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Thank you for joining us for this issue of Marine Parents News. If this is your first time receiving the newsletter, welcome aboard, we're excited for you to be here!
A dedicated group of Marine Corps supporters have been sending Christmas stockings to wounded and recovering Marines . Learn more in our first article.
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 joining us and especially for your continued support of our brave men and women in uniform.
Semper Fi Marine Families!
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Marine Corps League Auxiliary Volunteers Send Christmas Stockings to Balboa
We'd like to begin this week's newsletter by highlighting the hard work of a dedicated group of women from the St. Louis, Missouri area.
Seven years ago, members of the
Private George Phillips Detachment #1214
Marine Corps League Auxiliary, led by Gail Bickerton, a Marine wife, Marissa Grgurich, a Marine mother, and Marie Kosewicz, a Marine wife and mother, decided to make Christmas stockings for the 3/24 Marines (now the 3/23, as 3/24's colors have since been retired) while the battalion was deployed to Iraq. The response to the stockings was quite positive, and the women received numerous "thank you" cards
from Marines who had hung them in their quarters to provide a sense of holiday spirit.
Four years ago, the women learned of our Purple Heart Hero Support (now the Warrior Support Team) dinners at military medical centers on both coasts. They got in touch with our organization and asked if they could partner with us and send stockings to the wounded and recovering warriors at
Naval Medical Center San Diego (Balboa). We were excited by the idea and were happy to take them up on the offer.
*Image info: One of the stockings being sent to wounded and recovering warriors at Balboa this Christmas.
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After the Corps: End of Active Service
Before your Marine's end of active service (EAS) date, he or she will be required to go through a series of classes, discharge medical checks, terminal leave documents, separation documents, check out sheets, and more. These will assist your Marine both during the process of ending their active service and after their separation from the Marine Corps.
Click here to learn more...
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Gold Star Legacy: Bereavement
The death of a loved one is always difficult. When that death results from a war or disaster, it may be even more troubling given the sudden and potentially violent nature of the event. After the death of someone you love, you experience bereavement, which literally means, "to be deprived by death."
Mourning is the natural process through which a person copes with a major loss. The mourning process may include military or religious traditions honoring the dead, or the gathering of friends and family to share in the loss. Mourning is personal and may last months or even years. Grieving is the outward expression of your loss. Your grief is likely to be expressed both physically and psychologically.
Click here to learn more....
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Thank You for Supporting Our Troops this Holiday Season
We recently made it our goal to raise money on
#GivingTuesday, a global celebration of giving, to allow our Warrior Support Team to continue serving meals to wounded and recovering warriors at military medical centers on both coasts.
So far, the Marine Parents family has come together and donated almost $3,000 to this wonderful cause, and we couldn't be more grateful. We truly appreciate your kindness and generosity for those who have sacrificed so much on our behalf.
With the season of giving upon us, it's more crucial than ever that we, the Marine Parents family, come together to show our Marines that America supports them and has their backs this holiday season!
Click here to donate today!
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Tun Tavern: Birthplace of the Marine Corps
During the American Revolution, many important political discussions took place in the inns and taverns of Philadelphia, including the founding of the Marine Corps.
A committee of the Continental Congress met at Tun Tavern to draft a resolution calling for two battalions of Marines able to fight for independence at sea and on shore.
The resolution was approved on November 10, 1775, officially forming the Continental Marines.
Click here to learn more....
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The EGA Shop has all of the Marine Corps-themed holiday gifts you need this season! Your purchase at the EGA Shop makes what we do in our outreach programs possible, because 80% of our income comes from store sales, while only 20% comes from grants, donations, and fundraising. Shop where every purchase supports our troops,
EGAshop.com!
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Knit Hat: Pom Pom Stars/Stripes
Stars and stripes pattern beanie shows your patriotic colors in true form! Grey-blue color knit makes a great fashion statement while still being patriotic. Stretchy knit beanie is 100% acrylic. Measures approximately 4.5" x 11".
Click here to shop!
Every Purchase Supports Our Troops at EGAshop.com!
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What's After Boot: Land Navigation
Land navigation consists of being able to use skills that can help one traverse through unfamiliar terrain by foot or in a vehicle. To be successful at land navigation, one must be able to shoot an azimuth (the angle between the north vector and the perpendicular projection of the star down onto the horizon, usually measured in degrees), read maps, and use a compass, among numerous other navigational skills.
Click here to learn more...
*Image info: Marines navigate through a woodland environment during a land navigation course aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., March 30, 2015. (USMC photo by photo by Cpl. Tyler A. Andersen)
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Volunteer Spotlight: Barb Jackson
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 from Wisconsin -- Barb Jackson.
Barb has been a Marine Parents Facebook volunteer since April 2015 and currently serves as the 1st Battalion Company Leader for San Diego, as well as the Battalion Leader all of the "What's After Boot" pages.
Barb used to serve in the Air Force, where she met her husband, and has two Marine sons and 3 additional children still living at home. In her
free time, Barb loves taking to the open road on her motorcycle alongside her husband.
Barb has been aficionado of riding for many years, which has earned her the nickname "WiHH" (Wind in Her Hair) with her fellow Battalion Leaders.
Click here to read more...
*Image info: Barb Jackson with one of her Marine sons and husband at boot camp graduation.
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This Week in Marine Corps History: Chueylite
Eighty-seven years ago this week, on December 6, 1928, a small detail of Marines under the command of Captain Maurice G. Holmes defeated Nicaraguan bandits near Chuyelite.
Captain Holmes was awarded the Navy Cross for gallantry, and Gunnery Sergeant Charles Williams was killed during the fighting.
*Image info: U.S. Marines hold the Sandino (Nicaraguan bandits) flag. (U.S. government photo)
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This Week in Marine Corps History: Pearl Harbor
Seventy-four years ago this week, on December 7, 1941, Japanese forces launched a surprise attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The attack began just before 8:00 am local time, and in the two hours it lasted, nearly 20 American ships and more than 300 aircraft were destroyed. 2,000 American troops died in the attack and a further 1,000 were wounded. The following day, the United States declared war on Japan, marking its official entry into Worl War II. For the next three-plus years, American soldiers, sailors, and Marines battled Japanese forces across the Pacific, until Japan surrendered in August of 1945.
Click here to read more...
*Image info:
An aerial view of the submerged
USS Arizona
, which was sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickham, Hawaii. The memorial straddles the hull of the sunken battleship, which was declared a National Historic Landmark on 5 May 1989.
(U.S. government photo)
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Of course, the
EGA Shop
is the #1 place to shop for all of your Marine Corps clothing, decor, and accessory needs, because 100% of the proceeds benefit the outreach programs of
MarineParents.com, Inc.
But...for those non-USMC gifts this season, Amazon is a great place to shop and STILL SUPPORT our outreach programs. When you shop, Amazon gives, but be sure to begin shopping by following our charity link first:
https://smile.amazon.com/ch/20-2294408
Thank you so much for supporting our troops!
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This Week in Marine Corps History: Wake Island
Seventy-four years ago this week, on December 8, 1941, Japanese forces launched an attack on American sailors and Marines stationed on Wake Island, roughly 3,000 miles west of Honolulu, just hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. For more than two weeks, Marines from the 1st Defense Battalion and Marine Fighting Squadron 211 fought off Japanese forces, until being forced to surrender on December 23.
*Image info: Approximately 100 U.S. and Japanese historical structures, including this Japanese gun bunker, remain on Wake Island. (U.S. government photo)
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This Week in Marine Corps History: Operation Restore Hope
Twenty-three years ago this week, on December 9, 1992, Marines from the 15th Expeditionary Unit (special operations capable) landed in Somalia to begin Operation Restore Hope, the largest humanitarian relief operation of its kind.
*Image info:
A U.S. Marine Corps Bell UH-1N
helicopter lifts off from the ramp at Moi International Airport, Mombasa (Kenya). The helicopter was ferrying personnel and equipment to and from naval vessels off the coast of Africa. U.S. forces were bringing in personnel, material and equipment to support the withdrawal of United Nations peacekeeping forces (UNOSOM II) from Mogadishu, Somalia. (U.S. government photo)
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This Week in Marine Corps History: Bosnia
Twenty years ago this week, on December 10, 1995, 22 Marines from Marine Corps Security Force Company, Naples, Italy were among the first American troops to arrive in Bosnia. The Marines provided security for Allied Forces Southern Europe headquartered in the nation's capital, Sarajevo. Approximately 2,500 NATO troops would be in place by 19 December taking on the task of peace enforcement in former Yugoslavia from the U.N.
*Image info:
U.S. Marines with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit establish a security perimeter in a muddy soccer field at Sokalac, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (U.S. government photo)
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Marine Corps News: All Occupations and Positions Opened to Women
Following a decision by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to open all military occupations and positions to omen, the Marine Corps has announced that it
will immediately begin the process of implementing the policy change, as well as sharing plans and lessons learned with the other services.
To mark the decision, Marine Corps Headquarters released a statement that read, in part:
"We are well-informed by our combat experience, including the outstanding performance of all Marines over the last 14 years of conflict, our objective approach and the data obtained from the past two years of studies. As we move forward with full integration, we will continue to maintain our standards, while leveraging every opportunity to optimize individual performance, talent, and skills in order to maximize the warfighting capabilities of our MAGTFs in an increasingly complex operating environment. We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure that the men and women who earn the title "Marine" will be ready, and will provide America with an elite crisis-response force that is ready to fight and win."
Click here to read more...
*Image info:
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announces his women in service review during a press brief at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., Dec. 3, 2015. For the first time in U.S. military history, as long as they qualify and meet specific standards, the secretary said women will be able to contribute to the Defense Department mission with no barriers at all in their way.
(USMC photo by
Senior Master Sergeant Adrian Cadiz)
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Marine Corps News: Remains of Marine Killed on Tarawa to be Reburied in Arlington
The remains of a Marine who went missing during 1943's Battle of Tarawa have been identified as belonging to James D. Otto, of Los Angeles, and were
buried will full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery Tuesday, December 8.
According to a Marine Corps statement, Otto's remains were discovered this past June in a burial trench containing the remains of approximately three dozen Marines.
More than 1,000 Marines were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded during the battle, which took place between November 20-23, 1943.
Click here to read more...
*Image info: James D. Otto (USMC photo
)
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