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MARINE CORP LEAGUE- DEPT OF Georgia

NEWSLETTER Volume 2, Issue 3 QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2013

From The Foxhole From Commandant Joe Barbee

MARINES! We are entering our fifth month of the year with a completely new Staff of Officers for the Department. What I would like to see as a Department is Growth, Retention, Training and Communication. In order to move forward we need to grow as a Department. For that to happen we need to Charter new Detachments and grow our existing Detachments. It is hard to grow if we keep losing our present Marines in our Detachments; therefore, we all need to figure the best ways to keep our present Marines. Training from the Professional Development Course is a huge asset in which everyone needs to utilize. It will be offered at the Department level and I hope on the Detachment level also. Communication in this day and time has made it so easy for all of us to keep in touch and share our ideas with each other. Most of us share our Detachment Newsletters on line and also this Department Newsletter. If you see something going on in a particular Detachment and you think it might work in your area, call or email that Detachment for assistance. Everyone benefits. Our next Department Staff Meeting will be 26 October 2013 at the Upper Chattahoochee Detachment #665 in Gainesville, Ga. We will have our regular Staff Meeting with Training sessions after lunch. The meeting is open to all Marines in the Department. You can go to our Department website to make reservations if you would like to come up the night before or contact the Host Detachment. Looking forward to seeing many Marines from throughout the Department

From the Department Chaplain It is my great privilege to serve the Marines of Georgia this year as Department Chaplain. I am a charter member of the Sgt. Clyde Thomason MOH Detachment #1325 where I have served as Chaplain and as Jr. Vice Commandant. I am also a member of the MODD where I am a Pedigreed Devil Dog and serve as Senior Vice Pound Keeper for the Southern Crescent Pound #350. I have been a MCL member about 17 years. In my regular life, I am the pastor of Christ the King Church in Sharpsburg, GA and serve as the bishop of Georgia and Tennessee for my denomination. I am also the associate endorser for my denomination's military chaplains. I have been in the ministry for 42 years. I also serve as a law enforcement chaplain and will mark my 25th year in that endeavor next August. I am married, have three adult sons, and eleven grandchildren. That's a bit about me. Hope I get to meet and know all of you. Semper Fi!

Rev. David Epps

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Greater Atlanta Detachment #647 Our Detachment continues to recruit

new members while maintain our current membership. We now have 44 members with 27 of those life members.

Members participated in the City of Marietta July 4th. Parade for our 11th. year.

Our detachment is proud to have Dean Prickett as our paymaster & adjutant for many years. Dean has done an outstanding job in recruiting, toys 4 tots and keeping the Detachment running. Dean was selected as the Dept. of Georgia’s “Associate of the Year for 2013-2014. Then state Commandant Michael Clark presented Dean with the certificate.

We have finished up our 2013 annual charity golf tournament. We had a fine turnout, in spite of the weather and plans are already in the works for our 2014 tournament.

We held our Detachment elections.

Our officers for the 2013-2014 terms are: Christian Roberts-Commandant, Richard Wakefield-Sr.Vice, Dave Hambrick- Jr. Vice, Bill Craig-Judge Advocate, Sean Basil-Sgt.at Arms, Dean Prickett- Paymaster, Lee Anderson-Adjutant and Ken Stadler-Chaplain

Bob Saxon, the dept. Toys 4 Tots coordinator is already making plans for this year’s toy drive. He has a warehouse in the same area as last years and is already accepting toys. He needs volunteers to deliver & pick up toy boxes so if you have extra time available contact Bob at

bob@shackfordsaxon.com or at 770-655-7666

Our Detachment continues to meet on

the first Saturday of each month at the Delkwood Grill at 11:00 am.

Greater Atlanta Det.647 (Cont.)

on the first Saturday of each month. All MCL members are welcome to join us for our meeting and lunch afterwards.

Submitted Christian Roberts-Commandant

PFC George Eiland Det. 1040, LaGrange, GA: Fourth Quarter Report Greetings from the PFC George Eiland Detachment, home of the 2014 Dept of Georgia Convention. We have been busy making preparations for the convention and assuring that you have an enjoyable stay and a memorable convention. The Convention will be on Saturday, May 3, 2014 at the Lafayette Gardens Inn and Conference Center, 1513 Lafayette Parkway, LaGrange, GA 30241. This is the same location we used when we hosted the Department Convention in 2007. A full breakfast for two in the IHOP that is located in the lobby is included in the room rate. The Commandant's Council will be on the evening before, Friday, May 2, 2014. Standard rooms (outside facing parking) will be $57.00 plus tax. Executive room (inside facing the courtyard and pool) will be $62.10 plus tax. Be sure that reservations are made for the 2014 Department of Georgia Marine Corps League Convention. This is an old style, two story hotel and there are no elevators. If someone needs a ground floor room, that request should be made when the reservation is made. The hotel will accept reservation now at 1-866-523-2938 or local number 706-884-6175. The Hospitality Room will be on the ground floor in the same room we used before and we have full use of the courtyard. We are planning for this to be one of the best conventions ever in the Dept. of Georgia.

Our members have been busy recruiting and we have some new members to show for it.

(Cont. pg. 3)

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Cont. from pg.2) PFC George Eiland Det. 1040, LaGrange, GA: Fourth Quarter Report Last month we swore in 1 new member and at the October meeting on the 14th we swore in two more. We also had a visitor who brought his DD 214 with him. It is our policy to have possible members visit us for two meetings so we can get to know them and they can see what we are all about, before swearing them in.

We believe this process will eliminate the problem of non-pays and make for a stronger membership. We are going for quantity but quality must be a major consideration too. We have only one unpaid member and we believe he has some serious health problems. He lives in Alex City, AL and has no phone or email. Other than that one, we have a healthy roster of active members. And lastly, we are about to kick off the 2013 Toys for Tots campaign for the Troup County area. Last year was a record-breaking year for number of toys and money donated. We are looking forward to breaking that record with another banner year. Semper Fi, Jim Hethcox, Commandant

Modern Day Marine Expo

Marines for the Department of Georgia again supported the Marine Corps League's effort to increase the awareness of active duty Marines to the activities of the League at the Modern Day Marine Expo. Our Marines operated the booth Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, September 24, 25, & 26, 2013. Shown, left to right are Roscoe Foster, Bernard Bledsoe, Larry Heard, Russ Vermillion, Morgan Reilly (AmVantge), Frank Goalen, Bob Van Dunk, Bill Watson and Steve Kovack. Jim Daughtry also assisted two of the days. Bill Watson is the Jr. Vice Commandant of the Mickey Finn Detachment at Quantico.

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Marine Corps League Trip Planning Calendar: The information below is offered to help members of our Department be better aware of the opportunities available and to encourage wider attendance among our members. I encourage you to go to the source websites of more information. If I can be of assistance call or write. Bernard Bledsoe, 10/16/2013. (706-882-7611); bledsoe@charter.net Take a Trip & Learn more about the League! Information Source: http://mcldeptofga.org/; then select “activities” for information. Look ahead at the travel and learning opportunities available to you as a member of the League. We have Department Staff meetings, the 2014 Southeast Division Conference, our 2014 Department of Georgia Convention and the 2014 National Marine Corps League Convention. For variety, how about a military trade show, the Marine Corps League Expo. First up is the Fall Department of Georgia Staff meeting. Our next Department of Georgia Staff meeting will be held on Saturday, October 26, 2013 at the VFW Post 8452 building, 855 Delta Drive, Gainesville, GA. The business meeting is planned from 09:30 until 11:30. The Upper Chattahoochee Detachment 665 is offering a free lunch at their Upper Chattahoochee Toys for Tots Warehouse and Museum, 1254 Industrial Blvd., Gainesville, GA. Officer training will be available following lunch. The location may be at the Warehouse or back at the VFW. A Growl of Pound 354 will follow. This is a good time to drive up and spend Friday night. Arrangements have been made for an overnight stay at the Lake Lanier Suites, 1755 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville, Georgia 30501, phone 678-971-4670, and at a rate of $77.00 + tax (ask for the Military rate). That rate is good for up to four in a room and a hot continental breakfast is included. The VFW is next to the hotel and the Friday meet and greet is planned at the VFW. For dinner on Friday night, Longhorn, O’Charley’s and others are close by. The 2014 Southeast Division Conference will be held Thursday, March 6 - Sunday, March 9, 2014. The host Detachments is the Music City Detachment 378 and the Stone River Detachment 1158. Dave Gardner is contact. The location is The Inn at Opryland, 2401 Music Valley Dr., Nashville, TN 37214. Phone: 615-889-0800. Hotel Prices are $99 + tax ~ $116.00. Price available + or – 3 days. The banquet will be Saturday night and the cost is $50 per person. Complete information is available at the Southeast Division website, http://www.sediv.org/ . At the Home page, look under “LINKS” along the left side for “SE Div. Conferences/Conventions Listing. Book the Inn at Opryland by 6 February 2014 directly at 1-855-584-3466. Be sure and mention the Marine Corps League when you make your reservations so you are able to get the conference rate. Conference registration ($10 per person) and banquet reservations and payment are made by sending a registration form and check to the Music City Detachment 378, P O Box 110145, Nashville, TN 37222-0145 by 6 February 2014. A copy of the form is on the website above. The Marine Corps League will again sponsor Marine South, the military supply and equipment trade show that is brought to Camp Lejeune each year. The dates will be Wednesday, April 9 and Thursday, April 10, 2014. Would you like to visit Camp Lejeune again and be a part of this effort? Marine Bledsoe attends this and the Modern Day Marine Exposition in Quantico each year as does many League members from Georgia. If you want to consider this opportunity, see him. Next in line is our 2014 Department of Georgia Convention. Mark your calendar for Friday, May 2, Saturday, May 3, 2014 and Sunday, May 4, 2014 and plan to be at or near the Best Western

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Marine Corps League Trip Planning Calendar (Cont.) Plus Lafayette Garden Inn in LaGrange. The host Detachment is the PFC George Eiland Detachment 1040 and they plan to improve on the 2007 Convention that they hosted there. Our neighbors will hold the 2014 Department of Alabama Convention on Friday, June 6 & Saturday, June 7, 2014. The host is the Townsend Detachment #920. The location is a short distance down I-85 at the Embassy Suites Montgomery - Hotel & Conference Center, 300 Tallapoosa Street, Montgomery, AL, 36104, Phone: 1-334-269-5055. Special Convention Rates for a Standard Room will be $92.25 including tax & Breakfast. Parking may cost! You may want to drive down for the day to attend their Growl and/business meeting if they have to return the Grits Bowl. This will be a special year for Devil Dogs. This will be the 75th Supreme Growl of the Military Order of the Devil Dogs and all Dogs, no matter what degree, attending the Convention will receive a 75th anniversary Dog Tag. Those attending will be authorized to wear two tags on their collars. At the end of the Convention, any unissued tag will be destroyed. The rule that only PDDs may attend the Supreme Growl will still apply. 2014 National Convention. Of course the highlight event each year is our National Convention That will be in Charleston, WV from Sunday, August 3 – Friday, August 8, 2014. Charleston is only about 600 miles away and the 2015 will be in Scottsdale, Arizona. There are dual host hotels for this Convention as neither hotel was large enough for us all. The price for each hotel will include breakfast for two, parking and internet connections. League events and activities will be held at the Embassy Suites Charleston and MODD events and activities will be held at the Charleston Marriott Town Center. These two hotels are on opposite end of the same block and there is covered parking deck between them. Use Google Map and look at the satellite photo of downtown Charleston, West Virginia and you will see them. This is the hotel information: HQ Hotel: Embassy Suites Charleston, 300 Court Street, Charleston, West Virginia, 25301, TEL: 1-304-347-8700 Room Cost: $114+12% tax including Breakfast, free internet & free self-parking. Overflow and MODD Hotel: Charleston Marriott Town Center 200 Lee Street East, Charleston, West Virginia 25301, 1-800-228-9290, local 1-304-345-6500; Room Cost: $119+12%tax including Breakfast free internet & free self-parking.

a) You have been advised to make your reservations early! directly with the hotel. It may be too late now for either of the host hotels, but at least two other locations, the Holiday Inn Express and the Fairfield have been added. b) Convention Registration will be through the Detachment. c) Local event options, including the Banquet will be published in our Semper Fi magazine.

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MAJOR STEPHEN W. PLESS DETACHMENT # 1196 MARINE CORPS LEAGUE

GRIFFIN, GEORGIA Quarterly Newsletter

As of September 30, 2013 our current membership is 74 paid and 5 delinquent. We have payment from 2 of the 5 and their payments are currently somewhere in the system. We will send post cards and make phone calls to the other 3. We had 3 members dropped from the last quarterly roster by National due to non-payment of dues. The Honor Guard, which is comprised of members from both Det. 1196 and Det. 1339, have rendered honors to 15 veterans since the July 20th Staff Meeting in Woodstock. We also participated in the 9-11 Memorial in McDonough. The Color Guard presented Colors at the Atlanta Race Track in Hampton on Friday night August 30th. The Detachment has had one flag replacement under its belt and we have another to do in the near future. On August 18th we had 12 members from Detachments 1196 and 1339 travel to Roswell where we escorted the contestants in the MS Senior Georgia Pageant. The Detachment has participated in two parades. One in Barnesville and the other in Fayetteville. We also had 3 members attend the Paulding County Air Show on Sunday Oct 6th, along with the Department JR. Vice Commandant and 1 member from Det. 1339. There we recruited for a new detachment in the Dallas area. The Department JR. Vice Commandant is heading to Paulding on Oct 19th to get the paperwork going on this detachment

Several members from various detachments traveled Quantico, VA to work the Modern Day Marine Expo. Some gave out bags with coffee cups and a copy of Semper Fi, while others signed up active duty Marines for a 6 month free membership. The detachment kicked off its Toys for Tots season with a Golf Tournament on Tuesday Oct 8th. We had 96 golfers and a great time was had by everyone. While the detachment has not presented any Good Citizenship Certificates to Eagle Scouts, we have presented 6 Good Citizenship Certificates to 6 Royal Rangers from the church where we hold our meetings. Semper Fi Frank Goalen Commandant Major Stephen W. Pless Detachment # 1196 AUBREY GILBERT DETACHMENT 1312 We have moved into a new location provided by Carroll County, Georgia, The address is 1201 Stripling-Chapel Road, Carrollton, Georgia. The new building is named The Veterans Building and

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will be shared by other veteran organizations. This is provided to us at no cost. We hope that it will be our home for a long time. The Detachment participated in the Dictionary Project. I appeared before the Carroll County Board of Education and they unanimously approved the program. We were able to provide dictionaries to the 3rd grade students in 12 elementary schools in Carroll, County. This is a good program and the looks on the student’s faces when they received a dictionary of their own was priceless. We placed labels inside the covers of the dictionaries stating that they were donated by the Aubrey Gilbert Detachment. Pictures were taken and placed on our Face Book page. Recruiting and Retention continues to be the highest priority of our Detachment. The latest National Roster showed that we had ten delinquents. Two of those have paid. Three have moved. Five have indicated that they no longer desire to be members. The later have been contacted several times to no avail. We will celebrate the 238th Marine Corps Birthday on November 9, 2013. Our program will be designed around our WWII Veteran members. General Charles Wilhelm will be our Guest Speaker/Guest of Honor. Our Toy for Tots program has started and is hopeful that it is a success again this year. Last year total was 27,000 toys collected and 6400 children provided Christmas gifts. We have issued checks for $100.00 each to the two High School JROTC Units to help them with their needs. Semper fi; Charles H. (Chuck) Feaselman Commandant ********************************************************************************************************************** From: Jim Daughtry Jr Vice Commandant Department of Georgia Marines and Associates, We have just completed our Second Quarter and we have our work cut out for us. As of 30 September 2013, we are down substantially in Membership and non pays. It is important that each detachment commandant and Jr. Vice Commandant review their past due members and try to determine why they have not paid. Retention is very important. We work hard to get new members and we need to try to keep them. On a more positive note, we are working on two new detachments. The Auburn Ga. Marines will have their Charter Ceremony on October 19. Our Commandant Joe Barbee and Ron Kirstatter will preside over that Ceremony. Also, on Oct 19 I will be presiding over an organizational meeting for a new Detachment in Dallas, Ga. We have 40 marines that have shown an interest in this Detachment. We will be continuing to look for new opportunities in other communities. If any of the District Vice Commandants have any suggestions, I would like to hear them. Thanks for all you do for our Beloved League

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CALLING ALL MARINES! Now listen up… You’re invited to the Marine Corps Birthday Bash THURSDAY NOV.7TH.2013 at the BLUE RIBBON GRILL, 4300 LAVISTA ROAD, TUCKER GA.

THIS IS OUR 23 RD. YEAR OF HAVING THE BIRTHDAY BASH AT THIS RESTAURANT. MARINES FROM FAR & WIDE GATHER HERE TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAY OF OUR BELOVED CORPS. DON’T YOU BE LEFT OUT! FESTIVITIES BEGIN AT 1800 HRS UNTIL ??? COLOR GUARD AT 1900 HRS MAJ GEN LARRY TAYLOR WILL BE THE CO OF THE EVENING AND READ THE COMMANDANTS ANNUAL BIRTHDAY MESSGAGE. CAKE CUTTING WILL FOLLOW WITH THE FIRST PIECES GOING TO THE YOUNGEST AND OLDEST MARINE PRESENT SOS AND SNACKS WILL BE PROVIDED

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Subject: Staff Meeting this weekend

Sirs Commandants,

We are looking forward to your visit this Friday and Saturday, October 25th &26th.

Upper Chattahoochee (Gainesville) #665 is pulling out all stops to make sure that your visit is

Informative, interesting and fun. Wives can enjoy the largest mall in the SE United States –Mall of Georgia

just a quick 25 minutes away.

There are 2 restaurants on the premises: Longhorn Steak House and O’Charley's- a little farther away.

Texas Roadhouse is donating the snacks for Friday night’s social evening and offering a 20% discount on meals to all Marines (Attendees) who take the 2 mile drive.

Lunch on Saturday is FREE-GRATIS- NADA-COMPLIMENTARY!!!!! (Lord’s world famous smoked butt with all the trimin’s plus a cold drink or two) at our warehouse where you will be able to shop for that much wanted Christmas Vacuum Cleaner or “double wide” Waffle Maker and other exotic home appliance at deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeply discounted prices.

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Because of an abbreviated training schedule, the Pound 354 Growl will begin at approximately 2:45 or 1445- should give you time to have some fun with us and still get home to finish your “honey-do’s”!!!!

Semper Fi Marines

Upper Chattahoochee Detachment #665

Our Professional Staff Is On Duty To Serve You!

MARINE CORP LEAGUE

2012/2013 Officers Commandant Charles R. Bryan 678-983-9488 cbryan357@aol.com Sr. Vice Commandant David Godfrey 770-519-2995 dgod72@aol.com Jr. Vice Commandant Bill Stevens srswas@windstream.net 678-425-0812 Judge Advocate William J. Miller 404-547-6651 miller_wj@bellsouth.net Adjutant LuAnn Miller luann.k.miller@gmail.com 404-547-6650 Paymaster Brent Barrett 770-532-2763 bbarr17455@aol.com Chaplain Gerald N. Blaney Sr. 770-965-3237 gnblaney@gmail.com Sergeant at Arms Rudy Guerrero 678-267-8142 PanchoPistolas45@yahoo.com Junior Past Commandant Emilio F. Salinas 770-967-926 cs820@bellsouth.net

OCTOBER DEPARTMENT STAFF MEETING Hosted by Upper Chattahoochee Detachment #665 Gainesville, GA October 25 & 26, 2013

Host Motel: Lake Lanier Suites 1755 Browns Bridge Road Gainesville, GA 30501 Reservations 678-971-4670 (mention Military discount) Special Military Discount Room Rate $77.00 + tax (up to 4 per room) Deluxe Hot Continental Breakfast included

Friday, Oct. 25………Meet and greet hospitality at VFW Post 8452 (next to motel) Arrival till 2400 +/- Beer is free! Cocktail waitresses work for tips ONLY! Possible activities: KARAOKI with encouragement via adult beverages Address of VFW Post 8452 is 855 Delta Drive for those driving in Saturday morning Dinner on your own; O’Charley’s and Longhorn on the premises others close by Saturday, Oct. 26: Business Meeting: 0930-1145 Meeting Room at VFW Post

1200-1300 Free Lunch at Upper Chattahoochee/Toys for Tots Warehouse and Museum; 1254 Industrial Blvd., Gainesville - Grilled Bratwurst or similar, side dishes, drinks

Officer Training – 1300-1500 Warehouse or VFW

MARINE CORP LEAGUE

FROM OUR DEPT. SR.VICE: RON KIRSTATTER

WELCOME AUBURN MARINES

Let me be one of many to wish all our Georgia Marines a Happy 238th Birthday! Especially the Auburn Marines who are now the newest Chartered Detachment. Welcome aboard.

Congratulations to Commandant David Ray on his well-deserved Meritorious Commendation and with our help will continue to grow and prosper.

MARINE CORP LEAGUE

3rd Quarter Report 2013 Jake Puryear Det. #1020

Rome, Georgia

The Jake Puryear Detachment has exactly the same total membership number at 108 for the quarters ending 6/30 and 9/30. However, this reflects 3 new members sworn in and the loss of 3 during the quarter. We also had 9 total delinquencies for the quarterly report. However, one delinquent member was listed in error by national and since corrected. Also, 3 of the remaining 8 delinquent members have paid since then through the efforts of our Junior Vice-Commandant. The greatest recruiting success has been through our outreach at the Coosa Valley Fair and the Belk Charity Drive. Those events have provided us with most of the 8 new members sworn in during the last few months. The Belk Charity Fund Raiser continues to be a huge success due to the commitment of our Senior Vice-Commandant who organizes and maintains this program. The fall campaign has already generated funds deposited of over 3,000 dollars. Through these efforts we have made significant charitable contributions to organizations such as Marines Helping Marines, Wounded Warrior Project, Breast Cancer Research and Young Marines among others. Our Detachment sponsored a trip to Washington in September that included almost 30 members. We were granted the great honor by Arlington National Cemetery to perform a formal wreath laying ceremony with the Honor Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Three of our WW II veterans on one Korean era veteran performed the ceremony. Many individuals of the several hundred present congratulated our Marines following the wreath ceremony including the Public Affairs Officer of the CMC. Semper Fidelis, Bruce Behner, Commandant Jake Puryear Detachment