Marine Corps League 1426 East Fort Avenue (#17 Fire House) Baltimore, Maryland 21230-5247 Baltimore Detachment #565 Phone: 410-547-7699 http://www.mclbaltimore.org email: [email protected] Earl Ruff, Jr.* Commandant January - February 2017 * Vol. 21, No. 1 * Stuart Blair Editor Marines and Friends Celebrate a Holly Jolly Christmas Sr. Vice Commandant’s Message Commandant’s Message Greetings, Greetings Marines, Happy New Year and wish everyone good health and I wish everyone a very Happy Holiday. My regards to all much happiness. We lost many Marines last year and those who were able to attend the Christmas Party on 9 we hope our losses will be less as we go about our tasks December. It was a very delightful evening of fun, food and for this year. conversation. Thank You” for making our Detachment Toys for Tots May this be a safe holiday for everyone, especially those Program a success this year. Junior Vice Commandant who will be traveling for the holiday. Going into the new year Raymond Vaughn and I collected funds for this year’s the program by taking recruiting materials and setting up On Wednesday 14 December, I presented The Marine a Toys for Tots box and contribution jar at Shoppers. Corps League “Good Citizenship Award” to Eagle Scout Also, we made three trips to the warehouse which Clark A Jones, of Troop #97, The Eagle Court of Honor was resulted in us turning over 327 toys and checks in the held at the Chapel at Temple Oheb Shalom in Baltimore. amount of $415.00. Staff Sergeant Brandon Valentine informed us on December 12, 2016 that they had I will be looking forward to 2017 with new ideas and projects serviced so many individuals that the warehouse was for our detachment involvement assisting our brother / sister empty and they had to go shopping for more items. Marines, families and the community, which in turn will bring Needless to say, he was overjoyed when we made our us together for more than monthly meetings, memorial last toy report and hopefully, the Toys for Tots program rituals and services. Once again, Happy Holiday and will be able to service all of those who signed up for the Happy New Year. program this year. Additionally, we were able to assist a homeless family S/F which consisted of a 9 year old girl, a 4 year old boy and Earl Ruff, Jr., Commandant the mother. We were able to give the children 16 toys and 12 personal items were given to the mother so that she would also have something for the holiday. With the donations of 28 items made to this family and the 327 Marine of the Year * Detachment toys that were taken to the Toys for Tots Warehouse, the Detachment collected 355 items and donated $415.00. Nominations for Detachment Marine of the Year are due by Acknowledgements will be made to individuals and the close of business at the January 2017 Detachment organizations who contributed and hopefully, we will be monthly meeting. If you have a nomination for Detachment able to makes some presentations to them in person Marine of the Year, write an explanation as to why the next year and I hope to provide more information on that Marine deserves the award, mentioning the Marine's subject at a later date. accomplishments and place the letter in a sealed envelope. Please give the nomination to Adjutant Howard R. Gurley by For many of us, this is a time of reflection as we mentally the end of the January Detachment meeting. skim through our minds, remembering those we laughed with, those we invited over to dinner, those we thought to Detachment Marine of the Year Criteria: call and let them know that we are there for them and Period of performance for consideration: finally those we loved and lost during this year. We also 28 February 2016 through 31 January 2017 remembered the many military men and women who lost their lives lost at Pearl Harbor; the Four Frenchmen who Criteria of Award lost their lives in Baltimore but had no one to claim their Detachment Marine who during the period of bodies in France; we remembered the Four Chaplains consideration has demonstrated by leadership and who gave up their life jackets so that four young men performance an extraordinary contribution to the might have a chance to grow older and lastly we Detachment, Marine Corps League and Community. remembered those Veterans who made the ultimate Whose personal conduct has reflected favorably on sacrifice by giving their lives to protect us so that me and has brought credit to the Detachment, Marine might enjoy the freedoms that we have today – to them Corps League and the United States Marine Corps we say “Thank You” and we will not forget. To those of Lifetime achievements are NOT considered you who are here to see this New Year, we say “Thank You” for your service as members of the Marine Corps Awarded: February Detachment Meeting and the Navy during your tenure in the military and we are elated that you continue to the serve as members of NOMINATIONS FOR MOY DUE BY the Marine Corps League and the Marine Corps Auxiliary. END OF MEETING 27 JANUARY !! Respectfully submitted, Marian C. James, SVC * Toys for Tots Chairperson - 2 - Jr. Vice Commandant Message Chaplain’s Report Greeting Marines, Time is like a river. You cannot touch the water twice, It's a New Year for the Baltimore Detachment. Year 2016 because the flow that has passed will never pass again. went very well. We gained a few new members, we can Enjoy every moment of life. As a bagpiper, I play many always use more, 2017 looks hopeful, and we are an gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play energized unit and hopeful of more and better to come. Our at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no Toys For Tots effort yielded over 325 toys and $415 in cash family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's and check donations to help the Marine Corps Reserve cemetery in the Nova Scotia back country. As I was not make an enjoyable Christmas for local children. Thanks to familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and being a typical Marian James for leading that process. Thanks to Chuck man, I didn't stop for directions. Hilton, Diamond Kimos and John Davis for making sure that Hall rentals were successful and keeping our guests, happy I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had in the experience. Thanks also to young Mr. Hilton for evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. providing excellent meals after the monthly meetings. Our There were only the diggers and crew left and they were programs, working with the Young Marines, Boy Scouts, eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for Francis Scott Key public school and assistance to local being late. Marine families in need, did a fantastic job. Our Pistol and Rifle teams are always looking for new shooters to help us I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the add to our collection of plaques. The Devil Dogs were alive vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to and active and contributed greatly to the organization's do, so I started to play. goals; Paul Taylor kept us on point with that effort. We have The workers put down their lunches and began to gather to give a great big "Oorah" to Jack Colleran and his helpers around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with for another great Marine Corps Ball celebration. Will Priest no family and friends. I played like I've never played has done a fantastic job, enhancing our museum and giving before for this homeless man. And as I played "Amazing the public access to our museum? The Ladies Auxiliary has Grace", the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, done us a great service with their activities, in highlighting and we all wept together. When finished, I packed up my the mission of the Baltimore Detachment this year. And bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head was Stuart Blair's editorship on the Gung Ho newsletter hung low, my heart was full. continues to make our printings, one of the best in the As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the system. If I've forgotten any one or any accomplishment, it's workers say, "I never seen anything like that before, and only because it's hard keeping track of all the efforts, of so I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years." many in the past year. Apparently, I'm still lost....it's a man thing. Here's hoping all of our members had a Merry Christmas, a Semper Fi Prayer Happy Hanukkah and New Year's, with the sincere wish Condolences to Rosemary Koontz, auxiliary unit that 2017 be just as remarkable as 2016 was. We look member, on the passing of her Mother. forward more of the same for the Baltimore Detachment. Semper Fidelis is our motto and our legacy. Remember our sick in your thoughts and prayers for Dorothy White, Charles Luthardt, Roose Semper Fi Nippard, Jack Dickerson, Diamond Kiemos, Bill Ray Vaughn, JVC Wheeler, Dominic Naples, Irv Becker. Fran Miller, Ceil Handschuh and Kathy DeVage wife of Glen DeVage, Bill Wells, and Bob Flick.