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MarineParents.com Newsletter
a Place to Connect & Share™ | |
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Support Our Marines! |
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The Care Package Project™
Operation PAL™
Team Marine Parents™
Show your support of our Marines and their families at home! Partcipate in one of the MarineParents.com Outreach Programs today! Our Marines need YOU! |
| Support for You:
a Place to
Connect & Share™ |
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ATTENTION NAVY FAMILIES!
New message board for Navy families and friends: Click Here... |
| Learning Center:
Operations Security |
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NOTE: When communicating online, your Marine's privacy is as important as Operations Security. Please respect YOUR Marine's privacy! |
| Learning Center:
About Deployment |
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(from your Marine, with the USMC, and with other families)
(tips, tricks and money savers for mailing to YOUR Marine)
(bills, taxes, legal issues, injuries, notification from the Marine Corps)
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Learning Center:
About Homecoming |
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(Tip: While in our store, check in your Marine's unit store for more homecoming shirts!) |
| Regional Support Groups |
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We've added four new support groups to our Regional Support Groups Database.
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St. Louis, MO
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Blufton, SC
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Greater Omaha Area
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Lincoln, NB
For information on these new support groups, and over 100 other locations, see:
NOTE: The local support group meetings listed on the website are independently operated and are not a subsidiary, branch or chapter of, or in any other way associated with MarineParents.com, Inc. |
| Learning Center:
Bootcamp |
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| Marine Corps Spirit
T-shirts, Gifts & More |
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Show your Marine Corps spirit and pride! Proceeds from sales support MarineParents.com, an IRS approved 501(c)(3) public charity.
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Graduation Announcements! |
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Graduation Announcements are now available for your Soon-To-Graduate recruit! Use the coupon at the bottom of the newsletter to save $5!
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| Visit Our Sponsors |
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The Cakes are arriving in excellent condition in Iraq. They are withstanding the intense heat of the summer desert! Cakes can be shipped to any APO/FPO address.
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| Newsletter Signup |
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Dear Marine Corps Families,
If this is the first edition of the MarineParents.com Newsletter you have received, WELCOME! If you are a returning reader we are glad you have joined us.
The Home page for MarineParents.com, Inc. is getting a change in layout and looks. We've been working very hard to update both the look and the convenience of locating information on the MarineParents.com,Inc. web site.
If you haven't visited the home page in the last week or so, MarineParents.com, we invite you to take a look at the new page. We believe the new layout will better assist you in finding the information you need and help you gain knowledge, to connect and share with others, and to support and help both our Marines and you, their family and friends. |
| Once a Warrior: Wired for Life |
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 Recommended Reading for ALL families, Marines and Healthcare Professionals
From the Founder,
Tracy Della Vecchia
I picked up this book last night and read it in full, in one sitting, cover to cover. I knew it would be a quality book and hoped it would give me additional insight for families that call the office with questions and concerns about their sons and daughters returning from combat and transitioning out of the Marine Corps.
The book was beyond my expectations. I finally "get it". I finally understand that our sons and daughters will all have a tough time returning to civilian life--they don't have to have PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) or COS (Combat Operational Stress) to have concerns about returning home and adjusting back to a civilian lifestyle. And I understand why now. That knowledge and understanding will help me help other families, and most importantly, help me to help my son.
The authors, Dr. Bridget Cantrell and Chuck Dean, (also of the critically acclaimed book on PTSD, Downrange to Iraq), have once again written a self-help guide that will assist the families of Warriors understand "why" the civilian world is tough for anyone who has been in combat (downrange). The book will guide the Warrior through different scenarious, validate the feelings and emotions and difficulties they face at homecoming, and provide them with practical, useful suggestions for living life as a civilian. The authors take this one step further by encouraging our Warriors to make good use of their military skills outside the military--yes, even infantrymen have skills and qualities that will be useful in civilian professions.
Once a Warrior: Wired for Life should be required reading for military personnel from the privates to the commanding officers, for every family member, and for anyone in the healthcare profession treating or talking with military personnel and veterans from current conflicts and past conflicts. Buy the book, read it, pass it on, and encourage others to do the same. Share the knowledge you will learn from it. This is the best way I know to support our troops.
All proceeds from the sale of Once a Warrior through the MarineParents.com website go to support the outreach projects of MarineParents.com, an IRS approved 501(c)(3) public charity. |
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Corps slogan takes out the competition! |
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| Our Marine Families have helped to catapult "The Few, The Proud" to the walk of fame in advertising!
 Staff Report: The Marine Corps Times (Sept. 30, 2007) -- The Marine Corps' legendary recruiting pitch, "The Few, The Proud, The Marines," defeated such famous ad slogans as "Just Do It," "Have It Your Way," "Take a Bite Out of Crime" and "Think Outside the Bun" for a spot on the advertising industry's Walk of Fame in New York City.
This year's two winning slogans - the other is Southwest Airlines' "Ding! You are now free to move about the country" - were announced Wednesday as part of Advertising Week 2007, an advertising industry convention in New York City. The Corps beat out a number of companies and agencies in a nationwide Internet poll for the honor, including Nike, Burger King, the National Crime Prevention Authority and Taco Bell.
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Iraqi Security Forces Take Root in Isolated Village |
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| Marines with 3/3, RCT 6.
 KARMAH, Iraq (Sept. 16, 2007) -- Iraqis living in villages north of Karmah have begun their first group of local security forces with the aid of Marines from Company K, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6.
The Iraqi Community Watch is a portion of the recent push of Coalition Forces into the area. The predecessors of "America's Battalion" had focused their efforts elsewhere in the Karmah area, making these villages one of the last holdouts of insurgent activity in the region. |
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Graduation T-Shirts |
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$5 off orders of $50! Hurry, offer expires October 8, 2007.
 Graduation T-shirts customized with your recruit's graduation date and platoon number for both Parris Island and San Diego!
Orders of $50 or more receive $5 off using coupon code WACKYUNTOLD. Expires October 8. Enter the coupon code when checking out. Restrictions may apply.
All proceeds from sale of shirts support the projects of MarineParents.com, Inc. an IRS approved public charity.
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| RecruitParents.com |
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The Bootcamp Website is Complete!
The entire RecruitParents.com and Bootcamp sections of MarineParents.com have been re-organized and re-designed to help our recruit families find information easier. Information centers include making travel plans, graduation schedules, training matrix, and "tips" for surviving bootcamp. EVERYTHING Bootcamp for Recruit Parents is now in ONE place! Visit the new web site to learn more! RecruitParents.com
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| Purple Heart Hero Support™ |
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 Another Successful Lunch for Families and Marines at Bethesda Hospital
Purple Heart Hero Support™ an outreach service of MarineParents.com.Inc., provided lunch to the family members of ill and injured Marines and Corpsmen at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD on Saturday, September 15th.
 Staffed with five volunteers from MarineParents.com Outreach Services, patients and families at the hospital were able to eat a variety of burritos, salad, chips and salsa, and lots of soda. The food was greeted with much appreciation, particularly by some hungry patients, and at the end of the lunch almost all of the 100 hundred burritos were gone. The volunteers left the few extra with the Marines that work at the hospital, and who, in typical Marine fashion, would not eat until they made sure every family member and Marine patient got their food first.
One family member of a patient that enjoyed the meal even asked if he could donate some money to cover the cost of his meal, because he was so appreciative to have food brought in (they told him no!). Some of our volunteers who are Marine moms got the chance to play surrogate mom for some new Marine patients for the day by insisting that they eat some of the salad!
The cafeteria at Bethesda Naval Hospital is closed on the weekend. This is a necessary service and a fantastic way for you to support our troops and their families. If you would like to help Purple Heart Hero Support™, please consider making a donation. 100% of donations go directly toward the cost of funding a lunch at the hospital.
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| Service Flags |
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 The History Behind Them
Although rarely displayed since World War II, the Service flag can now be seen hanging from the windows of homes with family members serving in the United States Armed Forces.
The Service Flag, also known as the "Son in Service" flag was commonly displayed during World War I and II in patriotic support of our armed forces fighting for freedom. The flag is authorized to be flown during any period of war or hostilities in which the Armed Forces of the United States may be engaged, for the duration of such period of war or hostilities.
Each blue star on the flag represents a family member serving in the Armed Forces. The blue star is replaced (or covered) with a gold star to represent a member killed or who dies while serving their country during the war or hostilities.
We now offer the "Service Flag" on stickers, t-shirts and bumper stickers. All proceeds go to support MarineParents.com, Inc.
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| Cheer them to success! |
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| Team Marine Parents™ Headed to the BOOTCAMP Challenge in San Diego on Saturday, October 6!
 "A fun and furious 3-mile course featuring obstacles used only by Marine Recruits at the Marine Recruit Depot. Get "encouragement" along the way at each obstacle by MCRD Drill Instructors. Compete as an individual or a member of a 3-person or 5-person team." Team Marine Parents™ members, John Holden, Nanette and Mario Sagastume and the newest member, Jennifer Plemmons,will be competing in the Bootcamp Challenge held annually at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego (MCRD,SD) on October 6. This is a chance for the community to go aboard MCDR, San Diego and have a try at the obstacle course our Recruits are challenged with. It's a 3 mile event with, running, climbing, crawling and yes even the famous Drill Instructors hollering at you to get a move on and not waste their time at their obstacle! But it is all in fun, a good time and to let the public get a small taste of the challenge our Recruits have when they enter the Depot. The Team Marine Parents™ participants are not only looking at having a little fun, but are also using this challenge to raise funds and awareness of several Outreach Projects of MarineParents.com to support our Marines and their families.
If you live close to MCRD,S.D. stop by and cheer on the members of Team Marine Parents™ as they work their way through this course and help our Marines, Corpsmen and their loved ones. GO TEAM!!!
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We hope this week's edition of our email newsletter has been useful for you and your family. If there are topics you would like us to address, or if you have other suggestions for the newsletter, please contact us.
The banner used at the top of this newsletter is a USMC photo at HADITHAH DAM, Iraq- A Riverine Patrol Boat with Riverine Squadron 1, Riverine Group 1, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, in support of Regimental Combat Team 2, tows several boats the riverines seized in support of the new 24-hour curfew enforcement of the waterway near the dam. Photo by:MC2 Marcos T. Hernandez, 09/12/2007 Click here to read accompanying story.MarineParents.com, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity. MarineParents.com, Inc. was founded in January, 2003 in response to parents' needs to find information and to Connect & Share™ with one another during deployments. Our free online services and connections have expanded to support and educate Marine moms & dads, spouses, families and friends and we'll be offering the 3rd Annual National Conference in Washington DC, 2008. We've helped over 30,000 Marine and recruit families during bootcamp, training, active duty and deployments. We've shipped thousands of care packages overseas to our Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan, sent thousands of prayers and letters to injured Marines and served hundreds of lunches to families caring for their Marines at Bethesda Hospital. You've found a Place to Connect & Share™.
God Bless and Semper Fidelis,
Tracy Della Vecchia
Founder and Executive Director MarineParents.com, Inc.
Neither the United States Marine Corps nor any other component of the Department of Defense has approved, endorsed, or authorized this service. |
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