Our Detachment is named in honor of PFC. Bruce Wayne Carter, USMC, gave his life in combat, to save several fellow Marines; while serving with “H” Company, 2nd, Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, in the Republic of Vietnam on 7 August 1969.
In September 1971, he was posthumously awarded the “Medal of Honor”, for his gallantry in action. The Detachment, formally the “Hialeah Miami Florida, Detachment”, was formed in the late 1940s. It was re-chartered, and re-named for PFC. Bruce Wayne Carter USMC, on 19 October 1971. PFC. Bruce Wayne Carter was born in New York, grew up in Miami, Florida, and attended school there; living with his Mother, Mrs. Georgie Carter Krell, his stepfather Mr. Frank Krell; a retired MSgt. in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, and two sisters.
Our Detachment; currently with 72 members, is one of 57 detachments, with over 4000 members in the State of Florida. The Marine Corps League was chartered by Congress in 1921, as a “National Veterans Association,” now has over 75,000 members in over 1100 detachments.
Our Detachment meets for a monthly member meeting currently, at 19:00 hours, on the last Thursday of the month, at the Miami Military Museum and Memorial, 12460 S.W. 152nd Street, Miami, Florida 33177. Our Detachment has been engaged in many civic, community, and veterans affairs activities over the years. Our other activities include volunteer work and visits to the newly renamed “Bruce W. Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center”, in Miami, FL; participating in Flag Day Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day events. We support the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, and “Operation Brave Kids” which support and contribute to the children of deployed members of the Reserve and National Guard, in South Florida. We also support the “Young Marines of Miami-Dade County“. We are also members of the South Florida Marine Corps Coordinating Council”.
We also very strongly support the annual local, and National “Marine Corps Reserve” “Toys For Tots” program. Their very informative website is at www.toysfortots.org One of our past Detachment Commandants, Gunnery Sergeant Louis Slagle, USMC-Ret. is the National Marine Corps League Coordinator and Department of Florida Liaison for “Toys For Tots”, and the Department of Florida “Marines Helping Marines” Liaison. “Semper Fidelis”…
When the ”beyond tragic” terrorist bombing of the “Marine Barracks” in Beirut Lebanon occurred on 23 October 1983, several of our local detachment members took part in all of the local funeral services and tributes for the five South Florida Marines killed in that horrific attack. We had several fund-raisers and sought donations, to finally erect a very beautiful and suitable “Florida Beirut Monument”, which now stands in their honored tribute, in the “All Wars Memorial Park” in the “City of North Miami Beach”, to honor the 25 Marines and two U.S. Navy Corpsman from Florida, who died in that tragic terrorist attack. Total credit, for the monument’s design, location, construction, and dedication, is due to Lt. Col. Roger D. Angel USMC, the Marine Corps Inspector Instructor, assigned to the Miami Marine Corps Reserve unit, at the time, and to his family. Each October 23rd and on every “Memorial Day”, and “Veterans Day”, our detachment members visit and place floral tributes there, We also keep in touch with and assist the local families of those Marines
Several of our detachment members have devoted many years to our Marine Corps League activities and Detachment support. The one member, however, who stands out above all others, is Mrs. Georgie Carter Krell. In the many years since the tragic death of her son Bruce, she has devoted many thousands of hours of “volunteer” work at the: VA Medical Center in Miami; now officially renamed (By an act of Congress) for Bruce. From feeding patients, writing letters for them, reading to them, and seeing to their general welfare. She has received many well-deserved awards from the Veterans Administration, for her unique, very loving, and unequaled dedicated service. Additionally, she has served as the National President of the “American Gold Star Mothers”, serving in that high office, from June 2001 to June 2002, and again from June 2008 to June 2009.
The detachment’s current staff consists of Commandant: Elio Dominguez, Senior Vice Commandant: Ozzie Perez., Junior Vice-Commandant: Michael Raigoso, Adjutant: Rafael Rodriguez, Paymaster: Helga Laks, Chaplain: Dr. Alexander Jones, Sergeant At Arms: Mike Becerra, Judge Advocate: Javier Lopez, and VAVS Veterans Hospital Representative, Jose A. Lopez. Website sergeant, Javier Lopez. The Commanding Officer of the “Young Marines of Miami Dade” is Alain Rodriguez.