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McCook Gazette
Letter to the Editor

Marines to celebrate birthday

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Dear Editor,

Attention Marines!

The 241st birthday of the United States Marine Corps is Thursday, Nov. 10. In 1775, the Continental Congress authorized the formation of two Marine battalions. They made their first landing in the Bahamas in 1776 during the Revolutionary Wary and have been active in nearly every conflict since that time.

The USMC has a strong tradition of celebrating its birthday. Each year we have a birthday party in McCook attended by Marines and former Marines, plus friends and spouses.

We plan to celebrate once again this year and desire to add to our attendance from Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas.

This year we will celebrate the Marine Corps birthday with a dinner at the Coppermill Restaurant in McCook on Thursday, Nov. 10. Social hour will be at 5:30 p.m. if you desire to socialize and tell stories. Diner will be served at 6:30 p.m.

Following dinner, entertainment will be provided by "Three Fold" and the Commandant's annual message will be read, along with the traditional cake cutting.

If you plan to attend, please call (308) 345-5213 to secure your reservation by Monday, Nov. 7. The cost is $15, which will cover the meal, birthday cake and the band. Spouses are encouraged to attend.

Call us with any questions you may have at (308) 345-5213 or (308) 340-6142.

Dan Stramel

and

Kyle Kunkee,

McCook, Neb.

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  • MARINES (Past, Present and Future), Sister Service Members and Fellow Americans,

    As Dan and Kyle have just noted the Marine Corps Birthday is the most notable day a Marine can commemorate with his Brothers and Sister in arms. This celebration is a unifying event that is quite unique that crosses all the occupational specialties, races, ages, political stances and backgrounds found in the Corps. Sounds like an event that America could use much more of.

    Since returning to SW Nebraska much more frequently since April of 2015 I have had two encounters with Marines as I worked out our property by Hugh Butler Lake.

    The first was August of 2015. I was helping my fence contractors install new fencing along the Lake Road. A car pulled over and asked why the fence we were putting in was so tall. I said we plan to have Bison on the property and with that they said they would be interested in somehow participating in the project. From there I asked for contact info and vice versa. Come to find out the man sitting in the passenger seat was a 1978 High School graduate from a neighbor town. He said he joined the Marine Corps right out of high school and attended boot camp that summer.

    With this revelation I said I attended boot camp that same summer out at San Diego. This Marine turns out to be the same person that was in the car when the recruiter picked me up at our home on West 3rd Street. He was in the same Recruit Training Series - Kurt Ringenberg now of McCook. Instantly strangers were not longer strangers but Brothers in Arms.

    This past week I was changing out flags at the intersection of Hwy 83 and Lake Road. Again, a car pulls over and asks me if I needed help raising the Marine Corps flag. I responded Semper Fi and sure enough a Marine who served in Vietnam - John Davenport of Atwood Kansas. He expanded a tad on his Marine Corps Career but was most proud of his son a Marine with multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Complete strangers on moment - the next Brothers in Arms.

    These two implausible occurrences taken with the fact these individuals did not have to take time to pull over and converse gives me hope that Americans still can show unity when it counts.

    I encourage anyone who would like to meet Americans that have or are working together for the better of something greater than themselves should contact Dan or Kyle and attend the Birthday Celebration on November 10 at the Coppermill. Now that I know this is an annual event in the McCook area I will accordingly going forward.

    Happy Birthday Marines !!

    Semper Fi

    Darrell Meister

    CWO3 USMCR (Retired)

    -- Posted by dameister on Thu, Nov 3, 2016, at 4:02 PM
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