Commandant: Tom Newton (229) 446-2209 [email protected] Sr. Vice Commandant: Ron Kirstatter (229) 809-0084 [email protected] Jr. Vice Commandant: Sherman Braden (229)759-1217 [email protected] Judge Advocate: Bob Sanders (229) 888-7814 [email protected] Jr. Past Commandant: Rob McCarty (229) 639-6534 [email protected] Adjutant: Roger Paulin (229)669-6957 [email protected] Chaplain: Ernie Elmore (229) 435-2283 [email protected] Paymaster: Bob Adams (229) 344-5660 [email protected] Sgt-At-Arms: Jim Rodgers (229) 446-4528 [email protected] Volume 3, Issue 1 Member Spotlight January 2012 Major Lawrence DesJardines MGySgt Ken Cason (USMC Ret.) Detachment #1260 Marine Corps League Detachment member Ken Cason was born P.O. Box 70971 1 February 1936 in Liberty, South Albany, GA 31708-0971 Carolina. Ken went to Liberty High School [email protected] http://www.mclalbanyga.org where he played basketball and at home he loved to cook. He made some money SPECIAL STAFF: working as a cook in local restaurants. He JNROTC/Young Marines had a great relationship with his uncle, a Coordinator Boy Scout Troop Leader which caused Ken to become a Boy Scout. At Kelly Fisk graduation, all his friends entered the Army or Air Force. He had been Boy Scout Coordinator Dan Gillan told that the Marine Corps would never take him. Well, as it happens, Fallen Marine Coordinator he went to the recruiting station in Greenville and was dazzled by what Ernie Elmore he thought was a "band leader" due to his outstanding uniform. Of Marine for Life Coordinator course, Ken was staring at a Marine Corps Recruiter who encouraged Roger Wood him to join the Corps. So in Atlanta, he was sworn into the Marine Newsletter Editor Bobbie Elmore Corps and sent to boot camp at Parris Island. He laughingly Patriotism Committee remembers his D.I. asking him if he was a black maggot or a white Dave Aldrich maggot. Recruits were integrated in those days, so he figured he was a Veterans Service Officer maggot along with all the other black and white maggots. He graduated Nick Nicholson boot camp in 1956. Quartermaster Tim McClelland Following boot camp, he was sent to Montford Point to attend the Historian Cooks and Steward's Course and obtained a 3600 MOS. He learned to Kathy Fazekas steward for General officers, and you could say that he became a Web Sergeant "gentleman's gentleman." Ron Kirstatter His first duty station then was Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii 1956-59. Much to his chagrin he was put to work as a "pot washer." One day he spied a publication called "What to Fly" which said you could write to the Commandant of the Marine Corps about it. This gave him an idea. So he sat down and wrote a letter directly to the CMC in which he stated he wasn't trained to wash pots. Of course, this correspondence got to his chain of command where he was "encouraged" not to ever write directly to the Commandant again! Well, it worked. He was taken out of the Pot Room and into the Kitchen which is what he wanted all along. In three years he went from Private to Meritorious Sgt E-4. Then he had orders back to Montford Point to complete Advanced Steward Training and he was then assigned to the BOQ at PISC for two years. Ken was then sent to SNCO Leadership School. General's Stewards were of SNCO ranks. A General was assigned Stewards according to their rank. For example, a BG was given one Steward (an "enlisted aide") and one Officer Aide. A Major General was given two Stewards (Enlisted Aide) and two Officer Aides and so forth. After graduating from SNCO School he was sent TAD to Culinary School and then on to Norfolk as a SSgt to work for Lt General R. J. Weed. Following his tour at Norfolk, Ken was promoted to GySgt and was sent to DaNang Viet Nam in 1970 to serve with Gen. Mc Cutchson, III MEF. After that tour of duty he was ordered to HQMC to serve with General Anderson, who was Asst. Commandant of the Marine Corps. General Anderson was with the air wing so at that time he was unable to be moved up to Commandant. Ken went to Quantico after serving with General Anderson to head up the Bake Shop, Central Pastry Kitchen which served all mess halls and the Naval Hospital. Around this time he married his lovely wife, Ione. He will tell you that HE owns Ione. Together they had five children. Then Ken was off to Camp Hansen, Okinawa (III MEF) serving with BG K.L. Robinson. Within a citation given to Ken by the General were words speaking about, "his lending special talents and culinary skills to hospitality events. "He" added luster." As a MSgt, Ken was sent to work for the CG at PISC. That was 1979-80, and then it was on to the Navy Yard, Washington D.C. to work for the General in charge of Manpower for the Marine Corps. During his career the Marine Corps also sent him twice to the Culinary Arts School in Connecticut. Finally, he was transferred to Albany, GA to serve with Major General Schaeffer. In 1986, after 30 years of honorably serving our nation, MGySgt Ken Cason retired. He and Ione live here in Albany. Of course, Ken isn't one to keep his hands still and he began competing with the Vocational Industrial Club of America. He competed in Culinary Art events in many technical schools, winning awards along the way. He also went to work for Phoebe Putney Hospital as a cook and in 1997 he was awarded the Phoebe "Caring Hands Award" for demonstrating "that your hands are truly different." He left Phoebe in 1998 and his wife, Lone retired from Phoebe after working there for 35 years. Ken continues keeping his hands busy by volunteering his skills at two local churches. Ken is a wonderful man with a great sense of humor. Take time to get to know him. From the Commandant cleanups, Stash the Trash, National Trails Day, Make a Difference Day, Patriot Field of Kris and I hope that Flags, Memorial Day, and everyone had a Merry Veterans Day have made not Christmas and a happy and only the community but other peaceful New Year. veterans organizations look to As we begin this new us for advice and support. year, it is time again to elect I could not have started Semper Fi, officers for the Detachment. I or sustained these programs Tom Newton want to tell all of you that it has and events by myself. It is you, been my privilege and honor to Chaplain’s Corner our members, who have seen a serve as your Commandant for need and said, "I want to take the past two years. I have "We went through fire and the lead on that." I am very enjoyed representing you at the water, but you brought us to a grateful to have had a Department, Division, and place of abundance." supporting role in what the National levels. Psalm 66:12b Detachment has become today. During the past two Many of you know that I years, we have increased our "Have a very Merry Christmas have been asked to assist the membership from 77 to 96 and a prosperous New year." Department in developing new members. I am hopeful that How many times has this been detachments in Southwest instituting the mentoring said to us? This is a New Year. Georgia. I look forward to program and starting training Let's examine "prosperous." working on this challenge for classes this year will help us It is nice to hear that God the next year. I would like to retain our new members and desires to bring us into point out that we are the oldest keep the interest of existing abundance. In fact, many a detachment in District 5. A part members. preacher has promoted the of my new duties includes Together, we have goodness of the Lord and His making recommendations on institutionalized the Patriotism ability to prosper His children. how the Department can assist or Flag Program, the Fallen Unfortunately, my experience is the existing detachments so Marine Program, the Young that this gospel of material you will hear that I am attending Marines Program, the Boy abundance has little to do with detachment and staff meetings Scout Program, the JROTC the gospel of the Kingdom as for our detachment as well as Program, the Awards Program, our Lord works in the realm of Warner Robins and Waycross. the Rose Program, the annual the sanctified soul. The You are all more than welcome yard sale, a monthly newsletter, passage above tells us that to join me and will get a view of and a Flag Folding Ceremony God does in fact bring us into how other Detachments are team. Discussing these places of abundance. However, coming along. programs at Department staff upon further study of the entire Now we all need to look meetings has made our brother passage, we lean the route to to and support the new officers detachments ask how to start this abundance. volunteering to lead us in the some of these programs. God's economy of coming year. Your community abundance often has little to do involvement in the River Walk with material blessing. In God's economy, abundance is often Banquet Highlights measured in wisdom and knowledge of Himself.