Marine Corps Birthday Celebration To Honor Texas Medal of Honor Recipients

THE WOODLANDS, TX -For more than 240 years the United States Marines have done their duty in the face of conflicts "from the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli." So it is appropriate that from the Forests of The Woodlands, to the Border and every State Line, the service of all Marines will be honored at a public celebration marking the Corps' 241st Birthday on Thursday, November 10. The event will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the Texas Marines Medal of Honor Memorial, the only monument in Texas that honors all Texas Marine recipients of this country's highest military service accolade, located in Town Green Park, The Woodlands.

     Special guest speaker for the event this year will be Steven A. Hummer, Lieutenant General of U.S. Marines, Retired. Born on 1 July 1952 in Pennsylvania as the son of a US Marine veteran and US Navy Chaplain, Lieutenant General Hummer retired from the US Marine Corps on 1 Aug 2015 after 41 years of active service. After enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1970, service as a Crypto-Tech, and an honorable discharge as a sergeant in 1973, Lieutenant General Hummer was commissioned following graduation from Albright College, PA, in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psycho-Biology.

     His assignments in the operating forces included: Rifle Platoon Commander and Company Commander with 3d Battalion, 3d Marines and 1st Battalion, 1st Marines; OIC, 1st Marines Regimental Enhanced Training Section, 1st Marine Division; Operations Officer, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), III Marine Expeditionary Force; Officer-In-Charge, Special Operations Training Group, III MEF; Commanding Officer, Battalion Landing Team 1/1 under 13th MEU(SOC) and 15th MEU(SOC); Commanding Officers, 7th Marines, 1st MARDIV; Chief of Staff, Joint Special Operations Command; Director of Operations (J-3), US Forces-Iraq; and Deputy to the Commander for Military Operations, US Africa Command. Lieutenant General Hummer participated in combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

     Supporting establishment duties included: Registrar, Marine Corps Institute; Ceremonial Rifle Company Commander, Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C; Department Head, Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Pacific; Commanding General, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and Deputy Commander, Marine Forces Pacific; Chief of Staff, US Special Operations Command; Assistant Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations, Headquarters Marine Corps; Deputy Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command; and Commander, Marine Corps Forces Reserve and Marine Corps Forces North.

     Lieutenant General Hummer is a graduate of The Basic School, Officers Infantry Course, Amphibious Warfare School, Command and Staff College, and School of Advanced Warfighting within the Marine Corps University; and earned a master's degree in International Security Studies from the Air War College.

     His decorations include: Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal w/ 3 palms, Legion of Merit w/ Combat "V" and 2 gold stars, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal w/ 2 gold stars, Good Conduct Medal, and other personal awards and decorations.

     Lieutenant General Hummer and his wife, Sheri, have a son, David, daughter-in-law, Stephanie, and grandson, Jaxson. They currently reside in The Woodlands, Texas.

     Having moved here permanently to The Woodlands in January of this year, we want to welcome the Hummers to our Great State and to The Woodlands community.

     In addition, a wreath-laying ceremony will commemorate the actions of those 17 Texas Marines whose names are listed on the Memorial. All but two of the Medals were awarded posthumously; the other two recipients, William George Harrell of Rio Grande City, and George Herman O'Brien Jr, passed away 1964 and 2005, respectively. For organizers, each one is more than a name in stone, each one has a story. For example, Jack Lummus, from Ennis, attended Baylor University and was a New York Giant football player. He was a 29-year-old First Lieutenant at Iwo Jima.

     All Marines, Marine families and friends are welcome to attend this free event, which is sponsored by the Texas Marines Medal of Honor Fund, a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to commemorating the service of all Marines, especially the ultimate sacrifice of the 17 Texas Marines whose names are now together carved in granite. The Monument was placed in 2009 following years of planning and effort by members of the Fund.

     Immediately following the birthday ceremony, interested parties are invited to join the committee members for a reception to discuss how we can join together to create an on-going effort that will develop a Woodlands network of Marine veterans and will support the education of Marines and their children. Location to be announced at the birthday celebration.

For more information on the Texas Marines Medal of Honor Fund, or the establishment of the monument in Town Green Park, contact Jeff Early at 281-296-0165.