Shoreline Detachment MCL

 

Marine Corps League Veterans Day

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  One of our Charter members, Fred Bloodworth has entered Hospice Care.  Because of that, our Chaplain Oscar Ledesma has been granted visitation rights.  As usual, the ole’ Staff Sergeant is still all Marine!  As will all our members and fellow Marines going through hardships, please keep him in your hearts and prayers.

  We held another successful flag posting again today.  The flags will remain up until September 12.  We will pull them down and audit them then.  Good Work Team!

  The Commandant’s Award was presented to our Judge Advocate, Roy Hebert.  Roy is a valued member that not only served in the Judge Advocate position, but also was one of the first volunteers at every event or working party.  At 85 years young, he put a lot of us youngsters to shame!  Roy is moving to mid-state next week, but we will keep him on our invite and mailing list.

Semper Fi Sir!

   The Detachment provided the meal service for the VFW this past Friday, August 21.  We served both Bill’s sloppy joes, and fish.  All proceeds went to the operation of the VFW.  Excellent work by all!

On July 11 we collected the flags that were placed on 8th Street in downtown Holland.  We had placed them there for Flag Day, and left them posted until now to cover the 4th of July.  The flags will stay in storage until the Labor Day weekend, when they will again be posted downtown.  It is a real honor to be able to do this for the community.

  Our Detachment is starting to assist the VFW Honor Guard with ceremonial duties.  Today it was Mack MacKellar and Oscar Ledsema.  Looking sharp guys!

Commandant Lopez was the recipient of the 2020 Detachment Recruiting Award.  It was noteworthy that he also received the 2019 award.  Both years he obtained 8 new members.

  We’re back!  This is our first Zoom meeting.  There were a few hiccups in the program, but for the most part it went well.  The downside is that we need to hold it upstairs due to the lack of broadband downstairs.   Please join us whenever possible!

  Have you ever wondered why Tootsie Rolls hold significance with the Marine Corps? During the Korean War, the First Marine Division met the enemy at Chosin Reservoir in subfreezing temperatures. Out of ammunition, Marines called in for 60mm mortar ammo; code name “Tootsie Rolls.” The radio operator did not have the code sheets that would tell him what a “Tootsie Roll” was, but knew the request was urgent; so he called in the order. Soon, pallets of Tootsie Roll candies parachuted from the sky to the First Marine Division! While they were not ammunition, this candy from the sky provided well needed nourishment for the troops. They also learned they could use warmed Tootsie Rolls to plug bullet holes, sealing them as they refroze.
Over two weeks of incessant fighting, the 15,000-man division suffered 3,000 killed in action, 6,000 wounded and thousands of severe frostbite cases. But they accomplished their goal and destroyed several Chinese divisions in the process. Many credited their very survival to Tootsie Rolls.