Department Marine of the Year – George and Susan Malone

DEPARTMENT OF NEVADA

Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 989 and Marine Corps League Battleborn Detachment 672 members Susan and George Malone of Reno, NV were honored as the Department of Nevada Marine Corps League Marines of the Year for 2022-23 during the annual Department of Nevada Convention held in Las Vegas, NV May 6-7, 2022.  This is the first time that 2 Marines were honored during the same year.  Susan, the Department of Nevada Jr. Vice Commandant was reelected for a second term of office and George, currently the Battleborn Detachment Paymaster, recently served as the Detachment Commandant.  Both Susan and George retired from the Marine Corps and continue their service to our Nation and to the Reno community.             

Department Marine of the Year – George and Susan Malone

George and Susan Malone, members of Battleborn Detachment 672 since 2018 have been key to the successful reorganization and increase of membership in the Battleborn Detachment and the Silver State Detachment 630.

George – Detachment Commandant – 2021 – 22 and Paymaster – 2022.

Susan – Department Jr. Vice Commandant – 2021-22 and Detachment JAG 2022.

George Malone

 Detachment Commandant – January to December 2021

George, served as Detachment Commandant during a tempestuous time from January to December 2021.  In the beginning, only 5 to 6 members including George attended meetings.  George singlehandedly reorganized the Detachment, personally recruited 6 new members, reached out and made members who did not feel welcome, return to the Detachment events.  Acting as the focal point with Sr Vice, Don Enea, he led the effort to successfully raise money to support the Devil Pups program.  He personally contributed $6,000 from the Legion of Valor to our northern Nevada Devil Pups campaign.

On March 27, 2021, George was the guest of honor and keynote speaker at the northern Nevada Vietnam Veterans Remembrance ceremonies.  Organized support to other veterans’ coalition member organizations and participated in the Hawthorne, NV parade, the Fernley Veterans Cem. Memorial Day ceremony and was the guest speaker at the Fallen Naval Hospital Corpsman Birthday celebration.

As Commandant, he appointed a Bylaws committee, the Detachment Bylaws that had been in draft form since 2015.  The Bylaws were updated and approved by the membership during January 2022.

As Paymaster, he immediately established an Audit Committee, conducting an audit of Detachment funds which had not been conducted for many years; he successfully realigned the Detachment bank account to a full-service banking institution with proper oversight and provided, for the first time in many years, a yearly budget to all members. He brought transparency to the Detachment business so all members felt they had a stake in the business of the Detachment.

Susan Malone

Department Jr. Vice Commandant 2021 – 22

Detachment JAG – 2022

Susan serves on the Nevada Department of Veterans Affairs Northern Nevada Veterans Home Advisory Committee.  She serves as a member of the Board of Directors, Chapter 989 Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter and is a member of the Reno VFW and American Legion.  Through her activities in these veterans’ organizations, she has enhanced and promoted the stature of the MCL here in Nevada.

Of key importance, she worked tirelessly with the Commandant of the Silver State Detachment 630 to reestablish, reorganize and bring to full membership, the Silver State Detachment.  For approximately 11 months, she met in person and by phone with the Commandant and another member to encourage setting a meeting date to bring the Detachment to life after COVID.  Finally, on March 21st she successfully met with 12 Detachment members, conducted the election of new officers and guided them in updating their Detachment Bylaws which will be approved by the membership during their April meeting. She successfully recruited 2 new members for the Silver State Detachment and successfully onboarded them at the March 21st meeting.

She has led the way to support, and encourage elderly veterans and represented and attended the Gold Star Families Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Susan Malone’s efforts to bring widows and the elderly members to the MCL picnic has been instrumental in the “once A Marine” and “Family first” programs we support even with the Covid restrictions in force. The annual picnic was not cancelled for 2021 despite the heavy smoke from western fires.

 Susan Malone represented the MCL at the Women Veterans Symposium held in Reno on March 12th. She had an opportunity to tell women veterans about the goals and objectives of the Marine Corps League.

During 2021, Susan paid a courtesy call with the High Desert Detachment in Fallen and supported their funeral ceremonies for a deceased member in early 2022.

Every Thanksgiving and Christmas the Battleborn Detachment, in concert with other Veterans Service Organizations, provides money for needy military/veteran families to receive free food from local food banks. This event was not cancelled during the year 2021, as the local need was larger than usual. Covid restrictions were required for all persons, but the event went ahead because it was needed and George and Susan led the way organizing contributions and gift-giving in concert with the VVA and VFW posts here in Reno.   

In recognition of their generous and distinguished service to Detachment 672, 630 and to the greater Nevada MCL, and their exceptional commitment for the year 2021-2022, to our Reno area veterans, the MCL Detachments and the Nevada MCL family, and to our community, George and Susan Malone are selected as the Nevada MCL Department Marines of the year.

 It is important to note that this is the first time that 2 Marine MCL members have been selected during the same year for this most prestigious award.