Pvt Shutt Detachment

05/10/2026

From The Commandant's Desk,

As we approach this years Memorial Day our Nation is once again engaged in conflict in the Middle East resulting in the tragic lose of American lives. Oh what great sorrow ripples throughout the family when a service member is killed in action; the wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and close friends. An emotional hole that lasts a lifetime long after the particular conflict has ended. How precious is this life, an opportunity to learn, travel, love, procreate, accomplish all one’s dreams. But due to the terrible cost of war, those we remember this Memorial Day, our American patriots paid the ultimate price forfeiting all their hopes, dreams, and futures to lie forever silent buried in our national cemeteries, beneath the sea, or lost on a distant battlefield. We can never repay their sacrifice, but we can humbly attempt to live by and stand up for the ideals they died for, love of country and one’s fellow man, freedom, truth, integrity, compassion, honesty, and justice.

The Private Charles J, Shutt Detachment will meet this Tuesday at 1830 hours to elect officers, please try to attend. Hot Dogs and beans at 1800 hours.

The Memorial Day parade will occur on Monday May 26, 2025, beginning at 12:00 pm staging at 10:30 am @ Watertown Library. Ceremony at Victory Field to follow the end of parade.

There will be an open house at the Shutt Detachment following the parade hot dogs, hamburgers, and refreshments.

Wednesday May 26, 2025, @ 5:00 pm Volunteers are welcome to help replace flags on veteran’s graves at Ridgelawn Cemetery and Saint Patrick’s cemetery. Rain date is Thursday.

Friday May 23, 2025, school visitation by veterans with students from Watertown High School and Watertown Middle School at the middle school auditorium @ 8 Waverly Avenue.

Sunday May 25, 2025, The Shutt Detachment will join with VFW Post 1105 to provide a rolling firing detail to lay wreaths at consecrated squares and memorials throughout Watertown.

Sunday May 25, 2025, Veterans Memorial Mass will be held at 10:00 am at Saint Patrick’s Church.
Scholarship Applications

Time is running out, scholarship applications must be submitted by May 12, 2026, no late applications accepted.

Golf Tournament
2026 JOSEPH F. SHUTT MEMORIAL CELEBRATING 250 YEARS OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
The Tournament will be held on Friday June 19, 2025, location Patriot’s golf course on the Bedford VA grounds, limit 64 golfers. Our tournament is a major fundraiser for the Detachment and sponsors are welcome to sponsor a hole. Consider becoming a PLATINUM SHUTT DETACHMENT GOLF SPONSOR for $1,000. Be a GOLD-HOLE SPONSOR for $500 or a SILVER-TEE SPONSOR FOR $150. In addition to receiving recognition in our popular newsletter, your sponsorship will be displayed prominently at the golf course and the Detachment. We are limited to 64 golfers, sign up soon. Both seasoned and less experienced golfers will enjoy a fun-filled day of golfing and networking! A Steak, chicken, and corn dinner plus raffle will be provided after the tournament at Shutt Detachment.

Come join fellow Marines and associate members for a hearty meal every Monday night @ 6:00 pm prepared by Master Chief and Marine Steve Lydon sign up by Sunday afternoons.

Queen of Hearts is a fundraising game of chance where the pot of money continues to grow week by week until a winner is selected.

Semper Fidelis
George MacMasters

04/09/2026

From the Commandant’s Desk,

We are finally exiting from a classic New England winter with temperatures well below normal from December till April with plenty of snow on the ground for good measure. Looking forward to warmer weather and blue skies.

Let us hope that the cease fire in the Middle East holds and an agreement can be reached for lasting peace. God Bless the men and women of our armed forces who were killed in action and the service members wounded in action who are now recovering in the hospital. The Marine Corps League exists to support military families in time of need.

The Charles J. Shutt Detachment’s monthly meeting will be held tomorrow night, Thursday, April 9, 2026. Hot dogs and beans 1800 hours, meeting 1830, much to discuss, all Marines please attend.

The Golf Committee members under the leadership of Marine Dominic Ricci are hard at work preparing for this years tournament. For the third time, the Shutt Detachment Golf Tournament will be held at the Patriot Golf course on the Bedford VA Hospital grounds. Mark the date on your calendar Friday, June 19, 2026. We are limited to 64 golfers, sign up soon!!

Please consider being a sponsor for our 2026, Memorial Golf Tournament:
A PLATINUM SHUTT DETACHMENT GOLF SPONSOR for $1,000.
A GOLD-HOLE SPONSOR for $500 or
A SILVER-TEE SPONSOR FOR $150.
Each sponsor will receive recognition at the golf course during the tournament and in our popular newsletter.

This years scholarship applications are available at the bar, limited to children and grandchildren of Marine Corps members in good standing and associates members with three years of consecutive membership. Application deadline postmarked by May 11, 2026.

The memorial Day parade will be held on Monday, May 25, 2026, the route will be the same as last year ending at Victory Field. Cookout hotdogs and hamburgers back at the Shutt after the parade all welcome.

The Shutt Detachment will have a wheelchair accessible bus, loaned from the Bedford VA that was originally donated by VFW Post 1105, for members to ride in who are not able to walk the parade route.

On Sunday, May 24, 2026, the Shutt Detachment and the VFW members will lay wreaths and provide a firing detail beginning at 0900 hours at consecrated sites throughout Watertown.

On Wednesday, May 20th, rain date Thursday, the 21st, members will place flags at veterans’ graves at Ridgelawn Cemetary and Saint Patrick’s cemetery. All are welcome to participate.

School visitations will be held on Friday, May 22, 2026, more details to follow.

On Monday night Marine Steve Lydon prepares a hearty dinner that starts around 1800 hours with a delicious menu changing each week. Last week’s meal was meatloaf rapped in bacon with smashed tayters, peas, corn, rolls, and desert or the week before Steve's Famous Slop-Chuey of the Americas with salad, breadrolls and dessert. Please sign up at the bar by Sunday for shopping purposes.

On Wednesday night a competitive group meets to play cribbage beginners welcome. Friday nights are a informal game night so come on down to the Shutt and enjoy the fun.

Come try your luck with the Queen of Hearts game of chance currently the pot is growing. The money is split between the winner and the Shutt Detachment. The money being used for scholarships.

Semper Fidelis

George MacMasters

04/02/2026

Tonight's meeting of the Shutt Detachment is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Rescheduled for April 9th, hotdogs and beans 1800 hours meeting 1830.

03/06/2026

03/05/2026

From the Desk of the Commandant, 5 February 2026

I pray that our sailors, soldiers, airmen, coast guard and space force personnel, and Marines remain safe in the Middle East. Once again our military forces are engaged in mortal combat.
There will be a great deal of fighting before this war is over, but I’m pleased that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the early round of bombings. What Marine can forget that on October 23, 1983, an Iranian su***de bomber drove a yellow Mercedes truck packed with explosives into the foyer of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 220 Marines, 18 U.S. Navy sailors, and 3 U.S. Army soldiers.

In her book, Hezbollah, Hala Jaber, writes that the attack was a Syrian-Iranian-backed operation supervised by Imad Mughniyeh, a PLO operative, and Mustapha Badredeen, a member of the military wing of the Al-Dawa party. Planning meetings were held in the Iranian embassy in Damascus. The vehicles and explosives were prepared in the Bekaa Valley, which was under Syrian control. A few days before the attack the vehicles were transported through the Syrian Checkpoints and staged in the Beirut suburbs. Rest easy Warriors.

Massachusetts Beirut Honor Roll
LCP Bradley J. Campus - Lynn
LCP Michael J. Devlin - Westwood
SGT MAJ Frederick B. Douglass - Cataumet
CPL Sean R. Gallagher - North Andover
SGT Edward H. Gargano - Quincy
LCP Richard J. Gordon - Somerville
CPT Michael S. Haskell - Westborough
SGT Steven B. LaRiviere - Chicopee
LCP Thomas S. Perron - Whittinsville

The golf committee is meeting in full force finalizing all details for a successful tournament. Reserve the date: June 19, 2026, at the Patriot Golf Course, 200 Spring Rd Bedford, MA 01730.
The Patriot Golf Course has been voted multiple times as “Best U.S. Military Small Golf Course” in the United States. National professional golfers recognize the course as the best value for golf in Boston’s Metrowest.

Planning for this years parade is underway but no decision has been made about the parade route. We are working with the Bedford VA to get the speciality bus to transport veterans with mobility issues.

The scholarship committee has been hard at work all year under the leadership of Janice Aucoin raising funds. This year the goal is to give out five $1000.00 scholarships instead of three. So Marines and associate members there is still time to get in your application. Applications available at the bar.

The Shutt Detachment’s monthly meeting will be held tonight the 5th of March at 1830 hours, beans and hotdogs served @1800 hours.

I would especially like to thank Robert (Bob) Deluca and his fellow Marines, the warriors of 3rd Battalion 26th Marines the defenders of Khe Sanh and the 77 day Siege for their generous donation to the Charles J. Shutt Detachment. Check out the link below to this historic battle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88XPMfJ1wfg&t=13s

I’d like to thank Ginny Gardner of the women’s auxiliary of Post 440 for donating fifty first add kits to the Shutt Detachment for use by veterans. Thanks to Adjutant Dave Synder for accepting the gifts at their valentines event.

I would also like to thank Horgan Enterprises for a generous $500 gift to the Shutt Detachment.

Thank you to Peter and the bar staff who are always happy to serve us thirsty patrons. Thanks to Mike Sullivan for his continued work around the Shutt Detachment. Thanks to Ed Aucoin for keeping the whole ship afloat.

On Monday night Marine Steve Lydon prepares a hearty dinner that starts around 1800 hours with a delicious menu changing each week. Last week’s meal was Sloppy Joes, Tayter Tots, corn, salad, and Dessert. $9.82. All interested individuals must sign up at the Shutt by Sunday afternoon.

On Wednesday night a competitive group meets to play cribbage beginners welcome. Friday nights are a informal game night so come on down to the Shutt and enjoy the fun.

Come try your luck with the Queen of Hearts game of chance currently the pot is growing. The money is split between the winner and the Shutt Detachment. The money being used for scholarships.

02/01/2026

From the Commandant's Desk, January 31, 2026

It is hard to believe that one month of the new year 2026 has already passed. They say that time moves faster as one ages because our brain processes fewer novel experiences, making days blend together, plus each year becomes a smaller fraction of our total life. The good news is new experiences create more detailed memories, stretching out perceived time, so come down to the Shutt and create new lasting memories.

The monthly meeting of the Charles J. Shutt Marine Corps League will meet next Thursday, the 5th of February at 6:30 pm. Come and enjoy a scrumptious meal of beans and hot dogs at 6pm.

With snow two feet deep on the ground it is hard to think of spring but the golf tournament is right around the corner so start putting together your foursome and join the Shutt Detachment for our major fundraiser of the year.

Weather permitting, we will open on Super Bowl Sunday at 3pm. Chinese food will be delivered at approximately 5pm. No cost for football pool members, $20 for all others, NO EXCEPTIONS. If you are not in the football pool please sign up at the bar by Feb. 4th ,so we can order the right amount of food. If there’s a snow emergency declared we will not open.

The Toys for Tots drive was very successful this year collecting hundreds of toys for local children and funds for Marine Corps League’s National distribution.

Special thanks to the Masons for a large donation of toys and funds to the Shutt Detachment. The Shutt Detachment has sent members each year in December to the Masons Christmas toy drive for the past several years to show our appreciation.

The United States Marine Corps and Freemasonry share a foundational connection through Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, the 1775 birthplace of the Marines and an active Mason lodge where Capt. Samuel Nicholas and Robert Mullan—both Masons—recruited the first Continental Marines.

On Monday night Marine Steve Lydon prepares a hearty dinner that starts around 1800 hours with a delicious menu changing each week all interested individuals must sign up at the Shutt by Sunday afternoon.

On Wednesday night a competitive group meets to play cribbage beginners welcome. Friday nights are a informal game night so come on down to the Shutt and enjoy the fun.

Come try your luck with the Queen of Hearts game of chance currently the pot is over one thousand dollars. The money is split between the winner and the Shutt. The money being used for scholarships.

Special thanks to Peter and all the bartenders who serve us thirsty patrons each day, to Ed Aucoin for keeping the club on an even keel, to Mike Sullivan for constantly being on hand to help with any project, Dave Snyder for his help coordinating work and his fundraising, and anyone else I missed.

Semper Fidelis

George MacMasters

12/03/2025

Good info on accessing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits!

12/03/2025

We're fortunate to have Ed Aucoin and the Marine Corps Family as integral members of the Whooley Foundation Team, driving positive impact together.

12/03/2025

From the Commandant's Desk,

I hope everyone had a joyful thanksgiving holiday with family and friends a chance to reflect on the blessings of living in the United States of America. Conservative estimates place 40 percent of the world’s population living under authoritarian rule thankfully as Americans we can speak, assemble, think, and worship as we please. Looking forward to the Christmas holiday stay safe and come down to the Shutt and enjoy some Christmas cheer.

The Charles J. Shutt Detachment United States Marine Corps League had a successful celebration of the 250th birthday of the founding of the United States Marine Corps. A special thank you to Bob Joyce, Steve Lydon, Dom Ricci, and Mike Sullivan for organizing, cooking, and hosting a delicious dinner and cake ceremony.

Dave Snyder was recognized with an appreciation award at the Marine Corps Birthday dinner for his outstanding contributions to the Detachment’s physical grounds coordinating tree work, landscaping, fence building, and driveway repair as well as adjutant at the Shutt’s monthly meetings. Well Done Dave.

The Shutt Detachment’s monthly meeting will be held Thursday evening at 1830 hours, beans and hotdogs served @1800 hours.

The winner of the 10k drawing, with number was 50 was long time associate member
and wife of the late Kevin Finn beloved bartender at the Shutt, Franny Finn. Thank you Franny for participating in our drawing and congratulations on being the winner.

Marine Corps and associate members attended the appreciation dinner for Marine member, Lieutenant Commander Michael Munger, held on November 15th at the Banquet hall of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Watertown. Mike was the lead instructor for the Navel Cadet program held at the United States Coast Guard base in Boston for twenty years. It was a pleasure to listen to one cadet after another rise to their feet and share what a positive impact his leadership had on their lives. The Marine Corps league has been a supporter of the Naval Cadet program for many years providing instructors and funds. Semper Fi Mike!

The Pearl Harbor anniversary is on December 7th, commemorating the 1941 attack that drew the United States into World War II. The 84th anniversary is being observed by Shutt Detachment members at the dock in Watertown Square on Saturday December 6th, this year at 0900 hours.

Friday night December 15, 2025, will be the last day for dropping of toys for the 2025 Toys For Tots\Whooley Foundation toy drive. Please drop of a new unwrapped toy at the Detachment or maybe a gift card for toys or maybe from one of the many food markets in the area,. Stop in and enjoy our cozy Christmas corner with your favorite beverage. Please pass this on to your email lists so we will be able to reach as many people as possible.

From the Scholarship Committee: Once again, we are having our lottery calendars for sale during the month of December. Calendars are $10 each and allows you the chance to win cash or gift cards each day during the month of January. They’re great for stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, or last minute ideas. These will benefit our Scholarship program.
Thank you for all you do in helping to raise money to fund the program. We appreciate you all. They can be purchased at the bar or by contacting Janice Aucoin at 617-733-4356

On Monday night Marine Steve Lydon prepares a hearty dinner that starts around 1800 hours with a delicious menu changing each week. Last week’s meal was meatloaf rapped in bacon with smashed tayters, peas, corn, rolls, and desert. All interested individuals must sign up at the Shutt by Sunday afternoon.

On Wednesday night a competitive group meets to play cribbage beginners welcome. Friday nights are a informal game night so come on down to the Shutt and enjoy the fun.

Come try your luck with the Queen of Hearts game of chance currently the pot is growing. The money is split between the winner and the Shutt Detachment. The money being used for scholarships.

Semper Fi