June and throw them a party to bring in the 4th of July. Everyone should be sending cards. I look forward to meeting my Vet. The Springfield Cardinals games are great. We work hard but get to play too. This certainly will bring us together. Happy Birthday to everyone who has had a birthday or has one coming up. Happy Day. May we all be thankful that our Marines are coming home. Have a great month. See ya soon. Semper Fidelis, Mickey Dees Auxiliary President, Southwest Missouri

Are you in need of a large grill for your summer party, graduation or gathering??
All members are welcome to use the Detachment grill. Contact Commandant Atkinson for details.

Pictures taken of the Concession Team in action on the rain soaked night of April 24, 2007.

Below is the list of remaining games, we currently have 10 guys and 7 gals working. So if you could take some extra games to work that would be great. I chose two games in July to make up for the lack of games we had in that month everyone seemed to be in favor of getting a few more games in.

Thanks Bill

Day	Date	Type	Report Time
Tuesday	May 8th	Day	10:00 AM
Tuesday	May 29th	Night	5:00 PM
Tuesday	June 5th	Night	5:00 PM
Tuesday	June 19th	Night	5:00 PM
Monday	July 9th	Night	5:00 PM
Saturday	July 21st	Night	4:00 PM
Tuesday	July 31st	Night	5:00 PM
Tuesday	August 21st	Night	5:00 PM
Tuesday	August 28th	Night	5:00 PM
Monday	Sept 3rd	Day	12:00 PM

 

	JA Higginbotham providing leadership to the Young Marines who helped with the Welcome Home activities.

Detachment Members Do Their Part in Weapons CO 3/24 Welcome Home Celebration
With the Detachment Grillmasters over the coals, the Ladies Auxiliary tending to the tables and assistance from the revamped Young Marines, Detachment #993 proved that Once a Marine, Always a Marine lives strong in the Ozarks. Members Perks and Flores cooked burgers and dogs for the family members as they awaited the return of their Marines from Iraq. An estimated crowd of 2,000 greeted the motorcade provided by the Greene County Sheriff's Department as the bus arrived. Member Luedke should know that his Marines CD was used to play the Marine Corps Hymn as the bus arrived. Scanning the crowd, this Marine found various Detachment members wiping tears at the sight before them. Overheard from an Army member, “we don't do anything like this. This is unbelievable”. Sorry Army Dog, this is the Marine Corps family in action. Thanks to all members who assisted in the festivities.

Scholarship fund honors slain Marine
Ryan Slight April 11, 2007 Springfield News-Leader
Cooper Davis stayed awake one recent night because he was missing his son C.J., a U.S. Army sergeant serving his second tour in Iraq. The Willard man wished he had a way to assist military veterans — so he came up with one.
He and others founded the Jesse Harden Combat Soldier College Tuition Fund to benefit soldiers in the 417 area code who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Harden was a Marine Corps lance corporal who was killed by a speeding motorist in downtown Springfield in December 2005. “We can't put these guys on the back burner. They've done so much,” Davis said. A scholarship billboard was displayed Tuesday near Jordan Valley Auto Body Shop, 2945 W. Sunshine St. It featured Harden's photo and a phrase: “It's Time to Give Back.” Missouri Neon donated the billboard, which will be displayed at various Springfield locations. “Jesse would have been proud of it,” Harden's mother, Terri McGee of Highlandville, said as she stared up at the Ozark High School graduate's picture. She taped a bundle of flowers to the billboard's column so they wouldn't be blown away in Tuesday's wind and rain.
Harden, 22, was anticipating a second tour in Iraq prior to his death. A Brighton motorist fleeing an off-duty Greene County sheriff's deputy struck his vehicle at South Avenue and Elm Street. Seeing her son's name on a scholarship fund was humbling, McGee said. “I'm hoping they will be able to help a lot of soldiers get where they want to go,” she said. Springfield attorney Lee Gannaway, who agreed to help Davis, hoped to raise $250,000 within a year. When the funding is available, Davis plans to award several scholarships annually.
Community Foundation of the Ozarks will handle endowment contributions. The scholarships would assist soldiers going to any college or university. Gannaway, who is a former Springfield mayor, helped the effort by contacting potential donors. One unnamed contributor already pledged $10,000, he said.
The attorney recalled that he returned to the United States to receive no help or welcome after serving in the Vietnam War, and wanted current soldiers to be treated better. While some soldiers get college assistance through the G.I. Bill, the funding doesn't pay for everything, he said. “With an additional scholarship, maybe they won't have to work 40 hours a week and go to school like I did. You don't get a lot of sleep that way,” Gannaway said. American Legion Post 639 will help raise scholarship funds during a May 19 Armed Forces Day celebration. The event will start with a noon ceremony and feature live music and performances at the post. The Sunshine Street billboard displays Davis' number, 742-9475, for those wanting more information about the college fund.

Impersonating Marine leads to prison
Amos Bridges Springfield News-Leader
A Springfield man who impersonated a decorated Marine — among other things — will spend six months in federal prison for the deception. Michael Paul Bramlett, 34, was sentenced Tuesday in Springfield on one count of wearing a U.S. Marine Corps uniform without authorization and another for illegally wearing medals, badges and ribbons of the armed forces. Bramlett, who in the past has claimed to be an attorney, psychologist and London-trained chef, served part of a fiveyear state sentence for selling illegal prescription drugs to an undercover officer in Webster County in 2003.
He had been free on parole since October but will now head to federal prison after receiving a six-month sentence on each count — the statutory maximum — to be served concurrently.
“This imposter received the maximum penalty for his dishonorable conduct,” said a press release issued by Bradley Schlozman, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri. “Such disrespect for the brave men and women serving in our nation's armed forces won't be tolerated.” Bramlett pleaded guilty to the charges Dec. 22. Although he served in the Navy for three months in 1989, he never served in the Marines as he claimed while attending several Marine Corps League functions in December 2005.
After applying to become a member of the organization for former Marines, Bramlett attended several of the group's functions. He claimed to have been wounded by an IED while serving in Iraq and arrived at the League's annual dinner dressed as a Marine captain with service ribbons that included a Silver Star, Navy Cross and Purple Heart. League members were immediately suspicious, Commandant Frank Atkinson said in a past interview with the News-Leader. “I questioned it, because he didn't have any combat action ribbons,” Atkinson said after charges were filed in October. “It just didn't jibe, so everyone started asking questions.” When Bramlett attended a funeral service a few days later wearing his uniform and sword, League members had all the proof they needed — and documented the deception in photographs. “He was carrying his sword on his right hip,” Atkinson said. “Well, the sword's carried on the left, so that's kind of a dead giveaway.”

Notes from the Staff Meeting held on April 14, 2007:
Paymaster Dees suggested Cmdt Atkinson and Moody have Detachment Sam's cards issued in their names. JA Higginbotham suggested purchasing a fire extingusher and a First Aid kit for the Detachment trailer. Auxiliary Chaplain Glynn advised that they are sending bookrate packages twice monthly to troops overseas. 176 towels delivered to Mt Vernon last month. They have had three new members join in the last three months. Atkinson: Flores to contact Maj Johnson for details on 3/24 Welcome Home. Discussed Memorial Day Color Guard, Perks to lead the team. Need to get Bylaws from Primus to take to State Convention. Preparing to inventory Det property to include items found in storage. Advised we all need to support the commitment to the Cardinals concession team.

 

One of Our Own: Burl Grose Enlistment Date: August 5, 1942 Discharge Date: October 24, 1945 MOS: Motor T Job: Build Bridges and Piers Engagements: Cape Gloucester Dec 27, 1943 to Apr 24, 1944 Peleliu Island Sept 15, 1944 to Sept 28, 1944 Okinawa Apr 6, 1945 to Apr 8, 1945 Monthly rate of pay when Discharged: $69.35 Burl was featured in Leatherneck Magazine in regards to his mustache as seen in the photo. The mustache measured 6 and 1/2 inches from tip to tip, “and without stretching it, too” he boasted. The article included a photo spread of him cutting it off in stages. Burl stated he never shaved two months before an operation and until the operation was completed. Burl was also features in an AP story which was picked up by many newspapers. The feature is as follows: Peleliu, Palau Islands. Marine Cpl Burl Grose, 23 years old, of Cabool, MO., was saved from what he believes might have been certain death by a can of cheese in his K rations. A few minutes after he hit the beach, mortar shells dropped likerain on the area. He headed for a foxhole 50 feet from the water's edge, nut an exploding mortar caught him as he crouched. He felt a strong jar in his back and dived in the foxhole.

Grose tore off his pack but there was no injury to his back. Inside his K ration box, in the small can of cheese, a piece of shrapnel was imbedded.
He had other narrow escapes the first 24 hours on the hard fought, fingertip-hold beachhead. The Japs attacked that night and drove his engineer outfit within 50 feet of the water's edge. Six men around him died and nearly a score were wounded.
All night Grose and his companions lay there, as mortars fell and snipers criss-crossed the defense line with bullets. He moved ahead 30 yards the next morning and aided in flushing seven Japs from two foxholes.

Did you know: Burl had a baseball contract with the New York Yankees as a pitcher before leaving for the war?

Anheuser-Busch extends Military Tribute

Navy veteran awarded medal 62 years after heroics

St. Louis, Mo. (January 10, 2007) - A tribute program that so far has provided free admission to Anheuser-Busch theme parks to more than 1.7 million members of U.S. and coalition armed forces and their families has been extended through 2007. Anheuser-Busch launched “Here’s to the Heroes” in February 2005 to acknowledge the service of military men and women and the sacrifices made by their families.
“It is gratifying to all of us at Anheuser-Busch that so many members of our armed forces took advantage of this program and honored us with a visit,” said Keith M. Kasen, chairman and president of Busch Entertainment Corporation, the family entertainment division of Anheuser-Busch. “This is a difficult time for our men and women in uniform and we are honored to give them something back.”
Here’s to the Heroes provides a single day’s free admission to any one SeaWorld or Busch Gardens park, Sesame Place, Adventure Island or Water Country USA for the service member and as many as three of his or her direct dependents. Any active duty, active reserve, ready reserve service member or National Guardsman is entitled to free admission under the program. He or she need only register, either online at www.herosalute.com or in the entrance plaza of a participating park, and show a Department of Defense photo ID. Also included in the offer are members of foreign military forces serving in the coalitions in Iraq or Afghanistan or attached to American units in the U.S. for training.