Finn Says... Finn Check out my page! All the news and info you need pertaining to our detachment or goings on in the Corps is there. Click the second link above titled "Finn's Corner." NOTE the November 2009 Newsletter is now online. It contains lots of info and news you're going to want to read. Click on the "Finnegan's 411" link above to download it. Check it out! |
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Officers
Commandant:
John Bauman
Sr. Vice Commandant:
Tom Kenney
Jr Vice Commandant:
Vinny Annunziata
Chaplain:
Rudy Jonak
Judge Advocate:
John Burke
Paymaster:
Stan Derby
Adjutant:
John Donovan
Sgt At Arms:
Matthew Falcone
Finn's Corner. (News for and about the detachment)
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Finnegan, on the alert, ready for action!
Welcome to November! Marine Corps Ball celebrations will soon be in full swing throughout the world. From sea to shining sea, and "In every clime and place where we could take a gun...", Marines will be celebrating the 234th Anniversary of the founding of our Corps. Hopefully you've made plans to raise a glass and toast all Marines, past and present.
This month I'll be doubly celebrating cause this November 10th marks my 4th anniversary as the detachment's mascot! Pretty cool, eh?
Of course, November 11th is Veteran's Day. So all you Devil Dogs make sure to thank any other veterans that you know. It's because of you and all of them that we enjoy all the freedoms and privileges that America offers. So Thank You All!
The November edition of your newsletter is now posted on line for your reading enjoyment. Make sure to check it out for all the latest news and information regarding the detachment's doings. For example, both "Applebee's" Restaurants and "Pizzeria Uno" are offering free dinners to all Veterans, active duty and retired members of the U.S. Armed Forces. It's in the newsletter. In addition, our annual Family Christmas Party is fast approaching. There's plenty of info about that in Newsletter as well. Check it out!
Okay Marines listen up! Here's a link to a web site showing off the Corps' latest television commercial. If this doesn't get you motivated, have your doctor check you for a pulse!
The Camp Lejeune Uniform Sales Shop has what you're looking for.
Call 1 (888) 267-3559 (Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM). Identify yourself as a former Marine and they will fill your order. They can handle all transactions over the phone as long as you have a valid credit card.
Dress Blue Trousers cost $31.75, Short Sleeve Uniform Shirts cost $19.65 and the NCO Trouser Stripe costs $2.85. Shipping costs are extra.
The detachment gets several requests for Color Guards throughout the year and for quite a while the same detachment members have been carrying the weight of those Color Guards. We need more members to step up and volunteer for these Color Guard requests. So if it's within your means, why not order these uniform items so you can help out when the need arises. It's yet another way you can support your detachment!
“Stars and Stripes” reports the Marine Corps is still trying to reach Marines, civilians, and their families who lived at Camp Lejeune, N.C., over a 30-year period when the drinking water was contaminated. Former residents of Camp Lejeune, N.C., who lived or worked there before 1988 are encouraged to register with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, by calling (877) 261- 9782 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. Or visit the U.S. Marine Corps website; www.usmc.mil If this pertains to you, get it done!
Former Marines, are you now saluting during the National Anthem? Here is an ALMAR from CMC Gen. Conway
Customs and traditions Unclassified// Almar 052/08 MSGID/GenAdmin/CMC Washington DC CMC// Subj/Customs and Traditions//Ref/a/desc:doc/cmc Washington DC/05May2003// AMPN/ref a is MCO p5060.20 , Marine corps drill and ceremonies manual.// 3. Saluting.
A recent change to the law has authorized active duty and retired service members to salute the National Colors, whether covered or uncovered, indoors or out. By custom and tradition, Marines do not render the hand salute when out of uniform or when uncovered. Let there be no confusion; that has not changed. During the playing of the National Anthem, or the raising, lowering, or passing of the national flag, Marines will continue to follow naval traditions and the policy / procedures contained in reference (a). Specifically, Marines not in uniform will face the flag, stand at attention, and place the right hand over the heart. If covered, Marines not in uniform will remove their headgear with the right hand and place their right hand over their heart. When the flag is not present, Marines will act in the same manner while facing in the direction of the music. In cases such as indoor ceremonies, when Marines are in uniform and uncovered, they will face the flag, or the direction of the music when the flag is not present, and stand at attention.
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
Recently a friend of the detachment, Lt. Col "Wild Bill" Cody sent along the following article.
From the Washington Times. Tuesday, 26 February 2008
The American Enterprise Institute resident scholar, Michael Ledeen identifies the author of the following poem titled “True Love” as the great American warrior, General Louis H. Wilson, Jr., USMC.
General Wilson was awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II and went on to become the 26th Commandant of the Marine Corps. The general is now guarding Heaven’s streets with his beloved Marines. He passed away in 2005 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Marines, here's another terrific Marine Corps commercial! The producers traveled to over 15 locations throughout America filming this ad. It's pretty damned impressive! Check it out. our Marines
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.
United States Marine Corps Press Release
Public Affairs Office;
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brian Dix
"The Commandant's Own"
The United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps
202-433-2927
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".
The following letter has been sent out by CMC to all Marines urging us to assist the Corps in it's recruitment efforts.
We who have worn the Eagle Globe and Anchor are a prime source of knowledge and information for young men and women who may be interested in trying to attain the title United States Marine. Our aid to the Recruiting Service will not only assist the Corps but it will, in the long run, also aid us in the Marine Corps League by ensuring the quality of our own future members.
From the Commandant, to All Marines
Okay Devil Dogs, check this out! The following article was recently brought to my attention and I think it's important enough to share with all of you.
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.
One of my "duties" as your detachment's mascot I think, is keeping you informed of what's going on, not only in the detachment but throughout the Corps as well. This notification from the Commandant is pretty timely and reflects the "Band of Brothers" ethos of the Corps. I think that's important so I'm putting it out there for your information.
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 more chow and take another nap.
Remember, check back often. You'll never know what's new here if you don't!
Finn
Ever wonder how English Bulldogs got to be the mascot of the U.S. Marines? Well read on. I think you'll find this stuff pretty interesting. I know I did.
Thanks to the German Army, the U.S. Marine Corps has an unofficial mascot. During World War I many German reports had called the attacking Marines "teufel-hunden," meaning Devil-Dogs. Teufel-hunden were the vicious, wild, and ferocious mountain dogs of Bavarian folklore.
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!
