SUN CITY CENTER LEATHERNECKS CLUB APRIL 2018 SCUTTLEBUTT Most people are unaware that the Marine Corps was involved in the nation s Indian Wars. They were called upon by President Andrew Jackson to help deal with both the Creeks and Seminoles. They saw duty in the Tampa Bay area, where they were put in charge of port and fort facilities and the surrounding area. We ll learn more about it from our April 17 meeting speaker, Marine Corps historian David Ekardt, who has done extensive research and published articles and books on the Marines in the Civil War and the Second Creek and Second Seminole Wars. He writes, I grew up in Cincinnati, joined the Marines in 1969 after high school, and went to Parris Island. I served 1969-1972. My unit was 1st Radio Battalion (signals intelligence-radio intercept and direction finding). I was in Vietnam for eight months, and we were pulled out in April of 71. I got into reenacting as a Marine of the Civil War several years ago, and have been giving history talks at schools, museums, events and other groups as well as reenacting events. I also have been doing this as a Second Seminole War period Marine. Currently, I am researching and writing a biography of Marine Master Sgt. Thomas Bruce, who earned the Croix de Guerre and Silver Star in WWI, and Nicaraguan Presidential Award and Navy Cross for his actions in Nicaragua. Commander s Message The Colonel George Mercer Brooke Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is organizing the Living Flag Tribute for the May 28 Memorial Day ceremony at the Veterans Theater in Kings Point. The Chapter writes, We will need a maximum of 168 flag holders. These volunteers initially will come from the military organizations. Then we will request volunteers from other community groups. I have been absent from the workings of the Leathernecks Club on personal business and commitments made before I took this post these past two months. I will now schedule my time to meet the needs of the club. John Jake Jacobsen David Ekardt, who participates in Civil War and other early battle reenactments, is shown here in a Marine Corps uniform of the 1860s. Change Is in the works For the 13-man squad From the Marine Corps Times For many years, the 13-man rifle squad has been the basic Marine Corps infantry unit. The Corps is now exploring options that also include 11, 12 and 14-man squads. According to the Corps Warfighting Laboratory, there is a need to better exploit new and developing technology. A common factor among all the configurations is said to be the addition of a systems operator capable of operating both unmanned aerial systems and electronic warfare equipment. Commandant Robert Neller already is said to be planning to add eight Marines to the sniper platoon.
MISSION The Leathernecks Club was established to provide a means for members to meet socially and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow Marines, past and present. MEMBERSHIP Membership is open to residents of Sun City Center or Kings Point who have served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps, or as U.S. Navy personnel attached to/supporting a Marine Corps unit. OFFICERS Commander Jake Jacobsen 954-494-5657 Executive Officer Bill McKiernan 352-988-3627 Quartermaster Bud Brubaker 717-793-6335 Adjutant George Banes 634-8499 Sergeant at Arms Bill Young 417-861-8629 Chaplain Jan Taylor 600-7616 The club meets at 1830 the third Tuesday of each month in the Sandpiper Room of the Atrium Building Learn How to Stop the Bleed and Save a Life Provided by Jim Haney At the 15 March SCC Chamber of Commerce luncheon, the Emergency Squad Chief shared information about this program launched in 2015 by the White House, STOP THE BLEED is a national awareness campaign and a call to action. It is intended to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to be trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. No matter how rapid the arrival of professional emergency responders, bystanders will always be first on the scene. A person who is bleeding can die from blood loss within five minutes, therefore it is important to quickly stop the blood loss. Those near- All hands on deck made things go for FunFest About 20 Leathernecks, family members and friends pitched in to help with the club s FunFest activities. From the first planning session months ahead of the event to the last potscrubbing, a lot of time and effort is invested every year to make the event a success. There was some concern because names were sparse on the early sign-up sheets, but when it was time to go to work, folks showed up, rolled up their sleeves and pitched in. Some worked on the line, serving up sloppy Joes, hot dogs and soft drinks, collecting money and making change. Some toiled in the kitchen cooking up the late Bill Hotzfeld s sloppy Joe recipe and hot dogs. And others with younger legs shuttled the food from the kitchen to the line. To our best recollection and in no particular order, here are the folks who made things work: est to someone with life threatening injuries are best positioned to provide first care. According to a National Academies of Science study, trauma is the leading cause of death for Americans under age 46. Remember to be aware of your surroundings and move yourself and the injured p e r s o n t o safety if necessary. AND CALL 911. You may be able to save a life by taking simple actions immediately. Contact the SCC Emergency Squad at 813.633.1411, extension 400, to learn of local training opportunities. To learn more, visit https://www.dhs.gov/ stopthebleed. Don James Jim Haney Jim and Jan Glass Robin Pentz Dave Brothers Doris Hersey Al Klein Ed Mahoney George Maling Barry Myers Bill Shanks Bud Brubaker Bruce Chambers Chuck Roth Bill McKiernan Max Reynolds Bill Young Paul Courter Plus a special OO-RAH and thanks to Chuck and Marcus Major SEE PAGE 4 FOR MINUTES OF THE MARCH MEETING
Anthony Tony Donofrio 1925-2018 Tony Donofrio, an early and long-time Leathernecks Club member, died March 25. A Toledo, Ohio, native, he left home at the age of 17 and enlisted in the Marine Corps. He served during the heaviest fighting in the Pacific Theater, including the invasion of Iwo Jima. A nephew recalled that it wasn t until later in life that Tony talked of his wartime experience. At Iwo, he was swept off his landing craft by a huge wave and found himself under water with a full combat backpack. He battled his way to shore, dove into a trench for immediate shelter, then set off in search of his platoon. After the war, he was a refrigeration specialist in Toledo, served as a pressure piping inspector for the city, and taught refrigeration and air conditioning classes at area schools. In Sun City Center, he helped the Leathernecks Club establish the area s Toys for Tots campaign, and continued that work with the Marine Corps League. Tony and his wife Donna have three daughters, eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren, and would have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in October. The family will conduct a funeral service at 1:30 p.m. April 25 at Bay Pines National Cemetery.