WHAT A FORMIDABLE TASK DICK JENNINGS TOOK ON WHEN HE VOLUNTEERED TO BECOME THE CHAIRMAN OF THE GOLF TOURNAMENT AND THE MCL DEPT OF CA STATE CONVENTION 2017. DICK SURROUNDED HIMSELF WITH A GOOD GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS TO HELP CARRY OUT THE VARIOUS DUTIES NECESSARY TO PUT ON THE GOLF TOURNAMENT AND THE CONVENTION, AND HELP THEY DID!

ALL TEAM MEMBERS WORKED TOGETHER TOWARDS THE COMMON GOOD AND IT SHOWED IN

THEIR POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND THE GLOW AND SMILES ON THEIR FACES AS THEY HELPED

MAKE THE MCL DEPT OF CA CONVENTION 2017 A GREAT SUCCESS.

I WAS RECEIVING EMAILS FROM DICK AT PAST MIDNIGHT AND EVEN AT 0400; I REALLY DO NOT

KNOW WHEN HE SLEPT, IF AT ALL. KUDOS TO YOU DICK JENNINGS!!!

IT WAS GREAT TO SEE FAMILIAR FACES AGAIN, AS THE MARINES AND THEIR BETTER HALVES

BEGAN ARRIVING FROM POINTS NORTH AND SOUTH. NEW FRIENDSHIPS WERE MADE; OLD FRIENDSHIPS WERE RENEWED, AND STORIES FLOWED AND EXPERIENCES WERE SHARED.

ALL IN ALL, EVERYONE THAT I TALKED TO EXPRESSED THAT THEY HAD A GOOD TIME. OF ALL THEY EXPERIENCED DURING THE CONVENTION, TWO THINGS THAT STUCK WAY OUT IN THE MINDS OF THE CONVENTIONEERS WAS, ONE, THE SPEAKER ROBIN HUTTON. SOME WERE NOT AWARE OF THE WARHORSE, SGT RECKLESS. SO THEY LISTENED, BOUGHT BOOKS AND NOW THEY KNOW ALL ABOUT THE HORSE THAT WAS NOT A HORSE, BUT WAS A MARINE!!!THE SECOND THING THAT BOTH THE VIETNAM VETS AND THEIR WIVES WERE VERY EMOTIONAL ABOUT WAS THE PRESENTATION OF THE LAPEL PINS FOR THE COMMEMORATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIETNAM WAR. THEY MENTIONED THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THIS COMMEMORATION BEING "OUT THERE" AND ENJOYED THE "WELCOME HOME, VIETNAM VETS!!! PRESENTATION. THEY ACCEPTED THEIR PINS FROM DEPARTMENT COMMANDANT BOB VILLALOBOS AND PAST NATIONAL DIVISION VICE COMMANDANT, GENE RIVERS. THE MC MENTIONED THAT THEY SHOULD WEAR THOSE PINS PROUDLY ON THEIR CAPS OR LAPELS FOR THEY SERVED THEIR COUNTRY WELL AND WITH HONOR, AND ON BEHALF OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE USA, THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, THEY WANTED TO THANK ALL VIETNAM ERA VETS AND SAY THANK YOU, AND "WELCOME HOME VIETNAM VETERANS!!!. MANY OF THE VIETNAM VETS, INCLUDING MYSELF, ACCEPTED THEIR PINS WITH TEARY EYES OF GRATITUDE, FOR IT WAS THE BEST WELCOME WE HAVE HAD SINCE WE CAME BACK TO CONUS...THE GOOD OLD U.S.A.

ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRMAN, DICK JENNINGS, A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HELPED... ESPECIALLY THE COLOR/HONOR GUARD COMPRISED OF THE FOLLOWING MARINES AND ASSOCIATES: COLOR GUARD COMMANDER RUY PENA, FAUSTO GALVAN, BEN PFISTER, KEN 'DOC' HONAKER, LARRY FISCHER, DAVE OPFER, JOHN MILLER, JOHN COLEY, HARRY HODGES, RAMON AREVALO, AL LANSDALE, RAY VALENZUELA, AND WHOEVER ELSE I MAY HAVE MISSED; GOING FROM MEMORY.

HOSPITALITY ROOM:

I HAVE NEVER SEEN A HOSPITALITY ROOM RUN SO PROFESSIONALLY AS VALERIA'S TEAM DID ON THIS ONE! ON VALERIA GALVAN'S TEAM WERE CHRIS KRONE, CINDY MERAGER, SUE PFISTER, AND TONI REED. THEY RAN AROUND MAKING SURE THAT EVERY ONE HAD AMPLE TO EAT AND DRINK AND HAD A SMILE ON THEIR FACE AND MADE ALL THAT CAME FEEL WELCOME. VALERIA GALVAN BROUGHT FORTH SOME SUMPTUOUS HOME-COOKED TAMALES AND OTHER DELECTABLE GOODIES TO EAT. THE TAMALES WERE GOBBLED UP ALMOST IMMEDIATELY; I WAS LUCKY TO GET SOME ALONG WITH VALERIA'S HOME-MADE SALSA!!! MR PHIL HERNANDEZ, THE BARTENDER, WAS ALSO VERY PROFESSIONAL. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THERE WAS PLENTY TO EAT AND DRINK.

RECEPTION DESK:

THE PAYMASTER, TAJ O'TOOLE WAS AT THE RECEPTION DESK AND ALSO HAD ENOUGH HELP TO GET EVERYONE CHECKED IN AND READY TO GO. THANKS GO TO RUDY CORDERO, CINDY MERAGER, ALLISON MC KOWEN, MATT VALENZUELA AND OTHERS WHO STEPPED UP AS NEEDED.

RECEPTION AT DINNER TIME:

A HUGE BIG 'THANK YOU' GOES TO TAJ O'TOOLE AND MARY ANNE KREUTZ WHO MANAGED THE CHECK IN RECEPTION TABLE AT DINNER TIME...IT WAS HECTIC, BUT PLEASANT. AND AND MAY I SAY, THE SALMON WAS PREPARED IN SUCH A CULINARY WAY AS TO MAKE IT A DELICIOUS AND TASTY DISH. I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT!

THE SHIP STORE:

THANKS TO LARRY FISCHER AND BEN PFISTER FOR HAVING ALL THE SHIPS STORE ITEMS ON DISPLAY AND READY FOR SALE. SIDE TABLES AND YOUNG MARINES

THANKS TO HARRY HODGES, JOHN COLEY, DR TONY SAUNDERS, AND THE YOUNG MARINES FOR MANNING THE SIDE TABLES WITH ALL THEIR PARAPHERNALIA AND HAVING IT READY FOR SALE.

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN SELLING THE GLOCK 17 RAFFLE TICKETS. THE GLOCK RAFFLE WAS A GREAT SUCCESS. THANK YOU BEN PFISTER FOR DONATING THE 9MM GLOCK. THE WINNER OF THE GLOCK 17 WAS MARGIE NAVARRO FROM BAKERSFIELD, CA. CONGRATULATIONS, MARGIE!!! AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING.

UNTIL THE NEXT BIG EVENT,

SEMPER FI,

HE SAID THAT HE COULD DO IT. HE SAID THAT HE HAD DONE IT BEFORE. HE VOLUNTEERED TO DO IT, AND BY JOVE, HE DID!!!