Marine Corps birthday celebration at Town Green Park

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- For 242 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’ 242nd Birthday on Friday, November 10.

The event will begin at 4:00 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 Joseph V. Medina, Brigadier General of U.S. Marines, Retired. Brigadier General Medina received his commission in 1976 following graduation from the United States Naval Academy. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Masters of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California.

His early assignments include Rifle Platoon Commander with 2 nd Battalion, 5th Marines, Headquarters Company Commander; Company Commander, Company F also with 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. Also, Company F Commander, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines; Company Commander, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines.

He commanded two companies and was the Chief Instructor at The Basic School, and commanded an Officer Candidate School Company. He was the Executive Officer of a Recruiting Station in Seattle, Washington, a Battalion Operations Officer with 3 rd Battalion, 5 th Marines, and was a Marine Officer Instructor and Associate Professor of Naval Science at Pen State University.

His more senior assignments include command of 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment during which he deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in Support of Operation SEA SIGNAL in 1995. He also deployed to Okinawa, Japan as part of the Unit Deployment Program in 1996. Subsequently, he was assigned as the Executive Officer of 2nd Marine Regiment.

He was transferred to Headquarters, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany, where he was assigned as the Contingency Plans Branch Chief in the J3 Operations Directorate in 1998. With the onset of the Kosovo Crisis, he simultaneously served as Chief, Kosovo Plans Group for Operations NOBLE ANVIL/ALLIED FORCE and JOINT GUARDIAN from August 1998 until June of 1999. Promoted to Colonel in June 1999, he became the Chief of the Operational Plans Division, J35, in the Operations Directorate.

From there he transferred to Quantico, Virginia, to the Marine Corps Recruiting Command as the Operations Officer of Enlisted Recruiting Operations and Plans. Back to the fleet, he assumed command of the 3rd Marine Regiment, in Hawaii, in 2001. In that position, he Commanded a Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force for four Combined Arms Exercises and a “Rim of the Pacific” exercise.

He was promoted to Brigadier General and assumed command of the newly established Expeditionary Strike Group – Three, home ported in San Diego as a part of Third Fleet. As the Expeditionary Strike Group Commander, Brigadier General Medina led the Belleau Wood Strike Group in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM as the Commander of Task Force – 58. As that commander, he conducted over 550 ship boardings, 50 costal patrol and interdiction missions, 50 armed helocopterborne reconnaissance missions in the North Arabian Gulf and in Iraqi territorial waters.

Moreover, he directed forces in support of 7 coalition operations ashore with a Multi-National Division operating in Southeastern Iraq disrupting international terrorist organizations and foreign fighters. Subsequently, he was assigned as the commanding General to Marine Corps Base Camp S. D. Butler and the Deputy Commander of Marine Corps Bases, Japan in July of 2005.

In 2007, he assumed command of 3 rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade and Deputy Commanding General for III Marine Expeditionary Force. He served briefly as the Commanding General of the 3 rd Marine Division while retaining his previous responsibilities. He relinquished command of the Division in June of 2007 to Major General Robert B. Neller, now the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Brigadier General Medina retired from Active service in October of 2007. His personal awards include: Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with gold star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with two gold stars, Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Navy Commendation Medal with two gold Stars. Campaign awards include Iraq Campaign Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, NATO Medal for Yugoslavia, and the Korea Defense Service Medal.

Since retirement from active service in October 2007, BGen Medina worked with General Electric, heading their “Granite Services” Asia Pacific engineering services business based in Manila until 2013, and then joined the Elliott Group where he heads their International Field Services division, based in Houston.

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.

For more information on the Texas Marines Medal of Honor Fund, or the establishment of the monument in Town Green Park, contact Burt Cabañas at 281-367- 5757.