Service’s birthday celebration brings together Marine Corps members
Five U.S. Marine Corps veterans Austin Gillette, Vern Bjugstad, Lee Barta, Mike Graf and Ron Coleman, who served together in Vietnam nearly 60 years ago, gathered at the U.S. Marine Corps birthday celebration and dinner Monday, Nov. 20. From the left, clockwise, are: Bjugstad and his wife, Jane, of Mandan; Frank Heart, New Town, who served with 1st Battalion, 9th Marines; James Barta, Portland, Ore., and his father, Lee Barta of Kalispell, Mont.; Gillette of White Shield; Graf of McDermott, Ohio; and Coleman of Dunkirk, Ind.
Lee Barta, left, the oldest Marine, and Virgil John Hall, second from left, the youngest Marine attending the U.S. Marine Corps birthday celebration and dinner, are shown by the cakes made in commemoration of the event.
Recruiters with the Marine Corps Recruiting Station in Minot were among those attending the U.S. Marine Corps birthday celebration and dinner at 4 Bears Casino Monday, Nov. 20. From the left are Sgt. Marcus Schrimshaw, Staff Sgt. Christopher Harr and Cpl. Jackson Hill.
Mark Fox, chairman of the MHA Nation, speaks during the U.S. Marine Corps 250th birthday celebration and dinner held in the 4 Bears Casino Ballroom Monday, Nov. 10. The celebration and dinner were sponsored by his office.
Five U.S. Marine Corps veterans Austin Gillette, Vern Bjugstad, Lee Barta, Mike Graf and Ron Coleman, who served together in Vietnam nearly 60 years ago, gathered at the U.S. Marine Corps birthday celebration and dinner Monday, Nov. 20. From the left, clockwise, are: Bjugstad and his wife, Jane, of Mandan; Frank Heart, New Town, who served with 1st Battalion, 9th Marines; James Barta, Portland, Ore., and his father, Lee Barta of Kalispell, Mont.; Gillette of White Shield; Graf of McDermott, Ohio; and Coleman of Dunkirk, Ind.
Lee Barta, left, the oldest Marine, and Virgil John Hall, second from left, the youngest Marine attending the U.S. Marine Corps birthday celebration and dinner, are shown by the cakes made in commemoration of the event.
Recruiters with the Marine Corps Recruiting Station in Minot were among those attending the U.S. Marine Corps birthday celebration and dinner at 4 Bears Casino Monday, Nov. 20. From the left are Sgt. Marcus Schrimshaw, Staff Sgt. Christopher Harr and Cpl. Jackson Hill.
Mark Fox, chairman of the MHA Nation, speaks during the U.S. Marine Corps 250th birthday celebration and dinner held in the 4 Bears Casino Ballroom Monday, Nov. 10. The celebration and dinner were sponsored by his office.
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NEW TOWN - When a special U.S. Marine Corps birthday celebration and dinner was held in the 4 Bears Casino Ballroom, west of New Town, Monday, Nov. 10, Austin Gillette of White Shield was joined by four members of his unit who served together in Vietnam.
The Nov. 10 event, sponsored by the Office of MHA Nation Chairman Mark Fox, celebrated the 250th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps, with veterans and active-duty members attending. Fox is a Marine Corps veteran.
Amtrac Platoon members, called Amgrunts, of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, who served with Gillette from 1968-69 and attended the event included Mike Graf of McDermott, Ohio; Lee Barta of Kalispell, Montana; Vern Bjugstad of Mandan and Ron Coleman of Dunkirk, Indiana. They also attended the Veterans Day activities in White Shield on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
Lovell Overlie, a spokesperson for the Office of Mark Fox, said a sign-in sheet at the event showed 75 Marines were in attendance. About 125 people took part in the event, including Marine Corps recruiters from the Marine Corps Recruiting Station in Minot and a U.S. Navy Corpsman.
"It was good to see all the veterans. I think it was a great event," Sgt. Marcus Schrimshaw with the Marine Corps Recruiting Station in Minot, said. He said he is certain all the recruiters would love to attend future events.
Keith Bigcrow played the national anthem, and during the event, each Marine Corps veteran was asked to speak about their service time.
Barta, 84, was the oldest Marine veteran attending and Virgil John Hall, 22, was the youngest Marine in attendance.
Overlie said there were many new attendees at this year's event, including a Marine veteran from Alabama who was working in Williston and learned about the event.
All of the Marines attending were presented a $200 gift card and gift bag.
Following the dinner, some participants visited the casino's Red Willow Riverboat.
A U.S. Marine Corps dinner has been held every year since Fox took office in 2014. Other veterans' dinners and celebrations are held on Veterans Day throughout the MHA Nation and hosted by others, Overlie said.