Marine Corps League Detachment 853

07/04/2021

4th of July 2018 Fireworks

Happy 4th of July

06/19/2021

Meeting tomorrow at 0900

06/17/2021

Corpsman Up! Happy 123rd Birthday U.S. Navy Hospital Corps or “Doc”!

On June 17, 1898, President William McKinley formally approved the establishment of the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps. Since then, Navy Hospital Corpsmen have continued the tradition of caring for Marines and Sailors in our military hospitals, onboard ships, and on battlefields around the world.

Semper Fi “Devil Doc”!

Corpsman Up! Happy 123rd Birthday U.S. Navy Hospital Corps or “Doc”!

On June 17, 1898, President William McKinley formally approved the establishment of the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps. Since then, Navy Hospital Corpsmen have continued the tradition of caring for Marines and Sailors in our military hospitals, onboard ships, and on battlefields around the world.

Semper Fi “Devil Doc”!

06/07/2021

There will be a meeting this Saturday at 09:00 we will be retiring flags and some work around the building.

05/31/2021

Never Forget!

Never Forget!

05/28/2021

The rifle is affixed with a bayonet and inverted, signifying that the Marine went down fighting. The boots signify the Marine’s last march onto the battlefield. Dog tags are imprinted with the Marine’s name and hung from the rifle so their identity will never be forgotten. The helmet is placed atop the rifle representing what the Marine stood for and signifying that their battle is now over.

The rifle is affixed with a bayonet and inverted, signifying that the Marine went down fighting. The boots signify the Marine’s last march onto the battlefield. Dog tags are imprinted with the Marine’s name and hung from the rifle so their identity will never be forgotten. The helmet is placed atop the rifle representing what the Marine stood for and signifying that their battle is now over.

05/27/2021

We have a meeting tonight at 1900. Joe Hoadley and myself will not be there.

05/18/2021

We have a meeting next Thursday at 1900. Everyone is invited.

05/02/2021

As of yesterday I was elected commandant of the Department of Virginia Marine Corps League. Those of you that are in this department I expect your total support.

04/25/2021

Next Meeting for the League is 05/27/2021 at 1900

04/15/2021

#WednesdayWisdom

“Being ready is not what matters. What matters is winning after you get there.” ~LtGen Victor H. Krulak, USMC | April 1965

📸LtGen Victor H. Krulak inspects #Marines from First Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company in Hawaii April 1965. Courtesy of LIFE Magazine/Bill Ray.

04/11/2021

Photos from National Museum of the Marine Corps's post

04/09/2021

9 April 2003 - Operation Iraqi Freedom

#OTD Iraqi resistance in Baghdad collapsed and U.S forces occupied the remainder of the capital. Marines assisted Iraqi civilians in toppling a large statue of Saddam Hussein in downtown Firdos Square.

Read more about Operation Iraqi Freedom here: 🔗 http://bit.ly/2oP5sui

04/07/2021

What is Marine Infantry Training course in San Diego! (Week 1-2)

Get some!

LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for more videos from the U.S. Military!Show your support in the comment section.What is Marine Infantry Training course in San Diego! (Wee...

04/06/2021

Photos from 1st Marine Division's post

04/04/2021

03/24/2021

I had the honor to serve in this battle! You are not forgotten Marines!

03/21/2021

20 March 2003-Operation Iraqi Freedom begins

On this day in 2003, Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) began with the launching of approximately 40 Tomahawk cruise missiles at 5:34 a.m. The missiles, which were launched from six U.S. Navy ships, were aimed at three designated military targets around Baghdad, Iraq, in an attempt to kill or maim Saddam Hussein. U.S. Air Force F117 stealth fighters were also involved in the opening strike. Marines from I MEF crossed the Kuwait border into southern Iraq in the first push to Baghdad. A firefight between American and Iraqi ground forces occurred when a patrol of light armored vehicles from the 1st Marine Division encountered two Iraqi armored personnel carriers. The Marines destroyed the enemy and moved forward quickly, capturing key facilities in Rumelia, Iraq’s southern oil fields. Marines saved all but nine of nearly 500 oil wells from sabotage before continuing toward the Iraqi capital.
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📸: Marine M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks with Company C, 1st Tank Battalion, line up and prepare to meet the enemy near Safwan Hill, Iraq, during the opening moves of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

http://bit.ly/2n6bepn

03/07/2021

Get some Marine!

When his MARSOC team came under fire from an enemy compound, Sergeant William Burch headed toward the building to mount an assault. An RPG exploded feet from him, showering his leg with shrapnel. He dressed his own wounds, got up, and kept fighting. The resulting battle extended 10 hours. When a friendly machine gun on a nearby hillside took casualties and went silent, Burch volunteered to man the exposed position. Ignoring his shredded legs, he sprinted up the hill and poured fire onto the enemy. When a soldier next to him was hit, Burch treated his wound, took him to safety, then returned up the hill to the gun. He suppressed the enemy until all friendly forces had withdrawn from the area. For his bold initiative and dedication to his team, Burch was awarded the Silver Star.
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"...serving with Marine Special Operations Company G, Special Operations Task Force 81, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM on 6 April 2010. During a combat reconnaissance patrol, Sgt Burch's element came under heavy enemy contact from an insurgent-held compound. While assaulting the building, Sgt Burch was wounded when an enemy RPG exploded within feet of him, lodging shrapnel into his left leg. He continued to engage the enemy and direct Afghan National Army Commandos. Sgt Burch continued to clear compound with the Commandos while several engagements were taking place in close quarters. Later in the fight, Sgt Burch volunteered to reinforce a support by fire position on an exposed hillside that had taken several casualties. He sprinted up the hill with enemy fire impacting around him. He manned a machine gun position and provided effective fire on the enemy. When given the word to withdraw, Sgt Burch continued to suppress the enemy until all friendly forces were off the hill. His actions throughout the 10-hour firefight facilitated the destruction of dozens of enemy fighters and saved the lives of his fellow Teammates."
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#battlesightzero #bzo #history #military #militaryhistory #veteran #veterans #america #usmc #marinecorps #marines #semperfi #semperfidelis #raider #marineraiders #marsoc #oef #operationenduringfreedom #silverstar #spiritusinvictus

02/25/2021

We have a meeting tomorrow 1900

02/22/2021

Landing on Iwo Jima -- Frank Matthews

Landing on Iwo Jima -- Frank Matthews

02/22/2021

We have a meeting Thursday at 1900

02/16/2021

Montford Point Marines Define Honor, Courage Commitment

Montford Point Marines Define Honor, Courage Commitment

02/08/2021

Photos from National Museum of the Marine Corps's post

02/08/2021

By the time he was killed at Belleau Wood, Gunnery Sergeant Fred Stockham had an extensive Marine Corps career. He enlisted in 1903, deploying twice to the Philippines and once to China, before leaving the military to become a firefighter in his home state of New Jersey. He returned to the Marines, however, and saw combat in Nicaragua in 1915 before heading to France during WWI.
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On the night of June 13, 1918, the Germans bombarded Stockham’s unit with mustard gas. Stockham donned his gas mask and went about tending the wounded. He came across a Marine named Barak Mattingly, whose mask had been shot off. Stockham removed his mask and put it on Mattingly, knowing full well his actions would be fatal. He continued tending the wounded until the effects of the gas overcame him. He passed away a few days later.
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Stockham’s sacrifice went unnoticed for many years, except by those who witnessed it. Mattingly worked with Clifton Cates, Stockham’s former Lt and a future Commandant of the Marine Corps, to recognize Stockham’s heroism. In 1939, more than 20 years later, Stockham was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
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#battlesightzero #bzo #history #military #militaryhistory #veteran #veterans #america #usmc #marinecorps #marines #semperfi #semperfidelis #wwi #belleauwood #moh #medalofhonor

02/08/2021

RIP Marine

01/30/2021

Photos from Battlesight Zero's post

01/27/2021

Timeline Photos

On Aug 19, 1967, while on an es**rt mission, Maj. Stephen Pless (MAG-36, 1MAW) received a distress call from 4 Americans who were trapped and surrounded on a beach near Quang Nai, Vietnam.

Maj. Pless flew his UH-1 Huey Gunship to the scene and found 30 to 50 enemy soldiers in the open. Some of the enemy were bayoneting and beating the downed Americans. Maj. Pless displayed exceptional airmanship as he launched a devastating attack against the enemy force, killing and wounding many of the enemy and driving the remainder back into a treeline.

His rocket and machinegun attacks were made at such low levels that the aircraft flew through debris created by explosions from its rockets. Seeing 1 of the wounded soldiers gesture for assistance, he maneuvered his helicopter into a position between the wounded men and the enemy, providing a shield which permitted his crew to retrieve the wounded.

During the rescue the enemy fired at the helicopter and rushed the aircraft again and again, closing to within a few feet before being beaten back. When the wounded men were aboard, Pless maneuvered the helicopter out to sea. Before it became safely airborne, the overloaded aircraft settled 4 times into the water. Displaying superb airmanship, he finally got the helicopter aloft.

For his actions, he would receive the Medal of Honor while his crew would receive the Navy Cross; making Pless the only Marine Aviator to receive the Medal during the war and the combined crew, the most highly decorated Helicopter crew to fly in the Vietnam War.

During his ceremony, another pilot, Joe Jackson, received the Medal as well for rescuing Americans under fire. Upon realizing that both Pless and Jackson were from the same small Georgia town, President Johnson quipped: "There must be something in the water down in Newnan”.

Major Pless would tragically die in a motorcycle accident just 6 months after receiving the MOH. #vietnam

www.zerofoxtrot.com

01/25/2021

Oldest living Marine, Dorothy 'Dot' Cole, Passes at age 107

Fair winds and following seas! Semper Fi!

One of the first ladies to enlist as a Marine Reservist, Dorothy' Dot' Cole, has passed away at the fabulous age of 107. Last September, her 107th

01/25/2021

#MarineMonday -- Col Wesley Fox

“I believe courage is the most beneficial personality trait one can have. One without courage tends to fall short in many other ways.” – Col Wesley Fox⁠
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Today’s Marine Monday features then-1stLt Wesley Fox who was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during the Vietnam War while serving as commanding officer of Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. ⁠

Despite being injured, Fox led his men as they fought through heavy enemy fire in the northern A Shau Valley. Wounded again in a final assault, Fox refused medical attention and instead ensured that other wounded Marines were cared for and evacuated.

Fox's Medal of Honor citation states, "His indomitable courage, inspiring initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger inspired his Marines to such aggressive actions that they overcame all enemy resistance and destroyed a large bunker complex."
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Fox retired at the rank of colonel after 43 years of Marine Corps service in September 1993. In addition to the Medal of Honor, his medals and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V”, the Navy Commendation Medal with one Gold Star, the Purple Heart with three Gold Stars in lieu of second through fourth awards, and more.⁠
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Col Wesley Fox passed away at the age of 86 on November 25, 2017.⁠
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Semper Fidelis, Col Fox.

01/22/2021

We have a meeting next Thursday at 1900

12/31/2020

We lost Richard Boyce last night was our Jr Vice and life member please keep family in your prayers.

12/28/2020

Just to let you all know our Chaplain John Bailey is in ICU with the Covid please keep
Him and family in your prayers

12/12/2020

Christmas food baskets tomorrow @ 0900

12/08/2020

Commandant Joe Hoadley, senior vice Wilmont Griffin, junior vice David Weber, and judge advocate David Perdue