July 2, 2015

In This Issue:

"Semper Fidelis"

Retired Marine Receives Honorary Promotion

Are You From California?

Thank a Service Member this Fourth of July

"The President's Own."

Meet the Team!

Bibs Are Still Available

Do You Know a Federal Employee?

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!

In the Marine Corps, "Combat Hunter" is more than just a title, it's a mindset.. Learn more in our first article.

This Saturday is Independence Day, so don't forget to thank a service member for all that he or she has sacrificed for our country.

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.

A Marine observes a mock Afghan village and role-players during the Combat Hunter course at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, Hawaii. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Matthew Bragg)

What's After Boot: Combat Hunter

In the Marine Corps, "Combat Hunter" is more than just a title, it's a mindset. It's a challenge to Marines to be more intuitive and more aware of their surroundings. The "Combat Hunter" course is designed to teach Marines how to track targets, good or bad, by noticing differences in the environment around them.

Marines are taught three main skills throughout the Combat Hunter course: tracking, observation, and profiling. These skills are the foundation of the program and teach Marines to be aware of dangers at all times.

Click here to learn more...

Corporals receive their blood stripes during a Blood Stripe Ceremony aboard Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, Calif. (USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Michael Thorn)

Learning More About the Corps: Semper Fidelis

The Marine Corps adopted the motto "Semper Fidelis" in 1883. Prior to that date three mottoes, all traditional rather than official, were used.

"Semper Fidelis" signifies the dedication that individual Marines have to "Corps and country," and to their fellow Marines. It is a way of life. Said one former Marine, "It is not negotiable. It is not relative, but absolute...Marines pride themselves on their mission and steadfast dedication to accomplish it."

Click here to learn more about Marine Corps...

Robert Shaffer during his time in the Corps.

Retired Marine Receives Honorary Promotion

Just over two weeks ago, on June 16, 2015, 97-year-old retired Marine Lt. Col. Robert Shaffer received an honorary promotion to the rank of Colonel in a ceremony at his home in Utah.

Shaffer served in the Corps as an officer for 21 years, from 1940-1961. During World War II, Shaffer survived the Battle of Midway, before going on to investigate war crimes after the war. He later served during the Korean War.

Click here to read more...

Are you from California?

For more than 12 years we've been supporting poolee, recruit, and Marine parents and family members. Now we've added Official MarineParents.com Groups on Facebook for parents and family members of Marines, recruits, and poolees. We invite you to come on in and join us in a Place to Connect and Share with other Marine Parents and family members.

Join this Official MarineParents.com Facebook group to connect with other Marine Families in California by clicking here...

To see a full list of our Facebook state groups, please click here...

Thank a Service Member This Fourth of July

This Saturday, July 4, 2015, marks the celebration of America's 239th Independence Day. While phrases like, "The land of the free, because of the brave" and "Freedom isn't free" may sound cliche at this time of the year, the fact of the matter is that they're true.

If it wasn't for the sacrifices our men and women in uniform have been making for almost 250 years, we, as Americans, wouldn't be able to enjoy the freedoms, liberties, and way of life we hold so dear.

This weekend, while celebrating the Fourth of July with your family and friends, we encourage you to take a moment to thank a service member or veteran for the sacrifices he or she has made on our behalf. While our men and women in uniform aren't serving our country for recognition, what better time to say "Thank you" than on this most patriotic of weekends?

Lieutenant Colonel William W. Burrows

Learning More About the Corps: "The President's Own"

On March 4, 1801, the Marine Band performed at President Jefferson's inauguration, beginning a tradition that has seen them perform at every Presidential Inauguration since, leading to the band's nickname of "The President's Own."

Four months later, July 4, 1801, saw the first American Independence Day celebration held in the "President's House." As part of the celebration, President Thomas Jefferson reviewed Marines, led by then-Commandant Lieutenant Colonel William W. Burrows, and the Marine Band, on the White House grounds. The Marines performed drills and fired various salutes in observance of the America's 25th anniversary.

Click here to learn more...

Meet the Team!

TMP Featured Participant: Gloria Makosky

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 proud Recruit Mom from Mount Airy, Maryland--Gloria Makosky.

Gloria has run 13 marathons, including 5 Marine Corps Marathons (MCMs), and has promised her son that as long as he is in the Corps, she'll continue to run the MCM in his honor.

Her son, who just recently graduated from high school, is currently in boot camp at Parris Island. Instead of sitting around this summer worrying about her son, Gloria decided to join TMP to motivate her to fulfill her promise.

According to Gloria, "I figure if [her son] can get up every day and face the challenges of boot camp, then I can get up and go for a run while raising money for [TMP]. [He] may only be a recruit, but he is already my hero!"

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

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

To learn more about Gloria, or to donate to her 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!

Click here to get your bib 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.