You are invited to attend the 2nd Annual Hearts of Valor Ball for The Heart of a Marine Foundation, founded by Georgette and Roy Frank in honor of their son, Phil Frank, USMC.

"Phil honored us by the way he lived his life and by the way he gave his life. To serve Phil's brothers and sisters, to honor his memory and continue his caring sprit, we have begun The Heart of a Marine Foundation."

The Hearts of Valor Ball is a fitting tribute to the men and women who have served, and are serving our country. All proceeds will assist The Heart of a Marine Foundation to provide comfort, support, financial assistance, and educational resources to improve the quality of life of military personnel in all branches of the United States Armed Forces, including veterans, and their families.

Meridian Banquets - 1701 Algonquin Road in Rolling Meadows, Illinois

This weekend, we'll be shipping 972 care packages to our Marines in Iraq through The Care Package Project™ with MarineParents.com, Inc. The packages are sent to Marines who may not otherwise receive packages from home. Our cost for shipping alone will be over $7800 Donations support the costs of shipping the care packages to our Marines overseas.

To find out how you can help with shipping costs, or if you're in the area of our office and warehouse in Columbia, Missouri, how you can help pack boxes for shipment this weekend, please visit the CarePack ageProject.com web site.

Embrace all the conference has to offer! Register before February 1, 2007 to save $20 on registration! Join us in St. Louis, Missouri the weekend of April 20- 22, 2007 for the 2nd Annual Marine Parents National Conference.

• Three-Day Conference Packed with Speakers, Authors, Exhibits, Programs, Workshops and Breakout Sessions
• All Meals Included with the Registration Fee
• Prominent Speakers
• Authors' Hall
• Pre-conference Workshops
• 12 Breakout Session titles to choose from on Saturday
• Hospitality Room and Networking Opportunities
• Marine Corps Mall Exhibits
• Silent Auction
• Heroes' Exhibit

Quotes from Last Year:
"It really has been an incredible weekend! The connection and bond of everyone at the Conference is phenomenal -- it can't be described. One Marine who attended dinner said he had no idea there was so much support out here." --Diane, 2006 Conference Attendee

We encourage you to start activities in your community to increase awareness for Supporting our Troops. Many times, a community wants to do something, but they may not have an outlet or ideas for what they can do to Support Our Troops.

MarineParents.com has two projects that can help. The Care Package Project™ and Operation PAL™ provide hands-on support for our deployed and injured Marines. Each program was designed for use in communities across the U.S. It's easy to get involved with your community using care package drives, writing letters to Marines, and creating prayer groups.

To learn more about each of these projects and how you can help promote community awareness and activity, please visit the MarineParents.com web site and click the icon for each of the projects.

On Saturday, January 20, volunteers for the Operation PAL™ project of MarineParents.com brought in lunch for Marines and their families staying at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. The Marines are patients at the hospital recovering from injuries and surgeries related to combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Marines and their families responded with overwhelming gratitude to share food and conversation with one another in a relaxed environment. One hundred lunches were served to family members and Marines. A few of the Marines (see photo) were able to join us in the family room, and several lunches were carried back to the Marines in their hospital rooms. One of the Marines commented that it was great to have something besides hospital food for a change!

It's an honor to take part in a project that serves our Marines and their families. We look forward to hosting another luncheon on February 24, and we'll be providing lunch on a monthly basis.

Devil Dog Chow™ is an amazing collection of recipes and inspiration. Families and friends from around the United States have contributed the favorite recipes of our Marines and recruits, honoring them in our own small way. Our love for our Marines and recruits can be found throughout this cookbook as it is found in our everyday lives.

"I just received my cookbooks; what a GREAT publication and way to promote the Corps. They are practical as well as a treasured family heirloom for Marines to come. Hats off!" —Rosalie

WESTERN AL ANBAR PROVINCE, IRAQ – (Jan. 25, 2007) -- U.S. Marines serving in western Al Anbar Province, Iraq, spent nearly three weeks finding significant traces of insurgent activity in a stretch of 40 km. along the Euphrates River Valley, here.

The photo above and at the top of this newsletter is courtesy of the USMC, by Cpl. Michael S. Cifuentes. 2nd Marine Division, January 25, 2007.

As a family member of the military community, you are a vital player in the military's success and our Marines could not do their job without your support. You may not know it, but you also play a crucial role in ensuring your loved ones' safety just by what you know of the military's day-to-day operations. You can protect your loved ones by protecting the information that you know. This is known in the military as, "Operations Security", or OPSEC.

Connections is a Place to Connect & Share™ with other Marine and/or recruit families: moms, dads, spouses, families and friends. You'll find a CHAT ROOM open each evening and a community of MESSAGE BOARDS buzzing with activity 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our LIVE SUPPORT gives you an opportunity to speak privately with one of our trained volunteers. Use this section as a Place to Connect & Share™ with other Marine families.