Program areas at Marines' Memorial Foundation
Non-profit entities: the Foundation hosts and directly supports a variety of non-profit organizations both local and from afar. These organizations provide culture and entertainment opportunities to educate and a location to expand their mission. For example, annual gold star parents honor and remembrance at Marines' Memorial, an event that provides a safe and compassionate environment where families come together to commemorate their loved ones killed in action, bond over their shared grief, receive support services and counseling specific to their current situation and build a lasting community at little to no cost to them. What started as a few families informally coming together for a reprieve from grief has grown to more than 100 gold star parents and their children participating in a professional support offering.
Other commemorative and educational events. These events included meet the author, lecture, and leading from the front series events. Our inaugural event of the year was a Marines' Memorial lecture series featuring a presentation by former commandant of the marine corps, general robert b. neller in august 2022. This event was followed up by an educational "meet the real top gun" event featuring two f/a-18 pilots instrumental in the making of the movie "top gun, maverick." In july 2022, we hosted the first of three "meet the author" events with a presentation by dr. steven trout, author of "the vietnam veterans Memorial at angel fire," followed by a "meet the author" panel in october featuring three authors prominent in the veteran space, former marines fred galvan, amy forsythe, and scot huesing. Author phil gioia treated the association with another meet the author event in october 2023 with a presentation on his vietnam memoir, "danger close." During the year, we were fortunate to host three "lecture series" events beginning in january with brigadier general jason morris, commanding general, marines recruit depot san diego (january 2023), lieutenant general george smith, commanding general, i marine executionary force (march 2023), major general benjamin watson, commanding general, first marine division (may 2023), and brigadier general jason woodworth, commanding general, marine corps installations wets / marine corps base, camp pendleton ca (june 2023). Also, during 2023, the association hosted two "leading from the front" series events with in-person presentations by director of the movie "devotion," jd dillard and his father and former blue angel, bruce dillard, and another blockbuster "leading from the front" with a giant of the military veteran community, general david petraeus (june 2023).