Meets at 7:00PM, the 2nd Thursday of the Month at
The Knights of Columbus Hall, 2340 W Grand, Springfield, Missouri

“THE SHOW-ME NEWS”
September 2007, Volume IX, Number IX

IN HONOR OF LOCAL FALLEN MARINES

	Photo Courtesy of The Arlington National Cemetery

Chaplain Ray Glynn reports the following local Fallen Marines during August 2007. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of:

8/11 Huel Glen Powell (father of Past Commandant Charles Powell); 89; WW II; Buffalo, Missouri; Certificate presented and final tribute paid by Honor Team 8/13
8/15 Ralph Russell Smith; 87; WW II and Korea; Galena Missouri; Certificate presented and flag folding ceremony held 8/18 by Honor Team.
8/16 Charles Green Jr.; 76; US Navy; Nixa Missouri; Certificate presented 8/19 and final tribute paid by Honor Team 8/20.
8/23 Clyde Willard Rapp; 76; US Navy; Marionville Missouri; Certificate presented and final tribute paid by Honor Team 8/25.
8/26 Thelma (Parkinson) Laura Wachtel; 84; Woman Marine; Springfield Missouri, Certificate presented 8/28; No service planned.

Mt Veteran's Visitation Team Report

On Saturday Sept. 1st, after standing the 8-12 watch at the coffee break, my wife, Priscilla Burnett and I headed for our monthly visit with our Vets. We were met there by Joe Thurman who was already heavily engaged in conversation with some of our residents in the mess hall.
I may sometimes sound like I'm repeating myself but each visit always has something special about it and this one was exceptional. Resident Charles Haynes shared a very emotional story with us, that last Sunday a gentleman walked into his room and said “Hi Dad”. Charles looked at him thinking you must want my roommate, and after another time or two he looked at him more intently and he realized that he was his son. He had not seen his son for 10 years and what a shock that was. His son lives in Buffalo on a 20 acre plot and has two sons and a daughter. Charles was very excited as his son told him that he would be bringing his grandchildren that weekend to see him. Charles can remember a little bit about the grandkids but now one of them is ready to go off to college. Mr. Haynes also told us that he has a daughter that he hasn't heard from for 3 years. We reassured him that God works in amazing ways and maybe soon he will also he reunited with his daughter.
In talking with some of the residents we learned that we now have a new Marine resident, Mr. Ancel Owens. He talked a little about his service but shared that he is a Christian and has a deep faith in God. We will be looking forward in learning more about him.
While sharing with Mr. Mitchell Whardo, Joe took off his cap to show him that they both were lacking a little hair on top and Joe proceeded to share this story. “Those who are bald in front are considered to be thinkers, those that are bald in the back are sexy, and those that are bald all over just think that they are sexy.” We got a laugh out of him and also everyone else!! Betty Stewart speaks to me each time I see her that she wants our Memorial Team to pay her final tribute when she passes away. However, she says, she is more than happy to wait a few more years for it to happen. We also had a chance to meet her lovely family.
Our gifts this trip was a hat pin saying “Once a Marine, Always a Marine”. Priscilla blessed the residents with 2 boxes of homemade cookies. We were able to share them with Glen and a few of his buddies along with several of the other residents. They really do enjoy the cookies. We also brought 120 more bibs and 180 washclothes.
Plan on visiting our Marines with me in the near future, you will walk away enlightened.
God grants with each burden the strength to bear it-seldom more, never less.

May God Bless you all
Ray Glynn

DETACHMENT #993 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Two Color Guard Requests Received

We have two event requests for the Memorial Team and they are back to back. First event, We have been invited and have accepted the honor of being the Color Guard (Flag raising detail) and Rifle detail (Seven rifles) for VFW 3404's annual POW/MIA Recognition Day Sept. 21st. They will have a feed at 6:30 pm with the program starting at 7:00 pm. All MCL members are welcome to both. The V.F.W. Post 3404 is located at the intersection of National and Atlantic Avenues. Our Commandant has called for a practice session to be held at the K. of C. Hall just prior to our next regular meeting in Sept. This practice is to coordinate our rifle firing. This practice will be at 1800 hrs. Our second event is the very next day, Sept 22nd. We are to provide a color guard to start off a walk for A.L.S. disease, this will start at 10:00 am at Chesterfield Park, located one block off of James River Fwy & Kansas Expressway. An early response as to whether you can attend or not is requested ASAP.
Please contact Ray Glynn at 890-9912 or by e-mail ChaplainRay35@msn.com

1st Annual Comandant's Pistol Shoot

What: MCL Detachment #993 1st Annual Commandant's Pistol Shoot When: October 27, 2007 @ 0830
Where: Andy Dalton Range in Bois D'Arc, MO Range is about 4 miles south of MO highway 160. West of Willard and about 2 miles east of Ash Grove. Take MO 160 to sign on the right side of road turn leftthen about 4 miles range is on right side.
Who: Open to teams which must include current MCL members with one Commandant or Past Commandant.
Safety class at 0830 and will start to shoot no later than 0930. We shoot from 7yards,15 yards and 25yards. Total of 48 shots. Shoot in 6 shots groups. Must have a pistol of 38 caliber or larger and must hold 6 rounds or more. Wheel guns and semi-auto ok. After the shoot, lunch will be provided and trophy will be presented.
For More Information: Call Paul Primas @ (417) 863-1623

Color Guard Request and Invite from the MSU Veteran's Committee

We'd like your Marine organization to provide the color guard for the MSU flag-raising event on November 12th at 10:30 on campus in front of McDonald Arena. All detachment members are also, of course, invited to all other events of the day, including and especially a substantial and free breakfast for veterans and their guests in the third floor ballroom of the student union. Information regarding the campus events to be included in the next newsletter.

Marine Corps League Auxiliary Southwest Missouri Happy Days and Congratulations to everyone who worked the Cardinals games this year. I know for some of us it was a lot of work and effort. I want to personally say THANKS. It has been a great fundraiser. Hopefully we will do it again next year. Mary Lou Webb’s Semper Fi Night was a great success even with the rain pouring down. Luckily the rain stopped long enough for the Marines to go on the field and get the recognition that they deserve. She is now working in full force with Operation Santa. Our next fundraiser is going strong. We have sold a total of 100 cookbooks and just have a few hundred more to sell. We will be selling these cookbooks at the Marine Corps Ball.

The visit this month to our veterans at Mt Vernon went well. Vicki Glynn was asked to schedule a monthly MCA visit to Mt Vernon. More of this will be discussed at our next meeting. Also at our next meeting I would like to agree upon a weekend date in December for a Christmas Party at Mt Vernon. Please check your calendars and be prepared to pick a date.
Thanks to Theresa Perks we know have shirts. I hope that we will all wear them to our meetings. Anyone needing a shirt please contact Theresa. On short notice, she had them to us by August 24, 2007 for the Semper Fi Night festivities.
Our project for Operation Santa will be in full swing until the end of October. We will have a workshop at my house on September 8, 2007 . at 11:30 a.m. . This is a brown bag lunch. I will have drinks, coffee, tea, and some soda. Look forward to seeing all of you there.
As I close I want to thank all of you for a job well done. I look forward to seeing you at the meeting on September 13, 2007

Semper Fi,
Mickey Dees
President Marine Corps League Auxiliary
Southwest Missouri Detachment 993

RESERVE LIAISON SUPPORT REPORT 07-08-12&25

On Sunday 12 August, and Saturday 25 August, members of the Detachment visited Weapons Company. These were the first two events in our new initiative providing morale support to our local Marine Reservists. We set up two coolers of beverages for the Marines. These were fairly hot days, and the
ice cold drinks were appreciated. Many thanks to the Ramey/Price-Cutter organization for a generous gift certificate of $30.00. With this, we covered the cost of the cost of the 25th event, and enough left over to cover one or two more drills in the future.

On the afternoon of Sunday the 12th, two Marines stood by to show off a couple of their favorite weapons: The venerable 50 cal. machine gun; and the “new” M-240“Golf” machine gun. The 240G would be new to us who haven't been around Marine Corps weaponry for a while ... or would be reminiscent to anyone who fought against the Germans in WWII. The M-240G is designed along the lines of Germans' favored heavy automatic. Its basic design and appearance are the same. The originals can sometimes be seen on the German side in WWII flicks. The M-240G looks a lot like a BAR, but is not designed to fire from the off-hand. One discovers this by attempting to raise the butt stock to his shoulder. Even though the weapon uses 7.60, it's a bit to heavy to hold and fire from any position without support, yet light enough to haul into position by the carrying handle.

Regarding our mission in Iraq, the Marines we talked to relate that the war is going according to mission, but that people back home aren't getting the word. Concerning terrorists entering the country through porous borders, one Marine speculates that it's being allowed so that our forces can close with 'em and end various terrorist's careers. He also states that Fallujah is now in the hands of much improved and dependable Iraqi forces. This is another part of our Detachment's support mission: To hear what currently-serving Reservists have to say about their experiences. Incidentally, several of the Reservists are college students, and appear to be good prospects for one the officer candidate programs. I'm sure that many of you would agree that enlisted time, especially on the battlefield, is a giant step towards the making of an effective junior officer. Three Marine veterans answered the call to duty for these two weekends. I encourage all members to pick a date coming up in the future to make a showing. Our next two dates are Sunday 7 October, and Saturday 3 November (Marine Corps Birthday Ball).

A Note From a Member

To all, I just got the official word from my school, and I am happy and relieved to tell you all that my second doctorate is completed. It's on my transcript for all to see as of yesterday. So as of now, I am: Andrew S. Berry, Ph.D., Psy.D. (As I have joked with you before, BFD, huh?) LOL I wanted to at least let all several hundred of you know how much your support has meant to me throughout my higher education career dating back to 1983. You all have helped be become a better doc, and a better man. This I will never forget. God Bless you all.

Andrew

Judge Orders Michigan Man to Scrub Veterans Memorial With Toothbrush
Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Michigan man scrubbed a monument to U.S. troops with a toothbrush Tuesday while wearing a T-shirt that read “I Stole From Veterans” as part of a punishment for a scam to solicit scrap yards for metal, the Saginaw News reports.
A judge ordered Philip Kolinski, 73, of Carrollton Township, Mich., to wash the veterans monument outside the Saginaw County Governmental Center after he was found guilty of soliciting metal donations for a sculpture dedicated to Iraq War veterans that was never built, the Saginaw News said.
Instead of using the metal for a monument, he sold it and kept the money, the paper reports. Saginaw County District Judge A.T. Frank also ordered Kolinski to to pay $9,000 in restitution and $2,095 in fees and fines. A second man, James M. Arnst, 45, is awaiting trial for his alleged role in the scam.

How KA-BAR Got Its Name

Soon after its introduction in the mid-1920's, the KA-BAR trademark became widely known and respected. There have been many versions of how the KA-BAR name came to be, but all evidence points to a letter received from a fur trapper. This particular fur trapper's testimonial turned out to be the most significant ever received by the company.

He wrote, in very rough English, that his gun had jammed and that he had therefore relied on his knife to kill a wounded bear that was attacking him. In thanking the company for their quality product the trapper described using his knife to kill the bear. All that was legible of his scrawled writing was “k a bar”. The company was so honored by this testimonial that they adopted this phrase and used it as their trademark, KA-BAR.

VFW WASHINGTON WEEKLY

1. Senate Passes VA Funding Bill
The Senate passed their version of the FY 2008 VA funding bill by a 92-1 vote. The Military Construction/Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act provides $87.5 billion for VA, which is $3.6 billion more than the amount requested by the president and an 8% increase over last year’s funding. The bill also includes a VFW- supported amendment to eliminate the VA compensation and pension round down. The House passed their version in June. - Both versions include $37 billion for veterans’ medical care, which is $4.4 billion over the current fiscal year’s funding level and meets the VFW’s recommendations from the Independent Budget. - Both bills offer $4.1 billion in construction and maintenance funds to ensure that what happened at Walter Reed does not happen at VA. - Each includes substantial increases in mental health funding and for research and treatment of PTSD and other unique challenges from OEF/OIF. The House and Senate bills have to be ironed out in conference to come up with a single version before Sept. 30, which is the end of the government's current fiscal year.

2. WWII MIA Identified
The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Harold E. Hoskin, of Houlton, Maine, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. On Dec. 21, 1943, Hoskin was one of five crewmen on board a B-24D that departed Fairbanks, Alaska, on a cold-weather test mission. The aircraft never returned to base and was not located in subsequent search attempts. The following March, one of the crewmen, 1st Lt. Leon Crane, arrived at Ladd Field after spending more than two months in the Alaska wilderness. He said the plane had crashed after it lost an engine, and Crane and another crewmember, Master Sgt. Richard L. Pompeo, parachuted from the aircraft before it crashed. In October 1944, Crane assisted a recovery team in locating and recovering the remains of two of the crewmen, 1st Lt. James B. Sibert and Staff Sgt. Ralph S. Wenz. Hoskin’s remains were not found and it was concluded that he probably parachuted out of the aircraft before it crashed. In 2004, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command received information from a National Park Service historian regarding a possible WWII crash site in the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve of Alaska. In 2006, JPAC excavated the site and recovered human remains and other non-biological material, including items worn by U.S. Army officers during WWII.

Cardinals Concession Team UPDATE

We have been invited to a free end of year party at Hammons Field. September 19 at 6pm at the J Bucks Patio located in the Right Field Corner, near stand #5. Food, Fun, Prizes and Fundraiser of the Year is recognized. We will also have an opportunity to visit the Team Store which will be having a HUGE clearance sale on all items. The invitation is for all that have worked in the stadium this year. No spouses or children unless they also worked. It looks like it might be some fun. They have requested that we RSVP. Please let me know if you want to go. I will be going I think Mary Lou will be too (she's sleeping right now)
Thanks Bill

1/1 Marines, Iraqi Police get to bottom of insurgent stockpile

Sept. 7, 2007;Story ID#: 20079755619 By Cpl. Bryce Muhlenberg, Regimental Combat Team 6 SAQLAWIYAH, Iraq (Sept. 7, 2007) -- It was late morning when Pfc. Andrew D. Bear noticed the lone cinderblock in the middle of a field. There were no houses, no cement facilities, and no structures of any kind for hundreds of feet. It was just dirt, mud, weeds and the Marines of Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, accompanied by local Iraqi policemen.
To the Yorba-Linda, Calif., native, the cinderblock, sitting in the sun-baked mud, stuck out like a cockroach in a spoonful of oatmeal. “Now, tell me why a cinderblock would be just sitting in the middle of this field, all by itself,” implored the smirking 22-year-old fire team leader, to no one in particular. “Like we wouldn’t notice these things.”
In the distance, away from the two Marines who accompanied Bear, were IPs, who had brought the Marines to the location. The IPs made their way alongside the Marines through dust and 100-degree-plus heat, as they meticulously scanned the area for weapons caches. Bear and his fellow Marine, Pfc. Cesar R. Burgos, approached with a metal detector, sweeping back and forth, low to the ground. Suddenly, the device made a sharp beeping sound, signaling the presence of metal.“Let’s dig,” said Bear, a 2003 El Dorado High School graduate.
The digging continued for a few minutes until Burgos struck something solid with the tip of his shovel. The Marine unsheathed his knife, carefully brushed the dirt aside and removed an empty and corroded ammunition shell. With rows of corn as a backdrop to the scene, the Marines bent down and inspected the shell. There must be more, they thought. The Marines dug deeper. Just a couple of inches away from the initial spot and a few inches deeper, they found what looked like a cluster of green plastic capsules. Opening one of the specimens, the Marines revealed a 37mm high-explosive anti-aircraft round. “That thing is in perfect condition,” said Bear, facing the green splotches of the far-off thickets of reeds and the nearer mounds of dirt. “Just perfect to be detonated or fired.”
The hole the Marines had created only measured two feet wide and no more than five inches deep. Already, they had discovered six of these dangerous rounds. The Marines carefully excavated wider and deeper, uncovering more and more rounds. Bear spoke to the small group of Marines saying, “Although insurgents don’t really use anti-aircraft weapons, these can be used to make IEDs that would do some damage if put together properly.”
In a short time, Bear and Burgos uncovered several hundred rounds. They were carefully stacked in numerous quantities, and the rest of the Marines and IPs had been called to the excavation site. “It makes you feel good to find a cache like this,” said Lance Cpl. Jesse Aguilar, a 22-year-old, Los Angeles native and fire team leader. “Because it means they are off the street and can’t be used by insurgents anymore.” The cache the Marines had found in field today was a heavy load, with a final count of more than 350 rounds of various calibers. “It was a good time,” said Aguilar. “Most of the time, (when) we go looking for caches, we are just looking for suspicious spots and guessing. This time we had a general direction, which was given to us by the Iraqi Police, but Bear had the sense to see something that didn’t belong and found a cache.” “I couldn’t wait to go out today,” exclaimed Bear. “This is what I like doing, this right here.”
The Marines finished digging. Sweat-stained and exhausted, they had finally extracted all the deadly rounds from the warm soil. It was now time to get them to Explosive Ordinance Disposal Marines, who would make sure the rounds would never be used against friendly forces. EOD would blow up the rounds, forever removing them from an insurgent’s agenda.
“The more weapons caches we find, the less can be used against coalition and Iraqi forces,” said 2nd Lt. Stephen P. Kelly, the commander of 1st platoon. “Both the Iraqi policemen and the Marines did a great job of finding the cache. The training these Marines have received was top notch, but the skills of individual Marines, who are able to pick out the small but important details, says a lot about their personal abilities.”
“Every day we patrol for weapons and we are trying to make this area safer,” said Maj. Ali Hussein Usef, the local Iraqi Police station executive officer. “American forces and Iraqi Forces have one thing in common, we both want to stop the bad guys.”

Pioneering female Marine dies

Maye Ryan, who was in the first class of the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, has died. She was 97. Ryan, who was reportedly the oldest female Marine veteran in the nation, died Monday night at the Baptist Village, where she had lived for the last 14 years. She joined the Marine Corps in 1943 and was assigned as a typist in Mojave, Calif., where she served for 32 months. She was discharged as a corporal.
In an April interview with the Tulsa World, Ryan said things didn’t go easily for those first few women in the Marine Corps. She said her male counterparts often would look down at the female Marines and that many of the men had ugly names for them. Eventually, though, the women became well-accepted by the men, Ryan said.

Marine Corps League
Southwest Missouri Detachment #993
Regular Meeting
Date: 09 Aug 2007

NOTES: None
GUESTS: None
Meeting called to order by Commandant Atkinson at 1905 hours.
DETACHMENT OFFICERS PRESENT; Commandant Atkinson, SVC Perks, Adjutant Flores, Paymaster Dees, Chaplain Glynn, Sergeant at Arms Hessler were present .
Judge Advocate Higgenbotham and , JrVC Webb were absent. Also attending, Past Commandant Nolan Moody
MEMBERSHIP: None
Renewing Members: None
MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING: July minutes presented in June 2007 newsletter for review. Correction in Unfinished Business #1 Increase in dues to start on Septamber 2007. Motion to accept with corrections Primas, 2nd Dees, CARRIED by membership.
CORRESPONDENCE: 1)Memorial Team was awarded a certificate for complaint its 25th service. 2) Email from Dept SrVC Ferrell requesting info on the Pistol Shoot. 3) Vietnam Soldiers Dedication on Aug 18 at 1000. Commandant requested Memorial Team to appear in uniform to represent the detachment.
REPORT OF PAYMASTER: Written and oral report was given to members. Wounded Warrior raffle tickets rec'd and are on sale. Renewed State registration. Gave financial update on proceeds from Cardinal Games, Safety Breaks and the Carthage Car Show.
REPORT OF THE CHAPLAIN: Oral report given. Member Keith Davis' wife Audrey, is home, flowers were presented in person and rec'd with a big smile and thanks to the Detachment. Advised 1010 bibs have been donated to the Veteran's Home. Requested assistance in picking up donated towels from area hospitals. Local citizen gave Chaplain 4 dozen cookies to deliver to the home, which were well rec'd. Member Krugwig picked up a barracks cover for Mt. Vernon Vet.
REPORT OF PAST ACTIVITIES: 1) Memorial Team update given to include recent request for the Memorial Team. 3) Carthage Car Show details provided.
REPORT OF UPCOMING ACTIVITIES: 1) Nolan Moody gave an update on the 30 open spots for the upcoming Labor Day Weekend Safety Break, inventory of supplies completed. 2) Pistol Shoot Oct 27th, Primas gave an update. 3) Adj Flores gave an update on Cardinal games. 4) Marine Corps Ball tickets discussion TABLED. Ball to be held Nov 3rd at the Oasis. If wearing red blazer, ok to wear three medals. 5) Member Pyper gave update on the visit on drill weekend with the members of 3/24. 6) SrVC Perks advised members if interested in a trip to Branson, to call him.
UFINISHED BUSINESS: 1)Christmas Dinner for 3/24 TABLED 2) Primas motion:Dinner in Dec on a Sat w/o mtg, 2nd Davis, discussion. Amended by Krudwig to Dinner on Dec 15 if available w/o mtg, Davis 2nd, discussion, CARRIED by membership.
3) Primas motion to participate in the Springfield Veteran's Parade LaRussa 2nd, discussion, CARRIED by membership.
4) Primas motion to order NCO Sword, $225.00, Moody 2nd, discussion, CARRIED by membership. 5) Ka-Bars to be ordered for the MC Ball.
NEW BUSINESS: 1) Primas motion to reimburse Commandant Atkinson for the purchase of canopy, $793.88, used at the Carthage Car Show for shade, Hessler 2nd, discussion, CARRIED by membership. 2) Pistol Shoot flyers to be sent to State of MOP Detachments. 3) Hessler advised that the Purple Hearts highway signs to be installed in Sept. Hessler motion to adopt one person for the Therapeutic Riding Program for adults with disabilities ($270), Flores 2nd, discussion, 1 abstain,
CARRIED by membership.
GOOD OF THE LEAGUE: Member Bruton thank Memorial Team fro recent service of Fallen Marine/Friend. Member Davis thanked Detachment for flowers delivered to wife.
LADIES AUXILIARY:
ANNOUNCEMENTS: 1) Staff meeting 0900 Sat Aug 11. 2) Atend ceremony at the Veteran's Cemetery on Aug 18 at 1000. 3) MCL National recommends we wear our Dept of Defense Medals on red blazer. 4) Primas gave update on his health. Next regular meeting: 13 Sep 2007.
Meeting adjourned at 2002 hours.
Respectfully submitted; 19 Aug 2007:
Eddie Flores, Adjutant.