Friday, February 9, 2018
Dear Marine families,

MarineParents.com was founded nationally on January 21, 2003. Throughout our 15 year history we have had the honor of supporting tens of thousands of families. We would like to spend the next couple of weeks taking a look back at our organization in its early years. This week, our featured article, Not Your Daddy's Morse Code , is from 2005.

Also in this newsletter, read about our support for the Gold Star Family of the first KIA in Iraq, read our Super Bowl party recap, learn about the Individual Ready Reserve, view our information available in Spanish, learn about Montford Point Marines, and learn how to support our troops when shopping on Amazon.

Thank you for supporting our troops!
God bless and Semper Fi!
Not Your Daddy's Morse Code

In celebration of 15 years of dedication to Marines, veterans, and family members, we are sharing stories from our history. Our mission throughout the years has not changed. We provide up to date information and resources, as well as a place to connect and share® .

This week's featured story was written in 2005 by Fox News journalist Molly Bernhart.

" Della Vecchia, founder of  MarineParents.com , said she felt like many parents of Marines, soldiers and airmen. She wanted a way to share and connect with people who understood what she was going through. And watching the TV coverage of the events in Kuwait and Iraq didn’t answer any of her questions . "

CONNECTING & SHARING TODAY
MarineParents Helps Repair Gold Star Family Home

MarineParents.com had the opportunity to support the Gold Star family of Lt. Shane Childers, the first post 9/11 KIA in Iraq. We worked with two Marines who were with Lt. Childers when he was killed. Dave stayed in contact with Shane's parents, who are now in their 80s, and found out that their home was in need of repairs as the winter wind would literally be blowing through their home.

MarineParents.com Hosts Super Bowl Party in Bethesda
On Sunday, February 4, 2018, Marine Parents co-hosted a Super Bowl party, along with the USO and MWR in Bethesda, Maryland, for wounded and recovering service members, active duty, and their family members. These men and women have sacrificed so much for us, we wanted to give them something fun to do, a sense of normalcy, and a break from their current struggles. We mapped out a plan for food and activities to go on during the game, as well as how much money we would need to raise in order to make it happen. We called on you, the MarineParents family, to help us raise $8,000 to hold this event and with your support, we exceed our goal, by raising just over $9,200.

Individual Ready Reserve

For many Marines finishing their four years of service, active-duty is not the end of their career in the Marine Corps. All Marines are required to go through the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) after their initial active-service comes to an end, unless he or she chooses to reenlist.

Featured TMP Participant
Kendra Seely

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 featured TMP participant is Kendra Seely. Kendra will be running the Marine Corps Marathon for the second consecutive year and has set a goal to beat her time from last year.

Featured Volunteer
Jennifer Landreth

Jennifer has been a volunteer with Marine Parents since June of 2017, and currently serves as a Group Leader for SOI-ITB East, and a Group Guide for Recruit Support Battalion group in our Official MarineParents.com Facebook Groups.

Information Available in Spanish

Our website contains information in Spanish ranging from recruit training to the School of Infantry to after Marines separate from the Marine Corps. We also have a Recruit Parents brochure available in Spanish. You can order a brochure at mp@marineparents.com.


Black History Month:
Montford Point Marines

The history of thousands of brave men who served our country through numerous wars and battles has been virtually unknown to most Americans for many years. Though we know about the Tuskegee Airmen and Buffalo Soldiers, most civilians, and even many in the military, do not know the struggles and successes of the Montford Point Marines.