June 25, 2015
In This Issue:

Greetings!

Thank you for joining us for this issue of Marine Parents News. If this is your first time receiving the newsletter, welcome aboard, we're excited for you to be here!

During his farewell address from the Oval Office, former president Ronald Regan said that, "All great change in  America begins at the dinner table." With that sentiment in mind, we need your help ensuring that our Warrior Support Team is able to continue serving meals to recovering warriors on both coasts. This is your chance to be great and change lives. Learn more in our first article.

To see what else is new with the organization or to learn more about the Marine Corps, check out the rest of our articles. We hope you enjoy!

Thank you for joining us and especially for your continued support of our brave men and women in uniform.

Semper Fi Marine Families!





 
 
Tracy Della Vecchia
Founder and Executive Director
MarineParents.com, Inc.
It's Your Turn to Serve. Help Us Set the Table.

Our wounded, ill, and injured warriors have sacrificed so much while serving our nation. Now it's our turn to serve them. Help us set the dinner table to help begin the healing. Make your donation today. Our goal is $12,000 by August 1, 2015 to continue serving meals at military medical facilities June through August this summer.

"A wounded warrior came to the dinner buffet on crutches with his wife. When his wife noticed the table of puzzle books, she urged her husband to choose one. She explained to the volunteers that her husband has sustained brain damage from his wound and was having difficulty with some cognitive skills.Together they picked out a book entitled Brain Games. The wounded warrior asked his wife to leaf through the book. He pointed out that there were lots of different kinds of exercises in that book, including reading retention passages. He said, "Get that book, because I scored low on my memory tests too."  He came over to a near-by volunteer and took her hand and kissed it.  He said, "Thank so much for bringing all of this (food, treats and puzzles); you have no idea what it means to me." 
 
-- Susan, Manager, Warrior Support Team--East.

While serving dinners may seem like a small thing, they are loved by the men and women who attend them. The dinners let the recovering warriors know that America remembers them; that their sacrifices are appreciated; that they aren't alone. The relationships formed at these dinner tables can be the starting point for the service member to work with the Warrior Support Team during their upcoming reintegration to a civilian lifestyle. And we need your help to ensure that they continue.
Outreach Programs of MarineParents.com, Inc.

Marine Parents provides support, information, and services to recruit and Marine family members and troops through several outreach programs which span the life-cycle of your recruit/Marine's career in the Marine Corps.

How can we help you, your Marine, or other service members? Our mission is to serve you, our Marine Corps and military family members, as well as your loved one serving our great nation.
"La Brigade Marine Americain Au Bois de Belleau" or "The American Marines in Belleau Wood" by French war correspondent Georges Scott.
"Retreat, Hell! We Just Got Here."
Anniversary of the Battle of Belleau Wood

June 26 marks the anniversary of the end of one of the most important and legendary battles in Marine Corps history--The Battle of Bois de Belleau, or Belleau Wood. This was a battle that exemplified the Marine Corps' core values of honor, courage, and commitment. It was a battle that catapulted the Marine Corps to worldwide prominence. And it was a battle that helped turn the tide of "The Great War" (as WWI was then known) in favor of the Allies. 
Corporals receive their blood stripes during a Blood Stripe Ceremony aboard Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, Calif. (USMC photo by LCPL. Michael Thorn)
Learning More About the Corps: The Bloodstripe

Marine Corps tradition maintains that the red stripe worn on the trousers of officers and non-commissioned officers, commonly known as the "blood stripe," commemorates those Marines killed storming the castle of Chapultepec in 1847. Although this belief is firmly embedded in the traditions of the Corps, it has no basis in fact. The use of stripes clearly predates the Mexican War.
June 27 is PTSD Awareness Day

The National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (NCPTSD) has designated June 27th as PTSD awareness day, a day to recognize PTSD, an issue that many warriors face upon returning from combat. According to the National Center for PTSD, between 10 and 20 percent of veterans who have served in OIF or OEF will suffer from PTSD at some point in their lives. Male veterans are more likely to suffer from PTSD than female veterans.


Click here to help...
Korean War Anniversary
First Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez leads Marines over the seawall during the Inchon invasion. (U.S. government photo)

June 25 marks the anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War, as on that day in 1950, eight divisions of the North Korean People's Army crossed the 38th Parallel and invaded the Republic of Korea (South Korea). Within three days the capital, Seoul, had been captured.

 

On June 30, President Harry S. Truman ordered an American naval blockade on the Korean coast and authorized the sending of American ground troops to Korea. Two days later, Commander in Chief of the Far East, General Douglas MacArthur, formally requested a Marine regimental combat team be deployed to Korea. 

 

For the next three years, a joint South Korean and United Nations force (led by the Americans) battled Chinese and Soviet-backed North Korean forces for control of the Korean Peninsula.

 

Click here to learn more... 
Marines navigate through a woodland environment during a land navigation course aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C. (Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tyler A. Andersen)
Land Navigation

Land navigation consists of being able to use skills that can help one traverse through unfamiliar terrain by foot or in a vehicle. To be successful at land navigation, one must be able to shoot an azimuth (the angle between the north vector and the perpendicular projection of the star down onto the horizon, usually measured in degrees), read maps, and use a compass, among numerous other navigational skills.
Meet the Team!
TMP Featured Participant: Brendan Hughes

Team Marine Parents™ (TMP) is a group of individuals, generally parents, family, and friends of Marines, who participate in athletic events nationwide to support our troops.  The mission is to raise funds and awareness of the organization's outreach programs.  Currently, there are over 50 members of Team Marine Parents™ around the country.

This month's TMP featured participant is a structural engineer from Upstate New York--Brendan Hughes.

Brendan has competed in numerous half-marathons and Ragnar Relays (overnight relay races in which teams of 6 or 12 people combine to run 200 miles) but this year's Marine Corps Marathon will be his first full marathon. 

According to Brendan, "Joining Team Marine Parents...allows me to give back to those whose sacrifices are to be celebrated in the city that represents our great country. I am looking forward to meeting our team members and celebrating at the finish line!"

 

Brendan is still working toward his goal of raising $500, but with your support and generosity we know he can get there in no time!


Thanks for being a part of the team Brendan, and we look forward to seeing you in Washington!


To learn more about Brendan, or to donate to his campaign, please click here...
Bibs Are Still Available!

Do you want to run in this year's Marine Corps Marathon (MCM)  but missed your chance to get a bib during this year's MCM registration lottery? Don't worry, Team Marine Parents (TMP) has your back! 


As an official MCM Charity Partner, TMP has bibs available for those who want to run in the marathon, all you have to do is join the team! 

TMP currently has 15 bibs remaining for this year's race. Each bib costs $130 (a $125 registration fee and a $5 processing fee) and runners must pledge to raise at least $500 for a MarineParents.com outreach program of their choice in return for receiving their bib. 

Joining TMP is a great way to get in shape while raising money for a good cause and these bibs won't last long! Don't miss out on your chance to run in the 2015 MCM, join TMP today! 
 
Do You Know a Federal Employee?
Help Spread the Word!

 

In the spirit of giving back to others, we invite you to support us this year as we join in the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign, the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), and help us give back to the Marines who sacrifice so much on our behalf. 

 

The CFC is comprised of almost 200 charity campaigns throughout the country and overseas. All Federal civilian, postal, and military employees have an opportunity to choose from the CFC charities and pledge donations to the cause/s that matter most to them. In 2013 Federal employees contributed over $200 million dollars to CFC charities. While not all of you are Federal employees, each and every one of you can
help this campaign succeed!

 

 Click here to learn how you can help today!
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 Marine Family Network (MFN), 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 store 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. 






Outreach Programs of MarineParents.com, Inc.:


Warrior Support Team

Operation Prayers
and Letters

The Care Package
Project

Gold Star
Family Support

Luminary Initiative
Gold Star Family Day
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