MARINE CORPS LEAGUE
Lt. Alexander Bonnyman
Detachment 924

Monthly Officer/Committee meetings are held the 2nd Monday (except this month as it will be on Tuesday) of each month at 17:00. All detachment members are welcome to attend. 2651 Hobbs Rd, Louisville, TN

Detachment meeting is held the last Tuesday of each month at the VFW post 5154 w/ Social Hour from 17:30-18:15 and meeting from 18:15-19:30, all welcome. 2651 Hobbs Rd. Louisville, TN 

On November 9th, 2025 at the Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Marine Corps League Detachment 924 will be hosting the 250th Marine Corps Birthday Celebration. For more information, registration and ticket purchase, CLICK HERE

The Detachment annual scholarship application is now available, start the process now Click here for instructions and the application.

The Marine Corps League National Scholarship program is also receiving applications. Click here for more information.

The Marine Corps League Honor Guard is available to support funerals for Marine Corps League Members and upon request can also support non-members. Click here for details

In preparation of the 250th Marine Corps Birthday Celebration, we are making the Rocks Glasses available for pre-order. You will get ONE glass per ticket to the event, but if you want more…maybe a single, a pair or even a set of four, you can pre-order those now to ensure you don’t miss out. Click here to pre-order

Mark your calendars for the 2025 Annual Mud Run to be held at Montvale Springs Retreat. It consists roughly of 3 miles of off-road running, which entails some obstacles, hills, and of course, mud pits. Click here to add the placeholder to your calendar. Click here to become a sponsor or register for the event.

Saturday, June 14 from 9:00am to Noon VetNet will be hosting a Toys for Tots fundraising event at TopGolf in Knoxville. For more tickets and/or sponsorship opportunities, click here. 

Detachment 924 honors the Knoxville native and Medal of Honor recipient First Lieutenant Alexander Bonnyman Jr. who gallantly gave his life in battle for Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll and Gilbert Islands on November 22, 1943 with the namesake of our detachment.

In October 1942, Bonnyman sailed for the South Pacific aboard the SS Matsonia. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Guadalcanal as part of a Marine pioneer unit (lightly equipped combat engineers).

Bonnyman’s civilian background, temperament and skills would come to play an important role at Tarawa in November 1943, where he was assigned to a shore party handling beachhead logistics. When the assault troops were pinned down by heavy enemy artillery fire at the seaward end of the long Betio Pier, on his own initiative Bonnyman organized and led five men over the open pier to the beach. There he voluntarily obtained flame throwers nd demolitions and directed the blowing up of several hostile installations.

On the second day of the struggle, Bonnyman, determined to breach the enemy’s strong defensive line, led a demolition team of 21 Marines in an assault on the entrance to a huge bombproof shelter which contained approximately 150 Japanese soldiers. Bonnyman advanced his team to the mouth of the position and killed many of the defenders. Bonnyman again pressed his attack and gained the top of the structure, thereby flushing more than one hundred of its occupants into the open where they were cut down by Marine infantry and a supporting tank. When the Japanese returned fire, Bonnyman stood on the forward edge of the position and killed three of the attackers, but was himself killed as he ordered more charges brought forward. Of Bonnyman’s original assault party of 21 Marines, 13 had survived. Betio Island was declared secured on the same day.