints as many before me did. After boot camp I was assigned to go ITS Camp Pendleton and became a proud I the was granted orders to go to Naples Italy. I was there for a whole 3 days. I went under a deep background check and was granted top security clearance and sent to Signorelli Sicily. Since that area has been dismantled I can share with you my job. (I think...) It was a very highly stressed job working with the Navy with the P3 and their recon of submarines. We were in charge of guarding/moving some very important weaponry. It was called MUW, Modified Underwater Weaponry. I am sure you all can figure out what that was. Not long after arriving there a small group of us were sent in the dark of night to Greece in support of the Iran hostage rescue attempt which ended in a very bad way. This was Operation Eagle Claw. Many like me were in standby mode but after the crash in the desert, we went back to base. Our group was awarded the MUC for that but we all felt we didn't deserve it due to the mission and the ones that paid the ultimate price. Most of you might remember Signorelli Sicily from the Achille Lauro which was in Now off to the FMF Camp Lejeune! On September 3, 1981, I was sent on the USS Saipan and deployed on a tour in the Med. During that deployment, Saipan visited or operated in seven different countries on three continents so just after leaving, I was back! 6 months on a Med cruise was brutal but when general quarters was sounded we all had great rack time! One thing I remember was running on the flight deck, uphill, down hill and which ever way the waves were going. I was also on the USS Nashville and on my way from Cherry Point to the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. That was the night we did a mike boat assault to the beach and all were let off on a sand bar. 3 feet, 4 feet then 5 feet of water with full combat gear. I swear we were going to drown, but we didn't. The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the following website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214s online: This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of his/her DD-214 for employment purposes. NPRC is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files. Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents. Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete the Standard Form 180, which can be downloaded from the online web site. Because the requester will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to process the request, delays that normally occur when NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be minimized. The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records centers mailroom and processing time. Please pass this information on to former military personnel you may know and their dependents. 8 13

9 After that I went back to Camp Lejeune and was deployed to Okinawa at Camp Schwab. We were only there for a month then deployed to a small island named Diego Garcia. We were there for 3 months. This island was 6 degrees below the equator and right below India. Very hot there and Huge Coconut crabs. (Picture of crab at end of article) Our packed house with guest Will Harkam, new member, Tom Quinn and Sgt-At-Arms Esparza jokes around with Taylor Ott. We are a big family. Please come join us in December and beyond. Semper Fi! After that back to Camp Lejeune. I can go on about different ops but its all the same. I am blessed to have a great wife and a family of 6, one is now one of us and stationed at his MOS school in Fort Leonard Wood MS. He is a 5811 MP; and when he gets home on Christmas leave, I will make sure he becomes a part of the MCL! Joan Morse & Dave Hamm share a wonderful meeting with a bunch of old friends The cake at the meeting was incredible. It was created by a Marine s family that we assisted. Above: TJ on promotion day. Below left: TJ, MGySgt Bailey & Otter having a toast. Below right: Shane Morgan, Boot Camp. Perhaps our newest member in December. P Battery Honor Guard looking SHARP!!! OHHRAH!!! The Cake ceremony was a big thing for the night. Marine Jack Rasmussen honored us with being the Oldest Marine. Our youngest Marine present is

10 Jerry & Elizabeth Masgai enjoying the grand ceremonies and camaraderie. They couldn t have asked for a better evening with Marines. Jr. Vice Jim Brown & his lovely wife, Vickie were all smiles. The event was packed. Sick List Chaplain Town has been busy calling and visiting quite a few members. Please keep them in your thoughts and drop them a line of encouragement. Christmas Trees need to be set up at the VA Nursing Unit and if you can help make this happen, please call the Chaplain. Respectfully submitted, Paul Bill Town Chaplain Commandant Hank Melanson and Kirsten Smith were decked out and all smiles. Our cake detail looked great too. The Doug & Linda Shurtleff were all smiles for this birthday ball. A great evening with fellow Marines and their dates was a sight to behold