thedrifter
03-04-08, 05:21 AM
Clinton man works to help fellow Marines
— Rodney Owen is trying to raise $10,000 for the Semper Fi Marine Fund.
By David Frownfelder
Daily Telegram Staff Writer
CLINTON — Rodney Owen of Clinton spent 20 years in the United States Marine Corps. During his service, he never had to fire his weapon in anger, but has empathy for those who have.
Owen is also staying true to the Corps by helping those who were injured in the service of their country. This fall he set a personal goal of raising $10,000 for the Semper Fi Marine Fund, which helps wounded and injured Marines get reacclimated and helps their families when needed.
“The government pays for their medical care, but sometimes other things are needed. The Marine Corps motto is ‘Semper Fidelis,’ which means ‘always faithful,’ ” Owen said. “I never saw combat in my 20 years in the Corps, but it’s my duty to help.”
Owen, who does a lot of the technology work for Clinton Schools, has raised more than $2,500 for the fund since January by simply writing to Marine Corps buddies. He will continue his efforts and use one of his pastimes to raise more.
“I began running marathons last year with another Marine, and he told me about Semper Fi, so I decided to help,” Owen said. “I’ve got a goal of $10,000 for this year. This fund was created to help marines and sailors who were injured. This is direct care for families, no red tape.”
Owen was on active duty from 1976 to 1996 and retired as a gunnery sergeant. His school identification badge identifies him as “Gunny Owen.”
He has picked up support from some Clinton Middle School students, who are raising funds for Semper Fi by creating and selling a cookbook.
“These are recipes that are handed down or maybe created on their own,” said Mike Howe, the middle school English teacher who oversaw creation of the cookbook. “We’ve done an Iron Chef cook-off, but this book is what I’m most excited about.”
The students collected recipes they created or were given by parents and grandparents and arranged them by categories: appetizers, snacks and desserts. Ryan Piatt was elected editor by his sixth-grade classmates.
“We got recipes from other sixth-graders and put it together,” he said. “It was a lot of fun.”
Students had the option of preparing their recipe or reporting on it before their class. A dessert named Four Layer Lemon, submitted by Katherine Darnell, was voted Kid Chef Champion, with a ribbon placed next to it in the book.
She based the treat on a story she created about a football player named Lemon Head, who rammed four opponents on his way to the winning touchdown to break a 40-40 tie. At the celebration party, the chef created the four-layer lemon treat with a graham cracker crust. Besides the ribbon, Darnell has bragging rights, Piatt said.
Howe said the cookbook is serving several purposes. First and foremost, it is a fundraiser for Semper Fi, but it also allowed the students to get creative.
“I told them to have fun with it. If they wanted to say the recipe was from outer space or from anywhere else, I told them to go ahead,” Howe said. “We’d like to sell 75 of them; (at $8 apiece) that would raise $600.”
Raising money for the fund and also meeting people who have taken part in combat is also a sobering lesson for the students, Howe and Owen added.
“It shows them what it is really like out there,” Owen said.
“This touches the kids in many ways,” Howe added.
The cookbooks are for sale through the Clinton Middle School, 341 W. Michigan Ave., Clinton. Checks should be made out to Clinton Community Schools.
As for raising funds for Semper Fi, Owen and Howe are hoping people will not use opposition to the war as an excuse not to help these injured veterans.
“I hope people will look past their feelings on the war,” Owen said. “This has nothing to do with opposing the war. It is taking care of these people who have served their country and been injured.”
Owen is planning to run in several other marathons later this year to raise funds and awareness of the Semper Fi Fund. He will take part in the Oklahoma City Run on April 27 and in October, he will run in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. Owen is working out donation information.
“I never ran this far when I was in the Corps,” he joked.
Information on the Semper Fi Fund is available online at www.semperfifund.org. Owen said anyone wishing to donate directly to the fund can mail a check or money order to Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, 825 College Blvd., Suite 102, PMB 609, Oceanside, CA 92057.
Ellie
— Rodney Owen is trying to raise $10,000 for the Semper Fi Marine Fund.
By David Frownfelder
Daily Telegram Staff Writer
CLINTON — Rodney Owen of Clinton spent 20 years in the United States Marine Corps. During his service, he never had to fire his weapon in anger, but has empathy for those who have.
Owen is also staying true to the Corps by helping those who were injured in the service of their country. This fall he set a personal goal of raising $10,000 for the Semper Fi Marine Fund, which helps wounded and injured Marines get reacclimated and helps their families when needed.
“The government pays for their medical care, but sometimes other things are needed. The Marine Corps motto is ‘Semper Fidelis,’ which means ‘always faithful,’ ” Owen said. “I never saw combat in my 20 years in the Corps, but it’s my duty to help.”
Owen, who does a lot of the technology work for Clinton Schools, has raised more than $2,500 for the fund since January by simply writing to Marine Corps buddies. He will continue his efforts and use one of his pastimes to raise more.
“I began running marathons last year with another Marine, and he told me about Semper Fi, so I decided to help,” Owen said. “I’ve got a goal of $10,000 for this year. This fund was created to help marines and sailors who were injured. This is direct care for families, no red tape.”
Owen was on active duty from 1976 to 1996 and retired as a gunnery sergeant. His school identification badge identifies him as “Gunny Owen.”
He has picked up support from some Clinton Middle School students, who are raising funds for Semper Fi by creating and selling a cookbook.
“These are recipes that are handed down or maybe created on their own,” said Mike Howe, the middle school English teacher who oversaw creation of the cookbook. “We’ve done an Iron Chef cook-off, but this book is what I’m most excited about.”
The students collected recipes they created or were given by parents and grandparents and arranged them by categories: appetizers, snacks and desserts. Ryan Piatt was elected editor by his sixth-grade classmates.
“We got recipes from other sixth-graders and put it together,” he said. “It was a lot of fun.”
Students had the option of preparing their recipe or reporting on it before their class. A dessert named Four Layer Lemon, submitted by Katherine Darnell, was voted Kid Chef Champion, with a ribbon placed next to it in the book.
She based the treat on a story she created about a football player named Lemon Head, who rammed four opponents on his way to the winning touchdown to break a 40-40 tie. At the celebration party, the chef created the four-layer lemon treat with a graham cracker crust. Besides the ribbon, Darnell has bragging rights, Piatt said.
Howe said the cookbook is serving several purposes. First and foremost, it is a fundraiser for Semper Fi, but it also allowed the students to get creative.
“I told them to have fun with it. If they wanted to say the recipe was from outer space or from anywhere else, I told them to go ahead,” Howe said. “We’d like to sell 75 of them; (at $8 apiece) that would raise $600.”
Raising money for the fund and also meeting people who have taken part in combat is also a sobering lesson for the students, Howe and Owen added.
“It shows them what it is really like out there,” Owen said.
“This touches the kids in many ways,” Howe added.
The cookbooks are for sale through the Clinton Middle School, 341 W. Michigan Ave., Clinton. Checks should be made out to Clinton Community Schools.
As for raising funds for Semper Fi, Owen and Howe are hoping people will not use opposition to the war as an excuse not to help these injured veterans.
“I hope people will look past their feelings on the war,” Owen said. “This has nothing to do with opposing the war. It is taking care of these people who have served their country and been injured.”
Owen is planning to run in several other marathons later this year to raise funds and awareness of the Semper Fi Fund. He will take part in the Oklahoma City Run on April 27 and in October, he will run in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. Owen is working out donation information.
“I never ran this far when I was in the Corps,” he joked.
Information on the Semper Fi Fund is available online at www.semperfifund.org. Owen said anyone wishing to donate directly to the fund can mail a check or money order to Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, 825 College Blvd., Suite 102, PMB 609, Oceanside, CA 92057.
Ellie