Marine veteran will thank fellows via holiday lunch
When he celebrates the 232nd birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps this year, Bill Pastino will do something a little different --he's going to treat any Howard County veteran who shows up at his Ellicott City brew pub to lunch.
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11/01/07
By MIKe Santa Rita
"I don't know if anybody's thanked the veterans in Howard County," said Pastino, a former Marine Corps captain who served in the first Gulf War and is a part owner of the Ellicott Mills Brewing Company.
The lunch, which is designed to thank local veterans for their service and raise money for the local chapter of the Marine Corps League, will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Veteran's Day, Nov. 11, at the pub -- the day after the Nov. 10 Marine Corps' birthday.
Veterans will eat for free while family and friends will be charged $10, Pastino said, adding that he will not require the veterans to present proof of their service, but will take them at their word.
Pastino said he expects about 200 veterans and their families to show for the lunch, adding that the pub will brew its Semper Fi Strong Ale in honor of the event.
"Semper Fi" is a shortened version of the U.S. Marine Corps motto, Semper Fidelis, or, translated from the Latin, "Always Faithful."
Portions of the beer and lunch sales will be contributed to the Marine Corps League's Marines Helping Wounded Marines program and the chapter's other fundraising causes, said Pastino, who is a member of the league.
Howard's chapter of the league -- which is officially known as The Staff Sgt. Karl G. Taylor Sr. Detachment 1084 --was formed in 2001.
The chapter consists of about 50 former and current Marines who use the organization as an outlet for socializing, charity work and as a network to find other Marines with whom they served, Pastino said.
About a third of the local group's members are Vietnam War veterans while the remainder are veterans from wars ranging from World War II to the Iraq War, he said.
Marines proud of service
Bobby Flock, 85, of Savage, was one of the first females recruited by the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II, she said. As a staff sergeant, she served as a secretary to a colonel in San Francisco.
Though she won't be able to make the Nov. 11 lunch, she goes to as many Marine Corps League functions as she can and enjoys the camaraderie, she said.
"We're so proud of who we are," she added. "I'm always bragging about being a Marine."
Gunnery Sgt. Frank Kippenbrock, the founding commandant of the local chapter, will attend the Nov. 11 event.
He said he enjoys the camaraderie of socializing with other veterans and the chance to serve those in need.
"It's all about giving back to the community," Kippenbrock said.
For more information about the event, call the Ellicott Mills Brewing Company at 410-313-8141.