FORWARDING AND ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

TO:

ONCE A MARINE ALWAYS A MARINE

All annual dues expire on August 31st of each year. Our membership dues are $40.00 a year and are due prior to

George Phillips Detachment" and send to the Detachment address.

This newsletter and previous issues can be obtained from the new Detachment Website. http://www.pvtgeophillips.org/

Please contact the Editor to receive future issues electronically.

As a suggestion, anyone wishing to provide material should try to have it to the editor t is a no later than the fourth Friday of previous month. (This doesn’t mean don’t submit anything at all if you need more time, instead please contact the editor.) If sent via email, please note that newsletter submission should appear the subject line.

Next Meeting May 19, 2020 @ 1930 (cancelled)

May 2020 Volume XVI – Issue 5

Commandant: Trustee 3Yr: Ed Rau: Rick Shelton 636-978-3522 314-677-0087 Sr. Vice-Commandant Mike Moss Trustee 2Yr: 818-652-9700 John Cooper 314-712-0738 Jr. Vice-Commandant Brad McNeil Trustee 1Yr: 636-225-2866 Elliot Glassman 314-434-4868 Adjutant/Paymaster: Dennis Simpson Jr. Past 636-230-5976 Commandant Lyle McFarlin Judge Advocate 314-630-5647 Public Information Officer: Hugh Smith Ways & Means: 636-536-7040 Elliot Glassman Email 314-434-4868 Benevolence: [email protected] Quartermaster: John (Jack) Bickerton Rick Shelton 314-304-4360 Detachment Webpage http://www.pvtgeophillips.org/ 314-677-0087 Sgt at Arms: [email protected] Gerald Gerling Eagle Scout Liaison: 636-271-3778 Vacant Mail:

Chaplain Pvt George Phillips Detachment Joe Gentile Marine Corps League Editor/Historian: 314-488-9440 P.O. Box #1 Carl E. Ramsey Web Sgt: Brad McNeil Ballwin, MO 63022 314-304-7915 636-225-2866 Meeting Location:

225 Old Sulphur Springs Road Ballwin, MO 63021-5356

Detachment Membership as of April 30

Meetings 3rd Tuesday 87 of Every Month 1930 – 7:30 PM

Commandant’s Corner I also want to encourage members who are physically able to donate blood to the Red Cross whose reserves ATTENTION ON DECK are extremely low.

I would also like to remind all members if there are ANY detachment members who need any assistance with shopping, picking up medications, need a ride to doctor’s appointments, or whatever, please pick up the phone and call me at 636-978-3522 and I will arrange to get you the help you need.

I invite you to contact me by phone, 636-978-3522 or

email, [email protected], to share your ideas

as to how we can make your experience with the

detachment more meaningful.

Ed Rau, Commandant

Pvt. George Phillips Detachment

1214 Marine Corps League

To members and associate members of our Private George Phillips detachment, Marine Corps League. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as your Commandant for this coming year.

It is difficult during this health crisis, to not have our monthly meetings and have a chance to mingle amongst our fellow Marines.

However, we have not been given the all-clear from National or State, therefore, I must reluctantly cancel the May 19th meeting, along Pvt George Phillips, detachment namesake with the collections that were scheduled in May also. As soon as we are able to meet again, we should immediately look into rescheduling the spring collections to replenish our cash reserves. Benevolence committee has been temporarily been put on hold until we can reassess our financial condition.

Election of Officers (Repeat)

Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, the Detachment was not able to have a formal swearing in and installation of our new May 2020 Detachment Officers. In keeping with 12 – Staff Meeting – 1900 Post #208 guidance from National Headquarters, Marine Cancelled due to Corona Virus Corps League, our newly elected officers took 19 – Membership Meeting – 1930 Post #208 the oath of office via e-mail and/or verbally and Cancelled due to Corona Virus by their affirmation were remotely sworn in by June 2020 Past-Commandant Jack Bickerton on April 4, 9 – Staff Meeting – 1900 Post #208 2020. 13 – Veteran’s Fishing Day – 0600-1800

Meramec Springs Park (See Brochure) Please welcome our 2020 - 2021 Detachment 16 – Membership Meeting – 1930 Post #208 Officers: Commandant: Ed Rau July 2020 Senior Vice-Commandant: Mike Moss 7 – Staff Meeting – 1900 Post #208 Junior Vice-Commandant: Brad McNeil 14 – Membership Meeting – 1930 Post #208 Judge Advocate: Hugh Smith (also birthday of Pvt George Phillips) Paymaster/Adjutant: Dennis Simpson

Sgt-at-Arms: Jerry Gerling August 2020 Chaplain: Joe Gentile 11 – Staff Meeting – 1900 Post #208 Quartermaster: Rick Shelton 18 – Membership Meeting – 1930 Post #208 Trustee 3 year: Rick Shelton

Trustee 2 year: John Cooper

Trustee 1 year: Elliot Glassman Newsletter Editor/Historian: Carl Ramsey

Web Sergeant: Brad McNeil

May Birthday Scroll Donald Gutman Thomas Heintz Russell Lake

Richard Shelton

Deward Terry

William Tyler Jr.

Auxiliary Darcy Lusk

MEMBERS MATTER (Danny Allen Covert) not long ago.1 He encouraged me to join the Private By Lyle McFarlin George Phillips Detachment before he passed away.

I was born on 17 February, 1956, in Ballwin, My wife, Cindy, and I have been married for forty- Missouri. I was delivered at St. Joseph Hospital two years. We have one son, Joshua, and one in Kirkwood. I have two brothers (one daughter, Jordan, but as of now no grandkids. deceased) and five sisters. I attended grade school in Ballwin at Holy Infant then in Pacific, I enjoy Bass fishing, jeeps and ATVs and my business keeps me busy. Missouri for three years and finally in Troy, Missouri for one year where I graduated from I am Danny “Dan” Allen Covert. Buchanan High School in 1974. Jim Jake Jacobs Obituary (Danny’s cousin) I worked odd jobs in construction for two years and then enlisted in the U.S. Marines Reserve In Memorial: Jim Jake Jacobs, July 31, 1934 – June in May,1976. I attended boot camp at MCRD, 14, 2013 (courtesy Saint Louis Post Dispatch.) San Diego, California, where I was the Platoon Jacobs, James age 78, passed away June 14, 2013 at Honor Man. My series Commander in boot his home. He is survived by his wife, Rosalie Jacobs, camp was (at that time) First Lieutenant R.F. children Michael, Mark, and Lynn, and grandchildren Natonski. He retired in 2020 as a Lieutenant Nathan, Alex, Britt, Andrea, and Kristina. Services: General who had led A funeral mass will be held at 11 am on Thursday many combat units. I remember him vividly. June 20, 2013 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 305 E. 4th Street, Eureka, MO 63025. Interment at I enlisted in the 3/24 Battalion, Marine Corps Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Reserves at St. Louis, Missouri Airport where I was assigned to H and S Company Communications Platoon, as a MOS 2512, Wireman. I became section chief.

[While] attending reserve meetings and summer camp, my dad and I started a construction company, [which] eventually became Contech Building Components. We construct building components, manufacturing roof trusses and related assemblies in Troy, Missouri.

I am proud of my Dad, a Marine, who served in the Korean War. He didn’t talk about his service in Korea, and went to his final duty station in 1983.

Danny Covet’s cousin Jake Jacobs Other Marines in my family include one brother and four nephews. My one cousin, Jake Jacobs, was also a Marine, and a member of Private George Phillips Detachment, who died 1 Jake Jacobs passed away June 14, 2013. His obituary appeared in the July, 2013 newsletter.

Military Highlight for May

The Battle of Cienfuegos, or the Raid on Cienfuego s, was an engagement of the Spanish–American War , intended by the to tighten its blockade of .

The Spanish were using undersea cables as a means to communicate with not only the rest of Cuba, but also the Spanish command. These cables had many key junctions, namely, a shore near Cienfuegos. The cables connected to Havana, the port of Santiago, and then branched off to other islands such as Jamaica. The cables were run out from an easily located house which contained a critical hub for the undersea cable system. While the house could easily be destroyed, this would only inflict largely superficial damage, and could easily be repaired and functioning in a short period of time. Therefore, command decided to grapple the three cables out of the sea and cut them in several places, disrupting much of the communications between the Spanish and their operations in Cuba. This damage would be much more difficult to repair, as the cables were nearing two inches in diameter which made cutting, and by extension repairing them, a difficult task. For the mission, the cruiser USS Marblehead, the USS Nashville , and the revenue cutter USS Windom were dispatched under the command of Captain Bowman H. McCalla to sever them.

The Marblehead and Nashville both opened fire on the cable house at 6:45 a.m. on May 11, 1898. Rather quickly, the cable house collapsed from the fire from the two warships. Ten minutes later, at 6:55 a.m. the warships dispatched their work boats, each carrying a minimal crew of sixteen, in order to minimize the risk of casualty. The element of surprise was quickly lost, as a Spanish Cavalryman spotted the ships en route to the beach.

While the first cable was out of the line of fire, the second cable was not so easy to cut. Because of coral formation, the cable was very difficult to snare in order to bring it up to the surface and cut. The

Spanish forces were also much closer to the second cable, so the crew had to contend with both of these problems. In order to suppress the increased fire from the Spanish forces, both warships increased their bombardment. As the raid crew hauled up the second cable to cut it, they discovered a third, smaller cable. After the second had been cut, they moved on to find this third and final cable.

They were not able to however, as a large contingent of Spanish forces arrived from Cienfuegos to repel what they thought at the time was a full-scale invasion. By 11:15 a.m. the raid was over.

After a tense, hour-long firefight, two cables were cut, and the sailors and Marines withdrew, but a third cable near the shore remained untouched

Fifty -two US sailors and marines were awarded the Medal of Honor for "setting an example of extraordinary bravery and coolness under fire. Source: Wikipidea.

Marine Corps Medal of Honor Recipients appear on following pages.

Marines who received Medal of Honor 5/11/1898 , Coolness and bravery under fire during the operation of cutting the underwater cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba. Served on USS Nashville (Pictures 1-2) Sgt Philip Gaughan (Picture 1 Row 2), Pvt Oscar W.

Field (Picture 2 Row 2), Pvt Michael Kearney (Picture 1, Row 3).

Marines who received Medal of Honor 5/11/1898 , Coolness and bravery under fire during the operation of cutting the underwater cable lead ing from Cienfuegos, Cuba. USS Nashville

Continued Pvt Joseph J. Franklin (Picture 5), Pvt Michael Kearney (Picture 6), Pvt Mark Festus

Pomeroy Parker (Picture 7), Pvt Joseph F. Scott (Picture 8), Frank Hill (No Picture).

Marines who received Medal of Honor 5/11/1898, Coolness and bravery under fire during the operation of cutting the underwater cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba. Served on USS Marblehead (Picture 1). Cpl Edward Joseph Sullivan Picture 2). Pvt Daniel Campbell, Pvt Hermann Wilhelm Kuchneister. Pvt James Meredith (Name changed to Patrick F Ford, Jr.

Marines who received Medal of Honor 5/11/1898, Coolness and bravery under fire during the operation of cutting the underwater cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba. Served on USS Marblehead Continued. Pvt Daniel Campbell, Pvt Hermann Wilhelm Kuchneister. Pvt James Meredith (Name changed to Patrick F Ford, Jr.

May Marine Corps Heroes of Okinawa. 5/14-15/1945, Okinawa, Maj Henry A. Courtney, Jr. (Picture 1) was killed in action after exhibiting great courage and self-sacrifice leading a successful night attack against enemy positions on Sugar Loaf Hill. 5/14-17/1945, Okinawa, Cpl James L. Day (Picture 2) led men that repulsed over 6 attacks; on 1 occasion he rescued 4 wounded 1 at a time; after 3rd at-tack, found 70 dead outside his position. 5/14/ 1945, Okinawa, Cpl Louis J. Hauge, Jr. (Picture 3), demolished 2 machineguns before KIA by snipers.