The Col. Phillip C. Delong Detachment of the Marine Corp League held a very special meeting Monday night. The 2015 Marine of the Year and Associate of the Year were awarded. The Color Guard opened the meeting and then Commandant Roy Thacker awarded Donald Westlake, Marine of the Year and Ernest G. Cooper III, Associate of the Year.
Donald Westlake said receiving the award was a real shocker. He said he had no idea it was him until the awards presenter started listing past achievements. “When I heard past Commandant and member of the Color Guard, I started realizing it was me,” said Westlake. He served as Commandant of this detachment in 2014. Originally from Ossining, NY , Westlake joined the Marine Corps right out of high school in 1951 and served until 1954. “It was during the Korean War and I wanted to be part of that.”
He married his wife Mary in 1955; they recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. He spent 28 years with the White Plains Police Department. Starting as a patrol officer, and retiring as Captain.
Westlake is a charter member of the Delong Detachment in the Villages which formed in 2007. He and his wife moved to the Villages in 2005 and currently reside in Rio Grande, having also lived in Tall Trees.
Associate of the Year Ernest Cooper is a retired Army Warrant Officer and served most of his time in the Army as a helicopter pilot. In 1969 his draft number was six, so he and a few friends volunteered to join the Army. He served from 1970 until 1993. After military retirement he worked in the defense field for several years.
He and his wife now live in the Village of Poinciana. He is a pickle ball instructor and dragon boat racer. Recently he was the coach of one of the Team USA Dragon Boat Racing Teams that competed in Canada.
Cooper became aware of the detachment through friends on the Leatherneck Dragon Boat Racing Team. He decided to join the detachment as an associate member because after reviewing the works of several groups he felt the Delong Detachment “did more community service and activities that are worthwhile.” He is a very involved member. As a member of the Honor Guar he has been in many of the parades and served at many funerals. He is also very involved in Toys for Tots, a huge undertaking that supports all three surrounding counties. He is happy as a member to have the opportunity to serve and give back to the community. “This detachment is recognized in the Villages as a force for good,” said Cooper.
The Delong Detachment named for Col. Phillip Delong, a World War II Marine Aviator, meets the third Monday of every month at the Bacall Center at 7 pm.
