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MarineParents.com Newsletter
a Place to Connect & Share 
In This Issue
Deployment Learning Center
Homecoming Learning Center
Bootcamp Learning Center
Marine Corps T-Shirts & Gifts
Graduation Announcements
Please Visit Our Sponsors
Parade Deck Etiquette
Andrew's Recovery
Give the Gift of Troop Support
Thieves of Baghdad
Marine Corps Chef Gift Box
Wreaths Across America
Online Privacy & Safety
Unit Information Pages
$5 Coupon Expires December 15!
Support Our Marines!
The Care Package Project™
 
 
Operation PAL, an Outreach Program of Marine Parents.com
Operation PAL™
 
 
Purple Heart Hero Support™ an Outreach Program of Marine Parents.com
 
 
Team Marine Parents, an Outreach Program of Marine Parents.com 
Team Marine Parents™
 
Show your support of our Marines and their families at home! Participate in one of the MarineParents.com Outreach Programs today!  Our Marines need YOU!
Support for You:
a Place to
Connect & Share™
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Learning Center:
Operations Security
Operations Security OPSEC

NOTE: When communicating online, your Marine's privacy is as important as Operations Security. Please respect YOUR Marine's privacy!

Learning Center:
About Deployment
 
 
(from your Marine, with the USMC, and with other families)
 
(tips, tricks and money savers for mailing to YOUR Marine)
 
(bills, taxes, legal issues, injuries, notification from the Marine Corps)
 
 
Learning Center:
About Homecoming
 
 
 
 
 
(Tip: While in our store, check in your Marine's unit store for more homecoming shirts!)
Learning Center:
Bootcamp
 
 
 
 
Marine Corps Spirit
T-shirts, Gifts & More
Show your Marine Corps spirit and pride!  Proceeds from sales support MarineParents.com, an IRS approved 501(c)(3) public charity.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Marines The Few The Proud
Graduation Announcements!
Graduation Announcements are now available for your Soon-To-Graduate recruit! Use the coupon at the bottom of the newsletter to save $5!
Marine Corps Bootcamp Graduation Announcements
Visit Our Sponsors
Thank You to This Week's Newsletter Contributors 

A special thank you to:

Linda Crooms, Director of Outreach Services
Barbara Gemmell, Manager of Operation PAL™
Joan Gutierrez, Manager of the Reruit Parents Message Board
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December 12, 2007
Dear Marine Families,

If this is the first edition of the MarineParents.com Newsletter you have received, WELCOME! If you are a returning reader we are glad you have joined us.

In addition to our regularly featured articles, this edition of the newsletter includes tips and information for you to assure safety and privacy while using the internet, a fantastic story of continued recovery of Operation PAL™ Marine Andrew, and suggested reading of Thieves of Baghdad, Colonel Bogdanos' story of recovering the antiquities of Baghdad in 2003.
 
We have Christmas shopping ideas for you as well. Proceeds from the sale of the products in our "Christmas Catalog" page go back to support MarineParents.com, Inc. and our Outreach Projects.
 
On behalf of our staff (Derrick, Rachael and Ruth Ann) and each of the 65 Marine Parents volunteers around the US, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you, your family and your Marine a very Merry Christmas. May your homes be blessed with the true spirit of Christmas and the Semper Family spirit of the Marine Corps.
 
God Bless, Semper Fi, and Merry Christmas!
Parade Deck Etiquette is a Matter of Tradition
The drill field is a revered and respected part of the depot where civilians become Marines.
Parade Deck MCRD San Diego Marine Corps Recruit DepotMARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO (Nov. 30, 2007) -- Millions of young Americans have earned the title of United States Marine and have marched countless miles across Shepherd Memorial Drill Field here at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

The drill field is a revered and respected part of the depot where civilians become Marines. There is even an order that delineates what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior pertaining to the drill field.

"The drill field is a historic landmark where many Marines who have died for this country once marched; therefore the rules should be respected," said Gunnery Sgt. Samuel Mortimer, chief drill instructor, Company B, 1st Battalion.
 

Andrew's Ongoing Recovery
Purple Heart Marine in the Operational PAL™ program continues to recover 
Marine Andrew Love recovery from TBICpl. Andrew received multiple injuries in Iraq in early October 2006. He has made progess but a brain injury will be his main issue. Update December 2007 - Andrew walks with a limp and talks but is not easily understood. He works hard every day with his therapy and "just wants to be normal". His memory is in 'bits and pieces' but it's coming back. He is learning to become independent but has a long road still ahead.
 
Michigan Free Press has produced a wonderful article and video of Andrew's progress. Please continue to pray for Andrew's complete recovery.
 
 
Operation PAL™ is an outreach program of MarineParents.com that offers opportunities for the community to support our injured or ill troops through Prayers and Letters. Please take a moment to reach out to these Marines today through prayers and letters.
 
Give the Gift of Troop Support
Buy a care package sponsorship as a Christmas gift this year. 
Sponsor a care package for a Marine as a Christmas gift
For $22 you can give the gift of troop support this Christmas season by purchasing a care package sponsorship for everyone on your gift list!   Through The Care Package Project™, you can sponsor a care package to be sent to a Marine in Iraq on January 5, 2008.  Or, purchase a gift sponsorship this holiday season, and we'll send a gift card to your gift recipient letting them know that a care package will be sent on his/her behalf to a Marine in Iraq.  Your gift recipient's name will be included in the overseas package.
 
 
 
To learn more about The Care Package Project™ and how we support the Marines year round, please visit the website at:
 
Great Gift Ideas that give back to support Marines and their families
Christmas Gifts that give back to MarineParents.com Outreach ProjectsFor additional ways to support the projects of MarineParents.com through gift giving this holiday season, we've provided a selection of the items we offer here on our "Christmas Catalog" page for your shopping ease. You're sure to find gifts to please the Marine Corps enthusiasts on your list!

Thank you for supporting MarineParents.com this holiday season. We appreciate your support! MarineParents.com, Inc. is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) public charity. All proceeds go to MarineParents.com, Inc.

Thieves of Baghdad
By Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, USMC 
Thieves of Baghdad
After losing his apartment near the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Colonel Matthew Bogdanos was recalled to active duty, where he led a multi-agency task force in Afghanistan and received a Bronze Star, obtaining intelligence on 11 of the "Top 25" Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders in the War on Terrorism. Then appointed Deputy Director, Bogdanos led that interagency task force into Iraq in March 2003 to search for evidence of terrorist cells, UN Security Council Resolution violations, and terrorist financing.

In April 2003, he began the investigation into the looting of Baghdad's Iraq Museum, resulting in the recovery of over 5,000 antiquities in six countries. He is the recipient of a 2005 National Humanities Medal for his work recovering Iraq's treasures. Thieves of Baghdad: One Marine's Passion to Recover the World's Greatest Stolen Treasures, is Colonel Bogdanos' first-hand account of his journey to recover Iraq's lost treasures.

Marine Corps Chef Gift Box
$53.95 sale price extended through December 18. Includes shipping. Order NOW for Christmas delivery. Marine Corps Chef Gift Box
We've reduced the price of our Marine Corps Chef's gift box for the Christmas season. Originally $70, we've discounted it to $53.95 (includes US Priority Mail Shipping) from now until December 18, 2007.  Order now to assure Christmas delivery!
 
The gift box includes our original (and sold out!) Devil Dog Chow Cookbook, two ceramic coffee mugs with the Marine Corps Eagle, Globe and Anchor, a beautifully embroidered Marine Corps Red Chef's Apron, a collectable Marine Corps Teddy Bear, plus "Marine Spirited" hot sauce, chili and cornbread mix, and barbecue sauce.  The gift box is offered only from MarineParents.com. All proceeds go back to support the projects of MarineParents.com, Inc.
 
 
(Adorable former Marine not included.)
Wreaths Across America
Remember Our Veterans - Honor Those Who Serve - Teach Our Children 
Wreaths Across America Remember Honor TeachA beautiful project to honor our veterans this holiday season. The Wreaths Across America story began over 15 years ago when Worcester Wreath Company started a tradition of placing wreaths on the headstones of our Nation's fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery. Over that period of time, Worcester Wreath has donated 75,000 wreaths which were placed by volunteers in a wreath-laying ceremony each December. Sponsorships are now being accepted for 2008 Christmas wreaths.

For 2007, all wreath-laying ceremonies will be held concurrently on Saturday, December 15th, at 12:00 noon EST. For more information, to sponsor a 2008 wreath, and to find a ceremony near you, see:

Online Safety, Privacy and Scams
Are you a "safe" internet user? Learn more about toolbars, spyware, and email scams. 
Too Good To Be True Web Site ImageYour safety, your privacy and avoiding scams are important to understand when using the Internet and participating in Internet-based communities.

The best tools for identifying internet fraud and scams are education and communication. The same holds true for your security and privacy. Maintaining privacy helps to safeguard your personal information to avoid risk of identity theft. Click one of the following three topics to learn more:

For additional resources and to take a test to see if you are at risk, please visit the internet security section of the MarineParents.com website, or use the link below to go directly to the page:
 
Unit Information Pages: UIP
EGA Find Your Marine's Unit Information 
If your Marine is active duty and assigned to a permanent duty station, you can connect with families in that unit immediately by using the "Unit Information Page", or UIP, a unique feature offered only at MarineParents.com.  Search for your son or daughter's unit in the simple interface and you'll quickly locate information and message boards with those families.
 
 

We hope this week's edition of our email newsletter has been useful for you and your family. If there are topics you would like us to address, or if you have other suggestions for the newsletter, please contact us.

The banner used at the top of this newsletter is a USMC photo of Sheperd Memorial Drill Field (The Parade Deck) at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Photo by: LCpl. Charlie Chavez.  Click here to read accompanying story.

MarineParents.com, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity. MarineParents.com, Inc. was founded in January, 2003 in response to parents' needs to find information and to Connect & Share™ with one another during deployments. Our free online services and connections have expanded to support and educate Marine moms & dads, spouses, families and friends and we'll be offering the 3rd Annual National Conference in Washington DC, 2008. We've helped over 40,000 Marine and recruit families during bootcamp, training, active duty and deployments. We've shipped thousands of care packages overseas to our Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan, sent thousands of prayers and letters to injured Marines and served hundreds of lunches to families caring for their Marines at Bethesda Hospital. You've found a Place to Connect & Share™.

God Bless and Semper Fidelis,
 

Tracy Della Vecchia
Founder and Executive Director
MarineParents.com, Inc.
 
Neither the United States Marine Corps nor any other component of the Department of Defense has approved, endorsed, or authorized this service.
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