mail call may 2010

Commandant Mike DeBauche Editor John Sims

First of all, I would like to thank the members of the detachment for their confidence in my by selecting me to be the commandant for the next year. The past year has been very fulfilling and I am looking forward to the next year.

I would also like to thank those Marines who have given their time to fight the cold, rain, and wind to support our activities over the last month. We have participated in parades, Kansas Speedway activities, Fallen Marine Programs, and the MCSF golf tournament. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed, and I salute each and every one of you.

Last year, in my first message to the detachment, I sent out a request to increase our volunteerism. The response has been phenomenal, but we have a long way to go. I have seen advances in some of the newer members getting involved in our activities, and we have become active in supporting our boots on the grounds via the Platoons Forward program. Now is the time for us to step up in other areas, specifically the VAVS, Fund‐raising, and community involvement. I am once again asking that we get involved in these endeavors. Become a member of a committee to increase our support of the community or raise funds for the detachment and the MCL. Volunteer to assist the VAVS and let our veterans know that we care. This is what we do, and what we stand for! Let’s charge ahead into the next year with the same spirit our fellow Marines have stood with their brothers at faraway places like Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, DaNang, and Baghdad.

Finally, let us not forget Memorial Day! On that holiday that means so much to all of us veterans, I would like you to stop and take a few minutes to remember all of our comrades who have given the full measure for our country and those that continue to do so!

Semper Fi. Mike DeBauche Commandant

Mail Call! Gen. Larry Oppenheimer Detachment #1025

6521 Nieman Road, Shawnee, KS www. mklops.org

Commandants message

General Larry Oppenheimer Detachment #1025 Vol 9, No. 5 May 2010 pg 2

Volume 9 Issue 5 May, 2010

Sick and Distressed

Please convey info. on sick and distressed to Chaplain Reyes at 913/432‐3688.

Marine Bob Patterson will be undergoing surgery on his neck on Wednesday May 19th. He will be in the hospital overnight, then in traction and not mobile for at least 6 weeks. Bob would like conversation and jokes during that time. Bob can be reached at 913.685.8726

Fallen Marines There is no finer compliment than being called a Marine. It represents the highest honor & tradition bound together with courage & sacrifice on behalf of all mankind. Our Fallen Marine Honor Guard had the distinct honor of performing at the services of these marine who have answered the call.


January 2010 Robert Lynn Peterson Tom Dervin Bobby G. Carter Paul K. Smith February 2010 Karl Kenneth Mairs Donald L. Beashore John Archer

March 2010 Daniel Weaver Jack Gibbs Jim Graham April 2010 Robert F. Brunsky James Mendenhall Vernon McQuerry

Fallen Marines

: Ralph G. Baker

John H. Siebers was a WWII Marine, serving on Midway

GEN. LARRY OPPENHEIMER

DETACHMENT # 1025

OFFICERS 2010-2011

COMMANDANT: Mike DeBauche [email protected] SENIOR VICE: Marcia Sands [email protected] JUNIOR VICE: John Byrnes [email protected] J.A.G.: Rick Hinrichs [email protected] PAY./ADJ.: Steve Yoakum [email protected] CHAPLIN: Gonzalo Reyes [email protected] SGT. AT ARMS: David Yurkovich [email protected]

VAVS (VA Volunteer Service)

Anyone interested in learning more about the VA volunteer service, please contact

Mr. Art Peter at 816-331-4622. Take a look at the VA volunteer newsletter "THE EAGLE" for April by clicking on this website. http://www.volunteer.va.gov/docs/monthlynewsletter.pdf

New Century Young Marines

May 27 ‐ June 5 Washington DC Trip

General Larry Oppenheimer Detachment #1025 Vol 9, No. 5. May 2010 pg 4

June 19 Saturday

Burlingame, Ks We will be marching in a parade. Report time to be announced.

There is a weekend festival and lumberjacks. Please feel free to stay for the festivities

after the parade.

June 20 - Sunday

We are working on a T Bones game where we will be doing Color Guard and Cpl Sutton will be singing the

National Anthem.


Commandant DeBauche is always soliciting ideas to enhance our great website (he agrees there is always room for improvement!)

S b it th t Mik t k b k @ i li h 913/484 5909

This picture was taken preceding the Memorial Service. During that service, a disabled auxiliary lady was attempting to place a flower on the ceremonial crucifix and was unable to do so as she was hanging on to her walker and was losing her balance. Without hesitation, PFC. Dusang ran up to her and assisted the auxiliary lady. The color guard gathered together with MCL National Commandant James Laskey for this photo op and PFC. Dusang received many accolades. The color guard has requested this photo for their website.

During the banquet, PFC Dusang was called up to the podium by Bryson Allen, Midwest Division Sr. Vice Cmndnt, where PFC Dusang received many accolades and a round of applause for his contribution to the conference.


A volunteer is still needed for the Community Activities position if you are interested, please contact Commandant Mike DeBauche @ 9134845909 [email protected]

To have items sewn on to your covers and shirts, contact Marsha Davey at 913/268-1017 (10409 W 53rd St. in Shawnee); To have alterations done on your dress blues, contact Louise Bland at 913/831-4647 (10149 Edelweiss Circle in Merriam – near 75th & Switzer)

Marines in Need Any member who is aware of a Marine or his family in need is asked to first submit a request in writing to Marine Pat O’Malley of our Financial Assistance Review Committee, including a statement of the purpose, a cost estimate and the time period. Pat’s email is [email protected]; his address is 12412 Flint, Overland Park, KS 66213-2120. There were no Marines in need this past month.

Marine Corps History

The time has come for Marine Steve Thomas to pass the banner onto another Marine. Who is going to step up and relieve him? You probably think that you need to have been a USMC DI well that is NOT the case. Maybe you think that since one of Steve Thomas's duty stations was embassy duty you don't qualify, NOT SO! Hey Marines!! You just need to know how to walk and chew gum at the same time, no kidding if you don't believe me, ask Steve or our commandant Mike DeBauche. Come on, this is your chance to step up and be counted!Remember you are not trying out for the silent drill team.


Selected May Dates of Marine Corps Historical Significance

2 May 1946: Marines from Treasure Island Marine Barracks, under the command of Warrant Officer Charles L. Buckner, aided in suppressing the three-day prison riot at Alcatraz Penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. WO Buckner, a veteran of the Bougainville and Guam campaigns, ably led his force of Marines without suffering a single casualty.

5 May 1983: In Beirut, Lebanon, a UH-1N helicopter carrying the commander of the American peace-keeping force, Colonel James Mead, was hit by machine gun fire. The six Marines aboard escaped injury. Colonel Mead and his crew had taken off in the helicopter to investigate artillery and rocket duels between rival Syrian-backed Druze Moslem militiamen and Christian Phalangists that endangered French members of the multinational force.

8 May 1995: In the wake of the most devastating storm to hit the New Orleans area in more than 200 years, a group of Marines and sailors from Marine Forces Reserve demonstrated the quick response synonymous with the Navy/Marine Corps team. Within 24 hours of being called, Marines assisted in the evacuation of 2,500 civilians, and Navy corpsmen treated scores of flood victims.

10 May 1945: The 22d Marines, 6th Marine Division, executed a pre-dawn attack south across the Asa River Estuary and seized a bridgehead from which to continue the attack toward Naha, the capital of Okinawa.

15 May 1862: Corporal John Mackie, the first Marine to earn the Medal of Honor, was commended for service in the USS GALENA during action against Confederate shore batteries at Drewry's Bluff which blocked the James River approaches to Richmond.

16 May 1945: The 22d and 29th Marines continued the attack against Half Moon Hill, a day characterized by the 6th Marine Division as the "bitterest" of the Okinawa campaign. By the 18th, the famed "Shuri line" had been broached.

22 May 1912: First Lieutenant Alfred A. Cunningham, the first Marine officer to be assigned to "duty in connection with aviation" by Major General Commandant William P. Biddle, reported for aviation training at the Naval Aviation Camp at Annapolis, Maryland, and Marine aviation had its official beginning.

23 May 1988: The V-22 Osprey, the world's first production tilt-rotor aircraft, made its debut during rollout ceremonies at Bell Helicopter Textron's Arlington, Texas, facility. More than 1,000 representatives from the military, industry, and media, gathered to hear various speakers, including Gen Alfred Gray, Commandant of the Marine Corps, praise the versatile rotor craft designed to meet the needs of 21st Century battlefields.

26 May 1969: Operation Pipestone Canyon began when the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines and 3d Battalion, 5th Marines began sweeps in the Dodge City/Go Noi areas southwest of Da Nang. It terminated at the end of June with 610 enemy killed in action at a cost of 34 Marines killed.

29 May 1991: Elements of a joint task force that included the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade departed the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Bangladesh after nearly two weeks of disaster relief operations following a devastating cyclone. The joint task force delivered tons of relief supplies using helicopters, C-130s, and landing craft in Operation Sea Angel.

This Month in History


Marines with Company G, 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, direct a concentration of fire at the enemy during Operation Allen Brooke, 8 May 1968. (Official Marine Corps Photo # 371490 courtesy of Marine Corps History Website.)

“Semper Fidelis” (“Always Faithful”) is the motto of the Corps. That Marines have lived up to this motto is proved by the fact that there has never been a mutiny, or even the thought of one, among U.S. Marines. Semper Fidelis was adopted about 1883 as the motto of the Corps. Before that, there had been three mottoes, all traditional rather than official. The first, antedating the War of 1812, was “Fortitudine” (“With Fortitude”). The second, “By Sea and by Land,” was obviously a translation of the Royal Marine’s “Per Mare, Per Terram.” Until 1848, the third motto was “To the Shores of Tripoli,” in commemoration of O’Bannon’s capture of Derna in 1805. In 1848, after the return to Washington of the Marine battalion that took part in the capture of Mexico City, this motto was revised to: “From the Halls of the Montezumas to the Shores of Tripoli" – a line now familiar to all Americans. This revision of the Corps motto in Mexico has encouraged speculation that the first stanza of “The Marines’ Hymn” was composed by members of the Marine battalion who stormed Chapultepec Castle.


What's Happening in today's Marine Corps?


Well, now you can! Marine Dennis Armstrong one of our detachment members is an expert at custom woodworking as you can see! He has graciously offered to make custom plaques for any or all of our membership. Keeping in the Marine Corps brotherhood tradition, he is only going to charge our detachment for the actual materials, he is providing his talent at no charge! This is a great way for you to support our detachment and at the same time receive a beautiful memory that you will be proud to display!

Have you ever wished that along with the memories, photo's and other items that you cherish of your Marine Corps career, you had a beautiful plaque of that special unit that you served in?


5/19/2010 By Lance Cpl. Megan Sindelar, I MEF

NAW ABAD, Afghanistan — Marines and medical officers from Brigade Headquarters Group and 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD) and an Afghan national army medic from Camp Shorabak, Afghanistan, set up a village medical outreach, May 15, outside the village of Naw-Abad, to provide medical care to the people of that area. The Marines and Sailors set up a medical tent and aided over 35 men and children who traveled from their homes down to the medical site. Lt. Cmdr. Aaron R. Huber, 3rd LAAD Bn. medical officer said his team provided excellent health care and worked to their limits. Huber from Southaven, Miss., also stated that most illnesses were acute and were treated by the medical staff. Locals were also given a short class on preventative medicine to encourage district well-being. Before the villagers left to return home, they were given hygiene items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and lotion to take back to their families. Solar powered radios were also handed out so the villagers would be able to listen to their local radio station for information on upcoming village medial outreaches. The Naw-Abad village men have little access to health care, but as the women very rarely leave their compounds, most of them have never seen a physician. Navy Lt. Michelle M. Lynch, medical officer with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, took a female engagement team and traveled inside each compound to give the village women needed health care. "They are kept away from mainstream culture," said Lynch. "Their needs are easily overlooked." Lynch noticed a lack of nutrition of pregnant and breast-feeding women while she was out on the last VMO, so this time she was able to bring and pass out Carnation Instant Breakfast to the women when she visited to help keep them and their children healthy. She was able to look at 17 women, 18 children and two men while she traveled the compounds. The FET entertained the children and interacted with the women while they were waiting to be treated. Lynch and members of the FET handed out toys, hygiene items and lotion to the children before leaving each compound.

Village medical outreach provides care to Afghans

VETERAN’S ADMINISTRATION (VA) UPDATE

What Is VA Disability Compensation?

Disability compensation is a tax-free benefit paid to a veteran for disabilities that are a result of or made worse by injuries or diseases that happened while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training. Disability compensation is also paid to certain veterans disabled from VA health care.

Who Is Eligible?

You may be eligible for disability compensation if you have a service-related disability and you were discharged under other than dishonorable conditions.

How Much Does VA Pay?

The amount of basic benefit paid ranges from $123 to $2,673 per month, depending on how disabled you are. Note: You may be paid additional amounts, in certain instances, if:

• you have very severe disabilities or loss of limb(s)

• you have a spouse, child(ren), or dependent parent(s)

• you have a seriously disabled spouse

How Can You Apply?

You can apply by filling out VA Form 21-526, Veterans Application for Compensation and/or Pension. If you have any of the following material, please attach it to your application:

• Discharge or separation papers (DD214 or equivalent)

• Dependency records (marriage & children's birth certificates)

• Medical evidence (doctor & hospital reports)

You can also apply online through our web site at http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp.

Related Benefits

Priority Medical Care, Vocational Rehabilitation, Clothing Allowance, Grants for Specially Adapted Housing

Automobile Grant & Adaptive Equipment, Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance,Federal Employment Preference, State/Local Veterans Benefits, Military Exchange & Commissary Privileges

Disability Compensation Benefits

For More Information, Call Toll-Free 1-800-827-1000

or Visit Our Web Site at http://www.va.gov.


Fellow Americans Please remember what Memorial day is. It's not just another holiday. It's not just a day off or a day the banks and Post Office are closed. It's not just a day for barbecues, picnics, and the Indy 500. It was originally called Decoration Day and was a day set aside to decorate the graves of the Union and Confederate soldiers that died during the Civil war. The first Decoration Day was May 1st 1865 in Charleston, SC at a cemetery where Union soldiers had recently been reinterred in individual graves after being removed from their mass graves at Washington Park Race Course which had been used as a Confederate prison camp. The first officially organized nationwide celebration of Decoration Day was May 30th 1868. The date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of any battle. It was organized by General John A. Logan, Commander of the veteran's organization, The Grand Army Of The Republic and General John Murray of Waterloo NY. The name, Memorial Day, was first used in 1882 but did come into common usage until after WW-II and was not declared the official name of the holiday until it became an official Federal holiday in 1967. In 1968, the "Uniform Holidays Bill" was passed into law and the last Monday in May was designated as Memorial Day rather than the traditional May 30th. The law took effect in 1971. Traditionally the US Flag is lowered to half staff at sunrise on the morning of Memorial Day and then raised to full staff at noon. It is also a day when flags and decorations are placed on the graves of US Veterans in national and other cemeteries so the "Decoration Day" tradition still lives on. Whether you call it Memorial Day or Decoration Day, it is a day to remember and respect the soldiers, sailors, Airmen, and Marines as well as the Coast Guard and Merchant Marines that fought and sacrificed for this country and the freedoms that we enjoy. May God bless our Veterans, past, present, and future,


(The author is unknown) History and cartoons were emailed to me by our member Marine Ed Bowell.

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I encourages submissions of any announcements, pictures, stories, to the editor from detachment members. Deadline for all submissions by the 15th of every month. Email: [email protected] or Call: John Sims @ 913.530.2535. Mail Address: 14004 west 72nd Terrace, Shawnee, KS 66216. Good day everyone, I hope that you are enjoying the "Mail Call" and please contact me with any suggestions or comments. I would like to start adding photo's and copy concerning our detachment's activities. I have my camera at the ready and if any of you happen to attend a function that I am unable to or even if I am and you take some pictures, please tell me and I will look at having them in our next issue of the Mail Call. RMEMEBER RECRUIT - RECRUIT - RECRUIT - RECRUIT

One final request, PLEASE BRING YOUR DUES TO THE MONTHLY MEETING WHEN THEY ARE DUE!

Our next meeting is also, an Installation Dinner for our new Detachment Officers and it is on Wednesday, May 26th, 2010, from 1900, at our regular meeting place: American Legion Post 327, 6521 Nieman Rd. in Shawnee. Contact Marine Marcia Sands @ 913‐341‐4339 if you plan to come for the dinner, tickets are $10.00 per person, see you there!

Semper Fi,

John Sims - Mail Call Editor

mail call may 2010

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