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News Housatonic Detachment has its regular monthly meeting the 2nd Monday of each month at 1930 and it is held at: Raymond T. Goldbach VFW Post 9460 100 Veterans Blvd (Barnum Av Cutoff) Stratford, CT (203) 377-0214
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TODAY !!!
• DETACHMENT MEETING
5:00am-5:30am VFW Post 9460
100 Veteran's Blvd.
(Barnum Av. Cut-Off)
Stratford, CT
2008 Staff
Links Section
Commandant:
Harry Howe
Senior Vice Commandant:
Jim Alexander
Junior Vice Commandant:
Frank Rodriguez
Adjutant:
Jack Dougherty
Judge Advocate:
James Jarusinsky
Paymaster:
Jack LaBrecque
Chaplain:
Bob Chenoweth
Sergeant at Arms:
Mickey McGovern
Web Sergeant:
Jack LaBrecque
HOUSATONIC NEWSLETTER
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Welcome to the website of the Housatonic Detachment of the Marine Corps League
We are located in Stratford, CT.The Housatonic Detachment was chartered March 17, 2003. We are fortunate to have members from many eras and Marines that held ranks from Private to Lieutenant Colonel. Cold War era Marines and Combat Marines that served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom. Needless to say, any gathering of our members results in many “sea stories”. You will hear stories about boot camp, hitting the beach on Iwo Jima, flying a CH46 in Iraq, what it was like to be a Grunt in Vietnam and even stories about being among the first women in the newly formed Women Marine Reserves in WWII.
Pool Night Battle
Public Relations ~ Bob Vitale
Color Guard Commander ~ Jack Dougherty
Assistant Color Guard Commander ~ Harry Howe
Scholarship Chairman ~ Jim Alexander
Detachment Historian ~ Mike Blair
Detachment Librarian ~ Ruth Rosenberg
VA Liaison ~ Jim Alexander
Youth Liaison ~ Mickey McGovern
Marine Corps Birthday Coordinator ~ Jim Alexander
Toys for Tots Coordinator ~ Mickey McGovern
Detachment Activity Coordinator ~ Orrie Barber
Quartermaster ~ Jack LaBrecque
One function our detachment is proud of is our annual Marine Corps Birthday Breakfast. The detachment has made the birthday breakfast an annual event since we formed. The 2007 Breakfast was one of our best. We had attendees from other Marine Corps League detachments within the state, VFW members and many local citizens. We’re sure that nobody went away hungry as our breakfast buffet was plentiful and great. Our next major detachment event will be Stratford’s Memorial Day Parade in which the detachment has marched in the past few years.
Quantico CPX
The detachment plans to do a trip to Quantico this summer to take in the Marine Corps Museum and Quantico Base. We are looking for a few Marines for our planning committee that have priviliages on Quantico Base to possibly book rooms at the Crossroads Inn and maybe a dinner at the Officers Club or Staff NCO Club. Please let Jim Alexander know if you can help out.
Marines,
Saturday night (1/26/2008) was one unbelievable event in Stamford to honor and offer monetary support for three wounded Marines:
Cpl Ryan Dion (Manchester, CT), Sgt Eddie Ryan (Ellenville, NY), SSgt Terry Rathbun (Niantic, CT).
From the police escort to the front door of the Knights of Columbus Hall that had a hook and ladder ablaze with flashing lights, to the drum and bagpipe band that announced and led their entrance into the hall, and the Irish Step Dancers, to the full band that played without charge throughout the evening, to the honored guests (Representative Shays and State Attorney Blumenthal), to the excellent food and drink (two open bars!), to the final check presentation:
$25,000 each!
Yes, Lock City Detachment Marine Corps League, under the leadership of Pat Battinelli, John Rubino, Tim Sumner and several others, did an exceptionally superb job. They usually do this for one injured Marine every year, but, since they couldn’t decide on which one, they chose all three. Besides getting some big donors, they did several drives right in the streets of Stamford – standing in traffic, in uniform, with an inverted helmet – not unlike our fireman that do a give-to-the-boot drive.
Semper Fi,
PDD Jack Dougherty
Housatonic Detachment Adjutant
Our own Jack Dougherty was the first recipient of the New England Division MCL new Roland G. Knapp Award at the Quad State New England Division dinner.
Congratulations to Jack and all who know him feel the award was well deserved.
A recent email from one of our members
Hey all,
I was moved to share something that I recently attended as a member of the Marine Corps League, Housatonic Detachment.....
http://www.new-britain.net/liv_prknrecLETPRK.html.... The event went from about 1100 Saturday morning till 1400 (2:00pm). The weather was as follows, high 30's (my own internal thermometer took that reading), driving rain (at times) and blustery winds (ideal conditions for us Infantry types, I am sure that the Captain would have it no other way). This in no way stopped the outflow of support or dampened the resolve of those whom attended. The park that was renamed in honor of him was exactly across the street from where the Letendre family home was, and where young Dillon and his mom and dad played.
Captain Letendre was an officer with Charlie Co. 1st Battalion, 25th Marine regiment ("C",1/25) out of Plainville, Ct. This is an Infantry unit and one of my old units. Many of the Charlie company Marines were in attendance and attested to his bravery under fire (multiple deployments) and mentor like leadership style. Some officers lead by textbook "do as I say" styles, while others like Capt. Letendre led from the front, and by example constantly challenging his Marines to better themselves. Many words were spoken (some eliciting laughter like when it was told that one of Brians proudest stories was of going 57 days without a shower while on the initial march to Baghdad), tears shed, (as stories from Brians family and Marines retold snippets that allowed a glimpse into his life) and chests swelled with pride (the Marine Corps hymn floated mightily out of bagpipes) overall quite the emotional rollercoaster.
Besides the honor of getting to participate in honoring a fallen American patriot was the feeling I received when Brians wife Autumn stepped to the podium and spoke not of her husband, but first of his Marines. She listed those Marines who had fallen either from "C" Co. or while under his watch. She wanted to make sure that those Marines and Corpsman were not forgotten, and knew instinctively that was the way he would have wanted it. What kind of man can so exude a warriors spirit, and service before self ethos that it can be picked up and emulated by those around him? A man like Captain Brian S. Letendre, ....United States Marine.
At the base of the memorial Brians son Dillon placed his small hands in wet cement, so that he could come back at a later date and remember his dad. Remember him at the park that they had played, laughed and loved in, perhaps showing his own children. I hope that future generations will look at those small hand prints and fully realize the costs of freedom, and the sacrifices of those who pay those costs. I am talking not just of the Warriors who willing go to keep the wolf from our door, but of their families and friends whom signed no dotted lines, but still bear the scars and burdens of freedom.
On my way home I passed the Iwo Jima memorial park and noticed that some of the flags placed on the perimeter were drooping and touching the ground. This of course I knew to be unsatisfactory so in the pouring rain I went and rectified the situation. After spending so much time in honoring the memory of Captain Letendre I could do no less for those Marines who fell at Iwo. Let us not forget the families like the Letendres', or the Piersons', or the countless others. Let us instead honor them by enjoying the freedoms that we do have, bought and paid for in their sacrifice. Let us thank those who serve now, ....Gary, Gerry, Wes, Bobby.
Sorry for the rather lengthy email, but I guess I had some stuff to say......
Stanley A. Slubowski III
Semper Fidelis, Semper Progredi !!!
“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, who strives valiantly, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it." Thomas Paine
