April 14, 2016
Semper Fi Marine Corps Families!

Thank you for opening and reading this edition of our weekly newsletter. We've got great articles to share with you this week.

April 10-16 is 2016's Volunteer Appreciation Week and here at Marine Parents, we couldn't be more grateful for our amazing volunteers . Learn more in our first article.

April is the Month of the Military Child. See what the Warrior Support Team has been doing to reach military children in our second piece.

The Marine Corps Marathon lottery has announced the lucky recipients of bibs for their 2016 Marathon being held the end of October. If you did NOT get your bib in the lottery, we have additional bibs as a Marine Corps official charity partner. Read the article below to sign up or learn more.

To see what else is new with the organization or to learn more about the Marine Corps, check out the rest of our articles. We hope you enjoy! 

Thank you for your continued support of our brave men and women in uniform.

God Bless and Semper Fi!
Happy Volunteer Appreciation Week!

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and, more specifically, April 10-16 is 2016's Volunteer Appreciation Week. To mark the occasion, organizations across the country are committed to recognizing the hard work and dedication of those who volunteer on their behalves, and Marine Parents would like to do the same.

Our organization could not exist if it were not for the contributions of hundreds of parents around the United States. Our volunteers have taken that one step further and contribute endless hours answering emails, moderating our social media groups, gathering information, and supporting the parents, spouses, family and friends of our United States Marines. The dedication to the Marine Corps from each
of these individuals benefits thousands of families around the world.

Click here to learn more....
April is the Month of the Military Child 

April is the Month of the Military Child, and Marine Parents would like to take this opportunity to recognize the sacrifices and support of the approximately 2 million U.S. military children 18 years old and younger who have one or both parents serving in the armed forces. As difficult as it can be for a child to grow up in a military family, that challenge can be even greater for a military child with a parent who is wounded, ill, or injured.

Our Warrior Support Team--East (WST--East) serves dinners twice each month at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. While the primary focus of these dinners is on the recovering warriors, their families are a close second. A s such, the Warrior Support Team has made a concerted effort to provide activities for military children at the dinners.  

According to our WST--East Manager, Susan Kristol, "W e provide a way to interact with other families and alleviate the isolation of being a military family assigned to a place like Walter Reed (as opposed to a big military base)." It would appear that these attempts at reaching the families of our recovering warriors has been successful, as our WST--East volunteer have noticed that more and more families with children have started attending these meals.  

*Image info: A child at our April 3, 2016 WST--East dinner. (Photo by Peggy Densford.)

2016 TMP Registration is Now Open

2016 Registration for Team Marine Parents is now open! Raising awareness and funds for a grassroots organization starts on a grassroots level; it starts with YOU. If you enjoy running or competing in athletic events, encouraging communities to engage in troop support activities, and raising money for a good cause, then TMP is a great fit for you.

Also, if you are planning on running the 41st Marine Corps Marathon, consider running with TMP. We only have 28 charity partner bibs remaining, so if you didn't make it in through the lottery, join the team and get your bib today!

Click here to learn more about Team Marine Parents...

Marine Supporter Makes Quilt for Recovering Warrior

The mission of Marine Parents is two-prong--to provide support, information, and services to poolees, recruits, and Marines and their family members, as well as providing opportunities for the public to support our troops through the organization's outreach programs.

We'd like to take this opportunity to share with you a story about how we recently provided an opportunity for a member of the public to show her support for recovering warriors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Last summer, we received  message from a Marine Mom, Diana Fraser, telling us about a family friend of hers who sews quilts. This family friend had recently finished a red, white, and blue quilt that she wanted to give to a recovering warrior. They hadn’t been able to find anyone in their area to help make this possible, so Diana asked us if we could help.

It took us a couple of months to get everything worked out, but we’re pleased to announce that in late February, the quilt was delivered to Family Support Coordinator in the Marine Liaison Office at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Mia Nam.

Click here to read more...

*Image info: The quilt being given to a recovering Marine. 
(image released)

TMP Spotlight: Dean Heibert

Team Marine Parents™ (TMP) is a group of individuals, generally parents, family, and friends of Marines, who participate in athletic events nationwide to support our troops.  The mission is to raise funds and awareness of the organization's outreach programs.. 

This week's TMP featured participant is Marine supporter from Kentucky--Dean Heibert.

Dean's  father, father-in-law, and several uncles all served in the Marine Corps and while searching for a way to show his support for the Corps, Dean discovered Team Marine Parents.

Dean will be running in this year's Marine Corps Marathon in October and  he is still working toward toward reaching his $500 fundraising goal. We know with your support and generosity, she can reach that goal in no time. Thanks for being a part of the team, Dean, we appreciate your support!

Click here to read more...

*Image info: Dean Heibert.

Volunteer Spotlight: Theresa Hopkins

Here at Marine Parents, nothing we do would be possible without our amazing volunteers across the country. Our volunteers truly are the backbone of our organization, and we'd like to take this opportunity to recognize the efforts of one individual in particular. 

This week's featured volunteer is a proud Marine mother and Facebook volunteer from New York--Theresa Hopkins. 

Theresa is a mother of three who has served as a Marine Parents Facebook volunteer since March, 2015, serving as the 2nd Battalion, Echo Company, Parris Island company leader.

Theresa's Marine is currently stationed at Camp Johnson in Jacksonville, North Carolina. According to Theresa, " I like to volunteer for Marine Parents because it was so helpful when my son was at boot camp... I was able to meet and connect with other people who truly knew what it meant to be a parent of a Marine. I am a firm believer in paying it forward so volunteering is my way of returning the favor to others. I don't know what I would have done without this amazing group. I love being able to help others who are where I was last year.”  

“Theresa is a dedicated and faithful volunteer," says Parris Island 2nd Battalion Company Leader Kimberly Davison, "she generously posts daily  and answers the questions to the Marine Parents Facebook members. Her genuine compassion provides unfailing support and encouragement.”

Thank you, Theresa, for all that you do on our behalf. We greatly appreciate your dedication and support!

Click here to read more...

*Image info: Theresa Hopkins with her Marine son.
Marine Corps News: Marine Medal of Honor Recipient Dies 

Hector A. Cafferata, a Marine who earned the Medal of Honor during the Korean War, died earlier this week in Florida at the age of 86.

Cafferata earned the medal during the legendary Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. On November 28, 1950, after his entire fireteam became casualties, Cafferata single-handedly held their line, killing 15 enemy soldiers and wounding many more.

Later that day, after seeing an enemy grenade land nearby, Cafferata rushed through enemy fire to pick up the grenade and throw it back, sustaining serious injuries to his hand and arm in the process. Despite his injuries, Cafferata continued to fight until he was shot by an enemy sniper and forced to receive medical attention. 

Click here to read more...

*Image info: Hector A. Cafferata (released)
Marine Corps News: Men and Women Must Meet Same Standards for Combat Jobs

Marine Corps officials recently announced that male and female Marines must meet the same physical standards to be assigned to load-bearing units, such as infantry battalions, combat engineer companies, and Raider companies, according to Yvonne Carlock, a spokeswoman for the Marine Corps' Manpower and Reserve Affairs.  Previously, the Marine Corps had separate assignment policies for men and women, and this new administrative message does not apply to lateral moves into ground combat military occupational specialties.

Click here to read more...

*Image info:  A recruit practices the sitting position at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. 
(USMC photo by Pfc. Carlin Warren)
This Week in Marine Corps History: Lieutenant Colonel John H. Glenn Selected for Space Training

Fifty-seven years ago this week, on April 10, 1959, Lieutenant  Colonel John H. Glenn, Jr. was named as one of the  original seven Project Mercury astronauts selected for space training. All seven astronauts were volunteers and were selected by NASA out of a pool of 110 candidates, all of whom were leading military test pilots. Just under three years later, in February of 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth.

Click here to learn more....

*Image info: John H. Glenn, Jr.  (USMC photo/released.)
This Week in Marine Corps History: 4th Marine Brigade Attacked in Verdun, France

Ninety-eight years ago this week, the 4th marine Brigade suffered its first gas attack by German forces during the late night and early morning hours of April 12-13, 1918. In the attack, German forces bombarded the 74th Company, 6th Marines near Verdun, France with mustard gas. Nine Marine officers and 305 enlisted Marines were gassed during the attack and evacuated. 30 Marines were killed in the attack.

Click here to learn more....

*Image info: Aerial view of Fort Douaumont, the largest of the 19 forts protecting the town of Verdun, France, prior to the battle. (image released)
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