Recognition

Stanley H. Jones receives 2010 Rodney Williams, Jr. Memorial Award

Lexington, Kentucky, May 8, 2010: Presented annually at the Officer Selection Officer (OSO) Colonel William "Rich" Higgins Memorial Mess Night/Dining-In to an individual selected by the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Kentucky (MCCCK) Board of Directors, who has demonstrated exemplary community leadership and commitment, with a long history of dedicated service to Marine Corps related activities within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The presentation of a personalized engraved Marine Corps plaque was made by Col David J. Clement, USMCR, Assistant Division Commander, 4th Marine Division and President, MCCCK.

Following his honorable service in the United States Marine Corps from 1954 - 1957, Mr. Stanley H. Jones, Nicholasville, Kentucky, was employed in various administrative capacities and eventually practiced as a certified public accountant with various firms in Lexington, Kentucky. In 1971 he was hired by the Keeneland Association and embarked on a career enhanced throughout by a strong work ethic and high degree of discipline, honed by his Marine Corps training and service. Working in critical management capacities as controller, treasurer, chief financial officer, and ultimately vice president, all of which required the highest standard of honesty and integrity, he gained the professional respect and personal admiration of all his Keeneland Association colleagues. His many contributions to the thoroughbred racing industry were formally recognized in 1986-1987 by his election and installation as president of the Thoroughbred Club of America.

Always mindful of his strong Marine Corps roots, he sought a leadership role in the establishment and perpetuation of the traditional Marine Corps Birthday Breakfast held annually at Lexington, Kentucky and enjoyed by hundreds of active, reserve and veteran Marines from throughout the region, dating back to 1984. His quiet and effective leadership in the organization and execution of this unique celebration of Marine Corps heritage, which has often gone unnoticed, has been critical in its many years of outstanding success and has been instrumental in forging an important bond of mutual respect and cooperation, which thrives today, between Marines from both Lexington and Louisville.

Since 1998, he has labored tirelessly in the shadows on four (4) separate gala evenings, each known as a "Salute to the Legends of the Corps," honoring Marine Corps leaders and Medal of Honor recipients, while helping to raise over $289,000.00 after expenses, for such noteworthy causes as the Marine Corps University Foundation and the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. These events have been enjoyed by Marines, former Marines and friends of the Corps from throughout Kentucky and have served to educate hundreds of patrons in the rich heritage and history of the Marine Corps.

In recent years Mr. Jones has been instrumental in the expansion of the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Kentucky to include participation of Marines and friends of the Corps from throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky, serving in both advisory and leadership capacities. Following his elected term as a member of the Board of Directors (2008), he enthusiastically embraced his current leadership role as Vice President of the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Kentucky, providing valuable advice and guidance on Marine Corps related matters, especially those impacting the Lexington and central Kentucky regions. His service to the Marine Corps community within Kentucky has been described as a rare blend of administrative and financial acumen, coupled with a fine sense of diplomacy, dedicated to the perpetuation of Marine Corps values among all those who have worn or will wear the eagle globe and anchor.

LtCol Mary K. Broussard receives 2009 Rodney Williams, Jr. Memorial Award

LtCol Mary K. Broussard, USMCR (Ret) embodies the qualities of leadership, commitment, and support of the Marine Corps community in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. She has been an active member of the Marine Corps Community in Louisville since 1980.   Following active duty service (1972 - 1975), she remained connected with the Marine Corps through various Marine Corps Reserve components, such as Volunteer Training Units (VTU), Mobilization Training Units (MTU), Selected Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR) units, and Joint Service capacities. Since relocating to Kentucky in 1980, she has served with an MTU in support of the Marine Corps Recruiting Station Louisville and with a Joint Service component tasked with recruiting and training Selective Service Board members for almost seven (7) years, earning the Selective Service Commendation Medal.  She also served in a Selected Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR) unit at Camp Lejeune, NC, traveling from Kentucky to that location monthly for several years. Since her retirement from the Marine Corps Reserve, she has been actively involved with the Kentuckiana Detachment of the Marine Corps League (MCL), through which she volunteered to assume the duties of Coordinator for its "Toys for Tots" campaign within the Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana region. During the past eleven (11) years there has been steady growth under her leadership. In 2007, she was recognized by the national "Toys for Tots" program as "Coordinator of the Year" for the Region 2.  During 2008, nearly $100,000 was raised to provide 75,000 toys to 19,000 underprivileged children during the Christmas season.  Her organizational skills and customer service attitude have been directly instrumental in the establishment of records for "Toys for Tots" collection efforts in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  

Upon learning that the Women Marines Association (WMA) was bringing its biennial national convention to Louisville in 2006, she saw an opportunity to showcase our famous Kentucky hospitality.  Seizing the opportunity, she organized and chartered a new chapter of the Women Marines Association, a first for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and volunteered to serve on the convention planning committee. She diligently recruited, organized and deployed her chapter members, as well as local MCL members, in support of this convention, providing hospitable support and assistance to over 400 former and current Women Marines during their memorable visit to Kentucky.

Since its inception in 1999, she has served on the Patriots Peace Memorial Committee, which has been responsible for the design, fund-raising, and construction of this Louisville, Kentucky monument, recognizing the sacrifices of military personnel, who have lost their lives in the line of duty, but not as a result of combat or during declared hostilities. She continues to serve on the enshrinement committee of the Patriots Peace Memorial, processing nominees and interacting with bereaved families. Her ability to effectively process and adjudicate multiple nominations, with compassion and efficiency has been truly admirable.

She has also served, with Rodney Williams, Jr., the namesake of this award and others, on the Commissioning Committee of the USS Higgins, a  Navy destroyer, which was launched in 1999 to "put the world on notice that those who threaten America's interests or dare to terrorize its citizens will face Colonel Rich Higgins and the 8,300 tons of pure American steel that now surround his spirit," and has played a significant role in the interdiction of enemy weapons and supplies in support of ongoing operations in the Middle East.

Throughout her professional life, she has served others. Fully utilizing her Marine Corps leadership skills, she has prepared under privileged children and adults for General Education Development (GED) testing and worked for several years as a Legislative Aide to the 8th Ward Alderman of the City of Louisville, where she served as an ombudsman for 25,000 citizens.  She has also served eight (8) years as the Membership Coordinator for the Louisville Zoo, increasing membership from 5,000 to 15,000, resulting in its first $1,000,000 gross revenue year. In all that she has undertaken, she has been routinely recognized for her exemplary customer service skills. She has also received several awards from the Louisville community recognizing her devotion to the Salvation Army, Girls and Boys Club, and Safe Place.

During 2002, she was named "Marine of the Year" by the Marine Corps League, Kentuckiana Detachment. The following year, she was nationally recognized by the "Chapel of the Four Chaplains" with its prestigious Legion of Honor Award, for her giving spirit, unconditional service to her community, nation and humanity, without regard to race, religion or creed, exemplified so dramatically by the four Army chaplains aboard the sinking troop transport USS Dorchester in 1943, who comforted and assisted hundred of soldiers following a torpedo attack, and in a final act of compassion and service, gave up their own life jackets so others could live. Wherever she has worked, she has brought contagious enthusiasm for her cause while representing the Marine Corps family in Kentucky with dignity, compassion and commitment.

Brad S. Alsop recognized for unique IMSFF support

LtCol Mary K. Broussard, USMCR (Ret) honored by Toys for Tots Foundation

Quantico, VA: LtCol Mary K. Broussard, USMCR (Ret) has been named 2007 Toys for Tots Foundation, Region II, Local Community Organization "Coordinator of the Year." LtCol Broussard has long been active with Toys for Tots in the Kentuckiana area, devoting much of her time to this worthy cause. Although she has been assisted in her efforts by many Marine Corps reservists and veterans over the years, she has been largely responsible for the success of Toys for Tots in the Kentuckiana area, through her enthusiastic embrace of this wonderful cause and exemplary leadership. During the 2007 campaign, she was ably assisted by John Peyton and many dedicated volunteers. Through LtCol Broussard's efforts, and those who regularly assist her, such as the Marine Corps League, Kentuckiana Detachment #729, thousands of needy Kentuckiana children have received shiny new toys at Christmas, as a message of hope that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders. Congratulations to LtCol Mary K. Broussard, USMC (Ret) and those who labored with her on a job well done.

Major Allen D. Broussard receives 2008 Rodney Williams Jr. Memorial Award

Louisville, Kentucky, April 5, 2008: Presented annually at the Officer Selection Officer (OSO) Colonel William "Rich" Higgins Memorial Mess Night/Dining-In to an individual selected by the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Kentucky (MCCCK) Board of Directors, who has demonstrated exemplary community leadership and commitment, with a long history of dedicated service to Marine Corps related activities within the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

For almost 44 years, Major Allen D. Broussard, USMC (Ret) has steadfastly served his nation as a career Marine, military educator, and leader of veterans. Having enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1964 and serving in multiple capacities as a non-commissioned officer at Marine Barracks, London, England; Camp Pendleton, California; and the Republic of South Vietnam, where he saw combat action near the Demilitarized Zone during the Tet Offensive of 1968, he was selected for the Enlisted Commissioning Program and subsequently attended Officer Candidate School and the Basic School at Quantico, Virginia. Upon commissioning in 1973, he served in a wide variety of assignments ranging from platoon commander and executive officer of an infantry rifle company to commander of a provisional unit charged with the emergency evacuation of personnel from the American Embassy in Saigon during April 1975, as the North Vietnamese Army closed in on the city and the long bloody Vietnam War came to a climatic end.

Following post war tours at various Marine Barracks within the United Sates, and additional schooling, both civilian and military, he was posted to Louisville, Kentucky as a recruiter. Promoted to major in 1982, he served both as executive officer and then later as commanding officer of the Marine Corps Recruiting Station Louisville. Upon his retirement in 1985 at Louisville, Kentucky, he served as a Marine Instructor at Fern Creek Traditional High School for nearly 19 years, during which time he influenced the lives of numerous young men and women, many of whom went on to serve their nation as graduates of prestigious United Sates military service academies. His JROTC cadets amassed in excess of three million dollars in scholarship money during his tenure at Fern Creek Traditional High School, while garnering nine national championships in close order drill under his leadership.

Volunteerism has always played an important role in his life and he has never shirked from the opportunity to help others. During his career and throughout his retirement, he has provided needed counsel to numerous young men and women seeking scholarships and occupational direction. His service to Louisville area veterans' causes is legendary. As a long time friend of Rodney Williams, Jr., in whose memory this award has been instituted, he served with him on the USS Higgins Commissioning Committee and the Patriots Peace Memorial Committee, the latter of which he chaired through the critical years of design, construction and financing. Through his leadership, the Patriots Peace Memorial stands today on the banks of the Ohio River in testament to the honorable service of military personnel, who have lost their lives in the line of duty, but not as a result of hostile enemy actions. Through his dedication to this cause, the Louisville, Kentucky community has the unique and possibly single honor of being host to the only memorial of its kind in our nation - one which recognizes the inherent danger and sometimes fatal consequences of military training and service in our armed forces.

Active in veterans' organizations, such as the American Legion, Military Order of World Wars, and the Marine Corps League, he has provided profound comfort to families of not only deceased veterans, but also active duty Marines killed in action, as the leader of a burial honors detail. When death summons former Marines of past wars home, it is he who sounds the call for rifle volleys and taps, as they are laid to their rest and when our Marine Corps brothers and sisters pass from this life with no family or resources for a proper burial, it is he who rallies the troops on their behalf to do whatever is necessary to ensure that dignity and compassion abound.

James E. (Ted) Bassett III receives Department of the Navy Award

Lexington, KY: On the 232nd birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps, Saturday, November 10, 2007, Keeneland Association, Inc. board member and decorated World War II veteran James E. (Ted) Bassett III was presented with the Department of the Navy "Superior Public Service Award." It is the second-highest civilian honor bestowed by the Department of the Navy and recognizes significant contributions by a civilian to the Navy, Marine Corps or entire Department of the Navy. The award was presented during the 15th annual invitational breakfast celebrating the birthday of The Corps, at the Thoroughbred Club of America.

Mr. Bassett received the award in recognition of "significant contributions and unflagging support of the United States Marine Corps for 64 years." This prestigious award was officially presented to Mr. Bassett by Marine Corps Major General Richard A. Huck, who commanded the 2nd Marine Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"I am deeply honored to receive this award from the Corps," Mr. Bassett said. "It is a classic example of Marine Corps 101 -- taking a nobody and trying to make a somebody out of him." Mr. Bassett enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943 and rose from private to first lieutenant, leading a rifle platoon in combat during the battle of Okinawa, where he was wounded. He participated in the mainland Japan landings and was discharged in 1946. Mr. Bassett has hosted three Marine Corps University Foundation fundraisers. Since 1992, he has hosted the annual Marine Corps Birthday Breakfast at Keeneland or the Thoroughbred Club of America, thereby ensuring the continuing tradition of Marines celebrating their heritage.

Most recently, Mr. Bassett assumed the duties of Chairman, Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Kentucky, an umbrella organization serving the entire Marine Corps community within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. "Throughout his distinguished career as a Marine and as a private citizen, Mr. Bassett continues to epitomize 'once a Marine, always a Marine,' " stated the Superior Public Service Award citation. "Mr. Bassett's selfless patriotism and dedication reflect great credit upon himself and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service."

Mr. Bassett also received the coveted U.S. Marine Corps' Semper Fidelis Award in April 1990.

Mr. Bassett has been associated with Keeneland for almost four decades, serving as president from 1970 until 1986, chairman of the board from 1986 until 2001, and Keeneland trustee from 1993 through 2006. He continues to serve as a member of the Keeneland Association, Inc. board of directors.