A few weeks ago, we alerted you to the plight of Vinney and Aubrey, a couple who lost everything in a house fire not even two weeks after Vinney got out of the Corps. Vinney and Aubrey lost everything in the fire and we made it our goal to raise $5,000 for the family while they waited to hear back from their insurance company. As always, you, the Marine Parents family, came through with your generous donations and cards of support!

In the first 24 hours, you donated more than $4,600 and within two days, we were able to send the family a check for the $5,000. Even after reaching our goal, donations continued to come in, with the total now at more than $8,300. As soon as the insurance company finalizes the claim, we will pay the deductible then send a check for the balance to the family. If you'd still like to donate to help this Marine family get back on their feet, please click here.

Someone even sent a handwritten card with their donation. 

 


On this day in 1943, the first group of women Marine officer candidates arrived at U.S. Midshipmen School (Women's Reserve) at Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The Navy's willingness to share it's training facilities allowed the group of 71 women to begin their training just one month after the Marine Corps Womens Reserve was created. 

Just over a month later, on April 23, the first class of women Marine officers graduated, including five First Lieutenants and six Second Lieutenants, all of whom were immediately assigned to active duty. Two weeks later, on May 3, a graduation ceremony was held on campus for all branches of the service. 54 Marines graduated in this ceremony.

After graduation, the women were assigned to be either staff or line officers. Staff officers had jobs similar to civilian jobs, but in a military setting. Line officers, on the other hand, lived on military stations and were charged with being responsible for the activities and training of enlisted personnel.

March is Women's History Month... to learn more about women in the Marines, click here.

 





Easter is April 5th... Start Shopping Now!

This EGA Shop Exclusive Design is on sale until Monday!
Click here to shop this patriotic USMC design!

When you shop, you support:
 
Marine Parents™ | Recruit Parents™ | What's After Boot™ | Care Package Project™ | Warrior Support Team™ 
Operation PAL™ | After the Corps™ | Gold Star Family Support™ | Luminary Initiative™ | Team Marine Parents™ 


Place to Connect & Share�






   


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.