The Wood County Marine Corps League is up to some big things recently. In addition to doing their regular charitable events, such as helping out local veterans with whatever they might need, the WCMCL has been spotted in many places around town lately. From helping organize the recent Veteran’s Day parade to helping with the Ironhorse Festival to hosting their annual Toys for Tots, the League has something going on.

The division of the league is named for Lance Corporal Shane L. Goldman, a Texan Marine who lost his life in Iraq in 2005. Their mission is to “(preserve) the traditions and (promote) the interests of the United States Marine Corps,” and while they have been uncomplainingly, happily carrying it out for quite some time now, much of it has been behind the scenes – quiet, they might say.

In the spirit of helping individuals anonymously, they like it that way.

However, with the purchase of their new building in downtown Mineola – what used to be the old blue “In Times Past” antiques-market building – the WCMCL is making its presence in the community at large a little bit more known. In fact, although the league has owned the building for only a little while, they say that they’ve already had more interest and involvement from community members.

 “The thing that’s going to help the most, and we’ve already seen it, is that every single event that’s here, we now have a spot to sit… and people can come up and go, ‘What’s this?’” said WCMCL member Michael Roden.

“We’ve had numerous people that have joined because of us just being here,” affirmed Cheryl DeNoi, an associate member of the league and wife of Sergeant At Arms Dennis DeNoi.

Not only does the new building provide more visibility, but it also gives the charitable league a place to do more things for the community.

According to WCMCL overseers, the league has big plans for the building – plans that will better the community as well as league members.

The main room of the building, said Cheryl, will be a meeting room big enough to host everyone who is interested in coming to these WCMCL meetings. The building will also function as a permanent Toys for Tots location, where board members and volunteers can hold items and organize the drives from a home base rather than having to “struggle every year to figure out, ‘Where are we gonna hold it this year?’”

“We’re looking forward to having this place,” said Cheryl. 

Although members say that “we’ll be hitting (building renovations) pretty hard come January, February,” they note that having the building in the exact state they want it will be a process rather than an immediate implementation.

“There’s a lot that’s got to get done,” said Roden.

Members of any branch of the military – Navy, Marine, Air Force, or more – can come on in and join. According to Cheryl, the Shane L. Goldman division is one of the few Marine Corps Leagues in America that accepts any branch of the military.

In fact, although most people wouldn’t even think of it, Dennis says that the league actually accepts civilians joining, too. Cheryl says that they have people “that don’t even live in Wood County” come and join!

So to be part of the great things that the WCMCL is doing, you’re welcome to.