spokane’s marine corps league melvin m. smith detachment … · 2019-10-10 · commandant: randy...

COMMANDANT: RANDY OTT PRESIDENT: DIANE ROWAND

Spokane’s Marine Corps League Melvin M. Smith Detachment #586

October/November/December 2018 Volume II, Issue VI

DETACHMENT DIGEST

Hello all: Summer is almost gone and Fall is knocking on the door. I hope everyone is ready

for a busy season and perhaps even some crazy weather. If it doesn’t snow, then you can

blame me because I recently bought a snow blower. Money well spent if that’s the case.

Speaking of money, VFW Post 1435 is raising funds for their building because Mark

Peterson and his KXLY Extreme Team have agreed to give them a much deserved renova-

tion. All they have to do is raise enough to get started by Nov. 1st. The renovation will take

approx. one week with the big reveal on Nov. 8th’s evening news. (See photo page 2)

This will be incredible for them and us as well. Plans are being made for that

night’s regular meeting as we don’t want to be in the way of the news crew. We however

still need to conduct business. More than likely, we will move downstairs and adapt like

Marines always do. Please bring your ideas to the meeting as we have a birthday to celebrate

and Toys for Tots to discuss. Lots of volunteer opportunities during the next three months

which can be fun, but usually a lot of hard work.

In case you haven’t bumped into any of the I & I Staff Marines at “P” Battery, there

are a lot of new faces. Capt. Russ Ryder checked in as the I & I with his new 1stSgt Fabian

Estrada. They are ready for the challenge of a new command. They’ve heard a lot about

Toys for Tots and the other things that will keep them very busy for the next few years.

Welcome aboard Marines! We look forward to working with you as you have

already proven yourselves to the Honor Guard. (Cont. pg. 7)

Committee Points of Contact 2

MMS 586 Birthdays, Membership Renewal Update 3

Waiting at home 4 & 5

This Month in USMC History (Oct, Nov, Dec) 6

MCLA President’s notes 7

Calendar (Oct, Nov, Dec) 8-10

Photo from Wilbur & Ball information 11

Inside this issue:

DETACHMENT

OFFICERS

COMMANDANT

RANDY “OTTER” OTT 998-9031

SR VICE COMMANDANT

TIM KRUSE 701-2963

JR VICE COMMANDANT

ALVIN PARKER 290-2625

CHAPLAIN

DENNIS DRESSLER 953-6266

JUDGE ADVOCATE

GUILLERMO “Z” ZARAGOZA (707) 843-6955

JR PAST COMMANDANT

JIM BROWN 599-3456

PAYMASTER

JIM STAILEY, JR 475-9012

ADJUTANT

KARI SOBISKY 466-1733

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

MANNY ESPARZA 328-7257

AUXILLARY PRESIDENT

DIANE ROWAND 590-7111

DETACHMENT Digest

Gun Show/Rifle Raffle

Alvin Parker 290-2625 [email protected]

MCL Auxiliary

Diane Rowand 590-7111 [email protected]

Honor Guard Mikie Taylor 993-7588 [email protected]

MCL Spokane Website & Veteran’s Day

Jim Brown 599-3456 [email protected]

Paymaster James Stailey 475-9012 [email protected]

Memorial Day Ceremony

Bryan Smith 487-8357 [email protected]

Americanism

Louise Griffith 487-1623 [email protected]

Awards, Boy Scouts of America

Randy Ott 998-9031 [email protected]

Toys for Tots & Lilac Day Parade Bill Bean 924-9215 [email protected]

Bylaws

Guillermo Zaragoza 707-843-6955 [email protected]

Coffee Stops

Doug Shurtleff 328-5837 [email protected]

Homeless Veterans

Hank Melanson 385-2726 [email protected]

Hoopfest Manuel “Manny” Esparza 328-7257 [email protected]

Newsletter Open position (call Commandant)

Planning Committee

MCL Commandant & MCLA President

Recruitment & Retention

Alvin Parker 290-2625 [email protected]

Spokane County Young Marines

Jim Brown 599-3456 [email protected]

VSVO Mike O’Flaherty 484-6834 [email protected]

Veteran’s Court & Marine of the Year Society

Timothy Fitzgerald 262-4674 [email protected]

Committee Points of Contact

DETACHMENT Digest

DECEMBER ANN WHITNEY 5TH

RAYMOND BELL 6TH

ERIC “STITCH” YURCISIN 7TH

DEAN LADD 8TH

LARRY LUTZ 8TH

NORM SANBORN 11TH

RICHARD SPEAR 11TH

RICHARD FREIER 16TH

DONALD KILGORE 20TH

GORDON HABBESTAD 20TH

ROBERT GREER 28TH

Happy Birthday MARINES!!!

MMS 586 MEMBERSHIP

MMS 586 BIRTHDAYS

PAYMASTER’s REMINDER:

Notices were sent out to all dues paying members. Lots of you have sent in your checks. Thank you! Please remember to send them in soon as we are now into the new fiscal year. If you wish not to renew, then please tell us what we did wrong or how we can get you back.

We’ve had a few members who have decided to save their money and become Life Members. The rates are reasonable and worth considering. At least then you won’t have to hear another word about renewing your dues.

Semper Gumby! Jim Stailey

OCTOBER NORM RUBIN 1ST (99)

JOSEPH BOLLMAN 3RD

WALTER LINDREN 3RD

CARL SCHAUPPNER 3RD

JAMES EGGERS 7TH

FRANK OWENS 12TH

BRYAN SMITH 16TH

BENJAMIN GOODWIN 24TH

NOVEMBER JERRY WINTERS 1ST

DAVID JOHNSON 6TH

TERRY BUSH 7TH

SENICO VARELO 7TH

MIKE O’FLAHERTY 12TH

RICHARD SANGER 17TH

DENNIS HARMON 29TH

DETACHMENT Digest

Waiting at Home

By L. M. Plager

I heard the doorbell and immediately thought the worst thing imaginable. It was April,

2003 and the Iraq invasion flooded the news. My youngest son, 23 years old and a Marine, was

in Iraq and probably on the road to Baghdad. I walked to the front door, my heart racing and

tears starting to form in my eyes. Holding my breath, I peered through the peep hole, expecting

someone in uniform on my front porch to tell me our son was dead.

A guy from FedEx, holding a package, stood on the porch. With a deep sigh of relief, I

opened the door and signed for the package.

I closed the door, walked to the dining room, sat down and started to calm down. We hardly

ever have unannounced visitors. Hearing an unexpected doorbell ring, I fear who might be at the

door and the horrible news they’ve come to deliver.

I remember another Marine and a different war. In June of 1969, I was the Marine and Vi-

etnam the war. After several months of combat operations, our unit patrolled out of a base

across the river from a little town called Namo. The base, surrounded by razor wire, sandbagged

towers and bunkers, contained some luxuries we were not accustomed to: gravity fed showers,

outhouses and wood framed tents with canvas cots to sleep on. These luxuries made this a great

place to be, other than being in Vietnam.

Lying on my cot, a Marine stuck his head inside the tent and said, “Plager! The Lieutenant

wants to see you!”

I looked over to him and asked, “What for?”

“I don’t know, but he sounds pissed off.”

I got up and headed to the Platoon Command Post thinking, “What the hell did I do?” and

couldn’t think of anything.

Reporting to the Lieuten-

ant, he asked me, “Plager,

when’s the last time you

wrote home?”.

“It’s been a while, Sir.”

“Your mother has been

worried about you and con-

tacted the Marine Corps, to

see if you are okay. This in-

quiry has traveled through

the entire Marine Corps

chain of command until it

reached me. I’ve been told

CONVENTION, CONVENTION, CAN YOU SAY CONVENTION?!?! Did you hear the one about the...Oh wait, camera, “CHEESE”… Nice smile on TJ Morgan waiting for the big banquet to wrap-up the MCL National Convention. It was a very busy week of Bylaws and so much more. Next year is Billings :) YAHOO!!!!

DETACHMENT Digest

to take care of it. God Dammit, Plager! Write your mother! I don’t ever want to hear that you’re

not writing again! Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Get out of here, Plager!”

“Aye aye, Sir.”

I left and wrote a letter to my mother.

I stopped writing because I didn’t have anything to say. I always made stuff up in my letters: A

nice fan keeps me cool. The club here is pretty good. Everything is okay. None of these things

were true. The letter today, like my other letters, never mentioned what my life was really like,

with its hardships and dangers. I never wrote about how close I’ve come to being killed, though

she probably knows. There was nothing to say in a letter home. My only reality – just another day

in Nam.

Not wanting to be on the Lieutenant’s shit list or having my mom worry more than she already

did, I continued writing home: Everything is okay. Now, with a son in a similar situation, I wait at

home, like my mother waited for me. I now understand what my mother went through and cry at

the pain she suffered while I fought in Vietnam and didn’t write home.

Semper Fidelis!

DETACHMENT Digest

This Day in Marine Corps History

Volume II, Issue VI

(Continued from front page)

This year’s MCL National Convention was held in Buffalo. From all reports, it was a very successful

event. If you want to know more, then please ask TJ Morgan, Susan Douglas and Vickie Brown about their

travels. In 2019, the MCL Convention will be in Billings, MT. If you want to experience a National Conven-

tion, then this is as close as it gets for the next few years; it will be here before you know it.

With all this being said, thank you for reading and checking out our upcoming calendars. If you can

make it to an event, then contact the committee chair and agree to be there. Our events are as fun as you

make them.

Sadly, I recently found out that PDC Tommy Thompson passed away in June, 2018. Somehow this

slipped through our news feeds from CDA. Tommy will be missed. I’ve sent a belated card to the family.

My sincere thanks to our many volunteers who make a difference in this great city of Spokane.

Again, many thanks and well wishes to you and yours until I see you again.

That is all, carry on!

Semper Fidelis!

Otter

Commandant

BINGO!!! Can you say BINGO?!?! Volunteers are needed for our monthly Bingo at the VA. Many thanks to Mary Lou, Susan and Mike for being there for so long. If you live in the area, this is a perfect time and place to volunteer. We support the Bingo every second Wednesday of the Month at 7 pm to 8 pm in the CLC unit. With set-up and closing, it’s about an hour and a half of fun. As we are getting closer to the Holidays, we also need items for care packages, local charities, and help during Toys for

Tots. Together we can make a difference. We will set-up Christmas trees again at the VA. In case you missed the Sept. meeting, you missed a wonderful BBQ and lots of laughs. Thank you to all who came to share in the evening. Thank you to O’Doherty's for the great food! These events have proven to be fun as well as a break from our regular meetings, so please consider joining us for the next event. Stay tuned… Diane Rowand

DETACHMENT Digest

4th - Veteran’s Court (National Guard Readiness Center, Rebecca St) (POC Tim Fitzgerald) 7pm

6th - Young Marines Breakfast VFW Post 1435 830 to 1030 am (POC Jim Brown or Mike Barrera) 10th - Bingo (Spokane VAMC CLC) POC Mike O’Flaherty) 7 pm

11th - MCL/MCLA Regular Business Meetings VFW 1435 (POC Randy Ott or Diane Rowand) 7 pm

12-13th - Dept. of WA Staff Meeting Yakima Oxford Suites

18th - Veteran’s Court (National Guard Readiness Center, Rebecca St) POC Tim Fitzgerald) 7 pm

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Volume II, Issue VI

2nd - Veteran’s Court (National Guard Readiness Center, Rebecca St) (POC Tim Fitzgerald) at 7 pm. 8th - MCL/MCLA Regular Business Meeting (VFW 1435, 7pm) (POC Randy Ott or Diane Rowand) 10th - Young Marines Breakfast VFW Post 1435 830 to 1030 am (POC Jim Brown or Mike Barrera) USMC Birthday Ball at the Double Tree Downtown 5pm to ??? 14th - Bingo (Spokane VAMC CLC) (POC Mike O’Flaherty) at 7 pm 15th - Veteran’s Court (National Guard Readiness Center, Rebecca St) (POC Tim Fitzgerald) at 7 pm. 17th - MODD Jim Chamberlin Growl VFW 1435 (POC PDD TJ Morgan or PDD Randy Ott) 8:30 ~ 10:30 am

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nov 2018

DETACHMENT Digest

6th - Veteran’s Court (National Guard Readiness Center, Rebecca St) (POC Tim Fitzgerald) 7pm. 7th - Toys For Tots Spaghetti/Auction VFW Post 1435 from 5pm to 7:30pm 12th - Bingo (Spokane VAMC CLC) (POC Mike O’Flaherty)

13th - MCL/MCLA Regular Business Meeting (VFW 1435, 7pm) (POC Randy Ott or Diane Rowand) 20th - Veteran’s Court (National Guard Readiness Center, Rebecca St) (POC Tim Fitzgerald) 7pm

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

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30 31 2019 is here!!!

dec 2018

Page 10

Volume II, Issue VI

Our Honor Guard and the Battery “P” Marines held services for MCL Member Timothy Savage in Wilbur. Attending the services were: (R-L) SSgt Simpson, Mikie Taylor, Bob Lonn, Mike O’Flaherty, Randy Ott,

CPL Olsen, Walt Lindgren, John Brown, Kari Sobisky, 1stSgt Estrada.

Page 11

USMC BALL INFORMATION is as follows: $45.00 -Guest, Retiree, Military Spouses or Veteran $45.00

This is a formal occasion. Please dress accordingly.

Civilians/Guests- Formal attire suits and evening gowns

MCL Members-Suit/Tie or Red Blazer and Black Trousers (NO MCL COVERS except for Cake Detail)

There will be a few reserved tables for key leaders and the guest of honor; all other tables will be open

seating. For planning purposes, there will be ten seats per table. Non -reserved tables are available as

"first come first serve", so ensure you arrive at an adequate time to select your preferred seating.

Please be courteous of other guests and ensure all seats are occupied at each table.

Ticket sales will end on October 15, 2018.

DoubleTree 322 North Spokane Falls Ct., Spokane, WA 99201

Commandant Randy Ott

Melvin M. Smith #586

Marine Corps League

P.O. Box 13682

Spokane Valley, WA 99213-5301

Melvin M. Smith #586

DETACHMENT DIGEST

Department of Washington

spokane’s marine corps league melvin m. smith detachment … · 2019-10-10 · commandant: randy...

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