Granite State Detachment 542, Marine Corps League

Greater Hillsborough County Area

Members and Associates of the Granite State Detachment,

It has been a busy and productive quarter for the detachment as we have attended events, visited the residents at the VA and Veterans Home in Franklin, disbursed major donations to local charities serving Marines and other veterans, (local homeless and suicide programs) as well as individual Marines in need. Our relatively new Disbursement Review Board ensures that our efforts and funds are balanced and targeted in line with our mission which is primarily to serve other Marines and veterans. We also want to benefit the community in which we live by Toys for Tots, Scouts, Scholarships and school visitation.

I remember when I enlisted in 1967 and asked the recruiter, Sgt. Boatwright, what made the Marine Corps different? I don’t recall his exact words, basically that Marines take care of other Marines: they retrieve their dead and wounded from the battlefield and depend on each other to get the mission accomplished. What he said really impressed me and little did I realize how profoundly and profusely it would play out in my life!



Always Faithful is a commitment to our brother and sister Marines that doesn’t end with being discharged from the Corps. It requires people of differing backgrounds and viewpoints (some very stubborn and resolved as Marines may tend to be!) working together with patience, endurance, and ingenuity to unify by training, preparation and unified principles to accomplish a common goal. This is often challenging, sometimes fun, but always rewarding, as we see what the detachment can corporately do with the abundance of skills and talent we have.   

--- Eric Anthony, Commandant, Granite State Detachment

Marines!

I recently had the opportunity to attend the Marine Corps League Mid-Winter Conference in Arlington, VA. Some highlights of this conference included a tour of the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, VA. If you ever get a chance to visit the museum, it is well worth the trip. The static displays are realistic and show the history of our Marine Corps from 1775 to 2026. The museum takes approximately 2 hours to see all the displays and videos.

During the conference, several awards were given out, and one of the awards that interested me, and possibly the detachment of members, was the marksmanship award, both pistol and rifle. During our last detachment meeting, I suggested going to the shooting range in Manchester, possibly after our Funday Breakfast, to practice shooting and possibly qualify for some of these awards, or just have some fun competing against each other. I hope to do this in May of this year. More information to come.

Also, during the conference it was announced that the building that the Marine Shop is currently located in Quantico, VA has been sold to the Marine Corps League and within the next 12 months the Marine Corps League Headquarters will be relocated to the that building and the Marine Shop will be relocating and all uniform sales will be handled by the Marine Corps Exchange in Quantico, Va. The question raised is how Marines without Marine Corps Exchange privileges will be able to purchase uniforms. They are currently working with the Marine Corps Exchange to determine whether there are exceptions.

If you ever have a chance to attend a Marine Corps League Conference, you'll find plenty of information and camaraderie.

Semper Fi.

 Jesse L. Stufflebeam. SVC

📣 Call for Leadership:

Junior Vice Commandant Needed

Granite State Detachment 542 is seeking a dedicated member to step into the role of Junior Vice Commandant.

This position plays a vital part in strengthening our Detachment by:

• Creating membership incentives and programs that foster growth and enthusiasm
• Supporting leadership continuity by stepping in when needed

If you’re passionate about serving veterans and building community, this is your chance to lead with purpose and make a lasting impact.

Whether you’re a longtime member or newly active, your voice and energy matter. Let’s shape the future of GSD 542 together.

Interested? Reach out to the Commandant to learn more or express your interest.

                  Snows Melting, Thinking of Spring

Spring, the season of renewal, breathes life back into the world after the long winter chill.

Long days of flowers blooming and warmer temperatures.

Spring represents a fresh start.

This joyful time encourages us to embrace nature & enjoy the beauty of new beginnings, with the help of Christ our Lord.

Amen

Joe Duquette, Chaplain  

Financial Update: First Quarter 2026

During the first quarter of 2026, I am pleased to report that GSD #542's finances remain strong. This financial stability enables the GSD to continue making donations to Veterans’ and community organizations as we progress into the second quarter of 2026.

Charitable Donations Presented at January Meeting

During the first membership meeting of the year, held in January, GSD #542 had the privilege of presenting donation checks totaling $1,000 each to guest attendees representing Veterans organizations. The honored recipients included representatives from Harbor Care, Hometown Hero Outdoors and Hidden Battles. Additionally, a donation of $1,500 was approved by members for “A Marine in Need,” who underwent a serious cancer operation. These contributions underscore GSD #542’s ongoing commitment to supporting organizations that serve Veterans, strengthen the community, and assist fellow Marines in times of need.

2026 Charity Gaming Partnership with Revo Casino

GSD #542 has scheduled its 2026 Charity Gaming partnership with Revo Casino in Lebanon, NH to take place from May 11 through May 20, 2026. During this ten-day period, specific dates will be identified when Detachment members are needed to volunteer and staff the welcome table at the casino venue. Participation from members is essential to the success of this charitable initiative. The proceeds raised from the gaming partnership will directly support GSD #542’s ongoing mission: providing donations to a variety of Veterans’ organizations and community charities in the greater Manchester, NH area. By engaging in this effort, GSD #542 continues its commitment to making a positive difference for local Veterans and the broader community.

Looking Ahead

As I reflect on the successes achieved by the Detachment in the first quarter and as I anticipate the opportunities ahead, I am enthusiastic about continuing to serve as Paymaster for the Detachment throughout the coming year. My ongoing commitment is to maintain the financial health of GSD #542, ensuring that our resources are managed responsibly and transparently. I am dedicated to supporting our charitable initiatives and to facilitating the important work we do for Veterans and our community. Together, I am confident that we will build upon our achievements and make a meaningful impact in 2026.

Respectfully submitted,

Marge Romano

The Granite State Detachment 542, Marine Corps League, is pleased to announce that our 2026 Scholarship Program is now open for applications. All members of the Detachment, along with their children, step‑children, grandchildren, step‑grandchildren, great‑grandchildren, and step‑great‑grandchildren, are eligible to apply. We encourage every qualified family to take advantage of this opportunity as we continue our commitment to supporting the educational goals of our Marine Corps League community.

As shown below we are offering two scholarships this year, one for students pursuing a college or university education, and the second is for those students that would like to pursue a trade school education.

Full details of the requirements for applying to our scholarships can be found with the attached document or by going to our website. Granite State Marines

We look forward to receiving this year’s applications and supporting the educational goals of our Detachment families.

Sincerely,

Eric Anthony, Commandant

Frank A. Diekmann Scholarship for 2026 will be awarded in an amount up to $2500. 

Commandant's Trade School Scholarship for 2026 will be awarded in an amount up to $2500. 

For full details and to apply to either of these scholarships, via our website fillable form, please click the button below. The ability to print and mail in the application is available as well, we just ask that you be sure to mail it in time to reach us by the deadline list on the application.

Dear Members of the Marine Corps Association and Valued Customers of The Marine Shop,

I am writing to share an important update regarding the future of The Marine Shop, the retail arm of our association, and to do so directly and with the respect you deserve. 

After careful deliberation, MCA has made the decision to transition The Marine Shop’s uniform business to Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS). This transition will occur deliberately, with continuity, quality and customer service as our guiding principles. This decision was not made lightly.

The retail operating environment has changed. Ensuring a secure and reliable uniform supply—one that meets the needs of Marines today and into the future—has become increasingly complex for retailers. Manufacturing pressures and the continued decline of domestic production now require scale, infrastructure and logistics depth to manage effectively. MCCS is uniquely positioned to meet those demands.

As the Marine Corps’ enterprise retail and services organization, MCCS brings the sourcing capability, systems and retail knowledge necessary to sustain uniform availability, quality control and pricing stability over time. In my judgment, this transition is the most responsible way to ensure Marines continue to receive the uniforms they require—when and where they

need them—without disruption.

The Marine Shop team has earned its reputation through professionalism, attention to detail and a deep understanding of what Marines expect. We are working closely with MCCS to ensure those standards carry forward. The experience customers associate with The Marine Shop—knowledgeable support, quality of our products, and respect for the customer—will

remain central throughout and after the transition.

As we are transitioning our uniform products and services to MCCS, I am pleased to announce that we will continue to offer mission-aligned retail products that focus on preserving our heritage, professional development and Marine Corps lifestyle. In the coming month, MCA is launching The Marine Corps Association—The Book Store, as an e-commerce-only platform.

Through this online store, MCA will continue to offer carefully curated non-uniform apparel, books, historical works and heritage-focused merchandise that reflect the legacy and values of the Marine Corps. You can view the website at www.thebookstore1775.com​.

As CEO, it is my responsibility to ensure decisions remain sound not only today, but years from now. I firmly believe this transition does exactly that. Thank you for your trust and continued support of the Marine Corps Association. We will continue to communicate as this transition progresses.

Semper Fidelis,

Charles G. Chiarotti

Lieutenant General, USMC (Ret)

President & CEO, Marine Corps Association

Our next FUNday Breakfast is scheduled for March 28th.

Please join us for our next FUNday breakfast at 0800 at the Airport Diner for the FUNday meet-n-greet breakfast @ 2280 Brown Avenue, Manchester to join in on all this fun! We gather the last Saturday of each month.

Hope to see you there!

Also, I hope to schedule upcoming noon lunches for the third Wednesday of the month of APRIL, MAY, JUNE, and then for SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, Lord willing. Your input is appreciated. 

Please let me know if you will be able to attend in April, as that will affect seating arrangements.

All the best to each of you.

Love and Smiles in advance!

Pat Anthony, Associate Member

Manchester Marine Corps League #542

603-782-3077 

Granite State Detachment 542, Marine Corps League has been selected to participate in the NH Charitable Gaming in 2026 with Revo Casino in Lebanon, NH in 2026.

Please join us at the Revo Casino in Lebanon, NH from May 11th to May 20th to help spread the mission of GSD 542 MCL to help support important Marine and veteran organizations across the state of NH.

Below is Margo Romano, Eric Anthony, and Robert Gleason, Casino Manager as we received our proceeds check from 2025. Let's see if we can match or exceed this amount for 2026!

Hope to see you there!



#PlayLikeARebel #RebelsWithACause

On January 10, 2026, GSD 542 Commandant Eric Anthony participated in the Eagle Scout Court of Honor for Thomas Matineau.

At the January 13th membership meeting, GSD 542 was proud to present Harbor Care with a donation of $1000.

Dave Tille and Brian Tagliaferro from Harbor Care shared with the group that Harbor Care provides housing, healthcare, and veteran services. They have a location in Nashua, Manchester, and Plymouth. They help with suicide prevention as well. Annually they help service 450 veterans and their families in NH.

They have made great strides to reduce the homelessness of veterans in Manchester with the help of the Mayor’s initiatives and work with the people with wrap around support, so they do not end up back on the street. They partner with many organizations, including Hidden Battles. Harbor Care is funded from the federal VA, Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and HUD, but there is a gap of about $1000 per person so that is where donations from organizations like GSD 542 come in to round out the funding.

Donation made possible by the funds received by the Charitable Gaming at Revo Casino in Lebanon, NH. #PlayLikeARebel #RebelsWithACause

Image includes Dave Tille and Brian Tagliaferro from Harbor Care and Chris Peirce and Eric Anthony from GSD 542.

Mike Martioski from the Department of NH was there to present a check to Harbor Care as well from a motion that was passed at the December meeting from a GSD member; a donation of $2000.

Image includes Dave Tille and Brian Tagliaferro from Harbor Care and Chris Peirce and Eric Anthony from GSD 542 and Mike Martioski from the Department of NH.

For more information on Harbor Care, go to https://harborcarenh.org/

At the January 13th membership meeting, GSD 542 was proud to present Hidden Battles with a donation of $1000.

We asked Scott Hyder and Matt Ayers from Hidden Battles to explain a little about what their group is all about and how they help the veteran community. Scott shared, with his service dog Junie at his side, how Hidden Battles started and their mission is to help with mental health therapy through peer support groups, art therapy, ruck marches, and other events that builds a common bond with like minded people.

Donation made possible by the funds received by the Charitable Gaming at Revo Casino in Lebanon, NH. #PlayLikeARebel #RebelsWithACause

Left to right: Scott Hyder with his support dog Junie, Eric Anthony, and Chris Peirce.

For more information about Hidden Battles, please visit https://www.hiddenbattlesfoundation.org/.

At the January 13th membership meeting, GSD 542 was proud to present Hidden Battles with a donation of $1000.

We asked David Gray from Hometown Hero Outdoors to explain at a high level what his organization does for the veteran community. David shared that they work with veterans and first responders and take them out on outdoor events to help reduce the effects of PTSD and suicide prevention. They are a 100% volunteer organization, and they receive no federal funding but provide their services by donations. The events are free for the attendees with a few exceptions.

They are strict on safety with background checks on everyone that attends the events and with equipment used during the events. Their events include bear hunts, they just had their first 100% women bear hunt, kayaking, ice fishing, and hiking to name a few. They create chat groups for each event so that everyone can keep in touch as a lot of people come from all over the country for the events.

Donation made possible by the funds received by the Charitable Gaming at Revo Casino in Lebanon, NH. #PlayLikeARebel #RebelsWithACause

Left to right: Marge Romano, David Gray, and Eric Anthony.

For more information on Hometown Hero Outdoors, please go to www.hometownherooutdoors.org.

At the February 10, 2026 membership meeting Marge Romano shared with the meeting about a MCL member in need. She explained that David French is a long time (25+ years) member of the MCL in NH and currently a member in the Lakes Region detachment and a close personal friend of her and her late husband Tony. 

David and his wife were there for Tony and Marge when he was ill, always willing to help in any way they could. He has been very active in the MCL with the honor guard at the veteran’s cemetery and with toys-for-tots. David is fighting cancer and he needs to go in for surgery on February 11th to have his larynx removed and is expected to be in the hospital for ten days at Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital in Lebanon, NH. He will need to learn to talk and eat all over again and it will be a long process of rehab after recovery from surgery.

Below is an image of Eric Anthony presenting the donation of $1500 from the Granite State 542 Detachment.

At the March Quarterly Department of NH MCL meeting, Commandant Cody Dumont and Jim Ambrose, presented GSD 542 member Patricia (Pat) Anthony with the Departments Associate Member of the Year award.

At the March detachment meeting Pat shared the experience with the membership and thanked everyone for the honor and she was quite surprised to receive the award. The wording of the certificate were read into the minutes, and she posed for this picture with the wooden plaque that was made by fellow GSD member Dennis Mitchell.

Congratulations Pat Anthony - well deserved!

Bingo at the VA Hospital is on the 3rd Sunday of the month.

Each month the GSD 542 MCL members volunteer to help the residence of the VA to play bingo. If you are interested in helping your fellow veterans and have some fun in the process, please contact Joe Duquette.

Our next Marine Corps Bingo will be on Sunday, March 15, 2026 and then April 19, 2026. We meet at the lower level parking lot at 12:30pm.  VA Hospital at 318 Smyth Road, Manchester.

Please call Joe Duquette if you are available to volunteer. 603-540-9807

GSD 542 volunteers from the January 18, 2026 Bingo event at the VA. Left to right, Eric Anthony, Joey Duquette, two sons of Sara, Sara Steffen, and Joe Duquette.

You are invited to the 1st annual New England Division Conference. This was formerly known as Quad State, but the division decided to combine all six states together and do one conference each year instead of having separate ones for two of the six. For all the details please see the image below and scan the QR code to register for the event. Please note that the deadline to register is May 14th.

We are starting a list of businesses in our area that offer discounts to Veterans. If you know others please email us at granitestatemarines542@gmail.com .

Bass Pro Shops - Hooksett

The Home Depot

Lowes

Tucker's Restaurant -Bedford, Hooksett, and Merrimack

T-Bones - Bedford, Derry, and Concord

VIP's Tires and Service - Bedford -offers discounts for veterans and offer free NH state inspections, check their website for other locations for their offerings.

For a list of Veteran Owned Business in NH please visit: www.veteranownedbusiness.com they have a listing of discounts based on location.

9/16/25 The Homeland Heroes Foundation (Limited time offer) www.Homelandheroesfoundation.org - they recently received a call from a local roofing company that would like to donate two new roofs to veterans in need. The company is willing to go from the Mass border to Rochester, NH. If you know of someone with this need please contact the editor of this newsletter Jo Zurwell and she will get the contact information.

Hello All,

Just a note to inform you of a very special birthday party for a 100 year old Marine, Ray Bernard, that was attended by members of the the Seacoast and Granite State Detachments.

The event took place at the Elks club in Dover NH on Saturday, February 21, 2026. It was quite the gala event with about 150 people attending. Music, cake, picture gallery, presentations, and a culinary delight buffet lunch.

Attending the event from the Granite State Detachment #542 were Eric & Pat Anthony, Paul Coutu, and Jim Ambrose. Attending from the Seacoast Detachment #394 were Dick Lak, Brad Howe, and Jim Ambrose.

Together, we presented Ray with a Marine Corps satin jacket, a wearable honorary Marine Corp metal, and a commemorative hat depicting and celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States.

It was an honor to be invited to and attend this event by Ray's daughter, Linda Szabo. Ray Bernard fought in the WW2 battle of Okinawa.

Just a note that Ray, and his wife, who is 101 years old, still live in their own home! 

See the pictures below.

Best Regards, and Semper Fi, Jim Ambrose (Dual member GSD and Seacoast)

Happy 100th Birthday Ray Bernard!

A trail parking lot, pick up duty

Along the Appalachian

Daughter and a friend tackling the hike

A long one, breaks needed every few days

Off the trail they come, scruffy and smelly

Pair of add Ons with them

Not quite jungle marine stench, but close

Chattering, catching up, resupplies

Showers, laundry and food a ride ahead

“Did you ever do any trails sir?

Any mountains?” A pause, a thought

Memory starts, how much to free?

Work it slow, guard and separate the pieces

Till, “Yeah I did a couple, a 4k and 6k.”

“Wasn’t bad, don’t do much anymore.”

Left unsaid the pictures rise

Did the 4k in the pitch dark

Enemy moving parallel in the distance

Guy in front a sensation unseen

Darkness, a blanket, a terror hider

Night a concert of rustles and stumbles

False dawn brings contact, work to be done

Kit contents fly to fingers, to wounds

Days pass and another looms

A big sucker and we climb once again

Sun and clear views speed our steps

Another battalion to link up with, moves

Contact made, our task to block and finish

Halfway down, break called

Ringside seat to an airstrike below

High enough to look down on pilots, close

Silver pieces separate and tumble away

Flames ripple the tree line and village edge

Tiny figures break, become rag dolls

As marines approach, spread on line

14’s barks arrive seconds later

Death distant, but seen and we move to join

“So yeah, did a couple of mountains

High jungle, beautiful they were.”

“Nuff talk, let’s find dinner.”

At the January 4, 2026 Bruins Alumni Game in Concord, NH, the Department of NH MCL was requested to do the Color Guard ceremony for the game. The color guard included Eric Anthony, Cody Dumont, Reggie LeClair and Mike Martioski. Good job on the ice guys, they did not have mats to walk out on.

When Eric was running a little late, Cody decided to ask one of the players to help out in case he did not make it in time. This made for some very interesting pictures!

At our December membership meeting, member George Robinson let the group know about an organization that veterans and military members can go to and enter drawings to receive free tickets to local events. He mentioned that he had received tickets to a few events since he has started using it, and it is easy to use and he thought he would share with the full detachment.

Veteran Tickets Foundation's Tickets for Troops Program is dedicated to giving back to those who gave us so much. We team up with major sports teams, leagues, promoters, organizations, venues and every day event ticket holders to provide free tickets to currently serving and veterans of all branches of the US military.

To find out more about this site, please check out their website by clicking the button below.

Get one year of LinkedIn Premium and LinkedIn Learning for free.

In collaboration with SheerID, LinkedIn offers eligible members of the U.S. military community one year of access to LinkedIn Premium. You’ll also get unlimited access to more than 10,000 courses through our LinkedIn Learning platform as a part of the program.

Click on the button below and it will bring you to a form to fill out to sign up for one year of free usage of LinkedIn.

Some of you may have noticed that back in May our Facebook page was no longer published on the social media site. It seems that someone attacked (hacked) our page and made it so that it was unpublished and no mater what we did to fix it, nothing worked.

Therefore, we have had to recreate our Facebook page with a slightly different page name.

Below is the link for the new page, we ask that you go to the page and click the follow button so that you can see all of our posts.

The eight-point Veteran’s Creed is:

1.   I am an American Veteran

2.   I proudly served my country

3.   I live the values I learned in the military

4.   I continue to serve my community, my country and my fellow veterans

5.   I maintain my physical and mental discipline

6.   I continue to lead and improve

7.   I make a difference

8.   I honor and remember my fallen comrades

Source:  https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2018/6/veterans-organizations-establish-veterans-creed

Granite State Detachment #542 MCL has partnered with Revo Casino and Social House with the NH Charitable Gaming in the last couple of years, and has been selected to participate again this year.

The funds we receive from our assigned days at the Lebanon, NH Revo Casino will be designated to support local NH based Marine and Veteran organizations or individuals in need.

#PlayLikeARebel

Below please find some links for the VA website that may be helpful to you.

Outreach events

VA benefits can help Veterans and their families buy homes, earn degrees, start careers, stay healthy, and more. Join an event for conversation and information.

Outreach Materials

Use our outreach materials to help Veterans manage their journey with VA and learn about their benefits.

State Departments of VA Offices

Select a state or territory below to visit the website for that location’s Department of Veterans Affairs office.

Download or Print out your VA Welcome Kit

Whether you’re just getting out of the service or you’ve been a civilian for years now, the VA Welcome Kit can help guide you to the benefits and services you’ve earned.

Monthly Member Meeting - Every 2^nd Tuesday at 1800 for the detachment meeting at the American-Canadian Genealogical Society at 1 Sundial Ave., Suite 317, Manchester, NH 03103.

Upcoming Meeting Dates

April 14, 2026

May 12, 2026

June 9, 2026

Monthly Breakfast -Every last Saturday of the month at 0800 at the Airport Diner for the FUNday meet-n-greet breakfast @ 2280 Brown Avenue, Manchester.

Upcoming Breakfast Dates

March 28, 2026

April 25, 2026

May 30, 2026

June 27, 2026

NH Charitable Gaming Dates May 11 - May 20, 2026 at Revo Casino, Lebanon, NH

New England Division Conference - Replaces Quad State - June 11th - June 14th, 2026

Members of the Marine Corps League join together in camaraderie and fellowship for the purpose of preserving the traditions and promoting the interests of the United States Marine Corps. 

Our mission is to voluntarily aid and render assistance to all Marines, FMF Chaplains, FMF Corpsmen and former Marines, FMF Chaplains and FMF Corpsmen and to their widows and orphans. 

Our Membership Coverage Area is the greater Hillsborough County with some towns in Rockingham County. For the full list of towns we encompass, please check out our membership page on our website.

Monthly Meetings

When: Monthly Meetings of the Granite State Detachment are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month

Where: The American-Canadian Genealogical Society (ACGS), 1 Sundial Ave, Suite 317, Manchester, NH 03103

Time: Meetings begin promptly and 1800



Info: Membership is not a requirement for attendance and guests are always welcome to attend these events.

2025 Officers

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