Utah Dixie Marine Corps League, St. George, Utah

2011-02 Commandant's Message

2012-01-30T10:29:00.000-08:00

Here we are in February. I for one am glad we are through the holidays. As a detachment, we have a busy time in front of us. We need to elect new officers and form committees for the golf tournament and the Marine Corps Ball.

Larry Mineer has been working hard to form our color guard. He has had a number of meetings for members to practice flag folding.

We have received 2400 rounds of blank ammo and 100 clips from the Army at no cost to the detachment. We are still waiting for ten M-1's, but we are now sure our request has been approved. I will continue to follow up with the Army and we should have the rifles in next two months. Twelve members attended the funeral service for a Marine last month. But, the American Legion still had to handle the grave site service. We want and should provide this service at the request of families of Marines.

We are completing the sale of 2012 Dixie Direct Book which again has been a good fund raiser for the detachment. A number of members continue to step up to make it happen. The sales this year will be more than double the sales last year.

Our detachment brochure for recruitment of new members will be available at the February meeting thanks to the hard work of Clyde Johnston.

The big problem which continues to exist is our low attendance at monthly meetings and retention of members. We have at least five members who have not been sworn into the detachment. We need everyone to help in contacting these absent members to encourage them to attend meetings. We have had a number of outstanding speakers and we will continue to have interesting speakers. If you have ideas how we can improve attendance or if you have a service project we could work on, please come to the monthly meeting and speak up. I, myself am very proud to be a member of this detachment and I try to do what I can to make it grow.

I hope to see you all at the monthly meeting.

Carl Kulyk, Commandant

January Commandant's Message

2012-01-05T16:28:00.000-08:00

Well, a new year is upon us! I guess we are all a little older and hopefully a little wiser.

We had a very busy December with Toys for Tots and selling Dixie Books. A number of members helped at Walmart and the Dixie Center. About eight members are working hard to sell Dixie Books. We sold sixty-four books last year and the number at this time is more than eighty. If you can sell or would like to buy a book, please contact the Chaplain at 435-656-2461.

Because of a few members working hard on the golf tournament, ad sales and the Dixie Book, we were able to donate more than $2,400.00 to worthwhile causes in the area on behalf of the league. As a reminder, our detachment only keeps less than five dollars from your yearly dues.

The final Marine Corps Ball 2011 report is in and we made a few dollars. We need someone to chair the ball committee for 2012. If you are willing to help, please contact me.

The color guard has been practicing flag folding and as soon as our M-1's arrive, drill practice will start. Larry Mineer still needs a few more members for the color guard. We are still waiting for the M-1 rifles but the Army has sent me the forms to obtain the blank ammo and the clips. They do not send out these forms until our request for rifles has been approved. As with the rifles, there will be no cost to the detachment for the blank ammo or the clips. I have submitted the forms to obtain the items.

Detachment members were at the Elks Club to do the set-up, cook and the clean-up for the Shop-with a-Cop event. Our long time member Joyce Thomas was there to help. After the event at the Elks, our color guard made up of Les Covey, Steve Ikuta, Clyde Johnston and Bill Toole assembled at the Saint George Airport to give a proper sendoff of the ashes of one of our detachment members who passed away a few years ago. Bill Feeney handled the bugle and our Chaplin D’Arcy Grisier did the final reading. Jack Stanfill provided his plane and a co-pilot for the spreading of the ashes. The wife of the Marine was present and very grateful for the service. It is our mission to support Marines and their families.

Our detachment has agreed to host the quarterly State Staff meeting in March. They will attend our regular meeting in March, then have their own meeting afterwards. Our next general meeting is on January 14, 2012 at the Abbey Inn at 8:00 a.m. I hope we can improve on attendance in 2012. Steve Ikuta will have another very interesting speaker. If you have noticed someone you know in the detachment who has not been attending the meetings, please call them and ask them to attend. We are also always looking for new members.

I do hope you had a great Christmas season. Thank you all for your support and assistance in 2011.

Carl Kulyk, Commandant

December 2011 Commandant's Message

2011-12-07T13:25:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are. Christmas is nearly upon us, and 2012 is just around the corner. The Marine Corps Ball was a great success with more than 145 persons attending. Sunriver did another great job with the meal, and the band was again right on tune. A number of people enjoyed the dance music after the formal program. Pat Lisi, Dave Estrovitz, Ken Olsen and Tom Cover along with their wives put in numerous hours making it happen. The final numbers are not in but we are very close to breaking even. The ad sale, like last year, started out slow but Pat Lisi took charge and the faithful few went out and sold the ads. We should clear more than $1,200.00 after we pay the cost of printing and the certificates of appreciation that we present to everyone who purchased an ad. We also need to thank Cherry Creek Radio for running a spot for the ball on all their stations.

The dedication of the Veterans Memorial Park at Sunriver on November 11 was a success. Many of our members took part in the dedication of the park and the lunch thereafter. Tom Cover was the MC at the event. Also, on November 11, a number of our members marched in the St. George Veterans Parade.

The speaker at our November 19 meeting was again outstanding. We need to thank Steve Ikuta for finding these great programs. At the December 10 meeting the program will be on Life Flight unless they are in the air on an emergency flight. I do hope more members attend this meeting to show that we appreciate the speakers giving up Saturday morning to attend our meeting.

The Toys for Tots details are forming and, if you can help, contact Larry Mineer, Jim Haney or me for details. We will also assist this year with the Shop-with-a-Cop breakfast at the Elks Club once I obtain what help they need. I will send out an e-mail as soon as I have all the information on the event.

We are still waiting for the M-1 rifles from the Army and, as I reported before, they will not give me a shipping date. We have purchased the white rifle slings and I have started the request to receive the free blank ammo from another Army Depot. I think that I have dotted all the “i”s and crossed all the “t’s,” so now we just have to wait till they ship the items. The members at the last general meeting approved the purchase of a gun locker which was required to store the M-1's. Les Covey was brave enough to go out at 5:20 a.m. and fight the crowds on Black Friday to get us a great deal on the locker. A couple members are going to pick up the locker and take it to our storage shed.

Now that we have pictures of our members at a few different events, we will move forward to complete a brochure which we can use to recruit new members and promote the league. We may also send a package this month to the Marine unit that we adopted in Afghanistan as soon as someone contacts me to volunteer to set up a committee to handle this project. This is the second time that we tried this type project. It ended last time because no one wanted to help. They may only be deployed a few more months and at this time of the year it would be nice to show our support. I just don’t feel good about asking the same few people to step up each time to get things done.

I do hope to see everyone at our meeting on December 10 at 8:00 a.m. at the Abbey Inn. We need at least 25 members to attend to break even. Your spouses are invited to attend and hear the speaker. A couple wives attended the last meeting.

I do wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and/or a happy holiday season along with a happy New year.

Carl Kulyk, Commandant

November Commandant's Message

2011-11-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

The month of November is here. That means another year has nearly passed. It is also time to celebrate the 236th birthday of our Marine Corps on November 10. Pat Lisi and his committee have worked very hard on planning for the ball this year. We had approximately 62 persons at the ball last year but this year it may exceed 100. The Olsens, Estrovitzs, Lisis and Covers spent many hours planning to make the event a success. They kept me out of it to insure success.

The honor guard at the ball will be handled by Larry Mineer, Les Covey, Jack Stanfill and Terry Hansen. The cake cutting will be handled by Dave Houston, Rick Massey, Bryan Butas and Alfie Deming. For the members who could not find time to attend or attended another ball, you will miss an outstanding event. The ad sales were a little less this year but we raised more than $1,300.00 for the league. The less than 10% who care stood up and got the job done again. It used to be the 10% were the screw-ups, but now it seems it is the 10% who really try hard to make the league a success.

On November 11, the Veteran's Honor Park at SunRiver will be dedicated. A number of our members will be there to raise the flags, fire the rifle salute, provide the drum and bugle music and march in the opening event. The members planning to assist are Bill Toole, Rick Massey, Bryan Butas, Dennis Cory, Les Covey, Clyde Johnston, Ken Olsen, Larry Mineer, Terry Hansen, Jim Haney and Tom Cover.

We were asked to be part of the St. George parade on November 11 after we committed to be at SunRiver. Larry Mineer, the Color Guard sergeant, put out an e-mail asking other members to step up for that task. The only member at time of writing this article was D'Arcy who stood up, and he cannot carry two rifles and two flags with the banner. I hope that before the due date a few more members agree to help. I would particularly like to see the members who had one-half their uniform costs paid by the league take part in this event.

We have received notice that we have been approved to have use of ten M-1 rifles at no cost. We hope to have the rifles in the next ninety days. The Army will also provide the clips and blank ammo at no cost. The only cost thus far is for ten white rifle slings at $8.50 each. We do intend to purchase a secure rifle cabinet when we find a good sale. It is now time to expand the Color Guard so, in time, we will be able to do a full military funeral. We did provide a presence at two funerals this month for Marines. One was with less than two hours' notice thanks to Bill Toole, Jim Haney, Pat Lisi and our Chaplain, D'Arcy Grisier.

Because of the ball and use of our meeting room, the general meeting for November will take place on the third Saturday, this month only, which is November 19. Steve Ikuta has arranged for another great speaker as he has done the last couple months. We will be learning about staying well from an expert. You are all welcome to bring your better half to have breakfast and hear the speaker.

At the meeting, we will be discussing our involvement with Toys for Tots in December. We have two members who will handle the assignments at the Washington WalMart, but we need someone to handle the assignments at the Bloomington WalMart. Jim Haney has agreed to assist if someone will agree to help him. We intend to cover the doors from 0900 hrs to 1500 hrs two Saturdays and one Friday at both WalMarts. We also will help one night at the Bloomington Walmart from 1700 until 2200 hrs.

And lastly, we have picked up the new Dixie Direct Books to sell. The cost per book is $35.00 and the league receives $15.00 for each book sold. A few members took part last year and we sold sixty-four books. We picked up sixty books on Thursday October 27 and sent out e-mail to all members. By that Thursday at 1600 hrs, Clyde Johnston had orders for more than twenty books from his friends. Bryan Butus took thirty books to sell and the other staff members took a number to sell. We picked up an additional sixty books on Friday October 28. We got the books last year late, but this year we are ahead of the other groups. The books are not hard to sell but you have to ask people to buy them. D'Arcy Grisler has agreed to store the books to pass out to members for sale. You can reach him at 435-862-8883. We will have books at the general meeting, but hopefully you have read the e-mails which were sent out and you are already selling books. You should have any check for a book made payable to MCL #1270 and immediately send to the MCL 1270, P.O. Box 553, St. George, UT 84790.

HAVE A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY MARINES!
Carl Kulyk, Commandant

DD-214s

2011-11-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

MILITARY RECORDS - DD-214s NOW ONLINE:
Get your DD-214

The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the above web site for veterans to gain access to their DD-214s. This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of his DD-214 for employment purposes. NPRC is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files. Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents.

Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete the Standard Form 180, which can be downloaded from the online web site. Because the requester will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to process the request, delays that normally occur when NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be minimized. The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records center’s mail room and processing time.

October 2011 Commandant Message

2011-10-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

Well, it’s October and all the snow birds should be home. At our last two General meetings the attendance was nothing but very poor. We had 19 in August and 14 in September. Steve Ikuta and Colin Harrison worked hard in having very outstanding speakers at those two meetings. We had Washington County Search and Rescue in August and two police officers who spoke on gangs and drugs in September. For those who did not attend, you missed two very informative programs. Steve Ikuta has an outstanding program ready for our October meeting. We have more than 65 members so we can have a better showing of respect for the speakers who give up their time to provide us with great presentations.

We have ordered ten M-1 rifles from the Army at no cost to the detachment. If everything goes through the first time, we should have them in about two months. We will order the ammo and slings once we know the rifles are on the way.

We need more members to stand up to serve on the Color Guard. Some of us are a little older and we cannot march a long distance but we can march fifteen to twenty steps and be part of the Color Guard at funerals. The families appreciate it when we attend the service for a fallen Marine. We are it unless active marines have time to come from Las Vegas.

We have a number of things happening on November 11 for Veterans Day which we need to discuss at the general meeting. The Toys For Tots program will be starting some and I have requested Rick Massey advise us at the meeting as to what assistance he would like us to provide. If we have time to prepare, things work much better.

The Marine Corps Ball will be held before our next general meeting on November 19. The committee continues to work hard so the ball on November 10 will be a great success. It is sad that they have to take time to make calls to a number of members to determine if they plan to attend the ball. At this time less than 30% have purchased tickets even when the committee lower the tickets by $10.00 each. If you miss their call, please return their call so they can determine a count.

At present time there is a small group of members who work very hard to make our detachment a success. Without them, I could get nothing done. And then there is a group that likes to snivel about everything. I remember when it was always posted “no sniveling” but I guess Marines now feel it is proper. If you see things that needs to be changed step up and help make it right. It is sad when people stay away because there is something they don’t like but they won’t step up to make things better.

Hope to see everyone at next meeting and the ball.

Carl Kulyk, Commandant

September Commandant's Message

2011-09-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

Well, it is now September. It is time for some cooler weather and the near return of our snow birds. The turnout at last general meeting was a little low but it was also vacation time. We hope to see the regular turnout at the general meeting on September 10. We plan to have a speaker from the Saint George Police Department.

The purchase of six M-1's was approved and we are in final stage of sending in the order. We still need a few members to step up to join the color guard. We attend a couple funerals this month and our attendance is appreciated by the families. We hope to be able to provide a full funeral service in next few months. It all depends on each member doing his or her part.

The Marine Ball committee is working hard to finalize the event. The tickets will be available at the meeting for $25.00 each. It would make it much easier on the committee if you would purchase your tickets at this time so they can plan on a member certain. There will be no tickets sold at the door. If you don’t plan to attend they also would like to know. You should be getting call from a committee member soon about tickets, please be sure to return their call if they miss you.

I have been advised that our ad sales are slow at this time. The cut off date in mid October so it is now time to get out and get ads. You should report any ad sales to Tom Cover. We will have the ad sale forms at the general meeting. We all have our own doctor, dentist, barber and car repair person, and you don’t know if they will support our program unless you ask. Only a few members worked on selling ads last year and we cleared more than $1,600.

I have been advised that the Dixie Direct Books may be available the first part of October so it is time to advise your friends that we will be selling them again this year. Everyone should be able to sell a few if you just try. We are hoping to have a schedule for work this year soon for Toys for Tots so we can start getting prepared. You can see there is a lot happening at this time and that we need your help to be successful.

See you all on September 10 at the Abbey Inn.

Commandant Carl Kulyk

UPCOMING EVENTS:

9/10 8:30 Monthly Detachment Meeting; Abbey Inn
9/09 MCL Departmental meeting in Richfield Utah.

11/10 Marine Corps Birthday Ball @ Sun River

Commandant's Message - August

2011-08-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

We had our first summer meeting and the turn out was a little light. The meal count was twenty-two and we need twenty-five to break even. The current officers were installed and one new member was sworn in. We had two new guests. One was a Marine who was not able to stay for the meeting but took an application to join. The other was a corpsman who I invited. He seemed very interested in joining. He was actually the one who sent the first mentioned guest who was not able to stay. The Detachment continues to grow in size but we are always looking for at least a few more.

Tickets for the Marine Ball are available from Ken Olsen and will be available at our next meeting. The cost is twenty-five dollars per ticket. We need everyone to attend and to bring a guest. Tom Cover is moving forward with the sale of the ads for the printed ball program. Each one of us should be able to sell a couple ads. We all have a doctor, dentist, barber or other business person to ask. There will be more information at August meeting or contact Tom Cover.

I think we have located a reasonable source to obtain M-1's for our color guard. I hope that all the information on obtaining them will be available next meeting.

As you should know from the e-mail sent out by Clyde Johnston, we were able to raise the $4.000.00 to upgrade a room at the new VA retirement home. Larry Mineer stood up to make the difference.

I have requested now twice from the membership any suggestions any member may have for a new project for the detachment this year. As of this date, I have heard from no one. It is hard for me to believe with the vast military experience of our members that there are no ideas.

I do hope you all are enjoying this summer and look forward to seeing you all at the August meeting on August 13 at the Abbey Inn.

Pioneer Days Parade

2011-07-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

Marines! Let's have a great showing of the Utah Dixie Detachment Marine Corps League - marching and leading the Pioneer Days Parade in Ivins Saturday 23 July.

All hands in your bvest uniform fall out in front of the fire station at 0830 to plan our march. The fire station is about 100 or 200 West on the Snow Canyon Parkway. We have a new Marine Corps League banner ready to display. Terry Hansen will be there with his Civil War replica drums to give us a good cadence for marching.

Larry Mineer, Color Sergeant

2011 Birthday Ball

2011-06-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

The Detachment's Marine Corps Birthday Ball Committee is work-ing tirelessly and relentlessly to put together the most memorable Birthday Celebration our Detachment has ever seen. We have things planned for this evening that you have not seen in the past. Some of these are surprises that I cannot divulge without ruining it for you. For example, we do not have a guest or keynote speaker for the party, but we definitely will have a surprise visitor! You won't want to miss him (or her?).

This does not mean that we don't have honored guests coming to the Ball, because we most certainly do. You and your guests will learn about the Marine Corps Hymn at the Birthday Ball. No, not like you learned in Boot Camp – this is a completely different approach to what you have heard in the past. Oh, the words haven't changed, not by any stretch of the imagination. What will change is how you all think about the Hymn; from that night on you will sing the words with improved vigor and enthusiasm, because we are going to give you a gift that will let you see the Hymn in a whole new light.

Along with the fun ideas and things that we have planned for you, the Ball will of course include all the usual and prescribed pomp and circumstance that you would get no matter which Marine Corps Birthday Ball you were to attend anywhere in the world - like the cutting and serving of the official cake ceremony, presided over and conducted by our Detachment's own Dave Houston and his select team of Marines - posting of the colors by our Detachment's Color Guard - and reading of the Commandant's Birthday Message.

There is a fantastic dinner planned just for you that you won't want to miss. There will be an interesting and informational way by which we determine the order the tables are excused to the buffet line, so be prepared like a good Marine should always be. Hint: It has to do with Marine Corps History.

The evening will culminate with a wonderful dance, so wear comfortable shoes and help us wear out the dance floor before departing at the end of the evening.

And, all this for just $25.00 per person! Why, that's so inexpensive it's almost a crime!

Here is what you need to do right now while you're thinking about this. Get away from your computer and find your calendar. Okay, got it? Now, go to November 10 and make a note on that square: "Marine Corps Birthday Ball, 1800 hrs." Next, sit back down in front of your computer and send an e-mail to: patlisigmac@gmail.com.

In your e-mail let me know that you have committed to coming to the Birthday Ball in November and state how many people you are bringing. Don't be shy; we have room for lots of folks! Don't send me any money, yet, we'll get to that later. For now we just want to start getting a head count which will make negotiating what we pay for your dinners easier and quicker. Yes, November is a ways off, but good Marines don't go into a mission without the full advantage of advanced training/planning. Did you sign up in the Corps and skip Boot Camp? No! That's why your Ball Committee is working hard right now, and we will be working right up through the Ball itself.

Thank You - Funeral Detail

2011-06-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

Thank You for your expression of sympathy:

Bill and members of the Marines, thank you for honoring my beloved husband's passing.

Myrna Beardshear and Family

2011 July Message from the Commandant

2011-06-30T20:17:00.001-07:00

Well, summer is here in St. George and the snow birds are gone for a few months. As noted at the June meeting, we will have staff and general meetings in July and August. Things come up on us too fast if we miss those months.

The color guard posted colors at the June chamber meeting. The governor was present at the meeting and he expressed his respect for the Marine Corps and your service. The Color Guard was well received. The Color Guard will post colors again this year at the Bloomington Stake House on July 3. We have not received any requests for the 4th of July at time of this writing.

This is my second month and I appreciate D‟Arcy Grisier and James Haney for stepping up and filling the two vacant positions. The minutes prepared by Jim Haney were in a great format and complete. D‟Arcy Grisier is working hard to learn his duties and he will make an outstanding Chaplin.

My focus this year will be to determine our objectives for the year and find the right people to chair the necessary committees to accomplish the objectives. If anyone has a project that fits into our detachment general goals, you should put it in writing and submit it as soon as possible. I feel there are many things out there that we can do for veterans and the community.

Larry Mineer, our Color Guard leader, would like to have seven or eight more members with uniforms to help with events. He would also like the detachment to obtain at least two M-1s so we don’t have to borrow them each event. I looked on the internet and they cost between $750.00 and $1,700.00. If you know where we may be able to obtain them at a better price, please contact Larry Mineer. We hope in time to have seven M-1s so we can provide a full formal funeral when request by a family of a fallen Marine. I feel each Marine family deserves it and active personal are not always available.

I am looking forward to the highway clean-up on June 25 and hope we have a good showing. Do your best to bring a guest to our next meeting. We still need a few good men and women.

Carl Kulyk, Commandant

2011 Benefit Golf Tournament

2011-05-15T15:11:00.000-07:00

Dixie Detachment #1270, St. George, Utah, will hold its annual golf tournament at the SunRiver St. George Golf Course on Saturday, June 4, 2011.

4 Person Scramble (Team Low Net)
$85 per player (includes cart and lunch) [SunRiver residents $60]
8:30 a.m., tee time (shot gun start)
7:30 a.m., if not pre-registered

Contact Larry at Larry@constructionmonitor.com for more details.

Prizes galore:
Closest to the pin on all par 3's
Longest drive for men and for women (different age brackets)
Longest putt per team
Team low net (1st, 2nd, 3rd place)
Hole-in-one or double eagle - $500
And more!!!

All proceeds will benefit Veterans of Washington County Area. Join us! We support Devil Pups, Inc. Youth Program, Active Duty Marines and Families, Marine Appreciation Day, Marine Corps Birthday Ball, Nursing Home Marines and Toys for Tots.

Dine to Donate - Tuesday May 17

2011-05-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 17, from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Please join us for a Dine to Donate night at Applebee's Restaurant, 156 So. River Road in St. George. Applebee's, always so friendly to veteran groups, has agreed to donate 10% of the proceeds of the meals of those of us who come in with a certificate indicating we are participating in the Devil Pup fund raising project. Get your certificate from your e-mail or contact Bill Toole at 652-3998. Hand the certificate to your server and Applebee's will clip it to your bill and tally up the slips at the end of the evening, donating 10% to the Detachment for our Devil Pup project.

This is not a 10% discount for your dinner; you will pay the regular price and Applebee's will donate 10% of your check to the Devil Pup project. It should be a fun night - how could it be better? No work, just food and fun.

Devil Pups, Inc. is a 10 day camp experience for young people, ages 14-17 and is a non-profit organization designed to help boys and girls from all backgrounds gain self-confidence and learn to take responsibility for their actions. It is separate from the Marine Corps but is held at Camp Pendleton every summer as space allows. California kids are supported by Devil Pups, Inc., a California non-profit organization. Marine Corps League detachments in states outside of California, including Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Oregon, support their own Devil Pups - and we've even had pups come to this outstanding program from Scotland. It changes lives and has become a popular program in this area, with as many as 50-60 applicants for only 10-11 slots for our quota in St. George.

For an advance peek at the menu at Applebee's, go to

http://www.applebees.com/MenuLandingStatic.aspx

Tuesday, May 17, from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. For those of you who LOVE to party, stay after 9:00 p.m. for Applebee's karaoke fun.

Message from Commandant Cory

2011-05-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

Greetings, being that this is my last message as the Commandant, I would like to take the time to thank a few people for their commitment to make this detachment a better and more productive one. When I agreed to take over the detachment my one thought was to make this detachment a better one when I left. I did not anticipate a bout with cancer or a stroke but as luck would have it both overcame me in the middle of my tenure. Carl Kuylik stepped up and filled my shoes more than capable. Thank you Carl. Ken Olsen stepped up and helped me with personnel needs. Thank you Ken. I think that some of my thoughts about making the detachment better took a good hold, the color guard, the booklet for the birthday ball ad campaign, Thank you Larry Mineer. A new place to have our monthly meetings. Committees for our projects and a different attitude about who we are and what our goals are. I feel very comfortable in stepping down and turning over the reins to the new commandant. I would also like to thank the entire detachment for their support and thoughts during my illness.

Semper Fidelis, Dennis Cory, Commandant

Highway Clean Up

2011-01-26T18:08:00.000-08:00

Attention all hands. Highway clean-up between Exits 8 and 10 of the I15 freeway Saturday, 5 February. Meet at J.C. Penney parking lot at Red Cliffs Mall at 0730. Rick Massey will have safety vests, bags etc. you should bring gloves and a "picker upper" or "grabber" to save your aching back. Detail should secure before 1130 since we will be doing the northbound side primarily. C'mon out and meet some dedicated Marines.

2010 Devil Pup Presentation

2010-09-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

Here are five of the six 2010 Devil Pups at our 11 September detachment meeting. They came to enjoy breakfast with us and their parents and to thank the detachment members for supporting their great experience at Devil Pup camp. Really fine kids!!

Civil War Drums

2010-08-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Our very own and very special Navy Corpsman, Terry Hansen, has completed these replicas of Civil War drums that can be used with our Color Guard. When Terry showed us the drums he’d made, we asked for the “rest of the story” so we could share the story with all of you. Here it is:

Several years ago I completed a cedar strip canoe and I had a bunch of gorgeous cedar strips left over. Being the pack rat that I am I never threw them away- just stored them in my loft in my workshop. After staring at them long enough I thought I might try making a civil war drum. I've been a fan of that era ever since I first visited Gettysburg in 1957. Have been back there 11 times since. Very hallowed ground indeed.

I started by making a circular form, gluing and nailing each successive 7/8" strip. My wife, the math instructor, calculated that each strip, 56 of them, had to be sawed at 3 and 3/4 degrees. After gluing up, there's lots of sanding to be done. Then I applied the first of 4 coats of marine spar varnish.

The hoops I found on the internet for a lot cheaper than I could ever make them. The heads I found on sale at our local music store. Finding the right 1/4" rope was a challenge. I started with nylon rope but that is too stretchy. Now I'm trying some cotton rope but it's not very strong. Maybe some day I'll order the genuine linen rope that's made in Ireland. It is a little pricey, however. I made my own leather "ears" for the rope tensioners.

As of today I have completed three drums and look forward to completing 2 more, one out of cherry and one out of clear white pine. Each different wood gives them a different sound.

My drums are in the style of either Revolutionary War or Civil war drums. At the outset of the Civil War Abe Lincoln ordered 32,000 drums for the various units. Consequently many people got into the drum making business and that's why it's hard to find two Civil War drums that look alike– close but not exactly alike because the lettering and the eagles were all hand painted.

Many drums still exist today in various stages of repair. Their cowhide heads did not survive the years simply because they tear easily or disintegrate.

2010 Devil Pup Encampment

2010-08-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

The webmaster has not been able (yet) to remove the Super Poke! Pets from the above photos. There is a black X to the right of the Super Poke Pets logo, just above the yellow Play button. Click that and the logo goes away.

Summer Events

2010-07-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

Utah Dixie's Events Calendar:

July and August - no regular monthly meetings during these two hot summer months.

07/17 -- 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Car Wash by Devil Pup candidates at Sportsman's Warehouse parking lot located at 2957 E 850 N, St. George, just north of Costco.

07/24 -- 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Car Wash by Devil Pup candidates at Sportsman's Warehouse parking lot located at 2957 E 850 N, St. George, just north of Costco.

08/7, 14, 21, 28 -- 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Assistants needed at Washington Wal-Mart parking lot trailer site to accept donations for our annual rummage sale.

09/11 -- Regular monthly detachment meeting, Abbey Inn, 8:30 a.m. Breakfast under $10.

09/4, 11, 18, 25 -- 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Assistants needed at Washington Wal-Mart trailer site to accept donations for our annual rummage sale.

10/01-02 --9:00 a.m. to Noon - or later. Annual Rummage Sale, Washington Wal-Mart parking lot.

We are a busy bunch! Any assistance you can give in regular events are greatly appreciated. Be sure to attend the annual rummage sale and find your special treasures!

Summer Months

2010-07-13T14:52:00.000-07:00

During the muggy, toasty days of July and August, the Utah Dixie Detachment enjoys staying indoors. We will be "dark" for these months, beginning meetings again in September. Stay tuned for a new location for our Saturday breakfasts.

If you're one of the brave who are not weather challenged and you would like to be included in the Detachment's support of Devil Pups, come out to the parking lot of Sportsman's Warehouse in Washington City on July 17 and July 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. You can assist this year's seven young Pup candidates in washing cars - or you can let them wash your car for a $10 fee. Each Pup is encouraged to earn a portion of his expense for Devil Pup camp. They are great young people!

Here's a photo of a prior year's Devil Pups.

2010 MCL Utah Department Convention Success!

2010-06-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend! Awesome convention venue (in spite of temps reaching 107 on Saturday), great new Department staff, our own squared away Color Guard posting the colors, interesting guest speakers, awesome food by Chef Jon Braaten of the Abbey Inn and a great time meeting other Marines and spouses and auxiliary members. Here are some of the photos from the weekend.

Utah Department Marine of the Year Massey

2010-06-06T06:59:00.000-07:00

Our own Rick Massey, became the 4th Marine of the Year for the Utah State Department, Marine Corps League, for his tireless and so very successful Toys for Tots accomplishments. Here is Gunny Massey with MOTY 2009-2010 Bill Toole and MOTY 2008-2009 Ben Setter. Congratulations, Gunny Massey!

Utah State Convention to be Held in Dixie

2010-06-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

Department of Utah

Marine Corps League, Inc.

6th ANNUAL DEPARTMENT CONVENTION
St. George, Utah

June 4th - 5th, 2010

Best Western Abbey Inn

1129 S. Bluff Street
Location is off I-15, Exit 6
For Reservations call 1 888-222-3946
Info on Hotel: http://www.bwabbeyinn.com/

Rates are: Single and Double $70.00 (plus tax)
(ask for the Marine Corps League Rate)

Upgraded Rooms/Suites at $89 (plus tax)

Friday 1900 - Devil Dog Growl

Saturday 0730 - Registration Opens

0800 Joint Memorial Service

0900 General Session

Guest Speaker: Patrick Curtis

1800 Awards Banquet

Guest Speaker: Honorable David Clark

Saturday predicted to be 102 degrees!

2010 Women's National Softball Tournament

2010-05-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

Marines and families who attended the

Women's National Softball Tournament had a great time.

Not only did we enjoy the softball games, we were very proud of our

Utah Dixie MCL Color Guard's

premier performance posting the colors.

Thank you to Bryan Butas, Bill Toole,

Brian Bills and Larry Mineer

for making our Detachment very proud.

NJCAA National Softball Championship

2010-04-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

NJCAA National Championship May 19th - 22nd at the Canyons Softball Complex. Tickets are $ 6.00 each, good for all four days or $ 3.00 for seniors and children under twelve years old. 16 best Division 1 Junior College women's fast pitch softball teams in the nation will compete for the 2010 National Championship. Contact Bill Feeney for tickets. Tickets must be purchased by April 16, 2010. Bring a friend and make it a great day. The Detachment will receive a contribution for every ticket sold.

Jim “Horse” Smith

2010-01-29T14:00:00.000-08:00

You'll want to join us at our monthly Detachment meeting on February 13, 2010 to hear Jim "Horse" Smith speak. Breakfast begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Elks Lodge, St. George, UT. Some of Jim's accomplishments:

Enlisted in USMC on Nov 1st, 1939.
Served with 5th Marines in Cuba --- became part of 1st MarDiv when it was formed.
Assigned to First Marine Raider Battalion at Quantico in March of 1942.
Fought in initial landing on Tulagi and Battle of The Ridge on Gualalcanal in August and September of 1942. Awarded two Silver Stars and Purple Heart.
Served 27 years in government work.

As part of his inherent inclination to “keep on truckin’,” in October Horse competed as the oldest shooter in the 2009 World Championships for Trap/Skeet in San Antonio and won five medals.

Successful Year for Toys for Tots in St. George

2009-12-25T09:04:00.000-08:00

Once again Rick Massey surpassed his own goals for Toys for Tots. Several members of the Detachment spent countless hours delivering and placing TFT boxes, collecting toys, manning stations and greeting people in front of three local WalMart stores, using donated money to pre-shop for toys, driving to various locations to pick up and/or unload toy donations by various organizations, sorting and wrapping gifts at the Dixie Center and serving and clean-up at the Elks Lodge for the "Shop With a Cop" experience for local children. There was also a dinner held at the Elks Lodge to present toys to handicapped kids. We partner with Coins for Kids who have streamlined the process of delivery of toys, but we still have Santa Mike who assists with delivery of toys to several special needs cases.

Check out the article in The Spectrum on Christmas Day on one special delivery in which our Detachment participated.

http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20091225/NEWS01/912250321/Volunteers-put-the-joy-in-Christmas

All in all, an outstanding result for the 2009 Toys for Tots program in Southern Utah. Congratulations to all, with special thanks to Rick for his incredible energy for this program.

Toys for Tots

2009-12-12T19:19:00.000-08:00

December IS Toys for Tots for the Utah Dixie Marine Corps League. Rick Massey is the liaison for Toys for Tots. His incredible energy for this program is awe inspiring. Rick and his team of about 20 Marines, who assist in representing the Detachment in events that produce both monetary contributions and donated toys, spend hours making it happen - all designed to make some needy families very happy at Christmas. The Detachment teams up with the local Coins for Kids, an organization that delivers our collected toys to needy families in the SoUtah area. There are so many activities to make this all come together: installing TFT boxes in local business locations, checking them nearly daily, standing by the TFT boxes at three local WalMart locations as people donate their new toys or money, picking up donations by a very generous Toys-R-Us, collecting at another local business locations, delivering all the toys to the convention center and joining other community volunteers in catagorizing and wrapping the toys, and having Santa dress up to assist in delivery. The happiness in the faces of children makes it all worthwhile. Ooorah, Marines!

2009 St. George Nursing Home Veterans

2009-11-25T13:31:00.000-08:00

The Cpl. Adam Galvez Unit 469 Women's Auxiliary of our League Detachment, assisted by the Detachment's Sr. Vice Commandant and Judge Advocate Elect, brightened the Veteran's Day holiday of St. George nursing home veterans with good wishes, hugs and Marine Corps birthday cake, honoring their service to this country.

234th Birthday of the Marine Corps

2009-11-07T23:38:00.000-08:00

The Detachment's annual celebration of the Marine Corps Birthday was enjoyed by all at the SunRiver St. George ballroom. Commandant Ron Buress cuts the cake in this photo. Sgt. Major John Massaro and Lt. Col. Al Christy received a piece of cake as the Detachment's honored guests. Oldest Marine present, Ed Soniat, passed his piece of cake to the youngest Marine present, Kody Hansen. A fine dinner was followed by dancing to the music of the Jim Sevy Band. Happy 234th Birthday, Marines!!

234th Birthday of the Marine Corps

2009-11-07T22:35:00.000-08:00

2009 Marine Corps Birthday Ball

2009-11-05T15:40:00.000-08:00

2008 Cake Cutting Ceremony

7November 2009 is the date for the Utah Dixie Marine Corps League sponsored event at the SunRiver St. George ballroom. Come join us for a wonderful evening full of good food and awesome tradition, followed by dancing to the music of the Jim Sevy band. Reservations are $25 each. Contact our paymaster (see link in banner at the top of this blog) to make your reservations and wear your semi-formal attire - uniforms welcome. You don't have to be a Marine to attend; the public is welcome. 6:00 p.m.

Adopt-a-Highway Clean Up

2009-11-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

Saturday's morning clean up of the roadside between Exits 8 and 10 of the I-15 was a quick clean up this time. A special thank you to the Washington County Sheriff's office Explorers Post #1925, for their support. Oscar and the 16 young ladies and men did a great job helping us. This time it only took us 2 hours and 20 minutes to clean up the freeway. There were 28 Marines, wives and Explorers. Dennis served picnic in the park for lunch, ending the day on high note!

Honor Devil Pup-Series Honor Man Deploys

2009-10-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

The 20th birthday celebration and bon voyage party for Bryce was held today at the gazebo between the two LDS churches on Brigham Road. Bryce flies out tomorrow with his unit - obvious destination. It was bittersweet. We are quite proud of "our Devil Pup" who is so excited about deployment, but those remaining behind will be sending up prayers for his safety. The Spectrum was present. Let's watch for an article in one of the upcoming issues.

Bryce and Mom, Shannon.

The Auxiliary provided a knitted scarf and watch cap to keep Bryce warm during the harsh winter that he's heading into. Thank you, Liz, for the work of the Auxiliary. They are planning to keep in touch with Bryce's unit if at all possible and provide each of the Marines scarves and caps.

Bryce - with Marine Corps League Devil Pup Recruiter. The following Marines from the Detachment were there to provide an oohrah: Dennis Cory, Larry Mineer, Ed Soniat, Roger Clawson and Bill Toole.

2009 Rummage Sale Success

2009-10-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

Ooorah! Marines and Auxiliary!! Another successful Rummage Sale in the Hurst Ace Hardware parking lot Friday and Saturday, October 16 and 17. Thank you, Ace Hardware, for allowing us the use of a corner of your parking lot!! Early shoppers caught the big WalMart truck, loaned to us to collect goods, as we were unloading it Thursday night the 15th. The sale began at 10:00 a.m. on Friday - r i i i g h t?? - try 6:30 a.m. There are a lot of early eagle-eyed rummage sale shoppers out there!

Dennis Cory served yummy pulled pork sandwiches (a huge thanks to Texas Roadhouse) and coleslaw (besides arranging for and driving the WalMart trailer). He was ably assisted by Mercy Wright. Mike and Joyce Thomas served ice cream products and their own homemade rootbeer floats. It was truly a one-stop shopping experience! Auxiliary members led by Liz Rogers worked very hard pricing and selling, answering questions, etc. Our Commandant, Ron Buress, and his wife, Joanne, were there the whole time making those difficult on-the-spot decisions.

Once again, Bill Feeney, our fund raising chair, turned out another fine fund raising event. Results have not yet been posted, but we know it was successful and a lot of shoppers were happy, especially with our $1.00-per-bag clothing sales. Our clothing collection this year far exceeded any amount we've ever seen at any rummage sale. A huge thanks to all Marines and Auxiliary members who worked SO hard on collection Saturdays, sale set-up, organizing, overnight guard duty, and take-down. We're quite sure there were about 10 Larry Mineers and Brian Bills there because we saw them every time we turned around!!

We thank the Elks Lodge for the loan of their tables and Rick Massey for delivering the leftover "treasures" to Deseret Industries. Thank you to all of you who turned out to work and support the Utah Dixie Detachment. Thanks, again, Marine Feeney - it was a huge coordination project. And, true to Marine tradition, after the sale was over we left the parking lot site cleaner than we found it.

And now we can all rest up for 2010's biggest fund raiser!!

We're off and running into Adopt-a-Highway cleanup on the 31st, then into Toys for Tots season and the Marine Corps Birthday Ball on November 7th in SunRiver St. George.

U.S. Marines - America's FINEST!!!

2009 Rummage Sale

2009-10-13T19:51:00.001-07:00

Be sure to attend our largest fund raiser of the year - our annual Rummage Sale. Members and friends of members have been gathering their gently used items for several weeks, storing them in the trailer (generously loaned to the Detachment by Wal-Mart) parked in the Elks Lodge parking lot, and the truck will start unloading Thursday night, October 15 at the sale site.

This big event begins Friday, October 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and continues on Saturday, October 17, also from 10:00 to 5:00 p.m. The Hurst Ace Hardware store parking lot is the site of our huge sale. It is located near the corner of St. George Boulevard and Bluff Street. A huge thank you to the Hursts! Be sure to get there early; the best things go very quickly! Everyone can find a treasure!!!

2009 Auxiliary and Detachment Picnic

2009-10-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

What a wondrous sight it was - the red, white and blue balloons, and the United States of America and United States Marine Corps flags fluttering in the warm breeze of Snow Canyon. If that wasn't enough to make your heart stop, you only had to see those who were occupying the benches and tables of the camp ground - young and old, all with a common bond - they were Marines and their families, sharing tales of times past. Some followed children up to the top of the mountain, others enjoyed the patriotic music, and all were delighted with the excellent food, most of which was prepared by Mike Thomas. Thanks, Mike! The hamburgers and hot dogs were cooked by Mike and Dennis Cory, and the only complaint rendered was that some didn't have room for more.

All in all, everyone had a grand time. Kudos to all in the Auxiliary and Detachment who put this activity together. From all reports, everyone had a great time. It was a little warm, but we had home made rootbeer and ice cream to cool us all off. There were between 40 and 50 people in attendance. We'll definitely do it again!

MCL Detachment Photos

2009-09-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

2009 September MCL Meeting-Staff

2009-09-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

A plaque was presented to Bill Toole by Commandant Buress in honor of Bill's service as founding Commandant 2007-2009.

Commandant Buress and his staff at the September meeting.

2009 September Devil Pup Report

2009-09-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

Anthony and Colton report after returning from Devil Pup Encampment.

To check out this wonderful youth program now available
to SoUtah guys and gals aged 14-17, go to http://www.devilpups.com/.

2009 Devil Pups

2009-08-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

[Honor Pup Colton on left on top of Old Smokey]

Utah Dixie Detachment's 2009 Devil Pup program accomplished its 10-day odyssey with flying colors. We added some new steps in our selection process this year, and they paid large dividends. First, we determined that the Detachment would support each Pup with a portion of the cost of the program. The balance would be developed by each Pup by participating in car washes and other fund-raising chores. The result? Each successful Pup candidate produced one-third of his total cost, the Detachment providing the remainder.

Another innovation this year was that each Pup was assigned a "mentor" from among our Detachment members to guide the candidate and prepare him for the realities of Devil Pup camp. My deepest appreciation is expressed to these Marines. They took an interest in their young man and brought him along. The program experience? Judge for yourself:

- An all night bus ride with sunrise in the McDonald's parking lot in Barstow.

- Heightening tension in the bus as we drew nearer to Camp Pendleton.

- Arrival at the "reception area" where paperwork is inspected for contraband, our Pup Escort Marines (who all look angry and disappointed at our "sloppiness") organizing us into squads and platoons.

- Standing in long lines, at the position of attention, awaiting tonsorial suicide (aka high and tight, skin head haircut), issuing gear, assigning racks . . . all at a speed much too slow for our Escorts.

And that's just to get started. There were classes in leadership, motivation, personal goal setting and citizenship. There was practical application in some of the leadership exercises experienced by Marine Recruits as part of "The Crucible" training which they receive in boot camp. Then there was the "Training Tank" (aka swimming pool) exercise in jumping from various heights into a 23 foot-deep pool - for some Pups, the first real "gut check" they've experienced. Endless hiking and marching.

On Thursday evening of the second week was the easy stroll up San Onofre Mountain (aka "Old Smokey") resting invitingly at 1,725 feet above sea level and surrounded by boot-sliding, finger scratching, sweat soaking fire breaks, this the site of the awarding of the "Devil Pup Challenge Coin" to each successful Pup. The assurance that they've "made it," they're Devil Pups (a realization creating a variety of tension releases) produced wide smiles, buddy hugging, tear-duct testing and a tremendous dose of personal accomplishment.

The Devil Pups mission is to challenge, educate and help young boys and girls of all backgrounds learn self-confidence and responsibility for their actions. We strive to develop in young men and women, ages 14 to 17, qualities of good citizenship, self control, confidence, personal discipline, teamwork and respect for others, their family and their country. Congratulations to Colton on obtaining recognition as Honor Pup. Only 12 Pups are selected from the entire increment (300 Pups) for this honor. He's made me, our Detachment and his family very proud. St. George has now had an Honor Pup in two of the past three years. Ooorah!!

Bill Toole, SoUtah Devil Pup Liaison

2009 Washington County Fair MCL Booth

2009-08-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Utah Dixie Detachment had a booth at the fair this year, with Mike Thomas brewing up his special blend of home made rootbeer. It was a best seller!

2009 Installation of Officers

2009-06-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

2009 Installation of Officers.

Click the info link at the top of this blog for names of new officers.

Incoming president is Ron Buress.

Our Corporal Adam A. Galvez Auxiliary Unit #469 also had installation of officers for 2009.

A Gathering of Veterans

2009-04-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

As most know, the Vietnam Vets serve food at our meetings on the second Saturday of each month, and we reciprocate for them on the third Saturday of each month. This month is an exception. The Vietnam Vets are sponsoring a "Gathering of Veterans" to honor all military personnel, both past and present. There will be hot dogs and hamburgers, with all the fixin's, for a $5 donation. The time is set at 1300 on Saturday, April 18, 2009, in the Elks Lodge parking lot. The Vietnam Vets will be using the proceeds to defray the cost of bringing the Vietnam Memorial Wall ("The Wall that Heals") back to Washington County, a very worthy cause. Make an effort to come by and enjoy some grilled masterpieces and support the Vietnam Vets.