MARINE CORPS LEAGUE
Lt. Alexander Bonnyman
Detachment 924

Non-Life members need to pay their annual dues of $35.00 by August 15th to our Paymaster for transmittal by August 31. Call or email Bob Willis (317) 501-8294 to arrange payment

Monthly Officer/Committee meetings are held the 2nd Monday of each month at 17:00. All detachment members are welcome to attend. 2651 Hobbs Rd, Louisville, TN

Detachment meeting is held the last Tuesday of each month at the VFW post 5154 w/ Social Hour from 17:30-18:15 and meeting from 18:15-19:30, all welcome. 2651 Hobbs Rd. Louisville, TN 

Hosted by Marine Corps League Detachment 924 is set for Sunday, 10 November 2024, at Rothchild’s Catering and Conference Center located at 8807 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37923. Click here for details.

The Marine Corps League Honor Guard is available to support funerals for Marine Corps League Members and upon request can also support non-members. Click here for details

2024 Scholarship Applications must be mailed and postmarked before 17 July 2024. Click Here to open and print the scholarship application. Click Here for instructions

Veteran breakfasts are held in the Knoxville area and are a great opportunity to enjoy a good breakfast and share in the camaraderie with fellow Veterans and guests. Click Here for details.  

The detachment will be leading the 2024 Mud Run again, this year is at a new location. For more details, to sign up and learn more Click Here. 0800 Saturday August 31st, 2024

Detachment 924 honors the Knoxville native and Medal of Honor recipient First Lieutenant Alexander Bonnyman Jr. who gallantly gave his life in battle for Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll and Gilbert Islands on November 22, 1943 with the namesake of our detachment.

In October 1942, Bonnyman sailed for the South Pacific aboard the SS Matsonia. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Guadalcanal as part of a Marine pioneer unit (lightly equipped combat engineers).

Bonnyman’s civilian background, temperament and skills would come to play an important role at Tarawa in November 1943, where he was assigned to a shore party handling beachhead logistics. When the assault troops were pinned down by heavy enemy artillery fire at the seaward end of the long Betio Pier, on his own initiative Bonnyman organized and led five men over the open pier to the beach. There he voluntarily obtained flame throwers nd demolitions and directed the blowing up of several hostile installations.

On the second day of the struggle, Bonnyman, determined to breach the enemy’s strong defensive line, led a demolition team of 21 Marines in an assault on the entrance to a huge bombproof shelter which contained approximately 150 Japanese soldiers. Bonnyman advanced his team to the mouth of the position and killed many of the defenders. Bonnyman again pressed his attack and gained the top of the structure, thereby flushing more than one hundred of its occupants into the open where they were cut down by Marine infantry and a supporting tank. When the Japanese returned fire, Bonnyman stood on the forward edge of the position and killed three of the attackers, but was himself killed as he ordered more charges brought forward. Of Bonnyman’s original assault party of 21 Marines, 13 had survived. Betio Island was declared secured on the same day.