Tun Tavern, traditional birthplace of the Marine Corps
Tun Tavern, traditional birthplace of the Marine Corps set to get rebuilt.
When the Marine Corps turns 250, Marines may get to raise a pint to the Corps in the place where it supposedly all began. The nonprofit Tun Tavern Legacy Foundation announced in a news release Monday it has acquired land to rebuild “an authentic reproduction” of the tavern where, as legend has it, the few and the proud got their start. The plan is to establish the reconstructed Tun Tavern in time for the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday in November 2025, according to Sue Hamilton, a spokeswoman for the foundation. Retired Lt. Gen. Charles Chiarotti, president and CEO of the Marine Corps Association, said in the release, “With the Tun Tavern Legacy Foundation leading the way, Marines of past, present and future will have their rightful gathering spot in the very city where the Marine Corps was formed.”
In November 1775, when Samuel Nicholas was tasked with raising two battalions of Continental Marines, he headed to Philadelphia’s Tun Tavern, according to traditional Marine Corps lore. Though Tun Tavern was destroyed in 1781, it has enjoyed a long afterlife as a symbol of the Marine Corps’ birth. Tun Tavern has retained its title as the traditional birthplace of the Marine Corps despite doubts raised by one prominent Marine historian about in which bar, exactly, Nicholas launched his recruiting efforts. In his 1974 book “The United States Marines: A History,” Brig. Gen. Edwin Howard Simmons, then the director of Marine Corps history and museums, asserted that the Conestoga Waggon — a tavern owned by the Nicholas family — was more likely where Nicholas snagged his first recruits.
The Marine Corps is not the only organization that regards Tun Tavern as a hallowed site in its history. Tun Tavern also is the birthplace of Freemasonry in Pennsylvania. The St. George, St. Andrew and Friendly Sons of St. Patrick societies were founded or held meetings in the tavern, according to the foundation. And Tun Tavern “purportedly” is where John Adams and the Naval Committee met in 1775 to write the documents structuring what is now the Navy, the foundation said in the release.
The Tun Tavern Legacy Foundation plans to create a functioning tavern and restaurant, with historical exhibits and special events geared toward educating visitors about the establishment’s history. Profits will go to the causes of the organizations founded at the tavern, according to the news release.
The land sits at 19 South 2nd Street in Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood, within 250 yards of the original Tun Tavern site. Acquiring the land was the first step, Rob Brink, the foundation’s board chair and deputy grand master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania Free and Accepted Masons, said in the release. The next step is fundraising. Funds are coming from private donations, corporate partnerships, foundation support, and federal and state grants, according to the release.
The foundation plans to hold a groundbreaking ceremony in November 2024, according to the release. The Above is based on an article appeared in Marine Corps Times dated 29 April 2024 by Irene Loewenson. The reconstructed Tun Tavern, shown here in an architect's rendering, would serve as a functioning tavern and restaurant. (Tun Tavern Legacy Foundation Inc.)
Vets discharged from military for misconduct or after Specia
WASHINGTON — Veterans who left miliary service with an other-than-honorable discharge or after a special court-martial for misdemeanor offenses will be eligible for the first time for veterans’ health care and benefits following a rule change announced Thursday by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The veterans will be considered for VA care and services under a “compelling circumstances exception,” if they can show that mental health problems, cognitive impairment, combat-related hardship, military sexual trauma or other identified factors contributed to their dismissal, the VA said. Veterans’ length of service and overall performance during military duty also will be considered. Basic eligibility for VA benefits previously was granted only to veterans who left the military service under honorable conditions after successful completion of their military contract or were discharged early due to illness, injury or other factors beyond their control. About 200,000 service members exit the military each year. Slightly more than 2% leave with other-than-honorable discharges. Bad conduct discharges through a special court-martial account for less than 1% of discharges. Veterans with other-than-honorable discharges previously were considered on a case-by-case basis. From 2012-2023, the VA awarded benefits to more than 8,000 former service members who previously were deemed ineligible because of other-than-honorable and bad-conduct discharges. VA Secretary Denis McDonough said the agency wants to provide veterans previously denied VA care and services the opportunity to reapply. “Although VA cannot change your discharge status, we want to provide you with any health care or benefits we can,” he said. Veterans with other-than-honorable discharges exit the service for a variety of reasons, including substance abuse, disobeying orders, fighting or other reasons.
The rule change applies to former service members discharged for “willful and persistent misconduct” or “moral turpitude” offenses, the VA said. Willful and persistent misconduct is defined as conscious wrongdoing or engaging in activities known to be prohibited. Moral turpitude generally refers to criminal acts, regardless of whether there was a felony conviction. “This new exception creates a new path for VA to provide benefits and services to deserving former service members,” the VA said. The VA also said Thursday that it will take additional steps to ensure that it is providing full and fair access to health care, disability compensation and other benefits for veterans who discharged because of “homosexual conduct, gender identity or HIV status.” “This move further solidifies VA’s commitment to reducing disparity for these groups in the adjudication process,” the VA said.
Source - Stars and Stripes Dated April 25, 2024. By Linda Hersey
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OK All you Marines Gumby is Here
Semper Gumby is an unofficial dog Latin motto meaning "Always Flexible," used within the United States Military, NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps, and Federal Emergency Management Agency. It is a play on several official mottos such as Semper Fidelis ("Always Faithful"), Semper fortis ("Always strong"), and Semper Paratus ("Always Ready"). Semper Gumby refers to the animated clay character Gumby.
The real Latin phrase meaning "Always Flexible" would be Semper Flexibilis.
The first use of Semper Gumby is often assigned to Captain Jay Farmer of HMM-264 in 1984. He actually flew with a Gumby character toy mounted on the standby compass on the instrument panel of his CH-46E nicknamed "Airwolf". However, the term was in use in 1977/78 in 1st Battalion, 5th Marines at Camp Pendleton.
Another popular belief is that the term was first referenced by the 1st Sgt TOW Co. 3rd Tank Battalion 7th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Task Force Ripper) prior to deployment of Operation Desert Shield from MCAGCC 29 Palms, Ca. on August 15, 1990. "'Marines,' my platoon commander in Nam used to tell us, 'Semper Gumby, Always Flexible.'" The 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines has "always flexible" as part of their official motto. Semper Gumby is also a common phrase used in the field of emergency management. The new Marine Corps Logo!!!!
Agent Orange
VA has screened 5 million Veterans for toxic exposures, paving the way for early detection and treatment of health conditions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 12, 2023 | 10:30 amhttps://news.va.gov/press-room/va-screens-5-million-veterans-toxic-exposures/
A key component of the PACT Act and President Biden’s Unity Agenda for the nation, these toxic exposure screenings begin an important conversation about exposure health risks between Veterans and their medical providers
WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it has screened 5 million Veterans for toxic exposures — a critical step to detecting, understanding, and treating potentially life-threatening health conditions. Of the 5 million Veterans who have received the screening, 2.1 million (43%) reported at least one potential exposure.
The screening takes five to 10 minutes and begins with VA health providers asking Veterans if they believe they experienced any toxic exposures while serving in the armed forces. Veterans who answer yes are then asked follow-up questions and offered connections to information on benefits, registry-related medical exams, and other clinical resources, as indicated. Their responses to the screenings are then added to their VA medical record to be included as part of their future care.
This milestone comes just 13 months after the screening launched at VA medical centers and clinics nationwide as a part of the PACT Act. The PACT Act expanded VA health care and benefits to millions of Veterans, paving the way for VA to deliver more care and more benefits to more Veterans than ever before in 2023.
“By screening Veterans for toxic exposures, we can improve their health care and detect potential health challenges as early as possible,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “This leads to better health outcomes — and better quality of life — for these heroes who were exposed to toxins while serving our country.”
“We have made significant progress toward our goal to screen all Veterans enrolled in VA health care for toxic exposures at least once every five years,” said VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal, M.D. “But most importantly, this milestone means we’ve had 5 million opportunities to provide Veterans with the exposure-informed care they deserve.”
The screening covers a variety of different types of toxic exposures, but the two most reported exposures are burn pits and Agent Orange, which together make up more than 60% of Veteran responses. More than half of the Veterans screened (2.6 million) are 65 years old or older, with Veterans under 45 making up just over 900,000 of those screened. Of the nearly 650,000 Women Veterans who regularly use VA care, more than 535,000 have been screened for toxic exposures.
While the toxic exposure screening does not play a role in determining disability compensation, it does provide an opportunity to connect Veterans with the resources they need to file a claim. Each Veteran who reports a potential exposure receives a letter with information about how to apply for benefits.
To fulfill the goal of screening every Veteran enrolled in VA health care at least once every five years, VA is exploring new and innovative ways to reach out to Veterans, including those who are vulnerable or don’t routinely access VA care. The Department is also in the pilot stages of developing a self-screening tool that will make the initial question of the screening even more easily accessible to Veterans with access to web-based electronic communications.
The PACT Act has expanded and extended access to VA health care for Veterans. Thanks to the PACT Act and other new laws, many groups of Veterans are now able to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for VA benefits – including World War II Veterans, Vietnam Veterans, Gulf War Veterans, Veterans who deployed to a combat zone and transitioned out of the service less than 10 years ago, and more. As President Biden directed, all remaining toxic-exposed Veterans will be eligible to enroll directly in VA health care next year under the PACT Act – including any Veteran who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other combat zones during the Persian Gulf War or after 9/11. Veterans who aren’t currently enrolled can submit an application and receive their toxic exposure screening after enrollment.
The PACT Act also expanded VA benefits for millions of Veterans, making more than 300 health conditions “presumptive” for service connection. This means that if an eligible Veteran has one of these health conditions, VA automatically assumes that the condition was caused by the Veteran’s service and provides compensation and care accordingly. VA encourages Veterans and their survivors to apply for these benefits now at VA.gov/PACT. For more information about how the PACT Act is helping Veterans and their survivors, visit VA’s PACT Act Dashboard. To apply for care or benefits today, visit VA.gov/PACT or call 1-800-MYVA411.
Note:
Be aware if VA wants to conduct physical testing (bloodwork or invasive medical procedures). VA's ability to conduct testing of that nature has long been suspect and it does not have the capability to carry on that type of medical research, despite what they may tell about the VA SHIELD process.
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If you know any disabled Veteran that needs help with a construction project, contact Habitat for Humanity they may be able to help.