“MAIL CALL”

Gen. Larry Oppenheimer Detachment, Marine Corps League

Overland Park, KS Commandant Robert Patterson, Commanding

Volume 5 Issue 4, April 2006

Calendar

Our next meeting is this Wednesday, April 26th – 1900 hours, at American Legion Post 327, 6521 Nieman Rd. in Shawnee. Young Marines

The Shawnee Mission Young Marines meets 2 Thursdays/mo, as well as 2. Saturdays/mo. at Shawnee Mission North H.S. Capt. Dan Diercks, USAF, is their CO and Ms. Angel Root is their Executive Officer. Capt. Diercks can be reached at 913/262-8199. Additional assistance is greatly appreciated for this unit. The times vary according to their activities.

Support for our Troops At this time of rebuilding & continuing conflict in Afghanistan & Iraq, please remember in prayer: Those who gave their lives and our President, and our men and women serving in these nations, along with our Allies working alongside us in Afghanistan and the Gulf – for their safety and for their work with the local peoples in the renewal of their nations.

Sick and Distressed Please remember all our sick and distressed members or family in your prayers. Marine Earl Alderson is getting around on a wheelchair and a walker at the Shawnee Gardens Nursing home, 6416 Long, Shawnee, KS 66216. Earl’s in room 221. Marine Merle Kirch is undergoing dialysis three times/week. Merle will gladly receive cards at 9301 W. 101ST St., Overland Park, KS 66212. Merle is not able to speak on the phone, but please call Mrs. Kirch at 913/642-2520 first, if you wish to visit.

Marine Gonzalo Reyes has finished radiation treatments due to prostate cancer and is on short-term disability leave until May 8th. Gonzalo’s prognosis is for a full recovery.

Marine Ed Tevis is undergoing more chemotherapy, after more cancer was found in his lungs and bronchial tubes. Lung dialysis has been started.

Please convey info. on sick and distressed to Chaplain Marsolek at 913/341-6828.

Marines in Need A thank you card was received from Marine Richard Williams and family expressing their heartfelt gratitude for our unit’s assistance. There are no current situations of Marines being in need. Fallen Marine Program No ceremonies have recently been conducted. _______________________________________________________________________________ Fund Raising Activities The Auto Show at Bartle Hall netted $345 for our unit. The Kansas City Speedway dates this year are June 30th through July 2nd and Sept. 29th through Oct. 1st. Sign up’s will be taken at our April meeting. Parades and Ceremonies The Turkey Creek Parade in Merriam will be held on Saturday, May 20th. A sign-up sheet will be available at our meeting. Marine Corps Scholarship Golf Tournament This year’s tournament will be held at the St. Andrew’s Golf Club, 11099 W. 135th St. in Overland Park, on Monday, September 18. Player registrations are ahead of last year, and updates will be announced at our April meeting. Good of the League At our March meeting, Marine Alva Byars related about his trip out east, including Washington, D.C., where he visited the World War II Memorial, which for him as a of this war, was very meaningful. Lynn Humphreys has accepted a position with Neighborhoods USA , which is playing a

vital role in helping to transform the inner cities of our nation. The next national conference will be in KCMO from May 24-27, at the Marriott. For more information, go to nusa.org or contact Lynn at our meeting. These conferences are among the major grass roots events for neighborhood leaders. Congratulations Lynn, upon your appointment! The Shawnee Mission North Drill Team placed 8th in armed exhibition at the national competition at Pensacola on April 7th and 8th. Chief Nevin reports that the caliber of the teams was incredible and that the competition was a good learning experience. Several parents accompanied the team members and everyone visited the National Naval Aviation Museum and spent an extra day on the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. Chief Nevin again expresses, on behalf of the drill team, their gratitude for our unit’s support. At our March meeting, a letter from Cadet Commander Rebekah Brown was read, wherein she also thanked out unit for our support. Congratulations to Chief Nevin, CWO Grayless and the members of the Shawnee Mission North Drill Team for a fine showing! Whenever you have the opportunity, please patronize McLain’s Bakery at 7422 Wornall Rd. in KCMO. A story in the Star in March told of their donating a birthday cake to a member of our armed forces who had just returned from the Gulf; this was a initiative on their part. They are open from Tuesday – Saturday, and their phone number is 816/523-9911.

A trip to the P.I. Boot Camp is being arranged by Marine Gene Richter of the Pvt. George Phillips Det. M.C.L., Ballwin, MO. The price of $450/person, includes RT chartered bus from St. Louis, two nights motel lodging en route, meals at Parris Island, and refreshments on the bus. The bus departs from St. Louis at 0600 on Tuesday, May 16 and returns Sunday, May 21st. If you wish to go on this trip, contact Marine Gene Richter at 636/458—4168 by Monday, April 24th, at the latest. Marine Reyes has been appointed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to serve as the Liaison for the State of Kansas to the U.S. Marine Corps Heritage Foundation Museum at Quantico, VA. This is a lifetime appointment, and Marine Reyes will be present at the dedication ceremonies on Nov. 10th. Congratulations and Semper Fi, Marine Reyes! Muster with fellow Marines in Hawaii, as part of a trip to Hawaii from Nov. 6 – 11. Join in the celebration of the U.S. Marine Corps Birthday at the Marine Corps Base at Kanehoe Bay. The land tour cost is $1490/person. For more information, and to arrange flights to Hawaii, call Cheryl at Travel Plex, 800/737-1900, or 314/569-1900, ext. 144, or send her an email at Cheryl@travelplex.com. Ad space is available for placing in the program of this year’s Marine Corps League National Convention. Business card size ads can be placed for $25, and must be submitted by 15 June. Additional information on this will be provided at our meeting. Marine Lalumondier has volunteered to serve as Judge Advocate for the remainder of our calendar year, due to Marine Lillicotch’s change of work schedule.

Nominations for New Officers The nominees for our new slate of officers are as follows: Commandant: Marine Gonzalo Reyes; Sr. Vice Commandant: Marine Mike DeBauche; Jr. Vice Commandant: Marines Bill Clinton and Lee Nelson; Adjutant/Paymaster: Marine Richard Hinrichs; Judge Advocate: Marines Frank Begley and Pat O’Malley; Chaplain: Marines Max DeWeese and Jim O’Connor; Sgt.-at-Arms: Marines Herb Cast and Catarino Gonzalez. The elections will be held at the April meeting. Members must have their dues paid up in order to vote. Apologies from Marine Marsolek for not getting this list of nominees out earlier, in accordance with our by laws. Detachment Uniform In regard to the proposed amendment, Marine Pat O’Malley has written a letter to National Headquarters, MCL. We’re hopeful for this passage of this amendment at this year’s National Convention of the Marine Corps League in Quincy, Massachusetts from Aug. 6-12. Other items If you have any raffle articles, please bring them to our Wednesday meeting, where they’ll be raffled off in support of the Marine Corps Scholarship Fund, Marines in Need, etc. Life Memberships Dues are as follows: Age Group Currently As of Jan. 07 0-35 $325 $400 36-40 300 350 1-50 275 350 51-60 200 250 61-Over 100 125 To become a Life Member, you must already be a Regular Member in Good Standing. Volunteers are needed to head up committees for the Young Marines and Community Outreach. The uniform for all who participate in the Fallen Marine Program is white shirt with blue trousers. The American flag patches shall be in gold trim on the khaki shirts and w/white trim on the white shirts. Marine Richard Hinrichs is soliciting ideas to enhance our website – www.mclopks.org – Please submit these to Marine Hinrichs at Rhinrichs@kc.rr.com, ph. 913/648-1029, or at our Wednesday meeting. Our site has had 5700 hits so far! Khaki and Blues Uniform Ordering Procedure

Members who wish to have khaki shirts should first contact Marine Clinton, who can obtain these from Henderson Hall at the rate of $17.90 for long sleeves and $15.40 for short sleeves. These are the issue shirts; the creighton’s are more.

For members who desire to order other uniform items, the procedures are as follows: To order, fax the Navy/Marine Corps Support Center, Chesapeake, VA at 800-551-6289. Or enter your order by phone to Tanya at 800-368-4088, ext. 3512, between the hours of 1100 – 2000 EDT, from Monday through Friday. Prices for dress blue trousers w/NCO red stripes = $30.50 + $1.80. Belts are $2.60 and $6.50. A local tailor whom you can contact is Louise Bland, 10149 Edelweiss Circle in Merriam, ph. 913/831-4647 (h). An alternative source for white aviator shirts is Executive Apparel of New York. Shirts are $16.50 & $17.50/each, plus shipping. Please call 518/966-4424, with your size requirements. Uniform Items Marine Cammack has on hand the following items: covers, emblems, collar ornaments, and shoulder patches. Call Chuck at 913-492-6520, to be properly outfitted. As for name tags, contact Marine Rich Hinrichs at 913-648-1029.

Websites & EMAIL, Etc.

The website of the Marine Corps League on the National level is http://www.mcleague.org and our Detachment’s website is www.mclopks.org. Anyone receiving a paper newsletter, but has email, please email our Adjutant at Rhinrichs@kc.rr.com with the subject of “email newsletter”. Thanks. This newsletter was printed by Marines Cast & Marsolek