We lost one of the pillars of our detachment.

Born John Thomas Hogan on March 19th, 1940 is East St. Louis, IL. John served in the United States Marine Corps from 1959-1963 receiving a variety of campaign ribbons, and the Marine Corps Good Conduct ribbon. He completed boot camp at MCRD, achieving rifle sharp shooter, and pistol expert. He went on for special operations training at Camp Pendleton. Hogan served in the First Marine Division Radio Composite Communications Company. His MOS was a Radio Intelligence Operator with a special operations top security clearance in cryptography.

John was instrumental in organizing the financial details of the detachment and highhandedly discovered and arranged for our current meeting place. He will be missed.

Viewing will be Wednesday at 9 with the service starting at 10am.
Donations will go to Orenda Foundation Veterans Project

Desert View Memorial Park
11478 Amargosa Rd
Victorville, CA 92392

We must not trivialize the sacrifice of those who serve.

 by Chaplain Michael Brewer.

There was a time when soldiers went to war and the community went with them; virtually every township and neighborhood had a family member in uniform.

  Sacrifices both personal and corporate were distributed throughout the community. Now it would take a modern day Diogenes to find an honest sacrifice at a community level.

  In the 21^st century undeclared wars of assimilation there is a dwindling level of support and sacrifice for the war the actual war effort. “Thank you for your service” is not a verb. Ironically the American morale is at an all time high, yet we are in a total state of disconnect from the conduct of war and its combatants. War has for the most part been scrubbed from the news. God forbid another TV war like Vietnam. Better to be heard and not seen.

  The April 1966 cover of Time magazine featured the, “God is Dead Movement”.The phrase was immediately misunderstood, losing much of its intention to inform us that we had lost the symbolic language of God and thereby lost the experience of God in our daily existence.

 Is it possible the War is Dead in America?

 Plato said, “only the dead know the end of war.” Yet how will one know the memories of war and its dead if not through the living who have borne the battle?

   Without a syntax for war, its meaning dies before the soldier.

   Mark Thompson in the November 10^th, 2011 Time magazine article suggested that  our Armed Forces and civil society are drifting apart. Nearly eight years ago! His characterization of “an Army apart”, is accurate and confirmed by active duty troops.

    We now have a highly trained population of professional military volunteers who have been continuously at war for more then 18 years now, yet they represent only .05 percent of Americans serving in the Armed Forces  since before WW1.

   Our volunteers combatants are primarily young men and women from the median to lower socio-economic strata. The upper crust of American society are mostly AWOL from war, yet are the ones making the decisions about war efforts.

   In the 1970’s 77 percent of our lawmakers and staff were veterans. That percentage with a recent ebb has now slipped back to about 21%. The rigors and residuals of war and its collective ongoing costs are pretty much not on the radar of our elected officials.

   On this Memorial Day we reverently march on with profound respect and honor for all  Americans who have died in battle from Concord to Korengal Valley in Afghanistan.

   Yet it may be time to refresh our memories of war itself, and the consequent sacrifices that are charged to a citizenry adhering to the constitutional dictum, “to provide for the common defense.”

   The day-to-day reality of providing for the common defense begs to be memorialized on this day, so as to not trivialize the sacrifices of those who died for the common good.

   On Memorial Day, the American flag is swiftly run up to the top of the staff, and then quietly and reverently lowered to half-mast in recognition of the millions who gave their last measure of devotion for this land of the free and home of the brave.

    It is up to all of us to insure they have not died in vain. Save the annual concert on the mall in DC, lets silence all carnal and political news for the entire day; then the dead will hear us.

This was published in a national Gannett publication. Have a peaceful and reverent Memorial Day. Paul Revere would like it that way. Mike

Marine Corps League – Victory Valley Detachment #1383
Next meeting: Thursday 25 April 18:30 hours.
Spring Valley Lake Country Club

Have you been to the Food Lab in Riverside?  It is like a food court, only with a wide range of awesome food from small private vendors. They even have a “BeerFarm” with beers from about 20 craft breweries on tap.  The guy who runs the BeerFarm is a Marine (isn’t owning a brewpub the dream of every Marine?).

I stopped in one day for lunch and we were talking about this and that and he said something that sounded like a Marine so I asked.  He served in Iraq with 3/1.  We had a great conversation about our time in the Corps and how that shaped who we are today.  He has been volunteering for a couple of veteran programs.  We spoke about brothers who have died and those who have killed themselves.  We discussed how we are all brothers and need to look out for each other.  As I finished my beer and headed back to work, we both told each other to stay strong. 

Semper Fi.  It is more than a saying.  It is how we live our lives.  It is who we are.  It is why I am proud to me a United States Marine.

Darryl

Meeting Minutes from March 2019 not yet available

Marine Corps League Victor Valley

Next meeting: Thursday 28 March 18:30 hours

Department of California Spring Conference
From the minutes: “Paymaster: Membership dues information, recognized detachments with 100% paid membership”  – Victor Valley Detachment was one of four recognized and the only one represented at the conference.

I.Call to order
Commandant Darryl Evey call to order the regular meeting of Victor Valley Detachment #1383 at6:30 PM on February 2, 2019, in Spring Valley Country Club, Victorville, CA.

II.Roll Call
Adjutant, Lisa Meter-Keyes conducted a roll call. The following officers were present.
Darryl Evey
Mark Dennis
John Hogan
Thomas Tomasello
Michael Brewer

III.Approval of minutes from last meeting
Adjutant, Lisa Meter-Keyes read the minutes from the last meeting.
Correction made in regard to the dates of the Spring conference and Marine Expo West.
A motion was made to accept the minutes as read, by Trey Keyes, second by John Hogan. The minutes were approved as read.

IV.Report of Officers
Darryl Evey, Commandant called for the report of officers.

Mark Dennis, Sr. Vice
Spring Conference March 15-16
SW Div. Conference April 26-27, 2019 in Las Vegas
Fire Teams?

Mike Brewer, Jr. Vice
New member – Ryan Brewer
Caravan from Lake arrowhead maybe able to make our next meeting
No sick or distressed Marines

John Hogan, Judge Advocate
RF done incorrectly and was resent. Status is currently delinquent.
Darnell is the new director at the Spring Valley Lake Country Club.

John Hogan, Paymaster
$729.37 in the bank account.

Mike Brewer, Chaplain
Donated two $25 gas cards to Orenda House
Taking an online course on Veteran Service Training through National Veterans Legal Service Program.

V. New Business
Darryl Evey, Commandant
Discussed special committees for social events.
Kelly Maxwell of the Orenda House volunteered his ranch for a special event in April.
Mike Brewer volunteered his home for a special event in August.
May and June are still open.

VI. Open Discussion
Kelly Maxell of the Orenda House spoke regarding how the Orenda House came to band opened in 2012.
Brought a guest, Jorge Lopez, from the Orenda House.
Supporters of the Orenda House include the Phelan VFW, SCE, Nestle, Sun City Cruisers, AT&T, California Congressmen Obernolte, Lovingood and Cook, and our Marine Corps League.
Donations needed include sheets and blankets, washer and dryer.

VII. Good of the League
Mike Brewer expressed that we could do an event at Del Mar beach next year. There are Casitas available right on the beach.

Debbie Cannon, Vietnam Era Marine Veteran, spoke about the need to include women Marines in our league and events and to remember that some members, like yours truly, may not always understand terms used by Marines and to be aware of that in our meetings/discussions.

VIII. Announcements
Darryl and Mark are going to the conference in Las Vegas in March.
Our Detachment helped the Redlands Detachment get started. They are holding a golf tournament fundraiser at the Moreno Golf Club in Beaumont, CA.

IX. Adjournment
Commandant Darryl Evey adjourned the meeting at 7:57 PM.
Minutes submitted by Adjutant Lisa Meter-Keyes

https://www.mclvv.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=447&action=editHISTORY ON THE VIETNAM WALL …

Chaplain Report/ Michael Brewer  

Prayer is the most powerful form of energy one can generate. It is a force as real as terrestrial gravity. I have seen men lifted out of disease and melancholy by the serene effort of prayer. Prayer like radium is a source of luminous, self generating energy. In prayer human beings seek to augment their finite energy by addressing themselves to the infinite source of all energy. When we pray we link ourselves with the inexhaustible motive power that spins the universe. We pray that a part of ourselves be apportioned to our needs. Even is asking, our human deficiencies are filled and arise strengthened and repaired. Whenever we address God in fervent prayer, we change both soul and body for the better. We pray the Supreme Commandant hears our prayers. for ourselves, our families, our fellow Marines and our nation.   ” He who binds to himself a Joy/ Does the winged life destroy/ But he who kisses the bird as it flies/ Lives in Eternities Sunrise”  William Blake   As your Detachment Service Officer,( DSO) I have commenced a continuing education program for Service Officers. It is a $150 dollar online training through the NVLSP, National Veterans Legal Service Program. A highly respected resource for Veteran advocates and Lawyers.  I encourage all to visit the site. I was first trained by the American Legion and Vietnam Veterans of America in 1999, but it is time to be updated and renew certification.