Newport adopts Marine attitude

Marisa O’Neil

Like lots of other places, Newport Beach has a couple Sister Cities.

But how many towns can claim their own Marine battalion?

Members of Camp Pendleton’s 1st Battalion 1st Marines -- the “1/1”

in military lingo -- won’t be patrolling the yacht slips of Newport

Harbor or sandy beaches of the Balboa Peninsula. But in one of his

last acts as mayor, Steve Bromberg “adopted” the infantry unit for

Newport Beach residents to send morale-boosting letters and other

items and, in return, get some military representation at community

events.

“We’re embracing the 1/1 as our own,” said Bromberg, a former

Marine himself. “We’re going to establish a close, family-type

relationship with them, which could lead to many things. They do so

much for us, it’s a natural for us to do something for them.”

The unit of about 1,100 has been stationed on a ship in the Middle

East for about the past eight months. Letters, cards and small items,

even from people they’ve never met, help them feel more connected to

home, said Tim Sloat, a former Marine who approached Bromberg with

the idea.

Sloat was on the receiving end of a similar program when he was

stationed in Vietnam during that war.

“Sometimes, cities would adopt units,” he said. “We’d get cards

and letters and little packages sent to these 17-, 18- and

19-year-old kids who aren’t getting diddly [sent to them normally].”

Because the 1/1 is now overseas, Sloat said, the relationship will

start out a little one-sided. Once they come back, likely in April,

they will return the favor, offering a color guard for community

events, reading to children and coming up to pay visits to the city.

A committee that Bromberg put together will come up with ideas for

the budding relationship, organizing it like a sister city program.

He will act as its liaison.

Until they return, Bromberg said, Newport Beach residents can show

their support by sending things to their new battalion -- even beyond

the holiday season. Nonperishable items that can be easily carried in

a backpack work best if people want to send gifts, Sloat said.

“Paperback books and magazines -- you can’t beat that,” he said.

“You spend 90% of the time waiting for something to happen. And handy

wipes are great. They might go two or three weeks without a shower,

and even though they might not be in the desert, they’re still in

dirty places, breaking things.”

Sloat said he approached Newport Beach because of its proximity to

Camp Pendleton and its population’s size and willingness to get

involved with good causes. The sandy beaches and ocean breezes don’t

hurt, either.

“Marines, in particular, are young guys from various parts of the

country,” City Manager Homer Bludau said. “They’re going through a

difficult time. Getting them to come to Newport Beach and getting

them to enjoy themselves would be great.”