Alliance of Marine Corps Veterans Brigadier General Jacob Lienhard Company Established 4 July, 2011 The Sharpshooter The Sharpshooter is a publication of the Alliance of Marine Corps Veterans, Brigadier General Jacob Lienhard Company Established July, 2012 all rights reserved Volume 3; Issue 1 1 January, 2014 Editor: Keith Much The AMCV is a 501(C) 3 non-profit Arizona Corporation. All rights reserved. Copyright 2012 Alliance of Marine Corps Veterans. Neither the United States Marine Corps nor any other component of the Department of Defense has approved, endorsed or authorized this product, service or activity. Marines, Marine Corps and the Eagle, Globe and Anchor are trademarks of the U.S. Marine Corps, used with permission. In this issue: Commanding Officer s Report, page 1; Marine Corps Birthday Ball, page 3; The Chaplain s Corner, page 4; Brig Gen Jacob Lienhard, page 5; Commanding Officer s Report: Traditionally the birthday is on 10 November, but we thought it would be more prudent to celebrate on a Saturday night. This year s celebration was much smaller, both in terms of venue and guests, but it still turned out to be very successful. A big thank you to all who participated in the weeks and months before working on the plans and putting this all together. The committee members, the Auxiliary, the Patriot Youth Corps members who practiced and all the others too numerous to mention. Keith Much, Company Commanding Officer Happy New Year, 2014! Since the last edition of The Sharpshooter we have had a busy time here in Arizona. We have had a few fundraisers and of course the big celebration the Marine Corps Birthday Ball on 9 November. The Arizona Veteran s Magazine came in to take pictures and will have a story in their upcoming February issue. We have been posted on their website at www.azvetmag.com and on their Facebook page. There are many pictures and a short story line on the web site. Continued on page 2 1
Continued from page 1 In October we had two fundraising events, both of which were quite successful in terms of getting donations and also in adding names to our list of prospective new members. One of these events was our second time at having the Babes On Bikes event that went over so well a year previous. We had a good turnout this year as well. The 7 December fundraising event was quite cold early on with temperatures in the low 30 s and that may have contributed to the lack of crowds at a normally busy event, plus there were several other Pearl Harbor Day events happening around the area too! In mid-december had a Christmas dinner, a relaxing evening without all the order and scheduling of events and activities, just a nice evening of Marine Corps Brotherhood and camaraderie. Looking forward to the new year we are still facing an uphill challenge to expand our membership and the Alliance. Our goal is to reach 50 members in the Brig Gen Jacob Lienhard Company and also be able to open at least one new Company in another area. We have a vision of expanding into other areas of Arizona first followed by other divisions as set forth by the founding members of the AMCV when we started this organization three years ago. This will be a huge undertaking and will need the help of everyone involved. What we will need most are capable and willing Marines that want to start something new in their area, but they will have something at their disposal that we did not have and that is the experience of what needs to be done. Our Division Officers have the knowledge and experience to help set up a new Company and maybe even a new Division if it is outside our own. That being said if anyone reading this is interested in starting their own organization please contact Division Commanding Officer Jim Trupe (his contact information is at the end of this newsletter) Moving into the new year we are starting a tradition of Honors and Awards. We have selected 16 degrees of awards to be given to Officers and members who earn them by working hard to make the AMCV a success. Other Companies will also have this when the time comes so we are setting the example by starting this now. Other events that are in our near future; the annual trip to MCRD San Diego for a Boot Camp graduation. We normally do this in October, but due to other functions we moved it to March. More information will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. We will also be participating in a theme day event in February, again more information on that will be sent out very soon. We have had some successes in recent months and will be capitalizing on them going forward. Times will be challenging to keep our members participating in our events, but I feel once they see who we are and how we operate they will want to become a part of one of the newest Marine Corps only organizations in America today. We are a fully accredited 501c(3) nonprofit organization based in Mesa, AZ and all of our funds are used to support our activities. We are all volunteers and do not take or accept a salary to allow more money to be used for what it is intended. For more information on who we are and what we do log on to our web site at www.allianceofmarinecorpsveterans.com Continued on page 3 2
continued from page 2 www.allianceofmarinecorpsveterans.com. We also have a Facebook page so please look us up and tell your friends and especially Marines! Until next time I hope everyone has a safe and in some cases, warm winter. We look forward to the next three months of activities and will report on them in the next issue of The Sharpshooter. Semper Fidelis! Keith Much, Company Commanding Officer ***** 238 th Marine Corps Birthday Ball presented by the Brig Gen Jacob Lienhard Company, Alliance of Marine Corps Veterans. Patriot Youth Corps Iwo Jima Flag Raising reenactment The head table Sgt Major Ray Barron, USMC (Retired) Sgt Major Barron gave a very inspiring speech and was given a standing ovation. I am proud to say that Sgt Major Barron is a member of the Brig Gen Jacob Lienhard Company and our Company Chaplain. You would be hard pressed to find a better man or Marine anywhere! Continued on page 4 3
Cake cutting ceremony (Division XO Don Pfau with the cake cutting utensil! ) Great food, good company and a few laughs made for a fun evening! The Chaplains Corner by Ray Barron Cpl. Nicholas Fleming, Sgt Maj Ray Barron, Marine Veteran Don Johnson Protocol is for the first piece of cake to the guest of honor, second piece goes to the oldest Marine who passes it to the youngest Marine and the third piece goes to the oldest Marine! (We thank Marion Cartland and Mark Field of the Arizona Veterans Magazine for these pictures) On 13 December the AMCV had a Christmas dinner for a time of reflection and relaxation. During the year we normally are busy with following the order of the ceremony or giving speeches, but this night was set aside for a bit of camaraderie and Marine Corps Brotherhood and just having a bit of fun! Is this the same man... -John 9:8- (NLT) In the Gospel of John, chapter 9, we read the story of Jesus encountering a man who had been blind since birth. As Jesus often did, He chose to heal this man of his physical infirmity, his blindness. The Bible goes on to say that after his healing, his neighbors who once knew him and those who had previously seen him blind were unable to recognize him. The man they had known was a blind man. This man could now see. Soon they began asking each other, Is this the same man...? Some said he was. Others said No. The man kept telling the people, I am the same man... Continued on page 5 4
Continued from page 4 I had the Honor and the Privilege to be the Guest Speaker at Marine Corps Birthday celebration for the 238th birthday of our beloved Corps. I met both men and women who were still in the corps, who had retired from the corps, and who had served in the Corps and other branches of the Armed Services. They had all came in unity to share in the camaraderie shared by those who have served. My point is they are all the same man they were when they earned the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. We have all gone on to other callings in life, but the lifelong lessons learned are still part of our being. Those men still cherished the life they once lived. This experience caused me to reflect on my own life. Am I the same person out of uniform as I was in uniform? In other words, am I the same person in the Alliance of Marine Corps Veterans as I was as an active duty Marine? Am I the same person in my home as I am in my church? Do people recognize me as one who follows my faith or beliefs no matter where I am? Or do they ask themselves, Is this the same man? My point is this: as an Alliance of Marine Corps Veterans man and woman, we are to be the same man, the same woman, in uniform and out. No matter where we are, no matter what we re doing, we are to live a life so that people will always be able to say, He is the same man. Blessings, Raymond P. Barron, Chaplain Brig Gen Jacob Lienhard Company, Alliance of Marine Corps Veterans Camp Perry, OH in mid-september, 1930. His time line states he was at headquarters in his tenure. There is no documentation stating his duties, but in this stage of his career he may have been more of an instructor/mentor than a competitive shooter. Captain Lienhard was on leave from 15 September to 1 November, 1930. On 4 November he embarked on USS Vega enroute to Nicaragua arriving on 14 November. In my research I have found that there was some heavy fighting happening with the Sandinista guerillas trying to take over the government at that time. Jake remained in Nicaragua until 1 August, 1931 when he embarked on USS San Salvador back to the US. He arrived at the Brooklyn Naval Hospital with unspecified wounds or illness. It could have been battle wounds or it could have also been malaria, there is no documentation on this that I could find. He remained at the Brooklyn Naval Hospital until 10 August and then transferred to the Naval Hospital, Washington, D.C. where he remained until 5 October, 1931 during his convalescence. Brigadier General Jacob Lienhard: In the previous issue of The Sharpshooter we left then Captain Lienhard with the Marine Corps Rifle Team at Wakefield, MA and Camp Unidentified Marine Officer with Captain Lienhard Continued on page 6 5
Continued from page 5 Base (NOB) Hampton Roads, VA from 8 December, 1931 to 20 January, 1932 preparing for his return to Nicaragua. There are several pictures taken during this time, but not documented about the devastating earthquake in Nicaragua in 1931. Some of these pictures are fairly gruesome and show dead bodies and in the interest of being prudent I did not put them in this publication. There are other pictures that show the devastation and if you research this on line the story tells how bad it really was. Written on the back: Marine Officer, Jake, Guide During Captain Lienhard s time in Nicaragua in 1931 he developed the Mess Gear Lid which was used during WW-II. (picture depicts WW- II mess kit lid) Fire following earthquake Managua, Nicaragua 1931 Mess kit lid His next time line entry states he was on leave from 6 October to 7 December, 1931 at Headquarters, USMC. I believe his station of record was Headquarters and he was free to travel while on leave. He may have been able to travel to visit family, but again, there is no documentation stating any of this. After returning to duty from his leave he was stationed at Marine Barracks, Naval Operating Earthquake damage Managua, Nicaragua 1931 21 January, 1932 found Captain Lienhard embarked on the USS Sirius enroute to Nicaragua arriving on 1 February where he was assigned to the 2 nd Brigade. On 2 February they embarked on the USS Bernadon enroute to Cristobal 1, Canal Zone (Panama Canal) They spent two days in port at Cristobal before departing on 17 October. Continued on page 7 6
Continued from page 6 The two days spent in Cristobal were at the U.S. Submarine Base. Remember that submarines were still in their early stages and must have been somewhat of a strange sight to Marines of this period. I have researched US Submarines and in those years they were powered by diesel engines with very little safety compared to today s standards. The diesel fumes must have been fairly strong and detrimental to one s health. On 17 October Captain Lienhard and the 2 nd Brigade embarked on the USS Patoka enroute to the U.S. arriving on 8 November, 1932. The next entry in the time line states 9 November to 12 February, 1933 Naval Hospital and one month at Marine Barracks New York District (Naval District) Portsmouth, VA. Once again there is no documentation on the malady that Jacob was convalescing from so it is anyone s guess, but possibly malaria. From 13 February to 7 May 1933 we once again find Jake at a rifle range. This time it was Marine Barracks Rifle Range, Quantico, VA. On 8 May he transferred to Marine Barracks Portsmouth, VA and remained there until 14 May. 15 May found Captain Lienhard back at the rifle range, this time and Fort Eustis, VA until 15 June, 1933. Next was a stint with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) at Fort Devens, MA from 16 June to 4 July, 1933. From Fort Devens Captain Lienhard was transferred to 1107 Company of the CCC at Barre, VT from 4 July, 1933 to 30 April, 1934. Research on the Civilian Conservation Corps reveals that it was a federal agency created in 1933, see below; On March 31, 1933, the U.S. Congress enacted legislation creating the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a Depression-era federal agency. The CCC was one of the New Deal programs initiated in the first one hundred days of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidential administration. The program was designed to relieve the economic and humanitarian distress caused by the onset of the Great Depression in 1929. After a two month leave Jake from 1 May to 2 July, 1934 he was asigned to Marine Barracks Quantico, VA for two days. From 6 July to 21 July, 1934 he was assigned to the Basic School Marine Barracks New York District, Philadelphia, PA and again there is no documentation of his time there. 22 July to 15 August 1934 he was again at the rifle range this time Cape May, NJ. From Cape May Jake was transferred back to Marine Barracks Rifle Range Quantico, VA. During this time frame he was an instructor of to the FBI when agents were first issued weapons. His duties were to instruct them in the tactical use of weapons. Stories from my childhood that I remember were that he was hand picked by J. Edgar Hoover for this position. His time line puts him at Quantico from 16 August, 1934 to 4 June, 1935. 5 June to 25 August it was back to the Rifle Range and Wakefield, MA and then it was on to Camp Perry, OH for two days. The next couple of months were at a recruiting station in Pittsburgh, PA 31 August to 8 September and then to Camp Perry, OH and a six day leave. 27 September, 1935 to 10 May, 1936 Jake was again at recruting stations at Pittsburgh, PA and then Kansas City, MO. Continued on page 8 7
Continued from page 7 Sometime during 1934 Captain Lienhard was promoted to Major. Other than his timeline stating this there is no other reference to any promotions. There are about 10 years left in the Marine Corps career of Jacob and we will cover most, if not all of them in the next issue due on 1 April, 2014. More pictures from the Birthday Ball: Patriot Youth Corps Posting the Colors Marine Guests the young and the not so young! Saluting the Colors Table setting and more guests Salt Table Ceremony, aka; Missing Man 8
Alliance of Marine Corps Veterans Brigadier General Jacob Lienhard Company Division Officers: James Trupe Commanding Officer jimtrupe@hotmail.com 480-219-6906 Don Pfau Executive Officer dpfau@msn.com 602-228-0369 Alliance of Marine Corps Veterans Auxiliary Desert Rose Unit Auxiliary Officers: Drue Washington President Dusie332@cox.net 602-677-0961 Joanne Perini Senior Vice President Treasurer dandjperini@q.com 847-276-1460 Marcy Trupe Secretary marcytrupe@hotmail.com 480-343-5743 Janada Colfelt Junior Vice President Chaplain jjcolfelt@msn.com 425-870-5457 Company Officers: Keith Much Commanding Officer marine.keith0351@gmail.com 480-335-8903 Alan Scott Executive Officer timeflyer8@msn.com 480-326-6039 Steve Parker Operations Officer retgunny69@gmail.com 951-326-4356 Bill Diedrich Sgt at Arms diedrich@q.com 480-807-1895 Don Perini Color Guard Officer dandjperini@q.com 480-433-6654 Ray Barron Company Chaplain Company Sgt Major rbarron99@q.com 480-375-193 The reason the Army does not know or care about their birthday is because they do not have Army pride. They only have unit pride, but Marines have Marine Corps pride and it does not matter what your job is in the Corps or what unit you re with, you re still a Marine. That s why you will not find unit patches on the shoulders on Marine Corps uniforms. Robert Horan 9
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