Yellow Ribbon America

North Pole South USA: Amazing last Toy & Gift pick up of 2023 Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families Christmas Drive at the beautiful coastal Newport Beach, California City Hall.

Thank you to everyone that supported our annual heartfelt Christmas support effort for our U.S. Military and their families. A special “Thank you” to the City, Citizens and Fire & Police Departments of Newport Beach, California, the Huntington Beach Fire Department, the City and Citizens of Irvine, California, our U.S. Military Elves, the Ontario Fire Department, the Hollywood Canteen Foundation, the Southern California Walmart Stores that participated, Metro Point at South Coast and the Good Lord who blessed us throughout the year in so many ways. We are so excited for our 2024 Christmas Drive which is our 20^th Year Anniversary! We hope and pray this will be our best year ever! 

Santa Claus, Santa’s Elves, Volunteers, Troops and their Families having fun during a “Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families”. Help Support Americas Military Units and their families Today! Donate at https://wp.yellowribbonamerica.org/donate/ 

Many military families will be separated from their loved serving far away from home this Christmas but Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families with your help CAN help make their Christmas holidays a little brighter. To help ease the holiday blues, we are encouraging all our fellow American’s to financially donate and donate toys and other gift items to help support our local Military Unit’s Christmas Parties with their families and catch up on lost family time, special moments and holidays.

Our Heartfelt Christmas Mission is to mobilize much needed local community help and support for our Nation’s Military Unit’s and especially their families through the Christmas Holiday Season. And to teach & encourage America’s local communities to support them. Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families is a great grassroots community event that was created as a blueprint for the whole Country can participate in. So that all American’s together can help support their local Military Units and their families not just at Christmas time but year-round.

“Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families” is a sponsored community outreach project of Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation and the Yellow Ribbon America News & Campaign for America’s Military members and their families. Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation is a California public benefit nonprofit corporation, with tax-exempt status under Sections 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, EIN: 46-4762128.

“Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families”, Military Family Day Events, Deployment & Welcome Home Event Support Efforts are Community Outreach Projects of Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation and proudly supported by the Yellow Ribbon America News, Campaign & The Store for America’s Military members and their families. Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation is a California public benefit nonprofit corporation, with tax-exempt status under Sections 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, EIN: 46-4762128.

YELLOW RIBBON AMERICA NEWS DESK:

December 12, 2023 Patrick Space Force Base, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA.

The 45th Space Wing Civil Engineer Squadron Base Operations Unit Christmas Party was a great success! Sponsored by Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families we were able to get wonderful Toys and Gifts. We helped pay for the food and beverage costs for the Guardians, Airmen, their families and military children.

But WE NEED YOUR HELP with sending the Toys and Gifts we collected for their 160 Military Children! We estimate the UPS shipping costs to be between $2200 to $2600. You can help us bring more Christmas cheer and great military family memories for America’s 6^th and newest branch go to https://wp.yellowribbonamerica.org/donate/ and donate today!

Patrick Space Force Base is a United States Space Force installation located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, Florida. It is home to Space Launch Delta 45 (SLD 45), known as the 45th Space Wing. In addition to its “host wing” responsibilities at Patrick SFB, the 45 SW controls and operates Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Additional tenant activities at Patrick SFB include the 920th Rescue Wing, the U.S. Air Force Technical Applications Center, and the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, NASA and Space X. Total employment is 10,400. There are 13,099 military, dependents, civilian employees, and contractors on base.[

The 45th Space Wing

The host wing for Patrick SFB is the Space Launch Delta 45, whose personnel manage all launches of uncrewed rockets at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station 12 miles to the north. These rockets include satellites for the Department of Defense, including the National Reconnaissance Office and the National Security Agency, as well as scientific payload launches in support of NASA, weather satellite launches in support of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, payloads in support of international customers such as the European Space Agency, and commercial payloads for various corporate communications entities. Units and individuals from the 45th Space Wing-now-SLD 45 have deployed abroad during wartime, most notably during the War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

“Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families” is a community outreach projects of Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation and proudly supported by the Yellow Ribbon America News, Campaign & The Store for America’s Military members and their families. Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation is a California public benefit nonprofit corporation, with tax-exempt status under Sections 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, EIN: 46-4762128.

We are picking up our first batch of Christmas Toys and Gifts this Friday! December 8, 2023. Thank you, City and Citizens of Newport Beach, California, USA! You are helping to bring Christmas cheer to our U.S. Military Children and their Families!

Many of our Military families are finically studdling thiss year. Your Help and Support is needed more than ever. Southern California Toy & Gift Donation Locations and Days and Times are below.

Big things are happening this year at Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families… Be part of the fun and Help Support Our Troops and Their Families and Donate Today! https://wp.yellowribbonamerica.org/donate/

“Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families”, Military Family Day Events, Deployment & Welcome Home Event Support Efforts are Community Outreach Projects of Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation and proudly supported by the Yellow Ribbon America News, Campaign & The Store for America’s Military members and their families. Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation is a California public benefit nonprofit corporation, with tax-exempt status under Sections 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, EIN: 46-4762128.

YELLOW RIBBON AMERICA NEWS DESK:

Orange County, California, USA. Chief Elf Brad Reporting.

On December 6, 2022 the Orange County Board Supervisors Unanimously declares the Month of December Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families Month! Chief Elf Brad made an Emergency plea for Toys for local Military Children do to the low amount of Toy Donations this year, The tear-filled speech was so moving that OC Supervisors Andrew Do donated a check for $1,000 dollars and then OC Board of Supervisors Board Chairman Doug Chafee whose Son is a deployed U.S. Navy Submariner asked Supervisor Andrew Do to raise his Donation to $1100 and matched it! A total of $2200 of their own money! OC Supervisor Foley Donated Toys and a  number of people in the audience were so moved with the outpouring of the Christmas Spirit they opened up their wallets and donated an additional $331 dollars!  What a wonderful Christmas moment. 🎅🎄🎁

“Operation Christmas For Our Troops & Their Families” is a community outreach projects of Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation and proudly supported by the Yellow Ribbon America News, Campaign & The Store for America’s Military members and their families. Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation is a California public benefit nonprofit corporation, with tax-exempt status under Sections 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, EIN: 46-4762128.

History of Veteran’s Day 

1918

World War I, then normally referred to simply as The Great War (no one could imagine any war being greater!), ended with the implementation of an armistice [temporary cessation of hostilities-in this case until the final peace treaty, the infamous Treaty of Versailles, was signed in 1919] between the Allies and Germany at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of November, 1918.

1919

November 11: President Wilson proclaims the first Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.” The original concept for the celebration was for the suspension of business for a two minute period beginning at 11 A.M., with the day also marked by parades and public meetings.

1920

On the second anniversary of the armistice, France and the United Kingdom hold ceremonies honoring their unknown dead from the war. In America, at the suggestion of church groups, President Wilson names the Sunday nearest Armistice Day Sunday, on which should be held services in the interest of international peace.

1921

Congress passes legislation approving the establishment of a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. November 11 is chosen for the date of the ceremony. According on October 20, Congress declares November 11, 1921 a legal Federal holiday to honor all those who participated in the war. The ceremony was conducted with great success.

1926

Congress adopts a resolution directing the President to issue an annual proclamation calling on the observance of Armistice Day. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, most states establish November 11 as a legal holiday and at the Federal level, an annual proclamation is issued by the President.

1938

Congress passes legislation on May 13 making November 11 a legal Federal holiday, Armistice Day. The United States has no ‘actual’ national holidays because the states retain the right to designate their own holidays. The Federal government can in fact only designate holidays for Federal employees and for the District of Columbia. But in practice the states almost always follow the Federal lead in designation of holidays.

1941- 1945
1950- 1953

World War II and the Korean War create millions of additional war veterans in addition to those of the First World War already honored by Armistice Day.

1954

On June 1, President Eisenhower signs legislation changing the name of the legal holiday from Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day.

1968

Congress passes the Monday Holiday Law which established the fourth Monday in October as the new date for the observance of Veteran’s Day. The law is to take effect in 1971.

1971-1975

The Federal observance of Veterans Day is held on the fourth Monday of October. Initially all states follow suit except Mississippi and South Dakota. Other states changed their observances back to November 11 as follows: 1972- Louisiana and Wisconsin; 1974- Kentucky, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, South Carolina, West Virginia; 1975- California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming

1975

Legislation passed to return the Federal observance of Veteran’s Day to November 11, based on popular support throughout the nation. Since the change to the fourth Monday in October, 46 states had either continued to commemorate November 11 or had reverted back to the original date based on popular sentiment. The law was to take effect in 1978.

1978

Veteran’s Day observance reverts to November 11.

The Official Birthday of the United States Marine Corps, on 10 November 1775, was when the Second Continental Congress decreed:

That two battalions of Marines be raised consisting of one Colonel, two lieutenant-colonels, two majors and other officers, as usual in other regiments; that they consist of an equal number of privates as with other battalions, that particular care be taken that no persons be appointed to offices, or enlisted into said battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve for and during the present war with Great Britain and the Colonies; unless dismissed by Congress; that they be distinguished by the names of the First and Second Battalions of Marines.

Tun Tavern, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is regarded as the birthplace of the Corps as the location of the first Marines to enlist under Commandant Samuel Nicholas, though it is disputed if a recruiting drive may have occurred earlier at Nicholas’s family tavern, the Conestoga Waggon . When the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, the Continental Navy was disestablished, and with it, the Continental Marines. The Corps was re-established on 11 July 1798, when the “act for establishing and organizing a Marine Corps” was signed by President John Adams.
Celebration: John A. Lejeune, author of Marine Corps Order 47.

Prior to 1921, Marines celebrated the recreation of the Corps on 11 July with little pomp or pageantry. On 21 October 1921, Major Edwin North McClellan, in charge the Corps’s fledgling historical section, sent a memorandum to Commandant John A. Lejeune, suggesting the Marines’ original birthday of 10 November be declared a Marine Corps holiday to be celebrated throughout the Corps. Lejeune so ordered in Marine Corps Order 47:

The first formal ball was celebrated in 1925, though no records exist that indicate the proceedings of that event. Birthday celebrations would take varied forms, most included dances, though some accounts include mock battles, musical performances, pageants, and sporting events.

The celebrations were formalized and standardized by Commandant Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. in 1952, outlining the cake cutting ceremony, which would enter the Marine Drill Manual in 1956. By tradition, the first slice of cake is given to the oldest Marine present, who in turn hands it off to the youngest Marine present, symbolizing the old and experienced Marines passing their knowledge to the new generation of Marines. The celebration also includes a reading of Marine Corps Order 47, republished every year, as well as a message from the current Commandant, and often includes a banquet and dancing if possible. In many cases, the birthday celebration will also include a pageant of current and historical Marine Corps uniforms, as a reminder of the history of the Corps.  Another modern tradition includes a unit run on the 10th. Marines are reputed to celebrate the birthday, regardless of where they may be in the world, even in austere environments or combat.

In a more somber tradition, Samuel Nicholas’s grave in the Arch Street Friends Meeting graveyard in Philadelphia is marked with a wreath at dawn by a group of Marines annually on 10 November to celebrate his role in the founding of the Corps.