Visit us on Facebook
Lt. Alexander Bonnyman
Marine Corps League
Detachment No. 924
Knoxville, TN
Slides change every 6 seconds To pause animation below, place mouse over the text.
January 31, 2023 Detachment Meeting
VFW Post 5154
2561 Hobbs Rd, Louisville, TN 37777
~ ~
17:30 – 18:30 Social Hour
18:30 – 19:30 Meeting
Meeting $ Draw now at $100. No cost, must be present to win.
To pause animation above, place mouse over the text. Use the left right arrows { < > } to go back and forth or click on
the dots at the bottom of the announcement to navigate back and forth.
Toys for Tots
bring a new unwrapped toy
to the breakfast
2022 Christmas Breakfast
Saturday, Dec. 10 09:00 – 12:00
Rothchild Catering & Conference Center, 8807 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37923
CALLING FOR RESERVATIONS: Make your reservation by end of day, Dec 5.
1. Email Larry George at lsdesign90@tds.net to be added to the attendance roster
2. Mail your reservation form and check to Bob Willis at the address on the reservation
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Detachment Officer Elections
-
See upcoming Events "Marines nominated to run for leadership for the 2023"
Dues
-
Annual dues are now overdue but it is not too late to renew your membership. Because National increased dues, ours are now $35 per year. Contact Paymaster Bob Willis: rcwillis46074@yahoo.com <= copy address, paste in your email
Roster Updates
-
When you sign in on the roster at the monthly detachment meeting, please indicate your community hours. Secondly, correct your contact info if necessary. You can also update your contact info by emailing Paymaster Bob Willis: rcwillis46074@yahoo.com<= copy address, paste in your email
Calendar Summary - click here for detail
December
05 - Devil Dog Growl
10 - Christmas Breakfast & Toys for
Tots
12 - Officer Meeting
No December Det Meeting
January
09 - Officer Meeting
31 - Monthly Detachment Meeting
February
13 - Officer Meeting
23 - 25 National Mid Winter
Conference
28 - Monthly Detachment Meeting
See event details by clicking on the Calendar tab above
1stLt Alexander Bonnyman and Tarawa Recogntion Ceremony
Highland Memorial Park, Sutherland Ave, Knoxville, TN 37919, USA
U.S. Marines with 2d Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division; members of MCL Detachment 924; and members of the Young Marins LT Alexander Bonnyman Unit pay respects during a wreath laying ceremony at Highland Memorial Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee, Nov. 19, 2022.
Wreath laying ceremony at Highland Memorial Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee, Nov. 19, 2022. This ceremony commemorates the 79th anniversary of the American assault on the Tarawa Atoll during World War II and honors Medal of Honor recipient, 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman. Bonnyman was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for leading a 21-man team in an initial attack against the Japanese forces.
Upcoming Events
November 22, 2022
Marines nominated to run for leadership for the 2023 Detachment Officer slate are as follows:
-
Commandant: Susan Schmidt
-
Sr VIce Cmdnt: Keith Kregel
-
Jr Vice Cmdnt: Rich Freetag
-
Judge Adv Gen: Robert Ballesteros
-
Paymaster: Robert Willis
Nominations remain open until actual elections to take palace at the January meeting.
Each nominee addressed those present at the Nov 22 detachment.
If you wish to fill one of the open positions, contact Tim Eichhorn.
2022 Christmas Breakfast
Toys for Tots
bring a new unwrapped toy
to the breakfast
Saturday, Dec. 10 09:00 – 12:00
Rothchild Catering & Conference Center, 8807 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37923
E-mail Larry George if plan to attend,
If you have a Christmas outfit, show it off.
Commandant's Corner
November 15, 2022
Hello Marines.
I hope all is well on the home front. November is here and many things are happening. The Marine Corps League Ball was an outstanding success. Thank You, MC Billy Jo McCarley, and Larry George ball committee chair you both did an outstanding job.
We again participated in the Knoxville Veterans parade and the Marine Rose program at Farragut Kroger with much success. Thank you to all who attended and helped out a special note to Senior Vice Susan Schmidt, Jeff Tegzes, Rick Freetage and Larry George.
I attended a Marine Funeral located in Cherokee, NC at the request of the deceased family on the Marine Birthday. God Rest his Soul.
On Nov. 19th the detachment will participate in a Marine Ceremony at the gravesite of Alexander Bonnyman - this will act as our annual ceremony for our namesake. For further info see the website.
Congratulations to Tim Shea for his being named detachment Marine of the Year. Hey Tim.
The detachment is assisting the Delta Company Marine Reserve unit with its Toys for Tots program. Keith Kregel is the committee chair on this. The detachment will hold its annual Toys for Tots breakfast in December. See the website for more and please attend.
Thanksgiving is only days away. The detachment officers wish all a very wonderful day of giving to all.
From My Family to yours thank you for being you and being part of the best MCL detachment in the state of Tennessee.
Semper Fi.
Your Commandant
Ken De Boer
From the Chaplain
November 15, 2022
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SETLAHARE
“...In my father’s house are many mansions….”.
Birthdays! It seems like the older we get the less important these landmarks of time become. But in our youthful years, the importance of a birthday party is foremost. Pre-teens always look forward to these annual celebrations of friends, games, gifts, ice cream and cake. Once we pass this milestone, we become impatient teenagers and seemingly can’t wait for our next slow-moving birthday and to finally reach the legal adult age of twenty-one.
My twenty-first birthday was celebrated with a company of Marines on a hilltop in Vietnam. I had finally reached this plateau of adulthood and thought that my day would end up being just like any other day. However, a group of thoughtful Marines made my day special by making me a birthday cake. They found a canned, individual pound cake in a box of C-rations and topped it with icing made from the enclosed sugar, powdered creamer, and a little spit (just kidding, no doubt canteen water). They decorated the cake by placing a single match on the top and sang the traditional song. The memories of that birthday party on the hill, and the thoughts of that improvised cake that ministered to my self-pity, followed me all the way to Africa.
The phone rang and upon picking it up, I immediately recognized the voice of George Setlahare Melamu. The background noise from the taxi rank’s payphone made listening difficult due to the deafening hustle and bustle of the weekend crowds. He said, “Hello Moruti (teacher)! Moruti, today I am too fine! Moruti, today is my birthday!” I congratulated Setlahare and assured him that we would sing Happy Birthday to him in church on Sunday. He quickly said, “Yes and Moruti everyone is coming to this place today!” I said, “That’s great! Tell your family that we love them, we are praying for them, and we will see them in church on Sunday!” Before I could hang up he said, “Yes, and Moruti we are having cake!” Again, I expressed our joy for him, and he straightaway cut me off by saying, “Yes, and you must bring that cake!” I really didn’t want to go to all that trouble, but I was visited by the indelible memories of that birthday party on the hill. What would my Marine brothers have done?
Ginger and I took Setlahare a cake, which was .....
Drawing at the Detachment meeting
The member name drawn at draw at the Nov 22 meeting was Mike Witsell who was not present to win. The pot for the January 31 meeting is $100. It will grow by $10 until it is awarded then will start over at $50. You have to be present to win. Come to the monthly meeting; you may go home with a fatter wallet.
Welcome to the Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Detachment
November 22, 2022
Sr Vice Commandant Susie Schmidt administers the MCL Oath
Jerry Whitfield, USMC
Fred Rapach, Associate
November 22, 2022 Detachment Meeting
Wreaths Across America donation by the Smoky Mountain Hogs Chapter presented by Director Jim Walker and Eileen Blake of the Ladies of Harley. The Chapter presented Kathy Winters with a check for $1,035 for 69 wreaths. Smoky Mountain Harley Davidson dealership chipped in $250 to the wreath fund. The Bonnyman Young Marines will benefit $5 per wreath.
Click on photos to enlarge
.jpg)
Oldest Marine Clayton Narveson, Commandant Ken DeBoer, Adjutant Billie Jo McCarley and Youngest Marine Ed Kelly
2022 Detachment Annual Awards
2022 Marine of the Year
Tim Shea
2022 Semper Fidelis Award
Tim Eichhorn
2022 Distinguished Citizen Silver
Lee Rhinemiller
VETERANS DAY 2022 FLAG PLACEMENT
East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery- John Sevier
Place flags – Saturday November 5th 8:30 a.m.
Pick up flags – Wednesday November 15th 10 a.m.
Lt. Alexander Bonnyman
Twice a year the Bonnyman Young Marines put flags at the headstones of Veterans at East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery at John Sevier. We always arrive at the marker for SgtMajor David Hatfield, one of our founders, and place a flag in his honor.
At the Cemetery, a distraught, crying elderly lady approached our group. She had never been at flag day. She didn't know what to do. She did not have a flag or tools. Two of our Young Marines were instructed to go and see if they could help this woman. She led them to the freshly dug grave of husband. It was too soon for a headstone, so the Young Marines quickly dug a small hole, inserted a flag, stood and saluted his grave. This is why we do what we do.
Veterans Day Parade - MCL Float
247th Marine Corps Birthday Ball
Hosted by
Sgt. Morgan W. Strader Det. 1467
Marine Corps League, Crossville, TN
Nov 10, 2022
Click photo above for slide show
Pistol Match Schedule
-
Jack McGivney Memorial.......Spring 2023
-
JimPeacockMemorial.........2022 Completed
Windrock Shooting Range & Training Center
-
Center fire matches are 9mm or above.
-
Rim fire matches are .22 cal.
-
When specified, 1911 matches are .45 ACP.
-
Speed Accuracy Match - start in 45 degrees low ready and at the beep, the shooters will raise their pistol and press off 5 rounds (centerfire) in 10 seconds at a paper target at 10 yards. Repeat for total of 10 rounds.
-
Iron sights only. Max 6-inch barrel.
With 70-degree temps, blue sky, beautiful Autumn Mountain foliage, the 17th Annual Jim Peacock Memorial Pistol Match was held on 29 October. Registration commenced at 0900. After the all-important range safety brief and prayer by Chaplain Ron, the centerfire match commenced with 23 shooters of which 12 were from the Bonnyman Detachment. There were 11 competitors in the Open Class.
Jay Holmes copped the Top Gun award; Larry Baldwin won the Bonnyman Marine centerfire match and Gergely Nagy garnered the centerfire Open title. Bonnyman expert, sharpshooter and marksman shooting awards went to Carlos Reyes, David Fugate and Tim Shea respectively. Open centerfire expert, sharpshooter, and marksman were won by Chris Torres, Dale Holmes and Bill Kulas respectively. The rimfire match commenced right after lunch. Larry Baldwin placed 3rd overall and copped the sharpshooter medal. The SAM (Speed, Accuracy, Match) Fun Match proved to be very popular and ran all day. Larry Baldwin placed 3rd overall and was the Bonnyman high shooter.
Many thanks to Nappy for providing the delicious, fresh sub sandwiches. Great job! Clyde and Mary Furr as has been custom provided the professional NRA scoring/tabulation and allowed for an efficiently run match. Thank you all for the great support. It was a safe and fun match!
See you at the Jack McGivney match in 2023!
Rifle Match Schedule
-
Bill Gerst M-1/M-1A .......... 2022 Completed
-
Gene Collins Open .............2022 Completed
2327 Rifle Range Rd, Knoxville, TN 37918, USA
These events are CMP matches, which is a 200 yard firing distance, a total of 35 rounds will be fired in the following order—
5 spotter rounds from the prone position
10 slow fire rounds from the prone
10 rounds from prone rapid fire (5 rounds in 2 magazines)
10 rounds Standing (off hand).
These are iron site matches, NO SCOPES of any kind.
Be at the front gate at 0800. The cost of the Match is $30.00 which will be taken at registration which will start at approximately 0845. We will start firing at 0915-0930. The Young Marines will be pulling targets so you don’t have pit duty at these matches -- there will be a tip jar for the Young Marines so bring some extra money for these Young Marines, they work hard so you don’t have to.
If you want to shoot these matches but don’t have an M1 or M1A for the Bill Gerst match or a military style rifle for the Gene Collins match, the range has M-1 rifles to lend you. All you have to do is buy their ammo which is 30-06 and the cost is $20.00; this is match ammo. If you have never shot a M-1 rifle we will give you a short class on the rifle, a knowledge of shooting is required.
Reserve your spot, contact
Jeff Tegzes
865 988-6247
tntegzes@gmail.com
