Commandant Charlie Pugh holds the charter certificate for the local Marine Corps League. Behind him are family members of the late Walter Frank Osborne Jr., a WWII Marine who was wounded and earned a Silver Star for valor while fighting the Japanese on Iwo Jima. Osborne graduated from Sparta High School in 1939. Osborne’s family members present at the meeting were Osborne’s daughters (from left) Beth Bourgoin and Frankye Edwards and grandson Marcus Edwards. Behind the family is Assistant Vice Commandant for the Mideast Division of the Marine Corp League Jim Tant.

Marine Corps League charters new Alleghany County branch

The Walter Frank Osborne Jr. Detachment 1298 welcomed about 80 people to its official chartering ritual May 10 at the Twin Oaks Cafe.

The detachment, which is about a couple months old, was named in memory of the late Corporal Walter F. Osborne Jr. of Alleghany County.

Dan Buckle read from a letter submitted by a former secretary of the Navy which spoke of Osborne’s citations, including a silver star medal for gallantry while serving as an acting staff sergeant while fighting the Japanese. In addition, the letter noted Osborne “voluntarily advanced beyond the front line to occupy a hill which provided a good observation point of the enemy. Corporal Osborne directed continuous and separate rifle fire against the Japanese entrenched in the infantry objective, thereby materially assisting several squads and occupying the hostile position. During this act, he was wounded and evacuated for medical treatment. His initiative, courage and unselfish devotion to duty (kept) with the highest traditions of the United States Marine Corps.”

Northwest District Vice Commandant John Brendle made introductions of several key players present that evening, including Jim Tant, who serves as the National Assistant Vice Commandant of Mideast Division. Tant presented the newly formed detachment with its charter document.

Tant was representing the commandant of North Carolina, who had a scheduling conflict and, thus was unable to attend the Alleghany event.

“He told me that he sends his heart-felt congratulations and wishes you the very very best for future success,” commented Tant. “He regrets the conflict in his schedule prevented him from being here today.”

Tant spoke the six-fold purposes of the Marine Corps League.

“They are to preserve the traditions, promote the interest and perpetuate the history of the U.S. Marine Corps and by fitting acts to observe the anniversaries of historical occasions of particular interest to Marines,” said Tant. “They are then those who are now serving the United States Marine Corps and those who have been honorably discharged from that service together in fellowship that they may effectively promote the ideals of American freedom and democracy. The league is to fit its members for the duties of citizenship and to encourage them to serve as ably as citizens as they served their nation under arms. It is to hold sacred man and the history of man who have given their lives to the nation. It is to foster the love and the principles that they have supported with blood and valor since the founding our republic. It is to aid voluntarily and to render assistance to all marines, uniformed and former marines, as well to their orphans and widows.”