Pulse Publications #23 - January 2024

Christmas Angels

MARINE. IT’S LIKE THE WORD PORSHE.

It requires no explanation because everyone knows what it means. It means the best. And it’s not braggadocio or boast that swells the chest of a recruit on graduation day from boot camp or straightens the back of an old “Jarhead” when he hears the Marine Corps hymn. It is the knowledge that they are part of a proud and distinguished legacy honed in battle ever since the first Marine was recruited at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, PA in 1775.

It was there that Captain Samuel Nichols was looking for “a few good men” to form the landing force of the Continental Navy, about half a year before the Colonies declared their independence from England and its King.

Except maybe for the Spartans, no other force in the history of the world has been allied to the ideals of honor, devotion, and service to country as long as the Marines have. Two hundred and forty-eight years. Nations have come and gone in that time, and the world has changed repeatedly. But not the Marines. Steadfast and loyal are they. Sure there are the SEALs and the Special Forces—the elite units with unique skills and training, but unlike the other service branches, a Marine is first and foremost a rifleman. An expert with their weapon.

So, it was with some wonder that just before Christmas I saw Marines in a different light. Not as warriors but as angels in a way, and I know how that sounds. Kind of corny, so forgive me if I was moved by the season. But Christmas Angels was an appropriate description given the joy and happiness they brought to thousands of kids through Toys for Tots.

The program got its start in 1947 when the wife of reservist, Major Bill Hendricks, asked for his help delivering handcrafted dolls to agencies servicing needy children. When the good Major could find none, his wife, Diane, said, “Start one.” Given his marching orders, he and the Marines

in his Los Angeles reserve unit acquired 5,000 toys which were delivered to needy children.

Inspired by what was viewed as a “successful community engagement,” the Commandant instructed Marine Corps reserve units to start a Toys for Tots program at their locations, and in 1948, Toys for Tots was made into a “national community action program.” What quickly boosted the program to national prominence, however, was Major Hendrick’s real-world job in public relations in Hollywood. He was close friends with many celebrities, most particularly Walt Disney who designed the poster bearing a miniature three-car train that became the symbol of the program

Seventy-six years later, Toys for Tots is thriving nationwide and certainly here at Barstow’s logistic base where last year, from the warehouse across from the fitness center, Marines provided 32,480 toys for 31,400 kids in the High Desert. Gunnery Sergeant Nicholas Eatherton, the Staff Non-Commissioned Officer or “SNCO” in charge of the program, Toys for Tots is year-round. ”We don’t stop,” he explained. “We’re prepared to help in the event of a natural disaster like an earthquake or a catastrophic event,” he explained.

The program, operating out of the Marine base in Barstow, serves the kids in the High Desert but also receives requests

By J. P. Garner

for toys from down the hill from cities like Rialto and Fontana and as far east as Baker where their Chamber of Commerce has asked for toys. According to Lance Corporal Samantha McGarity, the requests come mostly from non-profits large and small, but also from schools, hospitals, and churches.

The program chiefly supports nonprofits, though, who call ahead and order toys according to the ages of the kids they service. The toys donated to the program are organized by the ages described on the boxes or shrink-wrapping. According to Gunny Eatherton, however, older kids are sometimes forgotten, so the program will purchase pallets of toys from large distribution centers just for them,

If you are a non-profit and wish to order toys for your organization, or if you wish to donate toys or cash to Toys for Tots, apply and donate online using the QR code below or visit Barstow-ca.toysfortots.org.

Prepared to serve. That’s what Marines are. Ready for any situation. They’re first to fight and, during the months following Christmas, they’re prepared to serve the needs of kids in our communities in the High Desert. Often portrayed as tough and brave—and they’re definitely that— but at their core, they soften when dealing with kids.

There’s a gentleness in their actions and kindness in the words which draws kids to them. Or maybe it’s the uniform—the Dress Blues they wear when delivering the toys. It’s certainly eye-catching. No other like it. But it’s hard to fake true sincerity; harder even to mimic compassion. And it is that, that kids will never forget.

MARINE.