46th Anniversary Celebration and Light The Flags
August 26th, 6 pm
The United States Marine Corps Memorial Foundation invites you to join us in celebrating the 46th Anniversary of the Memorial and Raising the Flags again!
The United States Marine Corps Memorial Foundation has been raising funds to remodel the United States Marine Corps Memorial dedicated to “all Marines for all time” serving to “Honor Marines and remember all who serve” by Commandant Louis H Wilson, USMC 1977.
Funds dedicated to the flags and the proper lighting at the memorial were raised by viewers of TV segments, Facebook, and Web donations after they heard about the damage the rain did this spring. To thank them we’re hosting a party to celebrate the flags going up and lit at night as well as our 46th Anniversary. All are invited to attend.
Festivities begin at 6 pm with food trucks, games, music, and comments from supporters. The program begins at 7 pm.
Keynote Speaker
Colonel Robert Bodisch
A second-generation Marine, Rob Bodisch enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1991 serving as an Infantryman with 1st Bn 23rd Marines until his graduation and commissioning from Texas A&M University in December 1996. After completing The Basic School, he attended the Armor Officers Basic Course and the Scout Platoon Leaders Course at Ft Knox, KY earning the Armor Officer designation.
Bodisch served in numerous Armor Officer billets to include Tank Platoon Commander and Company Executive Officer at 1st Tank Bn, 1st Marine Division in 29 Palms, CA from 1998-2000; Company Commander and S-4 Officer at 2nd Tank Bn, 2nd Marine Div in Camp Lejeune, NC from 2004-2006; as the Bn Executive Officer at 2nd Tank Bn from 2010-2013; and as the Commanding Officer of 2nd Tank Bn from 2014-2016.
As part of the Supplementary MOS program, Bodisch completed the MAGTF Intelligence Officer’s Course in 2000, and subsequently served as an Intelligence Officer at 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and Marine Air Group-36 in Okinawa, Japan from 2000-2003 and with Joint Task Force North, USNORTHCOM, Fort Bliss, TX from 2006-2009 supporting federal agencies along the U.S. borders.
Other staff assignments include G3 Future Operations Officer at 2nd Mar Div in 2013 and as the Seabasing Integration Officer at Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, VA from 2013-2014. From 2017-2019, Bodisch instructed at the Air War College at Maxwell AFB, AL. From 2019 to 2020, Bodisch was assigned to III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan as the G37 and later as the Officer-In-Charge of the Joint COVID-19 Response Center.
Deployments include Operation ENDURING FREEDOM as the Coalition Forces Land Component Command Ground Operations Officer from 2001-2002; Operation IRAQI FREEDOM as the Commanding Officer of Company C 2nd Tank Bn from 2004-2005; Operation ENDURING FREEDOM as the ISAF Joint Command CJ5 Campaign Planner in Afghanistan 2010-2011; and as the CJTF-Horn of Africa J5 Somalia Planner at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti from 2012-2013.
Bodisch is a graduate of the Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course, Expeditionary Warfare School, the Army’s Command & General Staff College, and the Naval War College. He earned a master’s degree in International Relations from Webster University in 2010 and in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College in 2017.
Bodisch served as the Commanding Officer of the Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan from 2020-2022 before his current assignment as the Commanding Officer and Professor of Naval Science at the University of Colorado’s NROTC unit. Colonel Bodisch is married to Kelli and they have 5 children.
Funds dedicated to the flags and the proper lighting at the memorial were raised by viewers of TV segments, Facebook, and Web donations after they heard about the damage the rain did this spring. To thank them we’re hosting a party to celebrate the flags going up and lit at night as well as our 46th Anniversary. All are invited to attend.
