President Rios says, "I have always been proud of being a Marine. I won't hesitate to defend the Corps."

FIRST MARINE DIVISION ASSOCIATION

President Rios says, "I have always been proud of being a

Marine. I won't hesitate to defend the Corps." -Jonathan Winters

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

From Left to Right President Vince Rios and Director at

Large-East Robin L. Montgomery

The Southern California Chapter held a cookout on 17 June 2016 for

Headquarters Battalion 1st Marine Division right outside the First

Marine Division Association Headquarters Office.

Colonel Christopher Dowling -Division Chief of Staff/Assistant Division Commander

speaks with SgtMaj Marty Vasquez and Robin Hutton -Author of "Sgt Reckless

America's War Hero."

Serving in the chow line June Cormier, LtCol Jean White, SgtMaj Tony Aguilar,

Sonya West.

FMDA Members from left to right Olin Thompson, SgtMaj

Larock Benford, Marshall Varano, MgySgt Bob Adwell, Bob

Boast, SgtMaj Marty Vasquez and SgtMaj William Sowers

enjoying the cookout.

YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS

Howdy Jerry,

I received the Priority Mail letter you sent me regarding the Tax-Exempt Status of the

FMDA, Inc & the FMDASF, Inc. at R(r)isk.

At your request and as a ONE TIME COURTESY I will not print the text of your letter in

the President's Blast but don't ever ask me to keep anything from our members again! I

will however, paraphrase your salient points in the Blast without comment. Since our

legal officer is looking into this matter I will forward your letter to him for response, if he

wishes.

In your letter you say that:

The FMDA, Inc and the FMDASF, Inc have been " Sky lighted " with the IRS and the

California AG's Office and both are potentially at risk of losing their tax-exempt status

due to the President's recent misappropriation of FMDASF funds.

A 501 c 3 cannot transfer funds to a 501 c 19 for services and a 501 c 19 cannot

appropriate funds from a 501 c 3. A 501 c 3 can pay a 501 c 19 for services performed

and can reimbursed a 501 c 19 on behalf of the 501 c 3 , all supported by invoices.

THE BLANKET INVOICE FOR THE PERIOD FMDASF INC WAS IN ARREARS

WAS SHARED WITH THE COMMITTEES VIA E-MAIL AND APPEARED IN THE

PRESIDENT'S BLAST AS WAS THE INTENT OF THE FMDA INC. TO COLLECT.

Vince Rios

President

June,

Does FMDA HQ maintain suspense files for assorted material sent in by the chapters ?

Perhaps we should, as a sort of an inactive archive.

President Rios

Good morning sir,

Yes, I have a Chapter file and per the suggestion of Jim Zalpis, I have a separate file for

Chapter Financial Reports and also Chapter Insurance Certificates.

June Cormier,

Executive Assistant to the President

Ooh RAH !

Let's get those chapter bulletins and newsletters in for our archives and those photos for

our President's Blast. The day will come when scholars will look at the history of the First

Marine Division as not simply light novelty reading for war buffs and more for the role it

plays in its contribution to shaping our American character..

Keep up the great work.

President Rios.

Houston Reunion Information

Below is the hotel reservation link for the JW Marriott Houston Hotel at the Galleria. The

hotel address is 5150 Westheimer Road Houston TX 77056. Phone 713-961-1500.

Parking is discounted to $6/day.Valet parking is $32.00. Super Shuttle provides airport

transportation. FMDA has obtained a discount for SuperShuttle - the discount code is

DGHAK if you call for reservations. To make reservations or for more information,

please call (713) 523-8888 or visit:

www.groups.supershuttle.com/firstmarinedivision.html

Click here to view hotel information:

Molly

Molly Dey,President

Armed Forces Reunions, Inc.

322 Madison Mews

Norfolk, VA 23510

757-625-6401

757-627-3807 fax

mollydey@afri.com

www.armedforcesreunions.com

FMDA NEW MEMBERS FOR THE WEEK OF 24 JUNE 2016

Barbara Morehead Associate Member

Jay S. Goodwin Sponsor FMDA HQ

FMDA CHALLENGE COINS

ORDER YOURS TODAY!

CONTACT FMDA HQ'S AT

(760) 763-3268

$10.00 EACH PLUS

SHIPPING/HANDLING

TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO GET YOUR COLT 1911 A-1 PISTOL

RAFFLE TICKETS!

RAFFLE TO BE HELD AT

THE HOUSTON REUNION

1 AUGUST- 7 AUGUST 2016

SIGN UP NOW!

First Marine Division Association

P.O. Box 9000, Box # 902

Oceanside, CA 92051

(760) 763-3268

MONEY MATTERS

General Fund and Scholarship Fund Report for the week of 18 June 2016

General Fund Checking Account

Bank of America Checking

06/18/16 $142,217.89

06/11/16 $139,072.67

Difference: + $ 3,145.22

Scholarship Fund

Bank of America Checking

06/18/16 $29,845.77

06/11/16 $30,255.77

Difference: - ($ 410.00)

Available General Funds

General Fund Balance: $142,217.89

Less Restricted Funds: $ 5,239.94

Available General Funds: $136,977.95

Bank of America Scholarship Savings

06/18/16 $582.77

06/11/16 $582.77

Difference: $ 00.00

Wells Fargo Advisors

06/18/16 - $295,871.73

06/11/16 - $295,871.73

Difference: $ 00.00

1st Marine Division Association, Inc, Financial Statements ending May

31, 2016

Click Here To View May 2016 Financial Statement:

Click Here To View May 2016 Operational Graph:

PROMISING NEWS FROM THE IRS

Click Here To View IRS Letter:

HISTORY

FYI - Amazing revelation, 71 years after the fact.

SF

...Gary Brannan

PS:See below Link - Marines say they misidentified one man in iconic 1945 Iwo Jima

photo

http://usat.ly/28OHSlc

"He probably wouldn't be really happy with us revealing this now,"

The PS of Tourism did have one good piece of news - the cabinet paper on Bloody

Ridge to be declared a National Park was approved at today's Cabinet meeting, This is a big achievement towards the plans for the August 7th event of 2017. Will be in touch. Bruce

Tom,

Just got this message from Bruce Saunders.

I am PLEASED.

John

Yee-Haa! The 1st Marine Division will be the world's first to have a

National Park dedicated strictly for it. Tom McLeod, Historian First Marine Division Asociation

Tom,

Thanks a million for spearheading this awesome accolade to the First Marine Division on

behalf of the First Marine Division Association, Inc. I look forward to August 7, 2017.

The ANZAC endowment is next !

Ooh RAH !

President Vince Rios

El Jefe

TAPS

Brother Marines,

The enclosed link will take you to the schedule for services for Jim Pilkington who died

Monday June 13, 2016.

http://howemortuary.com/book-of-memories/2534041/Pilkington-James/service-

details.php

Book of Memories - howemortuary.com

howemortuary.com

View Details. Pilkington, James . Sarah Ball

Jim was one of the founders of Front Range Marines SOS group. He served in the Corps

in the 1950s in VMO-6. His was a consummate military historian and collector. He led

tours to some of the Pacific Island battles of WW II.

Jim was a Life member of the 1st Marine Division Association.

He will be missed. May he rest in peace!

Thanks to Bob Johnson for sharing this information.

Semper fi,

Bob Brockish

June,

Photo attached per our telcon, as

displayed near the altar at John

Bastian's memorial mass at Our

Lady of the Lake Catholic Church

in Lake Oswego, OR, 17 June.

Along with others which were also

very nice, this one absolutely

stood out!

Following the service, John was

interred alongside his wife Joanne,

who predeceased him, at Our Lady

of the Lake Sacred Heart

Cemetery, with Full Military

Honors rendered by Marines from

the 6th Engineer Support Battalion

(the largest in Our Corps), and

Oregon/Columbia Chapter Honor

Guard. Many Marine veterans

also attended from our local

chapter, Korean War Veterans

Association and Women Marines

Association. The president of our

local Navy League chapter also

attended.

John's family also had a wonderful

reception afterward at Oswego

Hills Vineyard and Winery.

We Marines of the

Oregon/Columbia River Chapter and John's family were very grateful and thank President

Rios and 1 Mar Div Assn Headquarters staff for the beautiful floral arrangement, as a

tribute to the many years of John's faithful service and contributions to the 1st Marine

Division Association and its several charitable causes and activities.

...Gary Brannan

Memorial Mass for John Bastian