Winning Shirt Design and latest updates

Winning Design

It comes as no surprise to me… it wasn’t even close!

This year’s design will commemorate 30 years since our tour of the Far East with this custom limited-edition print.

The design highlights Mount Fuji in the background with a Japanese torii in front. Just below that, 米海兵隊 represents “U.S. Marines” in Japanese. Three simple colors, one for each decade that has passed.

Fundraiser Shirt Sales

Now that a winning design has been chosen, I have begun working with our supplier, checking availability of products to know what to offer for sale. As of now, I don’t see any issues with offering the same selection as last year. The fundraising campaign should begin near the end of March.

If there is a style of garment you would like to see added to the selection, let me know.

Balance Due

For those that have not yet paid, the remaining balance is $185.00 and this final payment is due no later than Sunday, April 30, 2023.

At the time of this writing, 65% of you have not yet fully paid your remaining balances!

An up-to-date list of attendees which shows the balance due for each Marine, the name of their guest, and travel method can be found here. Additionally, if you click on the Marine’s name, you can see additional details like flight information if they have provided it.

If you find something there that is not accurate, let me know.

Airport Shuttle Inquiry

Since May Family Ranch is over 3 hours away from Boise Airport (the recommended airport), we are researching to see if there is any interest in a group airport shuttle. Depending on the the feedback we receive, this could be as simple as coordinating car rentals & car pooling, renting a passenger van, hiring a professional shuttle company, or something else.

The sooner you know the better. Ever since I bought my plane ticket 42 days ago, prices have steadily been going up in the past few weeks. Don’t wait for the last minute.

If you are interested, when you know your flight information fill out the form below to help us plan. Be sure to indicate “Yes” for the question ‘Shuttle Requested?’.

Filling out the form won’t guarantee that a shuttle will be provided but it will aid in the planning… we need a head count first.

Wrapping Things Up

I know many of you have come to a reunion or two. There are are a couple of you that have not and therefore don’t know what to expect.

Recently I was asked if we provide a confirmation or reservation number once they pay their final amount. While I’d like to think that this website makes it look like we run a professional operation, truth be told is that we’re rather informal.

There are no confirmation or reservation numbers, just a “roll call” with all the detail to provide transparency. We also use the roll call to assign cabins if needed, plan meals, assign items for everyone to bring, etc. Plus, it’s also nice to know who else will be there. If you can no longer make it, or your significant other decides not to come, or something else doesn’t look right on the roll call, say something. The roll call needs to be as accurate as possible.

Also, when it comes to sending money, it’s always to a friend… you’re not paying for “goods or services”. If not sent correctly, it can create a tax burden for me with the newer IRS 1099-K law. By collecting money from 30+ individuals, it only takes a couple of incorrectly sent payments to cause me to claim that as income, then having to pay taxes on it.

If you have any questions about anything related, post them in the comments below or ask in our private bookface group.

114 days and counting…