This Marine Family Needs Your Help

 

Vinney and Aubrey 
Reintegration to civilian life for a combat veteran is tough, but when you've lost everything in a fire not even two weeks out of the Marine Corps, it is devastating. Vinney, a Marine combat veteran who only two weeks ago finished his enlistment in the Marine Corps with an honorable discharge after four years of service, lost all his household goods, auto, and possessions in a fire on February 22, 2015. The insurance companies are battling it out, but in the meanwhile, Marine Vinney, his wife Aubrey and their 18-month old daughter need some immediate relief. We're raising $5000 to help this young Marine Family get back on their feet; this will cover clothing, household items, immediate transportation, and the insurance deductibles. Click here to donate now.

The First African-American Marine Corps Officer
Frederick C. Branch being pinned with
his second lieutenant bars by his wife, Camilla "Peggy" Branch.

 

The Marine Corps, more so than any other branch of America's military, values and embraces its history. In the spirit of the value the Marine Corps places on its history, we wanted to give you an opportunity to embrace and learn about this part of Marine Corps legacy as well. In this piece, we take a further look at the first African-American officer in the United States Marine Corps - Frederick C. Branch.

Frederick Clinton Branch was born in Hamlet, North Carolina, in 1922, the son of an African Methodist Episcopal Zion minister. After graduating high school in New York, Branch enrolled at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC, before transferring to Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While enrolled at Temple, Branch received his draft notice from the US Army in 1943 and reported to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for basic training.

After reporting to Fort Bragg for induction into the Army, Brach was chosen to become a Marine and was sent to the nearby Camp Montford Point for Recruit Training, becoming one of the more than 20,000 Montford Point Marines (African-American Marines who underwent separate, segregated Recruit Training at Camp Montford Point between 1942 and 1949.) After Recruit Training, Brach applied for Officer Candidate School (OCS), but was denied due to his race and was sent to serve with a supply unit supporting operations against the Japanese in the Pacific instead.





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MarineParents.com, Inc. is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) public charity, founded on January 21, 2003, to provide support, information, and services to Marines and their family members, and to create opportunities for individuals to support our troops. In over 12 years of service, Marine Parents has made a huge impact in support of Marines, military personnel, and their family members.

Marine family members are encouraged to support one another through activities and networking provided by the organization and guided by trained volunteers. Outreach to injured troops is volunteer-centered with in-person contact. Additional troop-support centered programs are designed to actively engage individuals and communities across the United States while maintaining the privacy of military personnel. All services are offered free to family members, Marines, and military personnel.

In 12 years of service, MarineParents.com has:
  • Invested over $6 million delivering direct support to Marines, their families and other military personnel.
  • Provided information and a Place to Connect & Share® to more than 311,000 family members through a network of communities and educational websites.
  • Collected materials and shipped over 39,000 care packages to Marines and military personnel in combat zones.
  • Involved thousands of Americans in sending over 93,000 cards and letters to injured troops.
  • Served over 40,000 meals to injured troops and their families at military medical facilities on the east and west coasts.
  • Planned and carried out recreational events for hundreds of injured troops and their families.
  • Delivered materials and resources to aid in the recovery process to hundreds of family members of injured troops.
  • Provided support and networking to hundreds of Gold Star families.
Tracy Della Vecchia, Founder and Executive Director, leads the operations from the corporate office in Columbia, Missouri with staff, volunteers, and a volunteer Board of Directors. In addition to the moderated, OPSEC-compliant social media groups, chat rooms, and informative websites, several outreach programs to support Marines and families before, during and after the Marine Corps are provided by the organization. Funding for the programs is through donations, grants, fundraising and EGA Shop sales. In 2009, the 15-item online store began expansion, eventually becoming the EGA Shop. In 2010, the production facility was established on-site to design and develop custom product, dramatically boosting sales and providing additional funding for the outreach programs. The organization is an official Marine Corps Trademark licensee.

Statistics updated January, 2015.