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

At MarineParents.com, we strive to provide support and services to Marines and their families. Usually, these Marines and their families are post-9/11 Marines, but every now and then, we have the opportunity to provide support to older Marines as well. Learn how we were able to h elp a World War II Marine combat veteran's dream come true in our first article.

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!

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 30 charity partner bibs remaining, so if you didn't make it in through the lottery, join the team and get your bib today!

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. 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, researching 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.

Last week, we told you about how, in the wake of the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, the Marine Corps was called on to boost the number of Marine Security Guards stationed at embassies and consulates around the world by approximately 1,000 guards. 

As part of the plan to increase the number of Marine Security Guards, the Corps has established approximately 25 new Marine Security Guard detachments and has strengthened almost 120 more. Additionally, a further 12 locations will receive new Marine Security Guard detachments by 2018. Locations in which the Marine Corps is increasing its presence include Turkey, China, Lebanon, Sierra Leone, Africa, Italy, Laos, and Mexico, among others.

Lucca, a 12-year-old German Shepherd and Marine Corps working dog, was honored this week in London, England with an award for animals who serve in military conflicts.

The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a British veterinary charity, awarded Lucca with the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross (the British equivalent of the Medal of Honor), for her work in Afghanistan sniffing out explosives. Her work is credited with saving the lives of thousands of allied troops and there were no human casualties on any of Lucca's more than 400 patrols.

On her final patrol in Afghanistan, Lucca found a 30-pound improvised explosive device and was searching for more when a second device exploded.  Lucca lost a leg and sustained burns to her chest, neck, and head in the explosion but survived. She is the first Marine Corps dog to receive the Dickin Medal.

Seventy-one years ago this week, on April 3, 1945, Marines with the 3rd Amphibious Corps continued to progress along their front on the Japanese island of Okinawa,  clearing Zampa Misaki and seizing the Katchin Peninsula. This effectively cut the island in two, and was accomplished more than a week ahead of the schedule originally set by Marine Corps leaders.

Sixty-nine years ago this week, on April 5, 1947, five Marine guards were killed and eight more were wounded during an attack by Communist Chinese forces near the Hsin Ho ammunition depot in northern China. This was the last major clash between the 1st Marine Division and Communist Chinese forces and occurred just four days after the 1st Division and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing had received their withdrawal and redeployment plans from China on April 1.