Marines:

I would like to thank each and every one of you that took the time to send me a card or e-mail during my recent surgery. It was greatly appreciated. What started out as "Band-Aid" surgery, quickly turned to major surgery. I am now on the mend and by time you read this article I will be back to full duty. I would also like to thank Senior Vice Jim Tuohy for taking the gavel and the Executive Director for keeping the wheels in motion.

Perhaps the busiest month of the year, November is behind us and it was an exciting month. We attended four Marine Corps Birthday celebrations; starting with the Commandant’s cake cutting ceremony at the Pentagon and winding it up at the Commandant’s Birthday Ball with 3000 Marines and their significant others. In all the years I have been in the Washington area, this is the first time I have had an opportunity to attend the Commandant’s Ball and it was worth the wait.

In support of the Stolen Valor Act, the Marine Corps League and 24 other military and veterans service organizations filed a brief in the United States Supreme Court seeking to overturn an appellate court decision finding the Stolen Valor Act unconstitutional.  United States v. Alvarez, U.S. Sup. Ct.  No. 11-210.  The Stolen Valor Act, 18 U.S.C. §704, makes it a crime for individuals to falsely claim they have been awarded any military decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the Armed Forces.

For ten years now, our Corps has been engaged in continuous combat operations against those who threaten the security of America and our allies. We turned the tide in the Anbar province of Iraq and continue to see success today in southwest Afghanistan. While it has come at a cost.. . we have much to be proud of.

This past year in operations around the world including humanitarian disaster relief, counter-piracy, theater security cooperation, special operations, counter-insurgency and many more, you continued to solidify our place as America's Expeditionary Force in Readiness. Since the Continental Congress created two battalions of Marines 236 years ago, our legacy as an ever-ready, ever capable, victory producing organization remains intact.

Our rich heritage of selfless service and fidelity to Nation and to one another lives on in all who currently wear the Eagle, Globe and Anchor-those who have answered the clarion call to duty with remarkable courage, dedication and unshakable resolve that Marines are so well known for. To all Marines-past and present-and especially to our families... I extend my deep gratitude for all you have done and all you continue to do.

As we celebrate our 236th birthday, let us look forward to future challenges­whatever they may be-and reaffirm our pledge to be America's premier crisis response force; to be the first to fight. .. Always ready for the toughest and most challenging assignments.

Happy 236th Birthday, Marines!
Semper Fidelis,
James A. Amos
General, U.S Marine Corps
Commandant of the USMC

Marines, Sailors and Friends of the Marine Corps -

On the eve of this, the 236th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps, we have every reason to stand tall and be proud of our rich Marine Corps heritage.  This is a time to reflect not only on what our Marines and Sailors are doing today, but also a time to look back over 236 years of history.  A time to pay our humble respects to those men and women who have gone before us, as each generation of Marines raised the bar just a little higher than the generation before it.

As members of the Marine Corps League, we have a duty and obligation to maintain those high standards in our daily lives and in everything we say and do.  Don’t ever forget that those in your community know you by that sticker on your car, that t-shirt with the big Eagle, Globe and Anchor on the back, or by that “high and tight” you continue to wear today. To them, you are what Marines are all about.  To them, your Detachment is what the Marine Corps League is all about.  It is true that a majority of today’s youth know little about our Corps or our history.  You have a responsibility to get out into your community on Memorial Day, on Veterans Day and on the birthday of our Corps and talk, teach and relay the deep sense of pride we all have in being a member of the “Band of Brothers”.  And while you are out there, don’t ever stop fighting for the benefits that our Veterans have earned by commitment and sacrifice. Look after our Wounded Warriors and get into the VA Hospitals, nursing homes and visit that Marine down the block.    Wish them a “Happy Birthday, Marine” and show them that indeed, we do take care of our own.   

On November 10th, let us celebrate our 236th Birthday with a renewed sense of zeal and commitment.  Let us never forget those Marines and members of our Sister Services serving in Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and in every clime and place around the world where their presence is needed.  They make this special day possible.  Let us pray for their families and for their safe return to our fold.  And let us never forget those Prisoners of War and Missing in Action - they will always be remembered. 

As our esteemed Honorary National Commandant, General Al Gray is fond of saying, “Be Good to Yourselves and Be Good to Each Other”.

Happy Birthday Marines!!

Semper Fidelis,
Vic Voltaggio
National Commandant

"It’s ironic, but the Marines from Montford Point who saw the most action in World War II were those assigned to segregated ammunition and depot companies," said Amos, who is a strong advocate of the Congressional Gold Medal legislation.  "To resupply the front lines, these men often had to fight their way to the front, and then carry back wounded white Marines to the rear for medical care.  [They] demonstrated their mettle during vicious and bloody fighting in places like Saipan and Okinawa."
 
Their courage under fire and fidelity to fellow Marines, regardless of skin color, began to erode the cruel and false generational stereotype within the Corps that blacks could not, and would not, fight in the face of danger.  This led Gen. Alexander Vandegrift, then Commandant of the Marine Corps, who had observed the courage of black Marines in hand-to-hand combat on Saipan, to say "The experiment with the Negro Marines is over.  They are Marines … period!"
 
As the Marine Corps prepares for its 236th birthday on Nov. 10, the VFW national commander said there could be no more fitting tribute than for the Senate to announce beforehand that they, too, agree that the Montford Point Marines should be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Why is it that some understand what matters most about America ... And they respect it so deeply that they are willing to make the ultimate sacrifices for it?  And others, have no clue what so ever...

Veterans Day, November 11, is a great opportunity to teach students about the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. To help educators make the most of this opportunity, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Veterans Day National Committee provide a teacher’s resource guide with suggested activities for students of all ages. The guide may be viewed and downloaded from the Veterans Day Web site at http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday.

"With all the Marine Corps has done and continues to do, we provide exceptional value to the Nation. For 8.5 percent of the annual Defense budget, the Marine Corps provides approximately 31 percent of the ground operating forces, 12 percent of the fixed wing tactical aircraft, and 19 percent of the attack helicopters in the Joint Force. The Marine Corps' 1:9 ratio of officers to enlisted personnel is the lowest of all the services. The Marine Corps' 1:6 ratio of civilian employee to supported Marine is also the lowest of all the services."

As an organization that shares a common commitment to honoring the sacrifice of our Nation’s Service Members, we’d like to share some very special content created to commemorate Memorial Day.
You are welcome to use any of the video segments which are prepared as part of the annual Memorial Day ceremony live at USAA Thursday, May 26. The ceremony will be rebroadcast on the Pentagon Channel on Memorial Day, May 30.

At a recent Department of Defense Bloggers Rountable, Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mills, who served as Commander, Regional Command Southwest in Afghanistan from April 2010 to April 2011, was asked to comment on the impact of Osama bin Laden's death in Afghanistan.

In honor of the first black Marines, the Montford Point Marine Association hopes to see a monument erected in Jacksonville, N.C., by summer 2012. Between 1940 and 1949, 20,000 of the first black Marines to join the Corps entered training at the segregated Montford Point Marine base, now known as Camp Johnson in Jacksonville, N.C. Montford Point Marine Association national monument director Houston Shinal commented that no records have preserved all their names, but a memorial could keep their memories alive.

WASHINGTON: The commandant of the Marine Corps announced April 11 his selection for the next sergeant major of the Marine Corps.

As of this Friday morning, Congress and the Administration have not reached an agreement to fund the Federal Government for the remainder of FY 2011. If no federal budget or temporary funding agreement is reached, the Federal Government will be forced to curtail nonessential services beginning tonight at 12:01 a.m., April 9. The following is what we have been told will occur should the government shut down:

WASHINGTON: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reaching out to Veterans in crisis and their families in a new public service announcement to raise awareness about suicide prevention resources, such as the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

By Capt Richard K. Ulsh - 26th MEU Public Affairs:
USS Kearsarge, At sea- Marines from 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit along with MV-22 Ospreys tiltrotor airplanes and CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters conducted a Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP) mission after a U.S. Air Force F-15 airplane crashed east of Benghazi, Libya, Mar.21, 2011.

The National Commandant and National Executive Director are currently in Guam as guests of Military Historical Tours. This was a planned trip to Iwo Jima to honor the 66th anniversary of the battle. After discussions with the Japanese government the decision was made that they would not go to Iwo Jima, both out of respect for the tragic events in Japan this week and so that the presence of United States Veterans would not be a distraction from the immediate and necessary operations on the ground.

From our National Commandant and the National Executive Director:

We are taking this time to learn more about the American Territory of Guam and the Marines liberation of the island. There is a possibilily that we will have an opportunity to get to Saipan tomorrow. We are all fine and our thoughts and prayers are with the residents of Japan who have experienced these disasters and continue to stay strong. May God bless them and give them strength.

Semper Fi,
Vic and Mike

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP S.D. BUTLER, OKINAWA, Japan:
Marines and Sailors from III Marine Expeditionary Force continue to provide support for foreign humanitarian assistance operations from Okinawa to mainland Japan. The operation, known as Tomodachi, means "friends" in Japanese and was chosen by Japan.

SEND A MARINE TO THE BALLGAME!
Marine Corps Night at the Ballpark!
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies
June 21, 2011

Caregivers are the family members and loved ones who provide care for Veterans who are living with the effects of war, disability, chronic illness, or aging.  They deserve VA’s highest level of support.  On February 1, 2011, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is opening a toll-free National Caregiver Support Line housed at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center campus in Canandaigua, New York.  The support line will serve as a primary resource/referral center to assist caregivers, Veterans and others seeking caregiver information to help in the care of our Nation’s Veterans.