Capt Jack Holland Detachment 735, Marine Corps League

09/05/2026

Chaplain's Coordinates Friday Evening 9-4-2026

Good evening, Marines, FMF Corpsmen, FMF Chaplains, Associate Members and family! I hope you all are doing well! The Guinn's are good. Vanderbilt set Kyle's appointment for September 14th to get the kidney stone assessed and a determination of what to do next. Please pray for him and for us to make the correct decision.

A special thanks to our Honor Guard that put together a detail for Marine Carlos Dunn with a two day notice. Great job SV Commandant Jarrod Beachum, Shane Pattyson, Matt Marz, Robert Gibbons and George Grove! Although it was right at 100 degrees these Marines laid Marine Dunn to rest with honor! Outstanding and Semper Fidelis Marines!

Upcoming Events:

- September 17: Regular Monthly Gathering.
- September 21: 11th Annual Semper Fi Golf Tournament. Please continue to look for sponsors and teams. We are still behind on everything.
- October 1: 2026 Toys for Tots campaign officially begins.
- October 15: Regular Monthly Gathering.
- November 7: Marine Corps Birthday Ball.
- November 19: Regular Monthly Gathering.
- December 17: Regular Monthly Gathering.
- December 19: Toys for Tots Distribution Day.

September Birthday's:
Chaplain David Mowbray 1st
Matthew Marz 2nd
Jeremy Nollen 9th
Donald Cook 11th
Robin Griffith 20th
Fred Benjamin 23rd
Kathy Culver 23rd
John Woods 24th
Charles E. Thompson 27th
Bill Buege 28th

Happy Birthday!!

Word of the Day:
"One of the best things that ever happened to me was Rocky Horror being a total flop in New York as a play. I mean, it was a disaster, and it was the night of the long knives as far as the critics were concerned."
Tim Curry RIP

Prayer Requests:
- Pray for the family of Marine Carlos Dunn. He was the 100 year old Marine that we held a birthday party for at the Humboldt Veterans Home. He took his final post this week.
- Marilyn Lee, Doc's wife is having back issues.She has a procedure soon. Please pray for her.
- Christopher Thomas' mom, Barbara Lexin, is have some health issues. Pray for her.
- Commandant LC Reed's brother, Robert and his wife, Claudia are have health issues. Please pray for them.
- Chap's dad, Jerry, had his follow up and all is going well. Keep him and my mom, Brenda in prayer!
- Kyle Guinn's cat scan revealed a Stuvite kidney stone. His appointment is set for September 14th. Please continue praying for him.
-Joshua and Hillary Poole: Pray for them as they travel the road to parenthood. Both have health issues.
-There are several unspoken requests.
- Law Enforcement: Keep our law enforcement officers in your prayers, especially our own members: Chief Thom Corley, Sheriff Julian Wiser, and Marshal Tyreece Miller.
- Pray for our country and our military.

Please also continue to pray for:
Ben Baker, Vicki Benjamin, AB & Kay Beasley, John Woods (knee issues), Al Butler (failing health), Telisha Truelove, Bob Newman, Godfrey Howard, Vic & Gert Corson, Jim & Nancy Cook, and Stacey & RJ Beckwith.

We also remember those battling cancer, those grieving the loss of loved ones, and the "22 a day" that take their own life and those dealing with mental illness and head trauma. If you are struggling, please call 988 (Press 1) or text 838255. Help is available 24/7.

Please let me know if you have any other prayer requests.

"May the Lord bless thee, and keep thee. May the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee, may the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace." — Numbers 6:24-26

Devotional: Dr. Robert Jeffress
Learning to Be Content
We have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.
–1 Timothy 6:7

How can we conquer the mountain of materialism? In a word, contentment. The Greek word in the Bible translated as “contentment” was used by the Stoics to imply that people are self-sufficient–we don’t need to look outside ourselves for satisfaction. Paul Christianized the word. He wrote, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. . . . I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11, 13). We don’t hang our happiness on outside circumstances; we look inward to our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Notice Paul said he “learned to be content.” Contentment doesn’t come naturally to us, but it’s something we can learn. Let me offer three secrets for learning to be content.

First of all, thank God for what you already have. In 1 Timothy 6:8, Paul said, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” How often do you sincerely thank God for the meal in front of you instead of just saying the words? How often do you thank God for your job instead of complaining about it? Greed and gratitude cannot exist in the same heart.

Second, recognize the dangers of materialism. Verse 9 says, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare.” If you focus on money, you become easy prey for get-rich-quick schemes and dishonest people. You can also fall into “many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction” (v. 9). Wealth or the pursuit of wealth can lead to wasteful spending, illicit relationships, the breakup of families, and falling away from God altogether.

Finally, remember your possessions are temporary. Verse 7 says, “We have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.” I’ve never seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul. When you die, you can’t take your possessions with you. That’s why the ultimate misuse of your life is to spend it pursuing things you’re going to leave behind. As Jesus said in Luke 12:15, “Not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” You are more than what you own. And the best use of your life is to spend it pursuing the things of eternity–things that will last forever.

This Week in Marine Corps History:
August 30 1813 – Marines aboard the USS President helped capture the HMS brig Shannon.

August 30 1863 – A detachment of the Marine Brigade, assigned to Rear Admiral Porter’s Mississippi Squadron, captured three Confederate paymasters at Bolivar, Mississippi. The paymasters, es**rted by 35 troops who were also taken prisoner, were carrying $2,200,000 in Confederate currency to pay their soldiers at Little Rock. “This,” Porter commented, “will not improve the dissatisfaction now existing in Price’s army, and the next news we hear will be that General Steele has posses-sion of Little Rock.”

August 30 1942 – At Guadalcanal, the American forces receive 18 more fighters and 12 dive bombers.

August 30 1945 – American and British forces land in the Tokyo area. The US 11th Airborne Division flies in to Atsugi airfield, while the US 4th Marine Regiment of the US 6th Marine Division lands in the naval base at Yokosuka. Meanwhile, the American cruiser USS San Juan starts to evacuate Allied prisoners of war detained in the Japanese home islands.

August 31 1942 – 3rd Marines leave San Diego bound for American Samoa.

August 31 1951 – The last United Nations Command offensive of the war occurred when the 1st Marine Division began its assault against the Punchbowl and from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3. The 2nd Infantry Division seized Bloody Ridge at a cost of 2,700 casualties.

August 31 1954 – Under terms of the Geneva Agreement, a flow of almost one million refugees from North to South Vietnam begins. CIA Colonel Lansdale plays a role in encouraging Catholics and providing transportation. France and the United States, especially the US Navy, provide aircraft and ships. US Marine Colonel Victor J. Croziat, first US Marine assigned to the US MAAG in Saigon, creates refugee centers. The majority of the refugees are Catholics, led by their priests. Others include various factions opposed to the Vietminh. They furnish Prime Minister Diem, himself a Catholic, with a fiercely anti-Communist constituency in the South.

August 31 1972 – U.S. weekly casualty figures of five dead and three wounded are the lowest recorded since record keeping began in January 1965. These numbers reflected the fact that there were less than 40,000 American troops left in South Vietnam by this time and very few of these were involved in actual combat. U.S. troop withdrawals had begun in the fall of 1969 following President Richard Nixon’s announcement at the Midway conference on June 8, 1972, that he would begin reducing the number of American troops in Vietnam as the war was turned over to the South Vietnamese as part of his “Vietnamization” policy. Once the troop withdrawals began, they continued on a fairly regular basis, steadily reducing the troop level from the 1969 high of 543,400.

September 1 1969 – The 1st Marine Regiment was presented the Presidential Unit Citation for Operation Hue City (Vietnam).

September 1 2010 – The name “Operation Iraqi Freedom” is replaced by “Operation New Dawn”.

September 3 1926 – Marines served at Shanghai, China, and aboard ship during the Yangtze Service Campaign, 3 September 1926 – 21 October 1927.

September 3 1945 – Japanese surrender Wake Island in ceremony on board USS Levy (DE-162).

September 4 1910 – A Marine Battalion under Major Smedley D. Butler sailed from Nicaragua for Panama.

September 4 1912 – Provisional Regiment landed in Nicaragua during uprisings.

September 4 1967 – The U.S. 1st Marine Division launches Operation SWIFT, a search and destroy operation in Quang Nam and Quang Tin Provinces in I Corps Tactical Zone (the region south of the Demilitarized Zone). A fierce four-day battle ensued in the Que Son Valley, 25 miles south of Da Nang. During the course of the battle, 114 men of the U.S. 5th Marine Regiment were killed while the North Vietnamese forces suffered 376 casualties.

September 5 1918 – U.S. Marines paraded with the Royal Marines in Rosyth, Scotland.

September 5 1956 – Eleven Marines from the 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division, stationed near Naha, Okinawa, drowned while swimming, from an undercurrent caused by Typhoon Emma. The violent storm, with 140 mph winds, struck the Philippine Islands, Okinawa, Korea, and Japan, causing some 55 deaths and millions of dollars in property damage.

Have a great weekend!

Semper Fidelis and God Bless!

Chaplain Keith Guinn

Marine Corps League
Capt. Jack Holland Detachment #735

08/29/2026

Chaplain's Coordinates 8-29-2026

I thought I would get a jump on this news letter as I have a lot to do tomorrow and an all day sign up event at church on Sunday for my Veterans Life Group, which start on September 19th. If any of you are interested, we will be doing a study by Chip Ingram called "Why I Believe". We meet every other Saturday at Latham BBQ from 0800 -0930. I usually get there at 0730 and eat breakfast. Please let me know if you are interested and I will send you the information. All Veterans are welcome. This is a fellowship and study time where you watch the video and then we come together and talk about what the video talks about. By the way, my Co-Leader, is Ret. Col. Dave Porter, who flew Scout helicopters in Vietnam and the served as the Commander of an Artillery Battalion after Vietnam. He also wrote a book about his adventures in Vietnam called "Taking Fire!". He is a really cool guy, although he is US Army!

Good evening Marines, FMF Corpsmen, FMF Chaplains, Associate Members and family. I hope and pray this finds you well! The Guinn's are okay. We are still waiting on Vanderbilt for Kyle’s kidney stone appointment. His follow up appointment for his bladder and kidney functions went great. When we can get directions on this 2 cm Stuvite kidney stone, he will be doing great!

Upcoming Events:

- August (Every Monday night): Annual Steak Night at Red Bones. Trent Alford, the owner of Red Bones and 731 Bar and Grill, will donate one dollar from every steak purchased back to our Detachment. The 31st is our last night this year, let fill the place with #735 members!
- September 17: Regular Monthly Gathering.
- September 21: 11th Annual Semper Fi Golf Tournament. Please continue to look for sponsors and teams. We are still way behind on everything.
- October 1: 2026 Toys for Tots campaign officially begins.
- October 15: Regular Monthly Gathering.
- November 7: Marine Corps Birthday Ball.
- November 19: Regular Monthly Gathering.
- December 17: Regular Monthly Gathering.
- December 19: Toys for Tots Distribution Day.

September Birthday's:
Chaplain David Mowbray 1st
Matthew Marz 2nd
Jeremy Nollen 9th
Donald Cook 11th
Robin Griffith 20th
Fred Benjamin 23rd
Kathy Culver 23rd
John Woods 24th
Charles E. Thompson 27th
Bill Buege 28th

Happy Birthday!!

Word of the Day:
"I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb... and I also know that I'm not blonde."
Dolly Parton RIP!!

Prayer Requests:
- Pray for the family of Marine Carlos Ivy Jr. He took his final post this week. He was not a member of the Detachment, but a Marine all the same!
- Marilyn Lee, Doc's wife is having back issues.She has a procedure soon. Please pray for her.
- Christopher Thomas' mom, Barbara Lexin, is have some health issues. Pray for her.
- Commandant LC Reed's brother, Robert and his wife, Claudia are have health issues. Please pray for them.
- Chap's dad, Jerry, had his follow up and all is going well. Keep him and my mom, Brenda in prayer!
- Kyle Guinn's cat scan revealed a Stuvite kidney stone. He will have to go to Vanderbilt to see what needs to be done. Please continue praying for him.
-Joshua and Hillary Poole: Pray for them as they travel the road to parenthood. Both have health issues.
-There are several unspoken requests.
- Law Enforcement: Keep our law enforcement officers in your prayers, especially our own members: Chief Thom Corley, Sheriff Julian Wiser, and Marshal Tyreece Miller.
- Pray for our country and our military.

Please also continue to pray for:
Ben Baker, Vicki Benjamin, AB & Kay Beasley, John Woods (knee issues), Al Butler (failing health), Telisha Truelove, Bob Newman, Godfrey Howard, Vic & Gert Corson, Jim & Nancy Cook, and Stacey & RJ Beckwith.

We also remember those battling cancer, those grieving the loss of loved ones, and the "22 a day" that take their own life and those dealing with mental illness and head trauma. If you are struggling, please call 988 (Press 1) or text 838255. Help is available 24/7.

Please let me know if you have any other prayer requests.

"May the Lord bless thee, and keep thee. May the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee, may the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace." — Numbers 6:24-26

Devotional: Dr. Tony Evans
It’s Enough

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9

If there’s anything you need to take away from this devotional on prayer, it is this: Take your burdens to the Lord. It doesn’t matter how painful the load or how pressured you feel, take your need to the Lord through the abiding work of Jesus Christ.

Someone might say, “I’ve heard that all my life. Tell me something new.” Well, when it comes to the ministry and the discipline of prayer, it’s not something new that you and I need. What we need is as old as the answer Hannah sought thousands of years ago.

Hannah was so intense in her prayer that the priest Eli thought she was drunk. Just so you know, if you read the context of the Scripture, you’ll discover that Eli didn’t have a lot going for him as a father, but he was a man of God, and when Hannah told him what she was doing, he had the right word for her at the right time (1 Samuel 1:17).

Notice what had changed for Hannah. At this point, God had not changed her circumstances. But He had changed her countenance. She had sought the Lord in prayer and emptied her soul before Him, and she went away from the house of worship happy.

Whenever I preach on this subject, I remind people that I am not there to make false promises. A lot of preachers do that. They tell you that if you pray just right, God will come along and set everything just right. I don’t know what God is going to do in your case. God doesn’t share inside information with me. But I can tell you that He can lift your heart. He can take your weakness and supply His strength. God can do that because, as He told the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, His grace is sufficient. It’s enough to see you through.

It's true: Hannah prayed and got her son. Paul prayed about his “thorn in the flesh” three times and got God’s no when it came to taking the thorn away. But Paul also got God’s grace to bear it, and he said if that’s what it takes to get God’s power, let it be. Can you say that today? If you can, you’re at the graduate level in God’s school of prayer.

This Week in Marine Corps History:
August 23 1942 – The 1st US flights landed on Guadalcanal.

August 23 1958 – In Taiwan Straits Crisis, Units of 7th Fleet move into Taiwan area to support Taiwan against Chinese Communists. This massive concentration of the Pacific Fleet in Quemoy-Matsu area prevents invasion of islands by China. Marines from Okinawa prepare to reinforce Chinese Nationalists at Taiwan.

August 23 1984 – The last Marines to serve peace-keeping duty in Lebanon arrived home. The 24th Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) arrived off the coast of Lebanon on 9 April to relieve Marines of the 22d MAU who were guarding the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. The 24th MAU left Beirut on 31 July, marking the last presence of U.S. combat troops in Beirut since Marines entered almost two years earlier.

August 24 1942 – U.S. forces continue to deliver crushing blows to the Japanese, sinking the aircraft carrier Ryuho in the Battle of the East Solomon Islands. Key to the Americans’ success in this battle was the work of coastwatchers, a group of volunteers whose job it is to report on Japanese ship and aircraft movement. The Marines had landed on Guadalcanal, on the Solomon Islands, on August 7. This was the first American offensive maneuver of the war and would deliver the first real defeat to the Japanese. On August 23, coastwatchers, comprised mostly of Australian and New Zealander volunteers, hidden throughout the Solomon and Bismarck islands and protected by anti-Japanese natives, spotted heavy Japanese reinforcements headed for Guadalcanal. The coastwatchers alerted three U.S. carriers that were within 100 miles of Guadalcanal, which then raced to the scene to intercept the Japanese. By the time the Battle of the Eastern Solomons was over, the Japanese lost a light carrier, a destroyer, and a submarine and the Ryuho. The Americans suffered damage to the USS Enterprise, the most decorated carrier of the war; the Enterprise would see action again, though, in the American landings on Okinawa in 1945. As for the coastwatchers, Vice Adm. William F. Halsey said, “The coastwatchers saved Guadalcanal, and Guadalcanal saved the Pacific.”

August 24 1987 – A military jury in Quantico, Va., sentenced Marine Sgt. Clayton Lonetree to 30 years in prison for disclosing U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union. The sentence was later reduced; with additional time off for good behavior, Lonetree ended up serving eight years in a military prison.

August 25 1943 – U.S. forces completed the occupation of New Georgia in the Solomon Islands during World War II. Losing Hill 700 to the Japanese meant defeat for the American forces on Bougainville. To the men of the 37th Infantry Division, that was unthinkable.

August 25 2003 – In southeastern Afghanistan US jets hit a Taliban hideout and at least 14 insurgents were killed. Marine AV-8B flew in this operation.

August 26 1999 – US officials reported that its permanent military presence in Haiti would be replaced by temporary missions.

August 27 1780 – Marines guarding workmen cutting masts for the Navy pursued Indians near Reading, Pennsylvania.

August 28 1898 – Marines defended American interests in Valparaiso, Chile.

August 28 1942 – 1st and 2nd Bn 7th Marines leave Pago Pago for combat.

August 29 1916 – The Marine Corps Reserve was founded.

Have a good weekend!

Semper Fidelis and God Bless!

Chaplain Keith Guinn

Marine Corps League
Capt. Jack Holland Detachment #735

08/28/2026

08/22/2026

Chaplain's Coordinates 8-22-2026

Good morning Marines, FMF Corpsmen, FMF Chaplains, Associate Members and family! I hope this finds you well! The Guinn's are doing good. We finally received the report on Kyle’s cat scan. It appears he does have an issue with his right kidney. He has a 2 cm Stuvite stone in that right kidney. He will have to go to Vanderbilt to determine what we need to do. Stopping that medication out has helped, but we have to get this taken care of. I will update you when we know more. Update on my dad, Jerry. He had the follow up from his surgery and everything looked good. Now, we just have to wait and see what happens next. Thank you all for your prayers!

Our meeting Thursday night went well! Most of the talk was about the National Convention, Toys for Tots Brownsville campaign and the upcoming birthday ball in November. We are still looking for a speaker, if you know someone let the Commandant know.

Upcoming Events:

- August (Every Monday night): Annual Steak Night at Red Bones. Trent Alford, the owner of Red Bones and 731 Bar and Grill, will donate one dollar from every steak purchased back to our Detachment.
- September 17: Regular Monthly Gathering.
- September 21: 11th Annual Semper Fi Golf Tournament. Please continue to look for sponsors and teams. We are still way behind on everything.
- October 1: 2026 Toys for Tots campaign officially begins.
- October 15: Regular Monthly Gathering.
- November 7: Marine Corps Birthday Ball.
- November 19: Regular Monthly Gathering.
- December 17: Regular Monthly Gathering.
- December 19: Toys for Tots Distribution Day.

August Birthdays:

- Trent Williams (4th)
- Bill Baxter (5th)
- Alex Jones (9th)
- Mitzi Williams (11th)
- Zelda Jones (11th)
- Bill Harrell (14th)
- Ben Baker (16th)
- Jim Cook (19th)
- Bill Poteet (21st)
- Bob Newman (22nd)
- Thom Corley (25th)
- David Cobb (26th)
- Marilyn Lee (27th)
- Carrie Mercer (29th)
- Juanita Jones (30th)
- Paul Yott (30th)

Happy Birthday!

Word of the Day:
"Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it."
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Prayer Requests:

- Marilyn Lee, Doc's wife is having back issues.She has a procedure soon. Please pray for her.
- Christopher Thomas' mom, Barbara Lexin, is have some health issues. Pray for her.
- Commandant LC Reed's brother, Robert and his wife, Claudia are have health issues. Please pray for them.
- Chap's dad, Jerry, had his follow up and all is going well. Keep him and my mom, Brenda in prayer!
- Kyle Guinn's cat scan revealed a Stuvite kidney stone. He will have to go to Vanderbilt to see what needs to be done. Please continue praying for him.
-Joshua and Hillary Poole: Pray for them as they travel the road to parenthood. Both have health issues.
-There are several unspoken requests.
- Law Enforcement: Keep our law enforcement officers in your prayers, especially our own members: Chief Thom Corley, Sheriff Julian Wiser, and Marshal Tyreece Miller.
- Pray for our country and our military.

Please also continue to pray for:
Ben Baker, Vicki Benjamin, AB & Kay Beasley, John Woods (knee issues), Al Butler (failing health), Telisha Truelove, Bob Newman, Godfrey Howard, Vic & Gert Corson, Jim & Nancy Cook, and Stacey & RJ Beckwith.

We also remember those battling cancer, those grieving the loss of loved ones, and the "22 a day" and those dealing with mental illness and head trauma. If you are struggling, please call 988 (Press 1) or text 838255. Help is available 24/7.

Please let me know if you have any other prayer requests.

"May the Lord bless thee, and keep thee. May the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee, may the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace." — Numbers 6:24-26

Devotional: Dr. Tony Evans

Running To The Lord
“Trust in [God] at all times, O people;

Pour out your heart before Him.
God is a refuge for us. Selah”
Psalm 62:8

Do bitter circumstances drive you to the Lord or away from Him? Hannah was crushed, but she ran in the right direction. Hannah's childlessness did not keep her from the Lord. This is the secret to the power of Hannah’s powerful prayer life.

Unfortunately, one of the things we’re tempted to do when things fall apart is avoid God’s presence, when He’s the One we need the most. Yes, it’s hard to pray when your heart is breaking. But that’s precisely when you need to pray the most.

But if you’ve never prayed with a broken heart or with a deep sense of your need, if you’ve never really poured out your heart before God, you haven’t really learned what the Bible means by prayer. See, you may be upset with God because nothing is happening. But if you turn away from Him, where are you going to go for an answer? Hannah had a problem only the Lord could fix, because He’s the one who allowed her to have this burden to bear in the first place. Prayer must be rooted in a complete understanding and acceptance of God’s sovereign Hand.

Elkanah didn’t have any answer for Hannah. He couldn’t give her a child. All Hannah needed to remind her of the mess with Peninnah was having Peninnah’s kids running in and out of the house all day. Hannah couldn’t do a single thing about her situation except to pray.

And this was some prayer (1 Samuel 1:11)! We know how serious Hannah was about prayer because she made a vow to the Lord. She put it all on the line. This is not a “Now I lay me down to sleep” type of prayer. She promised to give her child back to God before she ever got pregnant.

When you’re willing to make an exchange with God—which is what a vow is—when you’re willing to make a promise to God that He can hold you to, then you’re getting serious about prayer. Most of us only pray like this when we have to. We go weeks and months without getting serious about prayer because we don’t think we need God that much. When we hit the wall, it all changes. Hannah’s pain caused her to run to God. She ran toward the solution to her heart’s cry.

This Week in Marine Corps History:
August 16 1937 – The American Adviser on Political Relations asked the Secretary of State for reinforcements for the 4th Marine Regiment in Shanghai, China; two officers and 102 enlisted from Cavite, Philippines, responded.

August 17 1942 – Lt. Col. Evans F. Carlson and a force of Marine raiders come ashore Makin Island, in the west Pacific Ocean, occupied by the Japanese. What began as a diversionary tactic almost ended in disaster for the Americans. Two American submarines, the Argonaut and the Nautilus, approached Makin Island, an atoll in the Gilbert Islands, which had been seized by the Japanese on December 9, 1941. The subs unloaded 122 Marines, one of two new raider battalions. Their leader was Lt. Col. Evans Carlson, a former lecturer on postrevolutionary China. Their mission was to assault the Japanese-occupied Makin Island as a diversionary tactic, keeping the Japanese troops “busy” so they would not be able to reinforce troops currently under assault by Americans on Guadalcanal Island. Carlson’s “Raiders” landed quietly, unobserved, coming ashore on inflatable rafts powered by outboard motors. Suddenly, one of the Marines’ rifles went off, alerting the Japanese, who unleashed enormous firepower: grenades, flamethrowers, and machine guns. The subs gave some cover by firing their deck guns, but by night the Marines had to begin withdrawing from the island. Some Marines drowned when their rafts overturned; about 100 made it back to the subs. Carlson and a handful of his men stayed behind to sabotage a Japanese gas dump and to seize documents. They then made for the submarines too. When all was said and done, seven Marines drowned, 14 were killed by Japanese gunfire, and nine were captured and beheaded. Carlson went on to fight with the U.S. forces on Guadalcanal. He was a source of controversy; having been sent as a U.S. observer with Mao’s Army in 1937, he developed a great respect for the “spiritual strength” of the communist forces and even advocated their guerrilla-style tactics. He remained an avid fan of the Chinese communists even after the war.

August 17 1950 – The 1st Marine Brigade battled North Koreans at Obong-ni Ridge.

August 18 1942 – Marines left Makin Island after destroying a seaplane base, two radio stations, a supply warehouse, and killing about 100 Japanese soldiers.

August 18 1951 – The Battle of Bloody Ridge began. During the battle, the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division and its attached units sustained 326 killed in action, 2,032 wounded and 414 missing. The enemy’s dead totaled 1,389. The 15th Field Artillery Battalion set a record of 14,425 rounds fired in a 24-hour period.

August 18 1965 – After a deserter from the First Vietcong Regiment had revealed that an attack was imminent against the U.S. base at Chu Lai, the Marines launch Operation Starlite in the Van Tuong peninsula in Quang Ngai Province. In this, the first major U.S. ground battle of the Vietnam War, 5,500 Marines destroyed a Viet Cong stronghold, scoring a resounding victory. During the operation, which lasted six days, ground forces, artillery from Chu Lai, close air support, and naval gunfire combined to kill nearly 700 Vietcong soldiers. U.S. losses included 45 Marines dead and more than 200 wounded.

August 19 1919 – “The Marines’ Hymn” was registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.

August 19 1942 – 19 US Marines died during a commando raid on Makin atoll in the Gilbert Islands. The raid was 2,000 miles behind enemy lines and 9 Marines were left behind. The 1943 movie, “Gung Ho,” was based on the raid and starred Randolph Scott as Lt. Col. Evans Carlson, leader of the raid. In 2001 the bodies of 13 Marines, who died on Makin, were reburied at Arlington National Cemetery.

August 19 1967 – Operation Coronado IV begins in Mekong Delta.

August 20 1942 – On Guadalcanal, the first aircraft, 31 Marine (MAG-23) fighters from the es**rt carrier USS Long Island are flown into Henderson Field Air Strip.

August 20 1952 – In interservice air operation at Chang Pyong-ni, Korea, U.S. Navy, Marine and Air Force aircraft destroy 80 percent of assigned area.

August 20 1966 – Operation “Allegheny” in Quang Nam, RVN. (Concluded 29 August)

August 20 1982 – During the Lebanese Civil War, a multinational force including 800 U.S. Marines lands in Beirut to oversee the Palestinian withdrawal from Lebanon. It was the beginning of a problem-plagued mission that would stretch into 17 months and leave 262 U.S. servicemen dead. In 1975, a bloody civil war erupted in Lebanon, with Palestinian and leftist Muslim guerrillas battling militias of the Christian Phalange Party, the Maronite Christian community, and other groups. During the next few years, Syrian, Israeli, and United Nations interventions failed to resolve the factional fighting, and in August 1982 a multinational force arrived to oversee the Palestinian withdrawal from Lebanon.

August 21 1800 – U.S. Marine Corps Band gave its first concert in Washington, D.C.

August 21 1814 – Marines defended Washington, DC, at Bladensburg, Maryland, against the British.

August 21 1861 – U.S. Marines commanded by Major Reynolds took part in the First Battle of Bull Run: 9 Marines killed, 19 wounded, 16 missing in action. Commander Dahlgren wrote of the loss of two naval howitzers in the battle. The Confederates also had a naval battery at Manassas.

August 21 1942 – On Guadalcanal, Japanese Colonel Ichiki’s force of 1000 men attack the American positions across the Tenaru River. The American strength and defenses are unexpected and the Japanese force is destroyed. The Marines continue to receive shipments of supplies and some reinforcements.

August 21 1968 – James Anderson, Jr. posthumously receives the first Medal of Honor to be awarded to an African American U.S. Marine.

August 21 1982 – The first troops of a multinational force lands in Beirut to oversee the Palestine Liberation Organization’s withdrawal from Lebanon.

August 22 1942 – The 4th Marine Air Wing was commissioned at Ewa, Hawaii, as the 4th Marine Base Defense Air Wing.

Have a great weekend!

Semper Fidelis and God Bless!

Chaplain Keith Guinn

Marine Corps League
Capt. Jack Holland Detachment #735