VETERANS

VETERANS
Collecting food baskets
The Department of Veterans' Affairs of Lawrence County and Community Outreach is collecting food and money for 100 food baskets for needy veterans and their families to be distributed for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Nonperishable food items can be placed in collection containers at the main entrance of the Government Center and Veterans Office between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Mondaythrough Nov. 17. Checks or money orders, made payable to Community Outreach, can be mailed to Community Outreach, House of Jubilee, 4133 Ellwood Road, New Castle, Pa. 16101. For information, call (724) 656-2180.
Electronic greetings
The American Legion has launched a free electronic greeting card program to send messages to troops overseas and stateside. Anyone who has an e-mail account can receive the cards, which can be created at the American Legion's Web site www.legion.org.
The e-mail site offers cards for each branch of the military. The cards play the service song when they are opened. Cards may be sent through Friday.
RETIREMENT
26 years in Marines
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Manuel DeJesus, a Youngstown native, has retired from the Marine Corps after 26 years' service.
DeJesus joined the Marine Corps Reserve during his senior year at South High School, from which he graduated in 1979. He was promoted to meritorious private first class upon graduation from boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., and was assigned to Detachment 1, Headquarters & amp; Service Battalion, 4th Force Service Support Group, New Castle, Pa. He later became a combat photographer, and in 1984 he re-enlisted in the reserves at the Navy & amp; Marine Corps Reserve Center in Youngstown.
In 1984, he was on active duty for five months as a recruiters aide in Sharon, Pa., where he eventually went into active duty Marine Corps as an administrative clerk.
During his career, he served in Okinawa, Japan; San Diego, Calif.; the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.; Camp Lejeune, N.C.; on two Mediterranean cruises that ended up in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch; and as administration officer and adjutant at Weapons Training Battalion, Training Command, Quantico, Va.
He rose steadily through the enlisted ranks and was selected for the Warrant Officer program in 1997. His decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.
He and his wife, the former Nancy S. Langis of Elysburg, Pa., and their children, Manuel, Shawntessa, Siera and Eliana, live in Fredricksburg, Va.
DeJesus is the son of Eulalia DeJesus of Youngstown, and the late Merejo DeJesus.
DEPLOYED
Sent to Iraq
Army Pvt. Anthony S. Lazich has deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Regularly assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division, Eighth Army, based in South Korea, Lazich was sent to Iraq to augment soldiers serving in country or to replace soldiers who had completed their tour of duty.
Lazich, an indirect fire infantryman, is the son of Pam J. Gilliland of Mesa, Ariz., and Joe A. Lazich of Brookfield. He is a 2003 graduate of Tempe High School, Ariz.
BASIC GRADS
Army: Reserve Pvt. Andrew J. Nelligan, son of Judy Nelligan of Mercer, Pa.
National Guard Spec. Joseph D. Soruillo (Howland High School, '91), master's degree, Ohio State University, '02 Columbus.
Marine Corps: Pvt. Jon Kelly (Boardman High School, '03), son of Susan Kelly of Boardman.
XItems of note for the Military Roundup can be sent to The Vindicator, Regional Desk, P.O. Box 780, Youngstown 44501-0780, or e-mailed to alcorn@vindy.com.