The City of Rancho Santa Margarita Gets Ready to Welcome Home Its Adopted 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines

City Hosts Homecoming Festivities at Camp Pendleton and Is Looking for Volunteers  

Posted by CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, California – The City of Rancho Santa Margarita is gearing up to welcome home its adopted 2^nd Battalion, 5^th Marines (2/5) Regiment, scheduled to arrive in mid-September following a seven month deployment to Afghanistan.

2nd Battalion 5th Marines (2/5) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps consisting of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors,  based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and fall under the command of the 5th Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division. The battalion has seen combat in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War and has deployed many times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the current War on Terror. 2/5 is the most highly decorated battalion in the Marine Corps and their motto, "Retreat, Hell!", comes from the French trenches of World War I, when a Marine officer named Lloyd W. Williams was ordered to retreat and replied, "Retreat? Hell, we just got here!"

The City will be hosting homecoming festivities for nearly 1,200 Marines and Sailors at Camp Pendleton to care for waiting families and to give the welcome home that our heroes deserve.

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Festivities will include music, food, crafts and goody bags for the kids, poster-making supplies, bounce houses and raffle prizes. To make this a true community event, the City is looking for volunteers to help serve food, prepare goody bags, roll towel sets, greet families and cheer on our Marines. Sponsors are also needed for raffle prizes, food, drinks, toys, and party favors.

There are many other  ways individuals, families, groups, and businesses can be involved before and during the five homecoming dates.

A flyer with all of the ways you can help is posted on the City’s website at www.cityofrsm.org. If you are interested in joining the City in giving our 2/5 Marines a hearty welcome home, please contact resident volunteer Cindy Farnum at farnumpc@gmail.com.