We are an active detachment offering the camaraderie you knew on active duty.
Our 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, banding together those who are now serving in the United States Marine Corps and those who have been honorably discharged from the Marine Corps that they may effectively promote the ideals of American freedom and democracy, voluntarily aiding and rendering assistance to all Marines, FMF Corpsmen, FMF Chaplains, and their widows and orphans; and to perpetuate the history of the United States Marine Corps and by fitting acts to observe the anniversaries of historical occasions of particular interest to Marines.
The Marine Corps League lives and strives to practice our motto of MARINES HELPING MARINES. Once a Marine, Always a Marine!
Our Monthly Newsletter.
What We Do.
The Marine Corps League is proud to support our Marines in many areas. We have 10 Divisions covering 48 Departments, and over 1,140 Detachments in communities across the Country.
We support the Toys for Tots efforts working with the Marine Corps Reserve and Toys for Tots Foundation to raise millions of dollars for the youth of America, collect and distribute millions of toys all across the United States.
The Marine Corps League provides funeral honors support to over 10,000 funerals per year. This support allows the Marine Corps (Active and Reserve) to focus more of their resources on mission preparation.
The Marine Corps League supports the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, Semper Fi Fund, Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, Mack's Marines, and the Young Marines.
We have several scholarship/award programs including the Merchant Marine Academy Marine-Option Honor Graduate, Marine Corps University LtGen Lejeune (luh-jern) Leadership Award, Delta Dental Scholarship, and college scholarships through the Marine Corps League Foundation.
One of our most critical missions is assisting transitioning Marines and their families in support of the Marine Corps' Marine for Life program.
With our partners at the Marine Corps Association and Foundation, we produce the Marine Military Expositions including Modern Day Marine Expo, Marine West Expo, and Marine South Expo.
The Marine Corps League produces a quarterly publication called the Semper Fi Magazine.
We have many programs supporting our Marines, their families, and our community:
Veteran Service Officers (VSO)
Scouting/Eagle Scout Program
Marine Roses Program
POW/MIA Remembrance
Rifle and Pistol Competition Matches
Volunteer Assistance Veterans Service (VAVS)
Color Guards
Gooney Bird: Unsung Hero of WWII
It’s said that when General Dwight D. Eisenhower was asked to name the weapons that led to the Allied victory in WWII, he didn’t mention bombers or fighter planes—he named the C-47 Skytrain, due in part to its ability to carry safely large loads of everything from soldiers and jeeps to ammunition and food.
As an aircraft that enabled complex wartime logistical operations, the C-47 isn’t the most glamorous or idolized aircraft of WWII. It earned the nickname “Gooney Bird” because its large, lumbering image mirrored that of the giant albatross birds found on Midway Island in the Pacific. Despite the goofy name, the Gooney Bird was critical to executing support operations that helped win the war. What made it such an indispensable logistics machine, and how did it come to be? It’s time to salute this unsung hero of WWII aircraft.
Learn more about the history of the C-47 here.
Detachment History
One night in late 1976, a few World War II Marines met in the Old 76 Tavern in Old Tappan in a scene reminiscent of a similar played out in 1775 in Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, where our beloved Marine Corps was founded. Those attending decided to gather together former Marines and form a Detachment for the Marine Corps League. Among those present were William Steffens, a Pearl Harbor survivor and Tom Nevins, a former Marine Fighter pilot.
Over the following months they began to recruit former Marines from all over Bergen County with meetings being held at various locations e.g., Old Hook Inn, Emerson Hotel, American Legion Hall in Park Ridge, Knights of Columbus Hall in River Edge, and other various homes, taverns, and restaurants. During one of those meetings, it was decided to elect a Commandant with a vote being taken and Jack Hanley was elected to be the first Commandant.
Jack Hanley had been a member of the Marine Corps League and also Commandant of the Rockland Detachment and as such, it was believed he had the expertise to get the group together. The next challenge was to name the detachment, required so that a petition for a chapter could be filed. At the time, members were all World War II veterans, with most having served in the South Pacific. It seemed logical to come up with a name commemorating a person or place in the South Pacific. Some group members wanted the name to be the Black Sheep Squadron, but after some research, it was learned the name was already in use by a Pennsylvania detachment.
Other names were suggested but the final choice was the Gooney Bird Detachment. Gooney birds are a type of albatross that inhabit the South Pacific. While beautiful in flight, they are less gracious in landing and taking off. The name also commemorated C-47s which have the same nickname, which used the small island landing strips to ferrying soldiers serving in the Pacific theater back to the United States. The Marines in the South Pacific nicknamed themselves Gooney birds and by extension it became a nickname for other Marines, similar although less popular than Jarhead or Leatherneck.
On 22 September 1978, the Detachment was presented with its Marine Corps League Charter at the Inn on Knickerbocker Road in River Edge by Donald Gast, the Commandant of the Department of New Jersey, Marine Corps League. There were 27 members in attendance. Later that year, November 10th, we held out first Birthday Ball at the Old Hook Inn in Emerson. In two months, the membership had almost doubled to 44 members. In 1979, the Detachment had grown to 90 members and has continued to grow to even larger numbers ever since, becoming one of the largest Detachments in the Department of New Jersey.
