It was a beautiful sunny day at the Lake San Marcos (LSM), a twenty minute drive from MCAS Camp Pendleton, the current home of HMM-364, where eight members of the Squadron were treated to lunch and a round of golf before being joined by their wives or girl friends for dinner.

Sixty eight Marines and Naval personnel, recent returnees from Iraq and Afghanistan, and from units based at Camp Pendleton and MCAS Miramar, accepted invitations from the men's and women's clubs at this Southern California retirement community for the golf outing. Also invited were the entire 17 members of the Wounded Warrior Center at the US Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton. 

The Wounded Warriors, their wives and girl friends, were treated to box lunches provided by a local Chick-fil-A Restaurant, a lake outing on houseboats belonging to local residents and a magic show performed by several professional magicians who donated their time for the day.

All these Marines were guests at a sit down dinner where they sat with the Club Members with whom they had played golf. The M-C for the program following dinner was a former HMM-364 pilot Dennis McKee, USMC(Ret) who led the assembled Marines in a loud OOOORAH thanking the members for a memorable day.  The Marines got to their feet to serenade their hosts with a full volume rendition of The Marine Corps Hymn and all 250 there sang God Bless America to conclude the program.

In excess of $12,000. in golf equipment, dinners, shopping trips and beauty treatments for the ladies were showered on the beaming Marines and their wives during the evening. Members of the Club had spent weeks gathering gifts and funds from local merchants with some national corporations
donating funds to support the major charity supported by the  event, The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. A fund representative was present to receive over $10,000. in checks. McKee, Event Co-Chair, said that all donations had yet to be received and that amount was certain to grow.

A number of the Marines paid their respects to 96 year old Morgan Jones, a long time LSM resident, who was captured at Bataan in early 1942, endured the infamous Death March and a perilous boat trip to Manchuria, where he worked in the mines until being rescued at the end of World War II.

This years event was the second time that LSM residents have hosted this event. They unanimously indicate their reason for participating in the honoring of these young men and women is their abiding admiration for our fighting forces who battle terrorism and protect our way of life.

In an emotional moment during his remarks McKee spoke for the local residents when he said, "As you go forth from here tonight, let it be known that the men and women of Lake San Marcos stand solidly behind you. You will always be in our thoughts, you will always be in our hearts, you will always be in our prayers. Your service will not be forgotten."