EAST COAST ADVENTURE

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Tim and Sandy Day, along with Family Office COO, Leslie Pellillo, took a whirlwind of a trip to the East Coast in November to visit several of the organizations the Foundation supports. The trip started in Washington DC, and the first stop was to Quantico, VA, to see all the sights in Semper Fidelis Memorial Park.   Several of our Marine Fellows and their spouses that live in the area also participated in the full day of events.  The group visited the Chapel, the Overlook, and strolled along the brick pathway that is dedicated to the family and friends of Timothy T. Day.  Next, the group spent some time in the National Museum of the Marine Corps, which included a hard-hat tour of the construction site for the Museum’s 117,000 sq. ft. expansion project called the “Final Phase”.  It was exciting to see the progress, and the expansion is due for completion in 2017, with the installation of the exhibits to follow over the next several years.  When the work is finished the Museum will have more than doubled in size, and much of the Corps’ legendary history will be fully displayed.

Included in the new space will be:

  • Giant screen movie theater (opening 2017)
  • Expanded Education Suite and Children’s Gallery (opening 2017)
  • A Combat Art Gallery and Studio (opening 2017)
  • Hall of Valor (opening 2018)
  • Historical galleries covering the Corps’ history from 1976 to the present (opening 2018)
  • Marine Corps Sports Gallery and Hall of Fame (opening 2019)
  • Inter-wars Gallery (1919-1940) (opening 2020)
  • Changing Exhibits Gallery (opening 2020)

The day wrapped up with a Fellowship Meeting in the Devil Dog Diner where everyone gave a brief update on what’s been happening in their lives, followed by a fun evening of dining at a nearby restaurant.

While in the DC area, Tim, Sandy, and Leslie also had various meetings at Marine Corps University, Marine Corps Association Foundation, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, and the Center for New American Security.  One of the highlights of the trip included a visit to the Pentagon where they met the Commandant, General Neller, and Assistant Commandant, General Walters.  Not to mention, it was also very exciting to be in DC with friends and fellow Marines watching history be made on Election Day.

Tim, Sandy, and Leslie then headed to Boston.  A lot of time was spent on the Harvard Business School (HBS) Campus, which included: attending the HBS Veterans Day/Marine Corps Birthday Ball where Tim was recognized as the oldest Marine during the birthday cake-cutting celebration; spending time with some our HBS MBA Fellows and their fiancées; participating in a HBS case study class; touring Shad Hall Fitness Center and reviewing a future expansion and renovation project, which the Foundation plans to support; and meeting with various HBS administrators including Nitin Nohria, Dean of Harvard Business School, and Ranjay Gulati, Chair of the Advanced Management Program.  Prior to returning home to the West Coast, they also attended the Semper Fidelis Society of Boston’s Marine Corps Birthday Luncheon on November 14.

Another leg of the trip was to visit one of Tim’s alma mater, Wesleyan University in Connecticut.  Tim, Sandy, and Leslie attended a lunch for veterans on the campus where Tim was the guest speaker, which was followed by a full afternoon of activities in the Freeman Athletic Center.  They met with various coaches, joined the football team during one of their pre-game meetings and Tim was asked to address the team, and finally, participated in a plaque dedication ceremony in the Anderson Fitness Center that recognized Tim and the Foundation for funding the new fitness equipment project.

The following day they attended a Salute to Service Brunch that honored all the veterans in the Middletown community, and Tim gave some inspiring remarks.  Next, was the popular “Battle of the Birds” (Wesleyan vs Trinity) football game where Tim served as honorary captain and did the coin toss.  Wesleyan won the coin toss, but unfortunately lost the game. The Wesleyan trip ended with a memorable dinner with several of Tim’s old Chi Psi fraternity brothers.

All in all, the trip was outstanding.  It was wonderful to see everyone and observe the work of the Foundation in motion.

See additional photos in Archive Section