Run for the Wall visits Marana

Motorcyclists participating in the annual Run for the Wall visited Marana on My 16.

On Thursday, May 16, there was more morning traffic than usual at the Marana Road Exit. Six-hundred and eighteen motorcycles, to be exact! Their purpose? A brief pitstop on their way across the country.
 
Their final destination? The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC as part of the "Run for the Wall". Every May, motorcyclists ride together to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to honor those that have passed, welcome home the participating veterans and provide an opportunity for reflection.

Marana Road exit is one of the annual stops for the riders, and businesses in Marana welcomed the motorists with signs, parking areas (while all 618 where getting fueled up), and gas donations from Circle K. There were many honks during these 2 hours as onlookers waved and gave thumbs up as they passed, and a number of families came out to support the bikers.

This event is the largest and longest organized cross-country motorcycle run in the world, and has participants from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and more.

This year, the ride started on May 15 and they will reach Washington D.C. on May 24. There are four different routes crossing the country in different regions. The southern route began in Ontario, California and made a pit stop in Marana on Thursday morning.

While in Marana, there was a brief ceremony with the Golder Ranch Fire Fighters Pipes and Drums Local 3832 playing and presenting colors, local school children performing the Pledge of Allegiance, and Amber Simons O’Neill singing a version of  Hallelujah.

One of the pillars of the Run to the Wall is to always strive for safety, and they accomplish this by working with local public safety officers to ensure safety for participants, traffic, sightseers, and other stake holders. Marana Police Department and Northwest Fire were a couple safety agencies present.  

To view their live progress through GPS Signal visit here: https://rftw352.findmyscout.com/scouts/map

Marana Regional Airport To Host U.S. Marine Memorial Service

Marine Memorial at Marana Regional Airport/Photo courtesy Tucson Local Media

Tom Wilson, Sr., Commandant of the Nighthawk 72 Marana Detachment #1344 Marine Corps League, announced today that there will be a Memorial Service at the Marana Regional Airport on Saturday, April 6, 2018 at 10:00AM to honor the 19 U.S. Marines that were tragically killed in an MV-22 Osprey Tilt rotor aircraft accident at the Airport on April 8, 2000. 

The ceremony will include posting of colors by the Marine Corps; wreath laying by various organizations; guest speakers Honorable Mayor Honea, Department of Arizona Marine Corps League Commandant John Rodriguez, and Cpl Joshua Hanson, 3rd Battalion 5th Marines 0331 Machine Gunner; rifle salute, taps, bagpiper and vocalist Amanda Sinner. 

A special missing man formation flyover provided by the Scorpion Squadron of the West Coast Ravens Formation Team. 

The event is free and open to the public. 

March 16, 2019 the roadside memorial was moved slightly northeast and a parking area was created. The new area is more suitable for the ceremony. 

 Additional Background Information The MV-22 Osprey Tilt rotor aircraft was conducting a training mission in support of Operational Evaluation (OPEVAL) when it went down at the Marana Regional Airport in Marana, Arizona on April 8, 2000. During the mission, the crew and Marines conducted Non-combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) exercises as part of the Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course, with Marines embarking and disembarking the aircraft. The mission was conducted at night utilizing night vision goggles and forward looking infrared radar to enhance night operational capability. This mishap aircraft was part of the Multiservice Operational Test Team, based at Patuxent River, Maryland, but was temporarily attached to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron-1 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. 

The 19 Marines Lost were as follows: 

3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division 
Sgt. Jose Alvarez, 28
Pfc. Gabriel C. Clevenger, 21 Pfc. Alfred Corona, 23 
Lance Cpl. Jason T. Duke, 28
Lance Cpl. Jesus Gonzalez Sanchez, 27
Lance Cpl. Seth G. Jones, 18
2nd Lt. Clayton J. Kennedy, 24
Lance Cpl. Jorge A. Morin, 21
Cpl. Adam C. Neely, 22
Pfc. Kenneth O. Paddio, 23
Pfc. George P. Santos, 24
Lance Cpl. Keoki P. Santos, 24
Cpl. Can Soler, 21
Pvt. Adam L. Tatro, 19 

 Marine Wing Communications Squadron 38, Marine Air Control Group 38 
Cpl. Eric J. Martinez, 21

Marine Helicopter Squadron 1
Maj. John A. Brow, 39
Maj. Brooks S. Gruber, 34
Cpl. Kelly S. Keith, 22

Marine Tilt-Rotor Training Squadron 204
Staff Sgt. William B. Nelson, 30 

USMC Nighthawk-72 Memorial Improvements

A Marine color guard participates in the ceremony to honor those who perished in the April 8, 2000 crash of a MV-22 Osprey Tilt rotor aircraft at the Marana Regional Airport.

Friends of Nighthawk-72 along with the Town of Marana and the Marana Regional Airport are making improvements to the existing roadside memorial that is located at the intersection of Avra Valley and Sandario Roads. The memorial honors those who perished in the April 8, 2000 crash of a MV-22 Osprey Tilt rotor aircraft at the Marana Regional Airport.

The improvements are scheduled to take place in two phases beginning March 16, 2019. The project is expected to be completed by April 2020.

Phase One: The existing memorial, flagpole and benches will be relocated slightly northeast of their current location. The new location is in-line with the actual crash site of the MV-22 Osprey Tilt rotor aircraft.

Phase Two: A sidewalk and pentagon area will be added that will have bronze markers of the 4 USMC units that were involved in the accident.

Skilled and unskilled volunteers are needed on March 16 to assist in the relocation of the memorial, and there will be more volunteer opportunities in the future.

Fundraising is being handled by Friends of Nighthawk-72, a non-profit organization working closely with
Nighthawk-72 Marana Detachment #1344 Marine Corps League, Town of Marana, and Marana Regional Airport.

The 19th Annual Memorial Service will be held April 6, 2019 at 10 am.

Once the existing memorial is moved and improvements are made, the goal is to transform the existing memorial into an official National Memorial and park.

For additional information or to volunteer contact: Terry Byron (520) 982-0023, FriendsOfNighthawk72@hotmail.com and www.FriendsOfNighthawk-72.org

Additional Background Information
The MV-22 Osprey Tilt rotor aircraft was conducting a training mission in support of Operational Evaluation (OPEVAL) when it went down at the Marana Regional Airport in Marana, Arizona on April 8, 2000. During the mission, the crew and Marines conducted Non-combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) exercises as part of the Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course, with Marines embarking and disembarking the aircraft. The mission was conducted at night utilizing night vision goggles and forward-looking infrared radar to enhance night operational capability. This mishap aircraft was part of the Multiservice Operational Test Team, based at Patuxent River, Maryland, but was temporarily attached to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron-1 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona.

The 19 Marines Lost are as follows:

3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division

Sgt. Jose Alvarez, 28                              Pfc. Gabriel C. Clevenger, 21                              Pfc. Alfred Corona, 23

Lance Cpl. Jason T. Duke, 28.                Lance Cpl. Jesus Gonzalez Sanchez, 27            Lance Cpl. Seth G. Jones, 18
2nd Lt. Clayton J. Kennedy, 24             Lance Cpl. Jorge A. Morin, 21                             Cpl. Adam C. Neely, 22     
Pfc. Kenneth O. Paddio, 23     Pfc. George P. Santos, 24                             Lance Cpl. Keoki P. Santos, 24
Cpl. Can Soler, 21                                   Pvt. Adam L. Tatro, 19

Marine Wing Communications Squadron 38, Marine Air Control Group 38

Cpl. Eric J. Martinez, 21

Marine Helicopter Squadron 1
Maj. John A. Brow, 39                             Maj. Brooks S. Gruber, 34                                   Cpl. Kelly S. Keith, 22

Marine Tilt-Rotor Training Squadron 204
Staff Sgt. William B. Nelson, 30

Town honored for support of Veterans Cemetery

On June 19, the Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery Foundation presented the Marana Town Council with a piece of artwork to thank the Town for being community partners with the cemetery in North Marana.

The painting “Home at Dusk,” by artist Robert Taylor depicts a squadron of P-51 Mustangs flying in formation during World War II. It will be placed on permanent display by at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery, and will boast a commemorative plaque thanking the Town for their contributions.  

“Our foundation deeply appreciates the effort being made here in the Town,” said Sawn Pfund, a board member for the Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery Foundation.

The Town of Marana has been committed to supporting its community of military veterans, and they do their utmost to honor them. Those efforts have led to Marana being designated a Purple Heart Town. 

“I’d like to thank the Town on behalf of the foundation. that continues to do work with us, to do what is right, what we normally say is the right thing to do for our veterans, both here in Marana and in Pima County,” said Pfund.

Pfund also gave praise to the Marana Police Department and other area law enforcement agencies who help provide traffic support for the foundation’s memorial events at the cemetery. 

The Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery Foundation is committed to the continued enhancement and beautification of projects inside the cemetery grounds.

Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery is located at 15950 N Luckett Road in North Marana.

Marana Town Council supports 2018 YMCA Community Military Ball

Marana Town Council made an official proclamation on May 15 giving their support to the 2018 YMCA Community Military Ball, which will be held on November 10.

The ball is one of the biggest formal integrations of community and military that occurs in Arizona.

“I want to thank the Town, the Mayor, the Vice Mayor and all of the Council Members for all your support for the military, our current active serving military members, as well as our veterans and retired,” said the events co-chair retired United States Air Force Major General Ted Maxwell. “This community is incredibly open to [us].”

Marana has been named a Purple Heart City based on support for the military.

“Many staff members along with many families in the Marana community, have served or have family members who have served, or continue to serve, in various branches of the Armed Forces,’ the proclamation reads.

Proceeds from the ball will be “dedicated entirely to enhance, extend, and expand access for military families to local community YMCA facilities, programs and services.”

“This ball will give back to the family members of current military members,” Maxwell said.

Maxwell also explained the importance of the Marana Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery, which opened in 2016.

That cemetery has changed more lives for veterans as well as family members to have a place of calm and respite, the ability to spend time with their loved ones who are gone,” said Maxwell. “the idea [of] knowing there is a place that our families will have a place to go in the future.”

The YMCA Community Military Ball will be held at the Tucson Convention Center.

The YMCA’s Community Military Ball recognizes the YMCA’s longstanding tradition of service to military families and is a celebration in honor of veterans, active duty, reserve, fallen, and retired servicemen and women from all military branches. 

KVOA: Unclaimed remains of veterans laid to rest in Marana

KVOA provided a story on a special ceremony at Marana's Veteran's Cemetery. 

The unclaimed remains of 29 U.S. Veterans were laid to rest on Saturday during a special ceremony in Marana. The ceremony is part of an annual effort led by the Veterans Recovery Program that works to make sure unclaimed remains are identified and properly interred.

"We have veterans that have cremated remains that have been sitting on shelves for years," said Veteran Paul Marsh.

Marsh has been part of the effort to get the Veteran Cemetery in Marana. 

The 29 veterans that were honored on Saturday may have never been identified had it not been for the Veterans Recovery Program.

"They deserve as good of treatment as we can give them as veterans. We do this type of thing twice a year to take good care of our veterans who don't have anybody to take care of them," said Marsh.

Read the rest of the story on KVOA's website. 

12 News in Phoenix also ran a story on the ceremony. 

Local Organization Recycles Plastic Bags to Benefit Homeless Vets

Plastic grocery bags have taken some hits in recent years.  First it was paper bags, which are more easily recycled.  Then it became reusable bags, which you can fill with your groceries again and again.  A new program in Marana, though, is helping plastic bags find redemption by repurposing them for homeless veterans. 

On Tuesday, December 15, David Morales, a veteran of the Vietnam War, presented this new idea to the Marana Town Council.  Holding up a colorful mat, he surprised his listeners by revealing what it was made from: plastic grocery bags.  Morales also had a pillow and blanket in tow, and was happy to pass them around.

“Pima County has 1,500 homeless veterans, and they benefit from every bit of help we can provide them,” says Mr. Morales. “When I returned from Vietnam, it was hard for me to find the support I needed, and I just want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to help these young men and women coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the older vets like me.  They’ve served us, and now it’s time for us to serve them.  In combat, we never leave anyone behind, and we definitely never want to leave anyone behind at home.”

Each mat, pillow, and blanket is actually hundreds of plastic bags tightly woven together.  A three foot by six foot mat requires 600 plastic bags.  Since the program started, Mr. Morales’s organization, Disabled American Veterans, has collected thousands of bags for the program. 

The program first began when Jim Snodgrass saw a story on the news.  As Selective Placement Program Manager for the Federal Correctional Complex on Wilmot, Mr. Snodgrass appreciates opportunities to turn inmates’ time to a productive purpose.  Ten months ago, a group of pre-trial female inmates started processing these bags, converting trash that would otherwise sit in a landfill for an estimated 1,000 years into useful products that will benefit the homeless.  Since then, the idea has rapidly grown into a program that allows shoppers to recycle plastic bags, inmates to give back to their community, and homeless vets to keep warm.  While it doesn’t solve the issue of chronic homelessness, it’s a small step in the right direction.  “This offers us a small way to give back and say thank you to those who have served, and at the same time we’re providing a positive way for inmates to contribute to the community.” 

Once a mat is completed, Snodgrass hands it off to Tucson Veterans Serving Veterans, an organization which provides a direct veteran-to-veteran link that strengths this network as a whole.  TVSV has a strong connection with the homeless veteran community across Pima County, and is strategically positioned to provide the outreach necessary to ensure these mats are distributed as broadly as possible.

Anyone interested in recycling their plastic bags can drop them off at the Marana Municipal Complex, 11555 W. Civic Center Dr. or at the Disabled American Veterans office at 4145 W. Ina Road.  If you would like to host a collection box at your business, please contact the DAV office at (520) 791-9067.  They will arrange a regular day and time when they will pick up your recycled bags.

News Release: Town Council Passes Resolution Supporting Fisher House

On Tuesday, October 20, the Marana Town Council approved a resolution in support of the Arizona Fisher House to be located on the campus of the Southern Arizona VA Health Care Center in Tucson.  This facility will provide free housing for families of active military and veterans who are undergoing treatment provided by the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System at the Tucson VA hospital or area facilities.  As a Purple Heart Town, Marana firmly supports all efforts that support our veteran community.

There are 65 Fisher Houses located on 24 military installations and 24 VA medical centers across the United States, Germany, and England. Tucson will be home to the 66th Fisher House.  By recognizing that “a family’s love is good medicine,” the Fisher House network unites relatives as they gather in a time of need.  By removing the stress of finding a place to stay, Fisher Houses everywhere seek to ease the already heavy burden borne by military and veteran families.  Since its inception in 1991, the Fisher House community has saved families an estimated $282 million in out-of-pocket lodging and transportation expenses. In 2014 alone over 25,000 families were served.

In 2011, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs approved the Southern Arizona VA as the site for the newest Fisher House.  Construction is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2015 and hosting guests in early 2016.  When it opens its doors, it will offer 16 fully furnished suites to visitors, along with a large shared kitchen, laundry facility, and communal living space.

“The Marana Town Council is deeply committed to its veteran community,” says Town Manager Gilbert Davidson.  “With the new veterans cemetery to be completed next year, along with the Town’s Purple Heart designation, we are eager to support any effort that helps improves the lives of veterans.” 

In 2013 alone, the Southern Arizona VA in Tucson served over 2,000 veterans with families living outside Tucson.  Soon, those families will be able to stay nearby, rather than having to find a hotel or travel a long distance for a brief visit.  Marana is a proud supporter of this project and is pleased that the Southern Arizona VA will soon be able to offer this amenity. The Friends of Arizona Fisher House Foundation will continue supporting families by providing food, local transportation and other necessities for the families and needs of the house itself. For more information on how to help, please visit www.arizonafisherhouse.org.