Mail Call!

John and Wendy Rocca

Having served in the Army, John Rocca knows how encouraging a care package from home can be.  When his daughter Tracy, an Army Combat Engineer deployed in 2003, John and his wife Wendy had opportunity to be sure that she received continuing support from home.  A few weeks after she arrived overseas, Tracy sent home a note that the supply system was bogged down and her unit was running low on a lot of personal items.   John and Wendy invested about $1000 to purchase an array of supplies like soaps, shampoo, magazines, hygiene products, and other necessities and sent it off to Tracy.  Four weeks later the shipment was gratefully received by Tracy and her unit.  In a thank you note, Tracy shared that there were five soldiers in her unit who had no families to contact them.  She asked if John and Wendy would write to them.  The Rocca’s followed up on that contact with personalized packages to each of those five soldiers and that act of kindness was the seed of an effort that has grown to include thousands of deployed troops over the past 11 years.

Dave Brooks and John Rocca in front of donated supplies

Operation American Soldier is a 501 3C charitable organization that was created by John and Wendy Rocca with the ideal that no deployed troop should be in a position to not receive mail.  Rather than a mass produced and anonymous package, recipients of mailings from Operation American Soldier receive a personalized, hand written note and materials that are specifically selected for that person.   Working from “word of mouth” referrals, Yellow Ribbon events, and from lists of referrals from deployed units and families of troops, Operation American Soldier volunteers canvass merchants for donations, organize supplies, produce hand-made hats, gloves and blankets, and participate in packing and shipping efforts to send out an average of 225-250 customized packages a month.

 

A blanket, handmade by volunteers

From the initial start in their kitchen, the Rocca’s expanded to their basement, realizing that the expansion of the program was exceeding the space available in their home.  At a Watertown community outreach event where they were participating to expand awareness of Operation America Soldier, John was having difficulty raising a tent that was part of their display.  Mike Munger, a member of the Watertown based Marine Corps League Charles J. Shutt Detachment # 139 was also participating in the outreach event and offered to help. A combat veteran, Mike is no stranger to

 putting up tents.  Mike’s initial assistance led to a

conversation with the Rocca’s and an invitation to visit the Shutt Detachment Headquarters for further discussion. Mike’s welcoming and helpful assistance led to John joining the Detachment as an associate member and was the start of deep involvement of the Shutt Detachment in Operation  American Soldier.

As the program expanded, John and Wendy were also successful in gaining support and donations from individuals, local merchants and larger entities.  A realtors by profession, John &Wendy were awarded the 2009 Greater Boston Realtor Association “Good Neighbor Award” as well as the Massachusetts Association of Realtors Good Neighbor Award. This recognition came with a grant of funds and led to subsequent recognition with the National Association of Realtors for their Good Neighbor Award, 2010.  With this recognition came grants to sponsor 4000 boxes allowing continued growth of Operation American Soldier.  National home improvement chain, Lowe’s contributed $2,500.  Additionally the local Lowe’s management agreed to provide supplies at half price.  This influx of funds and support enabled the expansion of Operation American Soldier beyond the Rocca’s home. 

Having joined the Marine Corps League Shutt Detachment, John and Wendy found another source of support and encouragement.  Detachment Commandant, Ed Aucoin, a retired Marine Corps Master Sergeant, graciously offered space that would have been his office as the new operations center for Operation American Soldier.   With continued growth and demand, there was soon a need for more space.  With supplies and materials donated by Lowe’s, Shutt Detachment members took on the task of converting basement of their building into working space.  Detachment member Dave Brooks recalled that the basement of the former mansion had fallen into disrepair and was in serious need of rehabilitation before it could be used.  Brooks personally removed five truckloads of trash to clear the space.  Using donated materials and labor, the formerly dank basement was converted into a well-lit, freshly painted area where volunteers and detachment members can move freely to store, organize, pack, and ship materials to the troops.  As the effort grew, Lowe’s donated a storage shed and the detachment yielded space in the members’ area to host monthly packing events.

On a recent January evening, 25 Operation American Soldier volunteers busily prepared the latest quantity of boxes for shipping.  While some worked in the basement storage area staging personal supplies and protein rich snacks, others manned numerous work stations in the detachment lounge area, pulling together items to be packaged into male and female focused mailing boxes.  Still others worked through lists of scheduled recipients to prepare handwritten, personalized notes.  John and Wendy Rocca covered a lot of ground insuring that packages slated for shipment were properly organized and labeled and coordinating all aspects of the process.  With cases of socks donated from Reebok, shelves of highly popular peanut butter, hand knit blankets and hats, and a wide array of toiletries, magazines and personal products to be shipped, the Shutt Detachment facility was a hive of activity.  Commandant Aucoin and Dave Brooks discussed the flag fragment card that is included in each package to reinforce to the troops that they are not forgotten.  From the grassroots effort in John and Wendy Rocca’s kitchen, to the well-oiled machine hosted at Watertown’s Shutt Detachment, Operation American Soldier is testimony to what a few committed people can accomplish with the right motivation and support.  John Rocca may not have been a Marine, but he has the heart of one and the Marine Corps League is grateful to have him and Wendy among us.  Complete details on Operation American Soldier can be viewed at http://www.OperationAmericanSoldier.com/

Massachusetts Marine Corps League Marines of the Year

Each year, Marine Corps League Detachments select a member to be Marine of the Year.  In this space, we will recognize those Marines who have been chosen by their peers as having gone the extra mile in exemplifying the ideals of the Marine Corps.

Corpsman Up!

Armand "Doc" Riendeau in greens

On his resume’, Leo T Fortier Detachment #130 Past Commandant Armand Riendeau is described as a dynamic healthcare management professional with a passion for Respiratory Therapy and an entrepreneurial focus on ambulance and emergency services.   Now working as a consultant to area hospitals and medical facilities, “Doc” Riendeau’s expertise did not come easily.

A native of Lowell, Riendeau was raised in a single parent family.  While his interest in medical topics started at a young age, the motivation and commitment that it would have taken to go into college and medical school did not develop early.  Inspired by the legacy of an uncle who was killed when a Japanese Kamikaze plane attacked the USS Bunker Hill during the invasion of Okinawa in World War II, Armand joined the Navy, with the intent of acquiring training and experience in the medical field.   While his uncle served in World War II when the odds of seeing action were high, in the Navy in 1965, the likelihood of combat roles was reduced by the nature of the Viet Nam War.  After completing initial training and specialized schooling to work in an operating room, Armand elected to pursue Field Medical Service School, knowing that this came with a strong likelihood of assignment to a Marine Corps unit in Viet Nam.  Upon completion of training in 1967, Riendeau was soon bound for Okinawa for a short staging stay prior to continuing on to serve at the 1^st Hospital Company of the First Marine Division in Chu Lai and Da Nang. 

Marine of the Year Riendeau in MCL Uniform

His arrival in Viet Nam put Doc Riendeau into a medical facility that provided services in a hotly contested area that generated a constant stream of wounded and injured Marines.  Compounding a difficult assignment was the fact that his overseas tour included the time of the 1968 Tet Offensive.  At times the Corpsmen and Doctors at Da Nang had wounded patients lined up for many days as they worked to keep up with the increased volume.  As a twenty year old, Riendeau was daily faced with making critical, life and death decisions under circumstances that included fatigue, fear, inclement weather and constant pressure.   While extremely hard, he recalled, “In retrospect, I would not do anything different.  We had amazing responsibility, dealing with severe injuries while under frequent mortar attack, with choppers full of casualties arriving daily, it provided an opportunity to find out who I really am.”  He was able to complete his tour and return to the states with minimal physical injuries and memories that are not all pleasant.

After returning to the states, Armand completed his Navy service and commenced his civilian medical career.  He pursued additional education and expanded his skills through positions of increasing responsibility in local hospitals.   Certified as a Registered Nurse and Respiratory Therapist, Doc also built upon his Viet Nam experience to establish himself as an expert in Ambulance and Emergency Services.  Having daily made critical decisions in Viet Nam, transporting injured patients was an area where Riendeau brought exceptional knowledge.  Using a converted Ford Bronco as a base vehicle, he was able to incorporate equipment and procedures that he recalled from Viet Nam to develop the first hospital based Advanced Life Support Program in the area.  This grew into a vital service that responded to vehicle accidents and other critical care situations in a twelve town area.  Doc recalled that despite the horrific nature of some of the accidents that he responded to, he was typically the calmest person on site as he had dealt with so much constant trauma overseas.

As his civilian career progressed, Riendeau’s personal life also moved forward.  Like most others, he had his ups and downs.  In 2005, his father in law, Sam Spinnazzola, a China Marine himself, invited Doc Riendeau to a Marine Corps League meeting.   At that time, as a Corpsman he was not eligible for full membership but the welcoming atmosphere and camaraderie led him to join as an Associate Member.   In the Marine Corps League, Doc found a level of acceptance that led him to reach into his memory and begin to confront and deal with some of what he had been through in Viet Nam.  No one sees what he saw and does what he did without an impact.   The support of others, some of whom had similar experiences, was a valuable aid in beginning to deal with it.

When full Marine Corps League membership was opened to Corpsmen, Doc began to take on leadership roles.  In addition to being active in detachment programs, he served in progressive roles, eventually taking on the role of Commandant, a post he held for six years.  His successor, current Commandant Kevin Fleming, was instrumental in putting forward Doc Riendeau’s name for selection as Marine of the Year.  Kevin reflected that Doc has been instrumental in increasing membership and has been a key contributor to all programs.    Doc expressed his surprise at the honor of his selection but his colleagues state that there is no more deserving Marine in the detachment.

Commenting on his experience in the Marine Corps League, Doc Riendeau expressed that his membership has solidified the relationship between Marines and Corpsmen.  He states that combat Marines treat him like a brother and that he has felt like an equal in the Marine Corps League.  His connection to the league and the opportunity to deal with experiences has led him to utilize veteran’s resources to better understand and reconcile his past.  Doc is proud of his record of success in recruiting new members, having raised membership by 30%.  He attributes his success to the fact that he insured that Detachment #130 kept up a visible presence at town events like Memorial Day and Veterans Day observances and appeared faithfully at wakes and funeral services.   As he puts it, “Doing it right means putting in the time and making sure that people see the detachment as an active part of the community.”

Reflecting on his motivation to join the service in his youth, Doc recalled that in high school , he had joined the Lowell Boy’s Club.  His favorite activity was a drill team that was organized and overseen by a local Marine Corps veteran.    Using mock M-1’s, the team performed complex silent drill maneuvers and competed throughout the state.  This was Doc Riendeau’s first taste of the teamwork and discipline that comes with military service.  The organizer of the drill team was named Leo T. Fortier, the same person for whom Doc Riendeau’s Marine Corps League detachment is named.  With this connection to his past, Doc Riendeau feels honored to be able to have served as Commandant of a detachment named for a person who was a pivotal part of his youth.

The Leo T. Fortier Detachment #130 is proud to recognize the service and accomplishments of Armand “Doc” Riendeau.   We join them in saluting Doc, and are pleased to have him among us.  It may be rare for a Navy Corpsman to have been a Marine Corps League Detachment Commandant.  Nonetheless, Doc Riendeau has demonstrated service exemplifying the highest standard of the Marine Corps League.