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Marine Embassy Guard Association
Newsletter
P.O. Box 6226
Wausau, WI 54402
Official Publication of the Marine Embassy Guard Association
MISSION OF THE MARINE
EMBASSY GUARD ASSOCIATION
To inspire love of Corps and Country
To encourage Marines to aspire to a career in the Marine Security
Guard program
We’re on the web!
www.embassymarine.org
Ike Inacker, Chairman, Director
Warsaw, Pl 1982-83, Hamburg, DE 83-84,
Vienna, AT 84-85
Term of Office April 2008- 2011
ike1013@aol.com
Kevin J. Hermening, Treasurer/Secretary,
Director
Tehran, IR 79-81
Term of Office April 2007-10
kevinh@hermeningfinancialgroup.com
To provide a forum in which to assemble for social interaction
Kevin Earley, Director
To serve as a catalyst for communications on matters of mutual interest
To revere the memory of our departed shipmates
To assist in preserving the historical records of Marine Security
Guards and their achievements
To perform any other lawful purpose or purposes
Prague, CZ 78-80, Helsinki, FL 80
Term of Office 2007-10
kfeentllc@aol.com
Eugene (Gene) W. Frantz, Jr., Director
Moscow, RU 76-77, Dublin, IE 77-79
Term of Office April 2007-10
ewfrantz@verizon.net
Joe Mitchell, Director
Ankara, Turkey 62-65
Term of Office April 2008-11
braniff2@sbcglobal.net
Charles (Chuck) L. Norris, Director
Eugene (Gene) W. Frantz, Jr., MCESG Liaison
Moscow, RU 76-77, Dublin, IE 77-79
Paris, FR 58, Warsaw, PL 58-60,
Brussels, BE 60
Term of Office May 2006-09
chuckn38@comcast.net
Stewart Grant, Archivist/Historian
Ankara TK 61-62, Abidjan CI 62-63
Ed Vasgerdsian, Director
Virgil M. Johnson, Elections Committee Chairman
Taipei 57-59
Cairo, EG 56-59
Term of Office 2009-12
evgrunt@aol.com
William McClure, Membership Chairman
Calcutta, IN 61-63
Stewart Grant, Director
Joe Mitchell, Ship’s Store
Ankara TR 62-65
Ankara, TK 61-62, Abidjan, CI 62-63
Term of Office 2009-12
sgrant@embassymarine.org
Charles (Chuck) Moseman, Newsletter Printer
Singapore 58-60
Opinions of authors published in MEGA Newsletter do not necessarily express opinions of MEGA and are solely the responsibility of its authors.
MEGA Board of Directors 2009
To render aid to Marines and others when in need
To promote camaraderie and esprit de corps
Committee Chairs:
2 3 4 Ye a r s o f E x c e l l e n c e
Fall 2009
William McClure, Director
Lance Parcell, MEGA Website Manager
Paris FR 92-93, Prague CZ 93-94
Calcutta, IN 61-63
Term of Office 2009-12
wmcclure6@tampabay.rr.com
Juan Rocha, Group Chaplain
Kabul 64-65, Leopoldville 65-66
Thomas Butler, Legal Advisor
Cairo, EG 54-56
Serves at the pleasure of the
MEGA Board of Directors
Butler_Dugan@msn.com
Fred Samarelli, Web Administrator
Karachi & Manila 77-79
Ed Vasgerdsian, Newsletter Editor
Cairo 56-59
Timothy J. Wood, Director
1
New Delhi, IN 84-85, Santiago, CL 85-86
Term of Office 2007-10
jarhead5811@comcast.net
Chairman’s Corner
MEGA Marine House
Greetings fellow MEGA members:
Fellow MEGA Members,
By Ed Vasgerdsian
We have had a major change on our Board of Directors
since our last newsletter. Tim Wood announced his
inability to continue as MEGA’s Chairman due to his
acceptance of an employment opportunity. The Board
accepted his resignation and we wish him the best in
his new venture. Let’s hope he’ll make it back for the
reunion. As Vice Chairman I will continue the remainder
of Tim’s Chairman term.
It has been an honor to serve as your Chairman for the
past 18 months. I was recently selected for a new and
challenging position with the Texas A&M University
system. As such I am retiring early from the Orange
County Sheriff ’s Office and will assume my new
position on September 10th. This new position will
require me to travel extensively and I will be living in
the United Arab Emirates for several months. Therefore,
I felt it prudent to step down as your Chairman. My
new duties will keep me very busy and I don’t know
if I could provide you with the service you expect and
are due. I am not resigning my Director’s position but
simply stepping down as Chairman. Our Vice Chairman,
Ike Inacker, has stepped up to the plate to fill the
Chairman’s position and I hope you will join me in providing him your full support. He has the full confidence
of the entire Board of Directors and I know he will lead
our organization to new heights.
MEGA Marine House is dedicated to bringing you
bits of info about the past, present and future. After
all, if there was anything happening, it happened at
the Marine House.
I want to thank the Board for their vote of confidence
and I look forward to working with them, our committees and with our members. Please be assured I am
available for any questions/comments, or suggestions.
I am happy to announce our membership rolls reflect
multiple renewals and added new members. Bill
McClure and his Membership Committee have done
an outstanding job. But I’m sure they could use a little
more help. Get in touch with Bill and see what you
can do.
Thank you again for the opportunity to serve you and
our wonderful organization. Hopefully I will be able to
join everyone at the reunion next year.
We all look forward to next April for our annual
reunion in St Louis. Reunion Chairman, Chuck Norris
has done an excellent job in scouting out the site and
finding other opportunities of interest for our attendees.
More information will be published as it solidifies and
registration forms will be sent out.
Semper Fidelis,
Tim Wood
As we all know, Nov 10th is our beloved birthday.
The 234th anniversary of the Corps of Marines was
created by a resolution of Continental Congress. Since
then, thousands of men and women have born the
name “Marine”. We should commemorate the birthday
of the Marine Corps by calling to mind the magnificence of our history. Today Marines are on two battlefields and it is important to reflect on their service and
sacrifice. In their honor and to all Marines past and
present raise a glass and share a cheer with our Band of
Brothers.
Finally, I would like to wish everyone a Happy and
Healthy Holiday Season and hope everyone will find the
time to spend with family and friends.
Crowds of people including the neighbors and a TV
News truck have assembled in front of your home. You
begin to experience the final symptoms: light headedness and upset stomach. You pull back the window curtains to take a final glimpse and see two kids setting up
a lemonade stand while the third brat twirls a sign with
a large arrow pointing in your direction. There is no
hope, they will find a body lying on the floor and this,
your death, is the only thing that will save you from
further humiliation. But help does arrive and as they
roll you out on a gurney past smiling faces into a waiting ambulance, you hear a reporter say, “The pill and
the four-hour warning and what it could mean to
you…News at 7”.
***
Ever wonder about the origin of the design and
manufacture of the Marine Security Guard emblem?
According to Award Crafters Inc. Fairfax, VA the
request for a cost-effective and unique design came
from a Captain Emmett USMC. The original concept
was created by Award Crafters’ Joseph L. Whitcraft and
first manufactured in 1971. The company is still
around and continues to manufacture MSG goods
and supplies.
***
Christmas is just around the corner is true. Heck,
according to the media Christmas has been around the
corner since July. Oh, how upset I used to get when
stores and credit card companies suggested I would
have a better holiday if I watched the Super Bowl on a
new TV, or how delighted I would be seeing my children open packages that Santa left for them, or how
much more my wife would love me if she got the
Cartier bauble she’s longed for. I’m no longer bothered
by the hype of buying happiness. Forget the economy,
bank foreclosures, aunt Emma’s tie from last year, the
national jobless rate, the bad knee replacement, and the
war in Afghanistan. Stay on the bright side of things,
throw yourself into a delusional fog of everything is
going to be fine, just wait and see. I’m already pumped
up for “Christmas is just around the corner” ala 2010.
We can all agree, there are some television commercials
that push the limit. Everything from prescription drug
commercials offering skin irritation relief, to the ubiquitous Migraine, or some cardio malfunction, all with
background music and a speed-reading voice-over on
the side effects, should give cause to wonder. Ever wonder what “Seek immediate help if symptoms last over four
hours” (aka the male pill) commercials really mean? It
isn’t intentionally humorous but it does bring into play
an unwritten scenario.
We can presume the help in “Seek immediate help if
symptoms last over four hours” means see a doctor.
Health plans and Health Care reform aside, try getting
an appointment with a doctor who requires 24-hour
notice. So, what to do?
The subject of one’s medical history is confidential and
this situation should be given the same value as is for a
breast augmentation procedure or for Fege Bosta. Thus,
it becomes embarrassing when trying to set up an
appointment and the doctor’s answering service wants
to know what the emergency is, and after the explanation you hear “tee hee”. Then she suggests to call back
when the doctor is in and suddenly the first of the side
effect kicks in: headache. When you do get through,
the doctor’s nurse also wants an explanation as to the
nature of the emergency and by this time you’re feeling
hot and sweaty…oh, my gosh, another symptom. You
are now well beyond the four-hour warning and the
“seek immediate help if symptoms last over four hours,”
warning is screaming in your ears.
edV
The situation is urgent, you reach for the phone to call
for help but have trouble reading the numbers on the
phone and the voice at the other end is heard in slow
motion. Heaven help me! The third and fourth signs
of an impending implosion have been activated: blurred
vision and slow motion hearing. My wife! She’s still at
the hair salon getting beautified!
Semper Fidelis,
Ike
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Texas MEGA Marines
Celebrates MC Birthday
Gene Frantz, MCESG Liaison
Bill Allen, Raconteur
If you missed our monthly get together on the 29th.
Everyone had a great time and was attended by a former
MSG (not a member of MEGA YET!), Mike Miller.
Ralph Caton extended the invitation to Mike, who
turned out to be Ralph’s barber. Mike would like it
known that Ralph’s head is not a true depiction of his
work since he had nothing to work with from the
beginning.
Marine Security Guard School Class 05-09 graduation
was held on Friday, October 02, 2009 at Little Hall
Quantico MCB, VA. The class included 11 detachment
commanders and 87 watch standers from a pool of
approximately 120 Marines. The new graduates will
be posted across the 147 detachments located in 133
countries including such exotic places such as Pakistan,
Sudan, Syria, Zambia, Japan, Egypt, India, El Salvador,
Hong Kong, Berlin, Haiti, and many others.
Joe and Susie Mitchell stepped up and hosted the event
in their home complete with food, beer and wine. The
celebration started at 1630 hours and went on for some
time. Scott Smith provided the birthday cake.
The guest
speaker was
Major Steve
Kirtley (USMC
ret.) a former
MSG who
served in Iran
(1979) and
who, as a
young Corporal, was in Iran for approximately three
months before the take-over of the American Embassy by
radical Islamic students. Steve along with MEGA members Kevin Hermening and Rocky Sickmann were held
captive for 444 days/. Writer/historian Mark Bowden and
author of Guests of the Ayatollah refer to this period as
“The First Battle in America’s War With Militant Islam”.
Total Life & Regular Members:
570
Associate Life Members
Associate Members
Honorary Members
Please join us if you’re in the area,
or kick start your holiday season by taking a
trip to the city by the Bay.
For more information,
contact
Ed Vasgerdsian at
evgrunt@aol.com
or 925-376-3205.
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280
Bill Allen
Sofia, BG 71-72
Hamburg DE 72-73
December 5, 2009
Marines Memorial Hotel, Union Square
San Francisco
GF
Charter Members
Regular Members
Total Regular Members
Total Associate Members:
Bay Area Annual Holiday Dinner
The graduates, with their family and guests, then proceeded to Marshall Hall for the post ceremony reception. Over
the following days these MSGs will complete preparations
for assigned postings.
Current Membership Totals, as of 16 October 09:
Charter Life Members
76
Life Members
214
Total Life Members:
290
The group decided to celebrate the 234th Marine Corps
Birthday on Saturday, November 7th.
California
MEGA Members
Steve spoke to the class graduates on lessons learned during his MSG experience. He believes discovering the history, language, and culture of a country will help create an
enjoyable and educational experience for the MSG. Steve
also related how having a life plan pays exceptional dividends later in life. He urged the graduates to research,
plan and execute this life plan with realistic goals taking
full advantage of all opportunities that come their way.
They were the stewards, he said, of the MSG Program and
were representatives of our country and to do the right
thing no matter what.
Membership Report
Total MEGA Current Members:
As of 16 October 2009:
Increase Since Reunion 09:
Historical Membership Totals:
Dec 02:
Dec 03:
Dec 04:
Dec 05:
Dec 06:
Dec 07 :
Dec 08 :
11
22
42
619
Not Recorded
555
558
553
533
526
The official membership records reflect 40 former MEGA
members who are deceased. Of course, it is probable that
some of our non-renewals—and perhaps even some of our
Life Members (who do not pay annual dues, so are never
reported as “non-renewals”) may be deceased, too.
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596
The Board has established a payment plan, whereby
members may become a Life Member by making a
series of payments to cover the total coast. The first
payment would be $50.00 less the dues paid for the
year the payments start. Then, payments of $50.00
per quarter would be due until the amount of the
Life Membership is fulfilled. Quarterly payments
would be due on the last day of the following
months—March, June, September, and December.
Reminder – Dues R Due!
The 2010 MEGA Annual Membership Fee Is Due By
December 31, 2009.
FEES SCHEDULE
Dues Renewal $25.00
New Members $35.00 ($25.00 + $10.00)
Life Membership (less annual dues paid)
45 years old or younger $375.00
46–55 Years $325.00
56–65 Years $275.00
66–75 Years $225.00
76 years and older $150.00
Contact the Acting Secretary, Kevin Hermening at:
MEGA P.O. Box 6226 Wausau, WI 54402-6226 for
further details.
Life membership fees are based on age, and are
shown at the bottom of the application form. You
now can renew your current membership or lapsed
membership via PayPal.
“
MSG Graduation
Class 2005-09
As Egbert Sousé (W.C. Fields) said in The Bank Dick,
“Don’t be a luddy-duddie, don’t be a moon-calf, don’t be a jabbernow.
You’re not those, are you?”
“
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Committee Reports
2010 MEGA Annual Reunion
Update
We expect a big turnout from our Midwestern members.
Please, no matter where you’re coming in from, don’t
wait until the last minute to make your reservations.
For any questions please contact: Reunion Chairman,
Chuck Norris either at 520 444-0286 or at
chuckn38@comcast.net.
Chuck Norris, Reunion Chairman
In our last newsletter we announced the location of the
2010 Reunion, including the hotel reservation information. St. Louis was picked in response to our member’s
requests that we schedule a Reunion somewhere in the
middle of the country
CN
Historical Committee
Of the 120 rooms we blocked at the Union Station
Marriott, we have already reserved 45 rooms. It is
recommended that you make your hotel reservations
as soon as you can by calling the Marriott at
(800) 410-9914, please reference: Marine Embassy
Guard Association. Again, our group rate is $111.00,
which includes a hot buffet breakfast. We are working
toward providing auto parking space at a reduced rate;
more news on this item to follow.
Stewart Grant, Historical Committee Chair
In October of 2009, the Historical Archives exceeded
its goal of posting 5,000 photographs/articles to our
one year old Archives Photo Gallery. Thanks to all
MEGA contributors for helping us achieve this goal.
The content in the Historical Archives is owned by
all 596+ members of MEGA. The Historical Archives
committee needs the membership’s help in obtaining
content for the detachment web pages and photo
gallery albums. Please check out your previous
detachments in the Photo Gallery and web page
and help us add to the photos and fill in the blanks.
If you have any questions, contact any of the
PageMasters or myself at sgrant@embassymarine.org.
Our agenda has not been finalized, but will be published when Military Reunion Planners (MRP) sends
out the registration package. Basically, it will be similar
to our past reunions with the Marine House opening
on Wednesday, April 21, 2010. We have secured the
Presidential Suite at the hotel as the Marine House
location for the duration of the reunion. Registration
and Board of Director’s meeting will be held on
Thursday, April 22 and the Ship’s Store will open in
close proximity to the Marine House. On Friday April
23, there will be no scheduled events so members can
spend time with family and friends, or play tourist.
We’re also working on providing our guests with a casual evening event that will be confirmed after discussion
and approval by the committee. On Saturday, April 24
we will have the General Membership Meeting, a TBD
Ladies Event and our MEGA Banquet in the evening.
This reunion event is planned to keep the environment
casual and relaxed, with emphasis on spending time
with family and friends. The Annual Banquet will be
the only “Dress Up” occasion. I hope to confirm a guest
speaker with a very interesting Marine Corps career,
including a tour as an MSG. Our MEGA Scholarship
auction will be either Friday or Saturday evening.
We are still in need of PageMasters to support the
almost 200 detachments in the Archives. Although
being a PageMaster sounds like a formidable task, we
don’t overwhelm our new PageMasters with technical
duties but promote the task of collecting detachment
information and passing it on to our more senior
PageMasters for processing. As you gain more
experience, in your PageMaster role, the opportunity
to gain technical skills will become available to you.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming
a PageMaster or have questions regarding detachment
photos please email me at sgrant@embassymarine.org.
Semper Fidelis.
Stewart Grant, Historical Archives Chairman
Membership Committee
From a Member
On the night of our MEGA Banquet this year, we were
all talking in the hallway enjoying a few drinks before
the dinner. As always Jack was introducing himself to
some of the people and asking about their experiences
on MSG duty and where they served etc…
Bill McClure, Membership Chair and Historical
Archives China-India-Singapore-Tehran PageMaster
What an outstanding year for our association. The
benefits we offer are improving and our membership
numbers are growing again. The Historical Archives
Team has created a “world class” documentation of our
unique service to Country, Corps, the MSG Program
and MEGA. Our Alexandria reunion was outstanding
and St. Louis promises to be even better. The new
membership and renewal recruiting efforts are paying
positive dividends by making dues payment easier
through PayPal and credit cards. The entire MEGA
team is active in recruiting both former and currently
active MSGs as well as an expansion of our Associate
Members.
Always the MEGA Historian, Jack is always looking for
some interesting info from former MSGs. Jack walked
up to one of the older Marines there and started talking
to him. Jack asked one of the men where and when he
served on MSG duty.
The man turned to Jack and said, “Oh, I wasn’t an
MSG, I was the Commandant of the Marine Corps.”
Kevin Jarvis
Yaounde CM 76-78 Panama City PA 78-79
Abidjan CI 77 Sao Paulo BR 78
Your continuing support is greatly appreciated. Please
remember to review and update the MEGA roster and
keep Secretary/Treasurer Kevin Hermening informed of
these changes.(kevinhermening@embassymarine.org)
Editor: Oops!
I’d like to wish you all a happy and safe Holiday Season
and thank you for your support.
Semper Fi MSG Brothers & Sisters,
BM
Scholarship Fund Report
K. Hermening, Treasurer
The MEGA Scholarship Fund continues to receive contributions, and accrue interest. The committee continues to discuss ideas related to raising funds, and how
those funds will be disbursed once the necessary thresholds are reached. To date, the Fund has a balance of
$24,663.82.
Left to right: Bud Carey, Jack McGarry, General P.X. Kelley (28th
Commandant of the Marine Corps), Kevin Jarvis and James Lyons.
These gentlemen are MEGA Members and from Massachusetts.
Most recently, MEGA Life Member Clark Mayer (Paris
FR 1963-69) made a generous contribution in honor of
his cousin, Milton Eisenbeis, U.S. Army, a Korean Warera veteran. This is wonderful way of honoring a loved
one and assist in the building of our Scholarship Fund.
Thank you, Clark, for your support.
KH
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