HISTORY OF THE MARINE CORPS LEAGUE

Honorary National Commandant - General Alfred M. Gray Jr., USMC (Ret)  29th CMC
National Commandant - James R. Laskey
National Executive Director - Michael A. Blum

Mission Statement
Members of the Marine Corps League join together in camaraderie and fellowship for the purpose of preserving the traditions and promoting the interests of the United States Marine Corps, banding together those who are now serving in the United States Marine Corps and those who have been honorably discharged from that service that they may effectively promote the ideals of American freedom and democracy, voluntarily aiding and rendering assistance to all Marines, FMF Corpsmen and former Marines and FMF Corpsmen and to their widows and orphans; and to perpetuate the history of the United States Marine Corps and by fitting acts to observe the anniversaries of historical occasions of particular interest to Marines.

History
The Marine Corps League perpetuates the traditions and spirit of ALL Marines and Navy FMF Corpsmen, who proudly wear or who have worn the eagle, globe and anchor of the Corps. It takes great pride in crediting its founding in 1923 to World War I hero, then Major General Commandant John A. Lejeune. It takes equal pride in its Federal Charter, approved by An Act of the Seventy-Fifth Congress of the United States of America and signed and approved by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 4, 1937. The League is the only Federally Chartered Marine Corps related veterans organization in the country. Since its earliest days, the Marine Corps League has enjoyed the support and encouragement of the active duty and Reserve establishments of the U. S. Marine Corps. Today, the League boasts a membership of more than 76,000 men and women, officer and enlisted, active duty, Reserve Marines, honorably discharged Marine Veterans and qualified Navy FMF Corpsmen and is one of the few Veterans Organizations that experiences increases in its membership each year.

The Marine Corps League is headed by an elected National Commandant, with 14 elected National Staff Officers who serve as trustees. The National Board of Trustees coordinates the efforts of 48 department, or state, entities and the activities of over 1000 community-based detachments located throughout the United States and overseas. The day-to-day operations of the League are under the control of the National Executive Director with the responsibility for the management and direction of all programs, activities, and affairs of the Marine Corps League as well as supervising the National Headquarters staff.

The prime authority of the League is derived from its Congressional charter and from its annual National Convention held each August in different major U.S. cities throughout the nation. It is a not-for-profit organization within the provisions of the Internal Revenue Service Code 501(c) (4), with a special group exemption letter which allows for contributions to the Marine Corps League, its Auxiliary and subsidiary units, to be tax deductible by the donor.

History of the Marines Hymn

"From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli"

America declared war on the Barbary Pirates of northern Africa in 1805 because they had been raiding our ships in the Mediterranean Sea.  During that conflict, Lieutenant Presley N. OBannon, USMC, and his small force of Marines participated in the capture of the city of Derne in Tripoli (which is today part of the country of Libya). As this was the first time that the American flag had been hoisted over a fortress in the Old World, the Colors (ceremonial flag) of the Marine Corps were inscribed with the words: "To the Shores of Tripoli." During the hardest fighting of the Mexican War, U.S. Marines were the first to breach the otherwise impregnable walls of Mexico City by capturing the Castle of Chapultapec, which was the palace of the great Aztec emperor, Montezuma. The Colors of the Corps were then changed to read "From the Shores of Tripoli to the Halls of Montezuma." Following the close of the Mexican War came the first great verse of the Marines Hymn, written according to tradition by a Marine on duty in Mexico. For the sake of euphony, the unknown author transposed the phrases in the motto on the Colors so that the first two lines of the Hymn would read: "From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli."  Many interesting stories have been associated with the Marines Hymn. One of the best was published in the Stars and Stripes, the official newspaper of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe, under the date of August 16, 1918.  "A wounded officer from among the gallant French Lancers had just been carried into a Yankee field hospital to have his dressing changed. He was full of compliments and curiosity about the dashing contingent that fought at his regiments left. A lot of them are mounted troops by this time, he explained, for when our men would be shot from their horses, these youngsters would give one running jump and gallop ahead as cavalry.
I believe they are soldiers from Montezuma.  At least, when they advanced this morning, they were all singing From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli. 
The Marines Hymn has been sung and played in all four corners of the earth and today is recognized as one of the foremost service songs.

The Marines Hymn
"From the Halls of Montezuma
To the Shores of Tripoli;
We fight our countrys battles
In the air, on land, and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.
Our flags unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.
Heres health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve
In many a strife weve fought for life
And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heavens scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines"

NATIONAL COMMANDANTS AND CONVENTION SITES

  NO.   YEAR         SITE                                 COMMANDANT            TERM     STRENGTH                          
  1st   1923             New York, NY                  *John A. Lejeune              23-24          787
  2nd   1924             Washington, DC            *John A. Lejeune             24-25       1,279
  3d    1925             Philadelphia, PA              *John A. Lejeune              25-26       2,042
  4th   1926             Cleveland, OH                  *John A. Lejeune             26-27       1,500
  5th   1927             Erie, PA                             *John A. Lejeune             27-28       1,500
  6th   1928             Dallas, TX                         *John A. Lejeune            28-29       1,100
  7th   1929             Cincinnati, OH                 *Wendell C. Neville         29-29       1,386
                                                                          *W. Karl Lations               29-30
  8th   1930             St Louis, MO                    *W. Karl  Lations             30-31      1,083
  9th   1931             Buffalo, NY                       *Carlton A. Fisher           31-32        N/R
        1932                                                           *Carlton A.Fisher            32-33          510
 10th   1933             Chicago, IL                      *Carlton A.Fisher            33-34          610
 11th   1934             Denver, CO                      *John F. Manning           34-35          646
 12th   1935             Newark, NJ                       *John F. Manning           35-36         966
 13d    1936             Boston, MA                     *Maurice A. Illich           36-37       1,036
 14th   1937             Akron, OH                        *Maurice A. Illich          37-38        1,131
 15th   1938             Washington, DC             *Florence O'Leary          38-39        1,553
 16th   1939             Boston, MA                     *Florence O'Leary          39-40        2,296
 17th   1940             Detroit, MI                        *Chris Cunningham       40-41        3,361
 18th   1941             Indianapolis, IN               *Chris Cunningham       41-42        5,647
 19th   1942             Chicago, IL                       *Alexander Ormsby       42-43        7,448
 20th   1943             New York, NY                   *Thomas E. Wood         43-44     11,867
 21st   1944             Sacramento, CA                *Alan A. Stevenson      44-45     17,143
 22nd  1945              Springfield, IL                   *Thomas F. Sweeny      45-46     27,664
 23d    1946             Atlantic City, NJ                *Joseph F. Alverez        46-47     25,202
 24th   1947             Miami, Fl                            *George T. Bullen           47-48     19,094
 25th   1948             Milwaukee, WI                  *Theus J. McQueen      48-49     17,283
 26th   1949             Boston, MA                       *Clay Nixon                    49-50     14,807
 27th   1950             Washington, DC               *Maurice J. Fagan         50-51     14,137
 28th   1951             Savannah, GA                    *John C. O'Brien            51-52     13,141
 29th   1952             Los Angeles, CA               *John C. O'Brien            52-53     13,287
 30th   1953             Cleveland, OH                    *Charles A. Weaver      53-54     10,458
 31st   1954             Baltimore, MD                    *George Shamgochian   54-55      9,583
 32nd  1955              St Louis, MO                     *William D. Webster      55-56      9,959
 33d    1956             Miami, FL                            *William Derderian          56-57      9,550
 34th   1957             San Jose, CA                      *John G. Hosko               57-58      9,081
 35th   1958             Omaha, NE                          *William Gardiner            58-59      8,733
 36th   1959             Buffalo, NY                         *Hyman Rosen                59-60      7,950
 37th   1960             Grand Rapids, MI              *Walter Churchill Sr.       60-61      8,332
 38th   1961             Atlantic City, NJ                *Wilson L. Peck               61-62      8,059
 39th   1962             Tampa, FL                           *Raymond B. Butts         62-63      7,814
 40th   1963             Cleveland, OH                    *Raymond B. Butts         63-64      8,412
 41st   1964             Wichita, KS                         *Burton Daugherty         64-65      9,389
 42nd  1965              Harrisburg, PA                   *Burton Daugherty        65-66     10,531
 43d    1966             Albany, NY                          *Claude H. Downing      66-67     10,822
 44th   1967             Kansas City, MO                *Claude H. Downing      67-68     11,874
 45th   1968             Bridgeport, CT                     *Edward J. Bange           68-69     12,082
 46th   1969             Miami, FL                             *Edward J. Bange            69-70     13,350
 47th   1970             St Louis, MO                       *Sydney S. McMath      70-71     14,644
 48th   1971             San Antonio, TX                   H. Lynn Cavin               71-72     14,482
 49th   1972             Anaheim, CA                      *Gilbert E. Gray                 72-73     15,294
 50th   1973             Miami, FL                            *Gilbert E. Gray                 73-74     14,763
 51st   1974             Tuscon, AZ                          Richard J. O'Brien           74-75     13,035
 52nd  1975              Philadelphia, PA                 Patrick J. Cody                75-76     13,717
 53rd   1976             Washington, DC                  Edward A. Schramm      76-77     15,012
 54th   1977             Indianapolis, IN                   *James H. Frost              77-78     14,974
 55th   1978             Atlantic City, NJ                  *James H. Frost              78-79     14,339
 56th   1979             Milwaukee, WI                      Paul F. Hastings           7 9-80     13,865
 57th   1980             Orlando, FL                           Paul F. Hastings             80-81     17,601
 58th   1981             Tuscon, AZ                          *Joseph Mammone       81-82     21,284
 59th   1982             Dearborn, MI                        *James C. Kelly             82-83     22,959
 60th   1983             Colorado Springs,CO           *James C. Kelly             83-84     23,534
 61st   1984             Nashville, TN                        *Robert N. Forsyth       84-85     23,702
 62nd  1985              Lafayette, LA                         Edward D. MacIntyre 85-86      N/A
 63rd   1986             Boston, MA                            William J. Galvin          86-87      N/A
 64th   1987             Phoenix, AZ                            William J. Galvin          87-88      24,223
 65th   1988             Cincinnati, OH                         Linwood P. Liner        88-89      26,397
 66th   1989             Dallas, TX                            *Raymond R. Berling     89-90      27,877
 67th   1990             Sacramento, CA                  *Raymond R. Berling     90-91      29,785
 68th   1991             King of Prussia, PA              Lamar Golden                91-92      32,796
 69th   1992             St Louis, MO                         Lamar Golden                92-93      38,093
 70th   1993             Orlando, FL                           Francis J. Meakem        93-94      40,622
 71st   1994             Cherry Hill, NJ                       Lewis W. Loeven          94-95      42,563
 72nd  1995              Milwaukee, WI                    *Paul J. Seton                95-96      43,815
 73rd   1996             Fort Mitchell, KY                  *Paul J. Seton               96-97      45,794
 74th   1997             Nashville, TN                          Robert E. Becker Jr.    97-98      47,372
 75th   1998             Syracuse, NY                          Robert E. Becker Jr.   98-99      48,922
 76th   1999             Denver, CO                             Diana Dils                   99-00      51,083
 77th   2000             New Orleans, LA                    Diana Dils                  00-01      51,305
 78th   2001             Dearborn, MI                          John P. Tuohy          01-02      54,797
 79th   2002             Harrisburg, PA                        John P. Tuohy          02-03      55,698
 80th   2003             Spokane, WA                          Helen F. Hicks          03-04      58,170
 81st   2004             Irving, TX                                 Helen F. Hicks          04-05      58,531
 82nd   2005             Cleveland, OH                        Frank S. Kish             05-06      60,060
 83rd   2006             Quincy, MA                            John Ryan                  06-          N/A
 *Deceased

 
Honorary Past National Commandants of the Marine Corps League
1945 *Stephen Brown
1958 *Basil Pollitt
1965 *Francis X. Lorbecki
1978 *Jack Brennan
1987 *Clem D. Russell
1995 *Victor T. Fisher
1995 *Charles D. Horn
1996  Raymond R. Wilkowski
1998 *Johanna Glasrud
1999 *John "Jay" P. Kacsan
1999 *William "Bill" R. Reichstein
2001  Benny Dotson
*Deceased

Military Order of Devil Dogs (Founded 1939 Boston, MA)

Chief Dogs                                       Dog Robbers
39-41 *Gerald L. Bakelaar               39-40 *Charles Vaccaro
40-41 *Raymond Canfield
41-43 *C. A. Gallagher                    41-43 *Erastas Darling
43-44 *Joseph T. Alvarez              43-44 *Eugene P. Corey
44-45 *Walter Donnelly                 44-45 *John Zak
45-46 *Clarence G. Young              45-46 *John Van de Woude
46-47 *John Zak                              46-47 *Mortimer S. Libien
47-48 *John Van de Woude          47-48 *Clarence G. Young
48-49 *Joseph Probst                     48-49 *John L. Baker
49-50 *Carl Burger                          49-50 *Betty J. Mooney
50-51 *Francis X. Lorbecki            50-51 *Paul Corbin
51-52 *Stanley Bunn                      51-52 *Charles A. Hellyer
52-53 *Charles A. Hellyer              52-53 *George W. Jorgenson
53-54 *George W. Jorgenson        53-54 *William W. Hurrell
54-55 *William Harvey                   54-55 *Joseph L.T. Fortier
55-56 *William S. Craig                  55-56 *Hyman Rosen
56-58 *Mason D. Wade                 56-58 *Claude H. Downing
58-59 *Claude H. Downing            58-59 *James T. Fowler
59-60  James Koenig                       59-60 *Paul Plache
60-61 *William Hurrell                    60-61 *H. E. Allamon
61-63  John P. Kacsan                    61-63 *H. E. Allamon
63-64 *Joseph Peterson                 63-64 *H. E. Allamon
64-65 *John R. Spain                      64-65 *John J. McNamara
65-66  Arthur M. Brokenshire, Jr. 65-66 *Steven Downey
66-67 *John J. McNamara            66-67 *Marshall Lundgren
67-68 *Marshall D. Lundgren      67-68 *John J. McNamara
68-69 #Hugh A. Maus                  68-69  Antoinette H. Baisden
69-70 *Philip A. Calabrese           69-70  Antoinette H. Baisden
70-71 #Antoinette H. Baisden     70-71 *James J. Armstrong
71-72 *James J. Armstrong          71-72  Hugh A. Maus
72-73 *C. A. Boedigheimer          72-73  Virginia L. McDougall
73-75 #Virginia McDougall          73-75 *C. A. Boedigheimer
75-76 *Jack R. Liddell                   75-76 *Manuel Valdez
76-78  William H. Brooks             76-78 *#Kenneth E. Farris
78-79 *Fred Agosta                     78-79 *#Kenneth E. Farris
79-80 *#Kenneth E. Farris          79-80  Raymond E. Kania
80-82 #Edwin F. Gallagher          80-82  Paul L. Sutton
82-84 #Paul L. Sutton                  82-83  John C. Muerdler
83-84 *Francis A. English
84-85 *#Gilbert E. Gray                84-85  Edwin F. Gallagher
85-86 *#Francis A. English        85-86 *#Kenneth E. Farris
86-87 *Donald L. Frost               86-87 *#Kenneth E. Farris
87-88  Thomas A. Banks            87-88 *#Kenneth E. Farris
88-90  Mary B. Krauss                88-90 *#Kenneth E. Farris
90-92  Clifton F. Williams, Jr.      90-92 *#Kenneth E. Farris
92-94  Gary O. Chartrand             92-94 *#Kenneth E. Farris
94-96  William C. Taylor              94-96 *#Kenneth E. Farris
96-98  Jack Nash                          96-98 *#Kenneth E. Farris
98-00  Lamar Golden                    98-00   Robert McCallum
00-02  Robert Lent                        00-     Robert McCallum
02-04  Douglas Fisk                                Phil Ruhmshottel
04-05  George Barrows                           Phil Ruhmshottel
05-    Donald R. Garland Jr.                    Phil Ruhmshottel
*Deceased
#PCDD who served as KDR

Marine Corps League National Marine of the Year
Year-Recipient-Department
1959 *I. D. Hale WI
1960  Not Awarded
1961  Raymond Wilkowski IL
1962  Not Awarded
1963  Not Awarded
1964  Not Awarded
1965  Russell Shaffer PA
1966 *William W. Hurrell PA
1967  Not Awarded
1968  James Merna MD
1969  Patrick J. Cody PA
1970 *Gilbert Gray NY
1971  George Hartman FL
1972 *James Crenshaw KS
1973  Richard J. OBrien VA
1974 *Raymond Butts VA
1975 *Walter Churchill OH
1976 *Charles Horn MD
1977 *Joseph Mammone NY
1978  Henry White IL
1979 *Joseph Ryan AZ
1980 *Irene Smoke VA
1981  Bart Long, Jr. NJ
1982  Joseph J. Marc-Aurele MA
1983  Jack Davis PA
1984  Robert B. Throm PA
1985 *S. Johanna Glasrud MI
1986  John Sullivan VA
1987  Linwood P. Liner LA
1988  Edward D. MacIntyre AZ
1989  Paul F. Hastings PA
1990  Lamar Golden PA
1991  John "Jay" P. Kacsan PA
1992 *Victor T. Fisher NY
1993 *Elden S. Gebaroff WA
1994  Robert P. Boon, Sr. NJ
1995  Lucian J. Caldara NY
1996  Horace Nick Hawkey PA
1997 *William R. Reichstein NC
1998  Dave Woods IL
1999  Barry Georgopulos CO
2000  Ernie Lutz VA
2001  George Barrows, Sr. NC
2002  James L. Hackbarth IL  
2003  Resigned
2004  Vic Voltaggio, FL
2005  John Hopkins, SC
2006  Joe Blick, NC
*Deceased

Iron Mike Award
Year Recipient
1967 Bob Hope
1967 Larry Burrows
1967 Lee Marvin
1967 John Russell
1968 Howard K. Smith
1969 Barry Zorthian
1970 H. Ross Perot
1971 John Wayne
1972 Donald E. Johnson
1973 Hon. John Warner, Sec. of the Navy
1974 General Lewis W. Walt
1975 General Louis H. Wilson
1976 Edward McMahon
1977 Father Corvet
1978 Dewey F. Bartlett
1979 Congressman Robert Wilson R-CA
1980 Ambassador Kenneth Taylor
1981 James Brady
1981 Thomas Delehany
1981 John McCarthy
1982 Phil I. Berman
1983
1984 Robert Conrad
1985 Robert W. Olian
1986 Donald T. Regan (Chief of Staff)
1987 Honorable James Webb (SecNav)
1988 Congressman John P. Murtha D-PA
1989 Congressman David O. B. Martin D-NY
1990 Congressman C. W. Bill Young R-FL
1991 General A. M. Gray, Jr., USMC 29th CMC
1992 Senator Simms
1993 Arnold Punaro (Staffer for Senator Sam Nunn D-GA)
1994 Major General Walter A. Churchill, PNC
1995 Congressman Gerald B. H. Solomon R-NY
1996 Congressman Ike Skelton D-MO
1997 Senator Dirk Kempthorne R-ID
1998 Senator Conrad Burns R-MT
1999 Senator Chuck Robb D-VA
2000 James F. Jordan, Esq.
2001 Senator Zell Miller D-GA
2002 Alfred Lerner
2003 Senator John W. Warner (R-VA)
2004 General Raymond G. Davis, MOH, USMC (Ret.) (Posthumously)
2005 Congressman Jerry Lewis (R-CA)

Dickey Chappelle Award
Year Recipient
1967 Martha Raye
1968 Mrs. Lucy Caldwell
1969 Mrs. Marjorie Merriweather Post
1970 Mrs. Verona Devney
1971 Esther Clark
1972 Betty Donovan Rentrop
1973 Mrs. Donald Spicer
1974 Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson
1975 Mrs. Nguyen "Gewn" ThiKhang
1976
1977
1978 Sister Veronica PA
1979 Mary Lou Keisweitter
1980 Phylis Stensgaard & Carole Darlington
1981
1982
1983
1984 Sally Ride (Astronaut)
1985
1986 Colonel Hazel E. Benn, USMC (Ret)
1987 Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, USN (Ret)
1988 Congresswoman Beverly B. Byron D-MD
1989
1990 Major Robin Higgins, USMC
1991 Mrs. Yvette M. Sommers
1992 Mrs. Beverly Pope Spyridon
1993 Mrs. Betty Cooper
1994 Mrs. Carl E. Mundy
1995 Ms. Elaine B. Rogers (Exec. Dir., USO WASH)
1996 Ms. Carmella La Spada & Ms. Lois Braymes
1997 Mrs. Susan Braaten
1998 Mrs. Zandra Meyers Krulak
1999 Mrs. Stephanie Bates
2000 Mrs. Katie K. Dixon
2001 Mrs. Clara Miller
2002 Mrs. Diane J. Jones
2003 Mrs. Rita McMichael
2004 Mrs. Karen Guenther
2005 Mrs. Brenda Nyland & Mrs. Carol Sefton