As 2025 comes to an end, we reflect on our detachment’s accomplishments, areas for improvement and our impact on our community. As a method of reflection, we look at the mission of the Marine Corps League and then look at a summary of our detachment’s annual actions. The mission includes being guided by the principles of camaraderie, fellowship and service to country and community.
Our accomplishments:
- Growth in membership
- Veteran essay competition
- Support disabled veterans ski day
- Support Ticonderoga Little League
- Support wreaths for veteran graves
- Purchase a brick for the Tun Tavern rebuild
- Birthday celebration
- Toys for Tots fundraiser for Tiny Tim
- Toys for Tots collection and holiday collaboration with Tiny Tim
This year we’ve welcomed six new members to our detachment. Our detachment relies on new membership, active participation of members and commitment to one another. Growth in membership is not exclusive to the number of members who join. Growth includes those who step into leadership roles, attend meetings, represent our detachment and are a valuable contributor to the success of our organization.
Early in 2025 our detachment reached out to local Essex County school career counselors. We offered high school seniors the opportunity to participate in our veteran essay contest. Four students won $500 prize money for their outstanding responses to address how a veteran effected their life growing up. Our membership enjoyed reading all the essays we received. We are honored to support some local youth as they embark on life after high school.
Our membership voted to support several local groups. We financially provided some support for an annual disabled veterans ski day held on Gore Mountain. We also contributed to a local Little League, and wreaths for veterans buried in New York’s Veteran’s Cemetery. We also voted to provide support to something not local but dear to the hearts of Marines, the rebuild of the birthplace of the Marine Corps, Tun Tavern.
The membership enthusiastically held a fundraiser to support Tiny Tim. In one day, we collected $720. Pictured below is Essex County Leatherneck member Mike Forand giving the check to Melanie LaPerle who accepted in on behalf of Tiny Tim.
Essex County Leathernecks is continuing its partnership with Tiny Tim this holiday season. Through our Toys for Tots drive, our detachment collected enough for 157 local children.
This year we celebrated the 250th Marine Corps birthday and opened our celebration to the public. Frankly, I’m unclear how we are going to top this next year but I’m pleased to share this topic is already on the minds of some of our members.
An area we are still working on:
- More interaction with the local community
Essex County Leathernecks began the question this year — how can we be more involved with our community? We answered, in part, by opening our Birthday Ball to the public. We also asked, how can we be more of a presence in the community? Sure, you’ll see some of us on Hometown Hero signs around town (and even one member volunteering to clean the banners). But we haven’t answered these questions to our satisfaction.
As we say goodbye to 2025 we acknowledge our successes and let go any disappointments. We keep the conversation going in our membership, in our community: how can we be more involved? Going forward, we are stronger from our experiences and ready to thrive in 2025. Our deepest gratitude to all the Marines, Marine Corps League members and Essex County neighbors who make our veteran’s service organization possible. We welcome your feedback on how we might serve you, our community, in 2026 and beyond. Please reach out to any of our officers (or detachment members if you know them) to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you for your interest in our organization.
Respectfully,
Essex County Leathernecks
Detachment 791 of the Marine Corps League
I had helped a Marine and in doing so strengthened the whole platoon.
Captain William W. Putney DVM USMC (Ret.) Always Faithful: A Memoir of the Marine Dogs of WWII
Leave a Reply