Join the Marine Corps League! Remember Once a Marine Always a Marine

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1 Newsletter January, 2017 Marine Corps League Detachment Manor Drive, Oaklyn New Jersey Editor: John Ferraina Phone: Join the Marine Corps League! Remember Once a Marine Always a Marine

2 Page 2 Greetings Marines, families, and friends; As this is my first letter from the Commandant s office I would like to Thank all those who help to make our detachment work. Since our last newsletter we have been very busy. Our installation of officers was performed and we had lots of food from the Shoprite in Williamstown donated by Carmen Staino. On November 4th our Color Guard attended the Creen Elementry School in Camden for a Veterans Celebration. We performed a Flag Folding event for the students. Next we had some of our members attend the Veterans Parade in Philadelphia. Next Our Color Guard attended the Rutgers Veterans Celebration on the 9th, We were honored with a Plaque for all the years we have been providing services for this event. We actually made the evening news. On the 10th our Marine Corps Birthday some of us went to South Philly and attended the Birthday bash at Cookies Tavern. On the 17th we provided our Color Guard for the Highland High School Military memorial for all those who graduated from Hightland and went into the military. On the 18th we had our Color Guard attend the annual Americanism Day at Blackwood School. Finally for November was the Cpl. Ryan 5K run. Again our Color Guard was in attendance. So we went into December and on the 8th we were invited to the Children's Hospital of Voorhees for their Christmas Party. Lots of Food for all and the toys we provided were greatly appreciated. Our Color Guard next performed for the USS New Jersey on the 9th. Again we made the news. And on the 16th we had our Toys for Tots toy Pick Up and Delivery. We got lots of Toys for the Children. A special Thank You goes out to our crew Ray McIntyre, Robert Morrell, Dennis Helmer, Frank Money, John Ferraina, Although Carmen Staino was ill for the day he was instrumental in picking up and dropping off boxes prior to that day. He also had three of his friend show up to help us with the pickup. Special Thanks goes out to Mike Kenney and his business Partner Scott for providing us with 2 Fed Ex trucks to pick up not only the toys and then deliver them but also for picking up Bikes and taking them to the batter Children. We could not have done this without their help. I hope I can follow in our past commandants footsteps and bring in some new member that will be my goal. Again Thank you all for all you do for our Veterans and I hope to see you at the next meeting. Thank you all for supporting our Detachment, and as always, Semper fi! John Ferraina, Commandant Det Marine Corps League.

3 Page 3 10 January 1995: The Pentagon announced that 2,600 U.S. Marines would be deployed to Somalia for Operation United Shield to assist in the final withdrawal of UN peacekeeping troops from Somalia. The decision came in response to a UN request for American protection of its peacekeeping forces serving in the war-torn African nation. 11 January 1945: The first elements of Marine Aircraft Group 24, commanded by Colonel Lyle H. Meyer, landed at Lingayen, Luzon, Philippine Islands, to provide close air support for Army forces. Over the next three months, MAG-24 and MAG-32 would fly a total of 8,842 combat sorties and drop more than 19,000 bombs as part of the Fifth Air Force in support of the Sixth Army. 16 January 1991: Operation Desert Shield became Operation Desert Storm as forces of the allied coalition launched an all-out air campaign against targets in Iraq and occupied Kuwait in an effort to liberate Kuwait and enforce the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. Overall, in the theater of operations, the coalition forces included more than 415,000 U.S. troops. 18 January 1951: Marines of the 1st Marine Division began mopping-up operations against guerrillas in the Pohang area, South Korea, following the Division's return from its epic battle with Communist Chinese troops at the Chosin (Changjin) Reservoir. 20 January 1968: The second battle for Khe Sanh began when Marines from the 3d Battalion, 26th Marines attacked a North Vietnamese battalion between Hill 881 South and Hill 881 North. More than 100 of the enemy were killed. 21 January 1918: The 1st Aeronautical Company arrived at Ponta Delgada, Azores, for anti-submarine duty. That unit was one of the first completely equipped American aviation units to serve overseas in World War I. 22 January 1969: Operation Dewey Canyon, perhaps the most successful high-mobility regimental-size action of the Vietnam War, began in the A Shau/Da Krong Valleys when the 9th Marines, commanded by Colonel Robert H. Barrow, and supporting artillery were lifted from Quang Tri. By 18 March the enemy's base area had been cleared out, 1617 enemy dead had been counted, and more than 500 tons of weapons and ammunition unearthed. 25 January 1856: Marines and seamen from the U.S. sloop DECATUR went ashore at the village of Seattle, Washington, to protect settlers from Indian raids. The Indians launched a seven-hour attack but were driven off later that day after suffering severe losses. Incredibly, only two civilian volunteers were killed and no Marines or sailors were lost. 27 January 1988: About 400 Marines and sailors from the 2d Marine Division, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, and 2d Force Service Support Group deployed for the Persian Gulf. The Contingency Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) CM 2-88 would relieve Contingency MAGTF 1-88 in the volatile Persian Gulf and provide the effective landing force capability to Joint Task Force Middle East. 29 January 1991: The first serious ground fighting of Operation Desert Storm broke out when Iraqi troops mounted an attack into Saudi Arabia along a 40-mile front. Iraqi units centered their efforts on Khafji, a port city six miles south of the border. Saudi and Quatari troops, supported by artillery from the 1st Marine Division and attack helicopters and other allied coalition aircraft, recaptured the town two days later.

4 Page 4 From a Recon Marine in Afghanistan-- From the Sand Pit It's freezing and I'm sitting on hard cold dirt between rocks and shrubs in the Hindu Kush Mountains watching a hole leading to a tunnel and cave. A "stake out", no pizza delivery for thousands of miles. I glance around every seconds to avoid another scorpion sting. Hurts like a bastard. The antidote tastes like transmission fluid, but God bless the Marine Corps for the five vials of it in my pack. The Taliban cannot escape because they are human beings, having to eat food and drink water, requiring couriers and that's where a bounty hunter like me comes in handy. I track couriers, locate tunnel entrances and storage facilities, type info into a hand held, shoot coordinates to a satellite link telling air commanders where to drop the hardware. We bash some heads and I track and record the new movement. It's all about intelligence. We haven't even brought in the snipers yet. These scurrying rats have no idea what they're in for, days away from cutting off supply lines and allowing eradication to begin. This country blows--not even a country. No roads, no infrastructure, no government. This is an inhospitable, rock-pit shit-hole ruled by 11th century warring tribes. There are no jobs here like we know jobs. Afghanistan offers two ways for a man to support his family, join the opium trade or join the army. Or live in a refugee camp and eat plum-sweetened, crushed beetle paste and squirt mud like a goose with stomach flu. The smell of those 'tent cities of the walking dead' can hurl you into poppy fields to scrape bulbs for 18 hours a day. I've lived with Tajiks, Uzbeks, Turkmen and Pashtu's, for 45 days. They LIVE to fight. It's ALL they do. They have no respect for anything; not for themselves, their families, or each other. They play polo with dead calves and force five-year-old sons into human cockfights to defend family honor--roaming packs of savage, heartless beasts who feed on barbarism. Cavemen with AK-47's. I'm freezing on this stupid hill because my lap warmer is running out of juice, and I can't recharge it until the sun comes up in a few hours. Write a letter to CNN and tell Wolf and Anderson and awful, sneering, pompous Aaron Brown to stop calling Taliban "smart". They are not smart. The Taliban are cunning, like jackals, hyenas, and wolverines. They are sneaky and ruthless, and when confronted, they are cowardly. They are hateful, malevolent parasites who create nothing and destroy everything. Most can t read, spending lives listening to Imams telling about one book. They consider hygiene and indoor plumbing to be products of the devil. Talking to a Taliban warrior on improving quality of life is like trying to teach an ape how to hold a pen. He gets frustrated and sticks you in the eye with it. Please, turn off the TV, move on with your lives. The CNN story is utter bullshit and designed not to deliver truth but keep you glued to the screen to watch the next commercial. We've got this one under control. The worst thing you guys can do is sit around analyzing what we're doing here. You have no idea what we're doing, and you really don't want to know. We are your military, and we are only doing what you sent us here to do. From a Jack Recon Marine in Afghanistan, Semper Fi.

5 Page 5 GENERAL ORDERS FOR SENTRIES 1. To take charge of this post and all government property in view. 2. To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert, and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing. 3. To report all violations of order I am instructed to enforce. 4. To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guardhouse than my own. 5. To quit my post only when properly relieved. 6. To receive, obey and pass on to the sentry who relieves me, all orders from the commanding officer, officer of the day, and officer, and noncommissioned officers of the guard only. 7. To talk to no one except in the line of duty. 8. To give the alarm incase of fire or disorder. 9. To call the corporal of the guard in any case not covered by instructions. 10.To salute all officers, and all colors and standards not cased. 11.To be especially watchful at night and, during the time for challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post, and to allow no one to pass without proper authority.

6 Page 6 Name of Donator Location of Donator Number of Toys Bikes Contact Person Walgreens Glendora, New Jersey 25 John Ferraina Walgreens Williamstown, New Jersey 70 John Ferraina Atlantic Ave Elementary School Haddon Heights New Jersey 124 John Ferraina 7th Ave. Elementary School Haddon Heights New Jersey 92 John Ferraina Glenview Elementary School Haddon Heights New Jersey 69 John Ferraina Wise Family Jewelers Haddon Heights New Jersey 89 George Wise Piston Diner Westville, New Jersey 40 Ray McIntyre Glenview Diner Westville, New Jersey 41 Ray McIntyre Brendenwood Senior Citizens Voorhees, New Jersey 35 Kathy VFW Audubon, New Jersey 30 Dennis Helmer Christmas Parade Mt. Ephraim, New Jersey 50 John Henderson Audubon Savings Audubon, New Jersey 67 Dennis Helmer Audubon Savings Mt. Laurel New Jersey 60 2 Dennis Helmer St. Joseph Church Camden, New Jersey 30 Harry Sadowski Merchantville Tenants Assoc. Merchantville, New Jersey 65 Frank Money Camden County Marketing Camden, New Jersey 65 Frank Money Pennsauken Adult Training Pennsauken, New Jersey 70 Frank Money Donation of Bikes See Bob Swain 25 Bob Swain Phlock of south jersey Oaklyn, NJ 85 Robert Morrell Rutgers Camden, New Jersey 100 Bobbie Poller Rowan College Glassboro, New Jersey 150 Kathy Fitzpatrick VFW Oaklyn, New Jersey 45 Robert Morrell Garaguso Karate Williamstown, New Jersey 150 Carmen Staino Philly Pretzel Williamstown, New Jersey 50 Carmen Staino A.L. Post 252 Williamstown, New Jersey 20 Carmen Staino Nova Care Williamstown, New Jersey 200 Carmen Staino Totals Toys in Reserver at AL Post 834 John Ferraina

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