Welcome to the Marine Corps League Department of California Website

Department Chaplain Ted Corbett Passes Away

Ted faithfully served the Department, and National, including earning "Leaguer of the Year" at last year's convention and having served as National Vice-Commandant Southwest Division, and Military Order of the Devil Dogs in many offices.

Ted Corbett was born and raised in Brockton Massachusetts.  He dropped out of high school and joined the Marine Corps at the age of 17 in 1953. He started off as a member of the infantry after Boot at Parris Island.  He later served at Camp Lejuene, Korea, the Mediterranean, Puerto Rico, Hingham, Cherry Point, Okinawa, Vietnam, Parris Island, Camp Pendleton, San Diego, New River, Yuma, 29 Palms, Hawaii, Iwakuni, and retired at El Toro after 29 years.

He started off as a Private rose to Gunnery Sergeant and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant out of Vietnam. He subsequently retired as a Captain and received his Bachelors Degree from National University in 1982.  He worked for ten years with General Dynamics as an Electronics Engineering Supervisor building test and launch control equipment for the Atlas, Atlas Centaur, Shuttle Centaur and Titan Centaur programs.

He joined the League in 1957 and was the chief of staff with the Flynn Detachment in Brockton, Massachusetts. He got to be active and a charter member with the San Diego Bulldog Detachment.  Here he went through the chairs and become the detachments 7th Commandant.

He has served the Department of California as the Area 1 Coordinator, VAVS Coordinator and Awards Chairman as well as being elected to the office of Department Chaplain twice.  He was selected to serve as the Assistant Vice-Commandant Southwest Division and followed as the National Vice-Commandant.  He has received many accolades in his military career as well as the Marine Corps League.

His personal military citations include the Meritorious Service Medal, The Navy and Marine Achievement Medal with Combat "V" and Good Conduct Medal with two stars. His Accomplishments in the League have brought him three Distinguished Citizen Medals (Gold), three Distinguished Citizen Medals (Silver) three Distinguished Citizen Medals (Bronze) and two Distinguished Service Medals (Bronze).

Ted is survived by his wife Veronica "Ronnie" Corbett and children Sean Corbett, Dennis Ferretta, Michele Farley, Christine Gomez, Jeffrey Ferretta, Andrea Kerwin and many grandchildren.

Ted's wife, asked that donations be made to the Injured Marine Fund co-founded by Ted.

COMMANDANT'S PRAYER

Lord, We thank you for the life of Ted Corbett.  May he rest in eternal peace in your loving arms. We pray for his family as they mourn his passing. You clearly tell us that you will comfort all those who mourn. Comfort this family with your love and touch. Thank you for the service and sacrifice of this Marine and his family for so many years. He has earned this rest. AMEN

Rob Jackson, Commandant

Marine Corps League, Department of California

MCL Forms Available On-Line

There are now four MCL Forms available that may be completed on-line, they are: Dues Transmital, Request for Transfer, Report of Officer Installation, and Death Notices. The Forms are located on the Official Forms page.

Commandant's Message

Fellow Leaguers:

Rob Jackson Dept. of California Commandant

For those who visit this Department of California website frequently, oohrah. To those here for the first time, welcome. Here you will find, arguably, everything you need to know about the Department: A listing of Officers and how to contact them; a calendar of events, conferences, convention, birthday balls and other important Marine Corps League events. Here you will find locations of Detachments and contact information for officers. We also include pictures of past events, forms you may need to use and links to other Marine related sites including the MCL National website.

From Six Rivers in Eureka, to the San Diego Bulldogs, from Monterey Bay to Antelope Valley, there are fifty Marine Corps League Detachments throughout the State that join together in camaraderie for the purpose of preserving the traditions and promoting the interests of the United States Marine Corps.

Activities include care packages for our overseas Marines, care for widows and orphans, Birthday Balls, participation in parades, Honor Guards, Burial Details,  Toys for Tots, fundraising for Wounded Warrior and Semper Fi, and on and on. I am proud of our California Detachments and all you do for your communities, your MCL, and your Country. We are a strong voice for upholding and protecting the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

To the visitors at this site, if you are a Marine and possess a DD-214, or a Corpsman who served with an FMF unit for more than 90 days, I urge you to join us by contacting your nearest Detachment. If you have not served as a Marine or Corpsman and wish to join us as an Associate Member, please do. Among our Associate Members are spouses and relatives of Marines.

To Marine Corps League members: once a Marine, always a Marine. Stay involved. If you are not a Life Member, keep up your membership when it comes due every year. Bring in new members, ensure they feel welcome, and get them involved in your activities.

I quote Cpl Jeff Sornig from Navy Times, I love the Corps for those intangible possessions that cannot be issued: pride, honor, integrity and being able to carry on the traditions for generations of warriors past.

Additional Information

The Fall Conference is coming up October 14 and 15 in Palmdale. Accommodations and meetings will be at:
Hilton Garden Inn
1309 W. Rancho Vista Blvd.
Palmdale, CA 93351
(661) 998-2000

A block of rooms, at the rate of $104 per night, has been reserved. The rate code is “MCL.”

I am currently working on an agenda, but to give you a “heads up”,  a Trustee/Staff meeting will be held at 1300 October 14. This meeting is open to all Department Marines.

So that more Commandants will be able to attend, the Commandants Council will be at 0830 October 15. The last three Council meetings have been very productive in the sharing of ideas and the suggestions for improvement of communication, organization, fundraising, etc.

The Department business meeting will start at 1000. Please send me any agenda items that you may want included.

We will break for noon chow from 1200 - 1330.

The afternoon agenda tentatively includes a report and recommendations from the Website/media Task Force. (If you have not put in your 2 cents worth to Tom Shine, regarding what you want in a website, please do so immediately.)

There will also be a presentation on “How to Put on a Convention or Conference” by a Marine who has headed many such committees, both Marine and Civilian. We need a Detachment to step up for the 2013 Convention, so this is your opportunity to learn how.

We will also have a Seminar/Presentation on the newly established Department Regions, the job of the Region Coordinators, and the benefit to Detachments.   

Note that Commandants reports are not required. I feel that one report per year at the Convention is sufficient. Commandants are encouraged to add thoughts, ideas and special reports during the “Good of the League” agenda item.

Regarding the Boy Scout program, I receive, from National, about 8-10 requests for Eagle certificates per month. The certificates are made up, sent to the nearest Detachment and presented at Courts of Honor. I know many Detachments are in touch with local BSA Councils and provide certificates on their own. This is an excellent program. So that the Department and Detachments will receive National recognition, I ask that you send award reports (name, city, date) to our Scouting Committee head, Tom Gates at  Thomas@thomzteam.com 

That’s it for now. I hope to see you all at Palmdale. I hear the accommodations, the nearby mall and eating establishments are great. Thanks much to Antelope Valley Detachment 930 for hosting us.

Semper Fidelis.

Rob Jackson
Commandant, Department of California

Commandant's previous articles

Mission Statement: Members of the Marine Corps League join together in camaraderie and fellowship for the purpose of preserving the traditions and promoting the interests of the United States Marine Corps and those who have been honorably discharge from that service; voluntarily aiding and rendering assistance to all Marines and former Marines and to their widows and orphans, and by perpetuating the history of the United States Marine Corps through fitting acts to observe the anniversaries of historical occasions of particular interest to Marines.

Marine Corps League Overview: General John A. Lejeune founded the Marine Corps League in 1923. The Charter was granted by an act of Congress on August 4, 1937. The Department of California is in the Southwest Division under the MCL National Headquarters. The Department of California is organized into seven Regions that contain forty-five detachments plus the Department of California Auxiliary with four Units.

Who Can Join? The league is comprised of honorably discharged as well as reserve and active duty Marines and FMF Navy Corpsmen with over 90 days of service. Those individuals that want to participate with the Marine Corps League but do not otherwise qualify may join as Associate Members.