Taps

BY FATHER PHIL SALOIS, M.S.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, Creator of all and Grandfather Spirit,

We come before you during this time of year when we celebrate so many beautiful and rich holidays. On November 11 we celebrated and honored all who have served and continue to serve this great nation of ours in all branches of the military in times of war and in times of peace, never to neglect our brave Semper Fi Marines who celebrated the U.S. Marine Corps’ birthday the preceding day, November 10.

On Thanksgiving we offer you our deepest gratitude for America, the country we live in with its bountiful riches and beauty and, above all, freedom. And now we prepare for the high holy days of Hanukah with our Jewish brothers and sisters and the Lord Jesus’ birthday on Christmas Day for all who profess the Christian faith. The day after Christmas begins the nine-day observance of Kwanzaa in which we join with our African-American brothers and sisters in celebrating African heritage, unity, and culture.

And so, dear Lord God, we beseech you to bestow on all of us during this precious and holy time your eternal blessings for good health, especially an end to this dreadful and deadly COVID pandemic, and bring us to a happy, more prosperous New Year in 2022. In your holy name, we pray. AMEN!

Larry Ivey Adams, 75, Georgia Chapter 1070, died August 27.

Andres Agan, Jr., 83, Nevada Chapter 17, died August 30.

Benjamin Jimmy Alexander, 74, Georgia Chapter 1082, died August 25.

Lawrence C. Armstrong, 75, Pennsylvania Chapter 67, died August 19.

Jerry Dean Baker, 73, Michigan Chapter 387, died April 27, 2017.

Kenneth W. Batten, 72, Illinois Chapter 669, died September 17.

J. Owen Berry, 79, New Jersey Chapter 510, died March 17.

George Sanders Blair, 89, Alabama Chapter 1067, died September 18.

Richard Ray Blake, 78, Missouri Chapter 317, died September 24.

Thomas Ray Blankenship, Sr., 69, West Virginia Chapter 37, died May 1.

Donald E. Bonge, 75, New York Chapter 82, died January 11, 2020.

Walter Jerome Brock, 75, South Carolina Chapter 523, died September 4.

James Brossmann, 81, Texas Chapter 870, died September 8.

Ernest Gene Calloway, 68, North Carolina Chapter 124, died July 13, 2018.

Thomas L. Carmody, 74, Arizona Chapter 975, died August 3.

Ronald J. Carron, 72, Illinois Chapter 534, died September 4.

Jimmy John Chapman, 75, Texas Chapter 870, died October 6.

Merle Allen Christians, 77, Iowa Chapter 776, died August 21.

James Arthur Coan, Sr., 73, at-large Washington, died August 8.

Ernie W. Cohen, 71, Florida Chapter 1059, died July 12.

Gerald Edwin Cox, 74, New York Chapter 20, died August 17.

Lawrence E. Cranford, 73, Oregon Chapter 392, died September 24.

Richard Franklin Cris, 68, Virginia Chapter 752, died May 6.

William Rudolph Crites, 74, North Carolina Chapter 909, died August 21.

Ronald Arthur Dahl, 79, Colorado Chapter 1106, died February 18.

Frank Dean, Jr., 73, Oregon Chapter 392, died August 2.

Patrick Henry Delforge, 74, Wisconsin Chapter 224, died August 9.

Roberto Delgado, 80, Florida Chapter 620, died August 17.

Richard Charles DeLong, 74, Louisiana Chapter 141, died August 31.

Steven P. DeRuyter, 73, Wisconsin Chapter 224, died August 10.

Patrick Joseph Devine III, 73, North Carolina Chapter 909, died December 10, 2020.

Jimmie Cleveland Donaldson, Sr., 70, Alabama Chapter 373, died August 20.

Thomas John Donoven, 82, Indiana Chapter 295, died July 18.

Patrick Brendan Doyle, 76, at-large New York, died August 22.

Albert Wilburn Draper, 87, Tennessee Chapter 950, died September 18.

David Paul Dudeck, 71, Indiana Chapter 1027, died August 28.

William F. Duffy, 73, Florida Chapter 1037, died September 5.

Roger Charles Elliot, Sr., 72, Iowa Chapter 798, died September 23.

John Christopher Engelmeyer, 71, Missouri Chapter 794, died October 7.

Robert Tait Ervin III, 85, Alabama Chapter 864, died August 10.

Gerald William Excell, Jr., 73, North Carolina Chapter 885, died August 19.

Victor Michael Forget, Jr., 72, Rhode Island Chapter 818, died August 19.

Anthony Franzone, 74, at-large New York, died August 31.

Charles Ewing Fuller, Jr., 74, California Chapter 47, died September 8.

Larry Rollin Fuller, 77, New York Chapter 77, died July 28.

Ronald J. Fuller, 74, Texas Chapter 863, died October 3.

Joseph Lee Galloway, Jr., 79, Honorary Life Member, died August 18.

Alexander Gaston, 74, Hawaii Chapter 858, died August 23.

Arturo N. Gonzalez, 77, Texas Chapter 844, died September 1.

Joyce A. Hall, 72, Delaware Chapter 850, died September 1.

Cris Matthew Hamilton, 81, at-large Arizona, died July 5.

Robert Leroy Hanafin, 69, at-large Ohio, died August 6, 2020.

Daniel Gary Hartsfield, 73, Missouri Chapter 70, died September 11.

John Alexander Heath, 87, Florida Chapter 1046, died August 14.

Terry L. Heath, 74, Indiana Chapter 71, died August 20.

Steven Allen Hepp, 66, Wisconsin Chapter 409, died September 15.

Roy Lee Hollins, 81, Oklahoma Chapter 751, died September 29.

Charles Eugene House, 69, Indiana Chapter 295, died July 13.

Elizabeth Sue Hughes, 74, West Virginia Chapter 628, died August 21.

Michael J. Hughes, 72, New York Chapter 803, died August 8.

Albin Felix Irzyk, 101, Florida Chapter 25, died September 10, 2018.

C. Gordon Jackson, Sr., 77, Delaware Chapter 850, died September 25.

LeMonye A. Jackson, 82, South Dakota Chapter 1054, died September 26.

Eugene G. Jakubenas, 76, Wisconsin Chapter 224, died September 13.

Donald Eugene Johnston, 73, Illinois Chapter 299, died August 7.

Paul Everett Jordan, 76, Kentucky Chapter 1006, died August 11.

John J. Kauza, 79, New Jersey Chapter 452, died August 20.

Dannie Carl Keeling, 75, Tennessee Chapter 950, died August 28.

Jimmie Arthur Keeton, Jr., 74, Colorado Chapter 1071, died September 1.

Kenneth Norman Kehrer, 72, Michigan Chapter 142, died August 30.

John Isaac Kelley, 74, Tennessee Chapter 596, died September 17.

John R. Kennedy, 70, Kansas Chapter 75, died September 13.

Allen Richard Kerbyson, 75, Michigan Chapter 528, died August 18.

Samuel Lewis Key, Jr., 69, Tennessee Chapter 1089, died August 25.

Donald Edmond King, Jr., 75, Tennessee Chapter 1140, died August 15.

Donald Michael Kraft, 75, New York Chapter 77, died September 17.

Edward W. Krasnai, Jr., 73, Pennsylvania Chapter 1008, died September 27.

Robert R. Kuhlman, 72, Michigan Chapter 528, died June 23.

Frank James Laitkep, 72, Texas Chapter 1069, died August 31.

Philip E. Lang, 78, Michigan Chapter 528, died July 21.

Glen R. Leach, 72, Tennessee Chapter 596, died August 11.

John Ligner III, 71, Michigan Chapter 528, died August 22.

James J. Lomoglio, 73, Florida Chapter 1036, died August 30.

Ralph Clayton Louria, 76, Michigan Chapter 274, died June 22.

Leonard N. Mack, Jr., 71, South Dakota Chapter 1054, died September 24.

Peter J. Manolio, 80, New York Chapter 72, died October 17.

Joel Wayne McDuffie, 73, Georgia Chapter 1082, died September 6.

Gary Frank Monell, 73, West Virginia Chapter 874, died August 24.

Thomas Floyd Montez, 71, Utah Chapter 1079, died July 30.

James I. Moore, Jr., 75, Pennsylvania Chapter 210, died August 26.

Albert Jerome Newman, 71, Michigan Chapter 274, died August 27.

Jimmy R. Ochoa, 73, Texas Chapter 1069, died September 3.

Daniel J. O’Leary, 79, New Jersey Chapter 12, died September 26.

Donald K. Olin, 73, Arizona Chapter 975, died March 9.

Richard Daniel Parkinson, 75, Texas Chapter 137, died August 2.

Thomas R. Pascoe, 76, Indiana Chapter 1027, died February 10.

Troy Lee Pope, 76, Texas Chapter 1122, died August 15, 2020.

Gerald L. Porter, 77, Illinois Chapter 669, died September 18.

Patrick T. Rainey, 73, Florida Chapter 1059, died August 13.

James W. Rauh, 70, New York Chapter 12, died August 15.

Larry D. Ready, 75, Oklahoma Chapter 751, died September 15.

Allen Gene Roeder, 72, Texas Chapter 870, died September 9.

Alvin Glen Roettger, 74, Colorado Chapter 1071, died September 4.

Marlin Saltzman, 88, Louisiana Chapter 1131, died October 14.

Samuel Oliver Sears, Jr., 83, Iowa Chapter 888, died August 22.

Thomas J. Shannahan, 78, Rhode Island Chapter 818, died September 2.

George Anthony Shearer, 72, Pennsylvania Chapter 974, died March 4.

John B. Sheldon, 73, Tennessee Chapter 1140, died October 1.

Ricard D. Shuler, 79, Kansas Chapter 75, died June 25.

Tommy C. Staff, 72, Texas Chapter 1069, died August 20.

James Lewis Stamm, 76, Michigan Chapter 109, died September 14.

Wynn Starr, 74, Pennsylvania Chapter 862, died August 13.

Michelle Jane Stork, 70, Ohio Chapter 954, died January 21.

Jerold J. Stouffer, 84, Wyoming Chapter 99, died September 18.

Earl Blake Strang, Jr., 74, West Virginia Chapter 306, died August 5.

Bennie Kyle Swindall, Sr., 74, Virginia Chapter 1061, died August 8.

Rene A. Sylvester, 75, New York Chapter 377, died May 15.

Richard Edwin Tauer, 73, Florida Chapter 1084 and Arizona Chapter 1043, died September 9.

Arthur Russell Tracy, Jr., 73, North Carolina Chapter 124, died November 21, 2020.

Oscar M. Vidales, Jr., 71, Texas Chapter 574, died August 26.

Donald R. Walker, 82, Texas Chapter 1000, died August 8.

Nathaniel G. Washington, 73, Oklahoma Chapter 751, died August 22.

Robert E. Westfall, 74, Florida Chapter 1036, died July 28.

Joseph Edward White, Sr., 72, Pennsylvania Chapter 862, died August 13.

Roger Wiesmore, 75, New York Chapter 20, died August 27.

Don F. Woolum, 75, Ohio Chapter 10, died July 11.

Tolbert Earl Wyatt, 75, Oklahoma Chapter 751, died August 16.

Charles W. York, 76, Oklahoma Chapter 751, died August 9.

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