Finnegan, on the alert, ready for action!

Grrrreetings, Devil Dogs!
Well, as quick as it arrived, summer is now on the way out. There's still plenty of warm weather left but people are going back to work, schools have reopened and for the most part, vacations have come and gone.
September also means that we resume our monthly meetings. This month's meeting will be (as usual) at 8:00 PM on Thursday September 11, 2008 at the Port Washington Elks Lodge.
You really should try and attend this meeting. There will be some useful and important information to discuss. For example; do you realize there are only two (2) months left before we celebrate the 233rd birthday of the Corps?! We'll be discussing what we want to do and where we want to go to celebrate this year's birthday.
There is also a Veterans Appreciation Day BBQ being sponsored by a few NY State Assemblymen that you may be interested in attending. The bash, which is free to all veterans, is being held on Saturday September 13, 2008 from 12:00PM - 4:00 PM at the VFW Hall located at 320 South Broadway, Hicksville, NY. Here's a link to a map of the Hall location. The Assemblymen wish to show their appreciation to area veterans for all you've done to make this country great. That itself is a rarity these days. And I think we should get as big a turn out as possible. You'll be able to meet and greet the Assemblymen, other area vets and enjoy some good chow and a few drinks too! Sounds like it should be a good day! So if you're free and you want to enjoy a tasty lunch and spend some quality time with fellow vets, make plans to attend.
These, and other topics of interest will be part of the business of the meeting, so make it a point to be there!

Check this out, Marines: The Cell Phones for Soldiers program was started in April 2004 by 13-year-old Brittany Bergquist and her 12-year-old brother Robbie of Norwell, Massachusetts.
Robbie and Brittany's goal is to help our soldiers serving overseas call home. They hope to provide as many soldiers as possible with prepaid calling cards. Through generous donations and the recycling of used cell phones, Robbie and Brittany have already distributed thousands of calling cards to soldiers around the globe. You can get more info and learn how you can participate here

Phew, I'm shot! Time to grab some chow and a nap.
Over and Out
Finn

PRESS RELEASE
United States Marine Corps
Division of Public Affairs

Date: Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007
Contact: Capt. Amy Malugani
Telephone: (703) 614-4309

HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS

Former residents and employees of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., can now register at the official Marine Corps water study website for notification and information purposes regarding past drinking water contamination.
The web registration is a tool intended to assist the Marine Corps in obtaining current addresses of Marines, dependents and civilians that lived or worked at Camp Lejeune prior to 1987. Once registered, at the official site, the Marine Corps will be able to send individuals updates regarding the study by letter mail or e-mail.
While the Marine Corps has obtained some personnel records of former residents and workers, many records are incomplete. We need all interested parties to register to ensure that our notification effort is as complete as possible.
Taking care of Marines, sailors, and their families is a top priority for the Marine Corps. The Secretary of the Navy and the Commandant of the Marine Corps are committed to reaching all former residents that may have been exposed to unregulated chemicals in the base drinking water between 1957 and 1987.
The Marine Corps fully supports the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry’s ongoing health study to determine whether exposure to these chemicals can be linked to any increased health risks. At the completion of the study in mid-2008, the Marine Corps will announce the results in conjunction with ATSDR.

We encourage former base residents to register on-line or contact the Camp Lejeune Water Study Call Center for assistance or additional information. The Call Center staff can be reached at 877-261-9782, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., or by email at clwater@usmc.mil.
For more information regarding the health study, contact the ATSDR information line at 888-422-8737.

Release # 0719-07-1014
The United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps goes cellular
July 13, 2007
WASHINGTON -- By sea and by land and now by cellular telephone, buglers and drummers from the Oldest Post of the Corps have created the most up-to-date setting for Marine music -- the cellular telephone.
As the bugle provided the first official form of communication on the battlefield, the Marine Corps musical tradition continues as the premier communicators of our nation contribute to the digital age.

"The Commandant's Own," The United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps now features MP3 ringtones, that can be downloaded from any personal computer. As the first in the U.S. Armed Forces to offer cell phone ringtones, the drum & bugle corps personally recorded a diverse mixture of public domain music, to include drum cadences, bugle calls, marches, and their most notable stylings in jazz.

"Marine buglers and drummers have performed standard calls for over 125 years, " stated Drum & Bugle Corps Director Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brian Dix. "The music that offered command and signal to the troops is short, efficient, and easily identifiable. The ringtones represent our proud heritage, for all service members and fans of the military, not just Marines. This is a perfect match for our drum and bugle corps and 21st century technology!"
For more information, please visit "The Commandant's Own" website. On the left side of the page in the "Directory". click on the 2nd link titled "Ringtones".

From the Commandant, to All Marines

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 27, 2007 - Finances are no longer a reason to keep a Marine's family from attending his or her basic training graduation, thanks to the Marine Graduation Foundation.
"The men and women who choose to serve our country as a United States Marine endure more in one day of boot camp than most of us will ever experience in a lifetime," John Weant, the foundation's president said. "None of (them) should ever have to be alone on the day they can proudly say, 'I am a United States Marine.'"
Weant said it's "just not acceptable" for financial circumstances to stand in the way of families traveling to attend the ceremonies.
Thanks to the Marine Graduation Foundation, families who want to attend a son or daughter's graduation at Camp Pendleton, Calif., or Parris Island, S.C., can request a grant from the Missouri-based organization through an online form located here.
The average grant is $250 and can be awarded to a grandparent, parent or spouse of the recruit, according to the foundation's Web site.
The nonprofit organization accepts donations to help fund the grants.
Visit the foundation's, Web site, for more information on making tax-deductible donations.
"No donation is too small, and with your help, we can make the Emblem Ceremony, as well as the graduation, a proud, memorable day for a man or woman who has chosen to serve our country as a United States Marine," Weant said on the foundation's Web site.
The Marine Graduation Foundation is a new member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

Subject: TO THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE
TO AL ALMAR

ALMAR 020/07
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC CMC//
SUBJ: TO THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE//

1. TO BE A MARINE IS TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING THAT REPRESENTS THE BEST OF OUR NATION. IT IS TO ACCEPT A WAY OF LIFE THAT EMBODIES SELFLESS SERVICE - TO DEFEND THOSE WHO CANNOT DEFEND THEMSELVES, TO THRIVE IN THE HARDSHIP AND SACRIFICE EXPECTED OF AN ELITE WARRIOR CLASS, TO MARCH TO THE SOUND OF THE GUNS, AND TO ABLY SHOULDER THE HERITAGE CREATED BY THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US.

2. ONLY A FEW AMERICANS CHOOSE THE DANGEROUS AND NECESSARY WORK OF FIGHTING OUR NATIONS ENEMIES. AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THAT CHOICE, SOME HAVE PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE, JOINING THE HONOR ROLL OF HEROES WHO BUILT THE NOBLE LEGACY OF OUR CORPS. FOR THOSE OF US WHO CARRY ON THAT LEGACY, IT IS OUR OBLIGATION TO HONOR THOSE FALLEN MARINES.
AS MARINES GATHER IN CELEBRATION OF OUR HISTORY, WE GATHER IN THE SHADOWS OF GREATNESS - THOUGH OUR FALLEN CAN NO LONGER PARTICIPATE IN OUR TRADITIONS, THEY WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF US AND WHO WE ARE.

3. THEREFORE, I AM DIRECTING THAT ALL UNIT MESS NIGHTS AND MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY BALL CELEBRATIONS INCLUDE WORTHY AND APPROPRIATE TRIBUTES TO OUR FALLEN COMRADES. SUBSEQUENT CHANGES TO THE DRILL AND CEREMONIES MANUAL WILL REFLECT THIS REQUIREMENT. THROUGH MEANINGFUL REMEMBRANCE, THE SACRIFICES OF "THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE" WILL NOT BECOME DISTANT MEMORIES, BUT WILL LIVE ALWAYS IN OUR WARRIOR CULTURE.

4. SEMPER FIDELIS, JAMES T. CONWAY, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS

That's it for now. I'm gonna go grab some chow and take a nap.
Remember, check back often. You'll never know what's new here if you don't!
Finn

Soon afterward a U.S. Marine recruiting poster depicted a snarling English Bulldog wearing a Marine Corps helmet.

Teufelhunden (Devil Dog)

Because of the tenacity and demeanor of the breed, the image took root with both the Marines and the public. The Marines soon unofficially adopted the English Bulldog as their mascot.

At the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia, the Marines obtained a registered English Bulldog, King Bulwark. In a formal ceremony on 14 October 1922, BGen. Smedley D. Butler signed documents enlisting the bulldog, renamed Jiggs, for the "term of life." Pvt. Jiggs then began his official duties in the U.S. Marine Corps.

A hard-charging Marine, Pvt. Jiggs did not remain a private for long. Within three months he was wearing corporal chevrons on his custom-made uniform. On New Years Day 1924, Jiggs was promoted to Sergeant. And in a meteoric rise, he got promoted again -- this time to Sergeant Major -- seven months later.

SgtMaj. Jiggs' death on 9 January 1927 was mourned throughout the Corps. His satin-lined coffin lay in state in a hangar at Quantico, surrounded by flowers from hundreds of Corps admirers. He was interred with full military honors.

But, a replacement was on the way. Former heavyweight boxing champion, James J. "Gene" Tunney, who had fought with the Marines in France, donated his English Bulldog. Renamed as Jiggs II, he stepped into the role of his predecessor.

Big problem! No discipline! Jiggs chased people, he bit people. He showed a total lack of respect for authority. The new Jiggs would have likely made an outstanding combat Marine, but barracks life did not suit him. After one of his many rampages, he died of heat exhaustion on 1928. Nonetheless, other bulldogs followed. During the 1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s they were all named Smedley, a tribute to Gen. Butler.

In the late 1950s the Marine Barracks in Washington, the oldest post in the Corps, became the new home for the Corps' mascot. Renamed Chesty to honor the legendary LtGen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller Jr., the mascot made his first formal public appearance at the Evening Parade on 5 July 1957. In his canine Dress Blues, Chesty became an immediate media darling, a smash hit!

After the demise of the original Chesty, the replacement was named Chesty II. He became an instant renegade. You name it, he did it. He even escaped and went AWOL once. Two days later he was returned in a police paddy wagon. About the only thing he ever managed to do correctly was to sire a replacement.

In contrast to his father, Chesty III proved to be a model Marine. He even became a favorite of neighborhood children, for which he was awarded a Good Conduct Medal. Other bulldogs would follow Chesty III (bulldogs don't live long). When Chesty VI died after an Evening Parade, a Marine detachment in Tennessee called Washington. Their local bulldog mascot, LCpl. Bodacious Little, was standing by for PCS orders to Washington, they reported.

Upon arrival at the Marine Barracks in Washington, LCpl. Little got ceremoniously renamed Chesty VII. He and the English Bulldogs who followed him epitomize the fighting spirit of the U.S. Marines. Tough, muscular, aggressive, fearless, and often arrogant, they are the ultimate canine warriors.

English Bulldogs. Teufel-hunden. Devil Dogs. They symbolize the ethos of the Warrior Culture of the U.S. Marines.

A Fellow Devil Dog

Okay, so that was interesting, right? But what's the deal with all the renaming of us Bulldogs? Yes, us Bulldogs! I was renamed too ya know. Oh you didn't know that? Heck yeah, my original name was actually "Cherokee's Ultimate Ulysses". What, was that so difficult? It had to be changed to Finnegan? Actually I don't mind. Finnegan is easier to write. By the way, I don't know how many of you know this, but if you look at my picture on the left side of this page, you'll notice my left eye is blue. You didn't know that either, did ya? Pretty unique, eh? Yep, and the chicks dig it!