October 20, 2025 • 24 mins
Major General James W. Lukeman retired from active duty on July 1, 2020 after 40 years of continuous active service. He was born in Beaufort, South Carolina and was raised in a Marine Corps family. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and was commissioned through the NROTC program in 1980. Major General Lukeman’s assignments in the operating forces included Rifle and Weapons Platoon Commander in Alpha Company and 81mm Mortar Platoon Commander, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines; Assistant Operations Officer and Company Commander of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines; Executive Officer of 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines; and Operations Officer, 1st Marine Division. He commanded 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines and served as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-7 and G-3 for the 1st Marine Division in Iraq during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Picture Other assignments include Director of the Career Course at the Staff NCO academy at Quantico, Virginia; Operations Officer, Alpha Company, Marine Security Guard Battalion in Frankfurt, Germany; Marine Officer Instructor at the NROTC Unit at the University of Texas at Austin; Assistant for Strategy and Force Planning in the Office of the Secretary of Defense; Commanding Officer, Security Battalion and Chief of Staff for Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia; Chief of Staff for Training and Education Command; and Military Assistant to the Assistant Commandant. As a General Officer, he served as Deputy Director for Strategy and Plans, J5, US Africa Command; Commanding General of the Second Marine Division; Commanding General, Training and Education Command; Assistant Chief of Staff, U/C/J-5, United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/U.S. Forces Korea and Commanding General, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea; and Inspector General of the Marine Corps. Major General Lukeman is a graduate of the Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the National War College.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
MND Bank presents iHeartRadio's CEOs you should know, driven by
Western Transportation Group.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Let's meet Major General James W. Lupman. He is the
President and CEO for the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation that
preserves and promotes the history, traditions, and culture of the
Marine Corps by supporting the National Museum of Marine Corps
and the Marine Corps Heritage Center. Before we talk more
about Jim, the Marine's two hundred and fiftieth anniversary, the Museum,
(00:28):
and much more, I first asked him to talk a
little bit about himself, where he's from, and his origin story.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
The short answer was, I was raised in the Marine Corps.
So my father was a marine. He was a Marine
the whole time I was growing up. So I was
actually born in Beaufort, South Carolina, which is where Paras
Island Marine Corps bases. So I was born at Paras Island.
But then I lived all around the Marine Corps growing up.
So I rived in San Diego, North Carolina, Northern virginiaa Hawaii,
all at Marine Corps bases around the country. And then
(00:57):
I went to college on a Marine Corps ROTC scholarship,
went to the University of Notre Dame and then was
commissioned into the Marine Corps after that, and then I
spent the next forty years of my life as an
active duty Marine, retiring five years ago, and then pretty
quickly coming on as the president and CEO of the
Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, which is what I do now.
(01:18):
The other thing, Dennis, is I went to Shantilly High School.
So last three years anyway, tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade.
We're at Shantilly High School.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
All right, Well, you and I have a little bit
in common. I know we're big sports guys. As I
got to know you in the green room a little bit.
That's been thirty years of my life of being on
air with radio and TV and just being as sports
and as I was a kid. My dad was a
safety engineer for a world wide construction company. So while
we weren't in the military, we moved a lot like
you did. So I know what that's like to be
kind of a backpack kid and moved from city to
(01:46):
city to city. But also a big fan. And listen,
you know, I've been to a game in South Bend
and it must have been a treat to go to
school and go to a football game there. I mean,
it really is a historic place.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yeah. Every Notre Dame grad is a football fan, I mean,
so it just becomes part of when you go to
Notre Dame. I'm not sure if that was one of
the reasons I went there, but it might have been.
But I grew up a Redskins fan and now I'm
a Commander's fan as well. So sports has always been
a big part of my life, and yeah, Notre Dame
is a great place for that.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Well, listen, Jim, We're going to talk a lot about
the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, which your president and CEO of,
but I do want to talk about your military service
and beside thanking you for the forty years that you
gave to this great country. You know, I think there's
a lot of correlations when it comes to leadership and
all that comes with being in any type of military
to the private sector, and I want to talk about
(02:36):
that a little bit later. But as you did your
forty years of service, there's a lot of people that say,
you know what, I'm ready to check out and I'm
ready to vacation and take it easy, not you, sir.
So what I want to know and I'm very curious
about this about why you wanted to keep on working
in what it was about the Heritage Foundation that attracted
you to join them.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
So it is interesting when you come into the Marine Corps.
At least when I came into the Marine Corps, I
didn't think at that point it was going to be
a lifelong career. I wasn't sure, you know. I wanted
to join the Marine Corps. Figured that would do me
some good in four years in the Marine Corps would
be good for me. And then when I was getting
ready to think about getting out, I was like, I
kind of like, what I'm doing? Why am I? Why?
(03:17):
Why would I not stay in the Marine Corps? So
I did. I stayed in the Marine Corps and then
they just let me hang around for enough times and
to be able to make it a career. I've really
felt like that. It's been a great privilege to have
been able to serve with Marines for for so long. UH.
That's really it's really all about the people. The Marine
(03:37):
Corps is a people business, and UH and leadership is
a people business. It's all about how you can motivate
and a team to accomplish a goal and that's what
That's what the Marine Corps is really good at throwing
you into when you when you join the Marine Corps,
and then to be able to retire from the Marine
Corps and continue to support the Marine Corps from the
(03:57):
outside has just been terrific. So the opportunity to be
a part of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation now has
been just icing on the cake. So I feel like
I've been the most fortunate one to be able to
spend that time in the Marine Corps. It has been
challenging at times, like any profession will be, but I've
been fortunate enough to work with some terrific mentors and
(04:19):
examples for me to make me a better marine. I
just feel like I've had I've been blessed that way.
So I don't think there's any secret to it other
than doing the best you can at the job you're
in and you'll be rewarded for that.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah, I agree with that. Now, in just a minute,
we're going to talk about mission and vision. But I
have to give justice to the Marine Corps because it
really is for people don't know the story, and you
can give the abridge version if you want to, Jim,
but the whole darn thing two hundred and fifty years ago,
folks started in a bar, believe it or not. And
then we've got an anniversary this year and next year,
of course, this year for the Marine Corps two hundred
and fifty years. Yes, the Corps started before the America
(04:57):
was actually born, folks. And then we have a big
two fIF fft next year. But could you, quickly, Jim,
just tell us a story about the Marine Corps because
not only is it comical, but it's also cool too.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
So the Marine Corps was born in a bar in
Philadelphia in seventeen seventy five, that's correct. So you know,
they had created an army under George Washington. They had
created a Continental Navy, and the Continental Navy said, hey,
I need some marines. I need some people to go
to sea with me to shoot the Brits and to
go ashore and seize things ashore. So George Washington said, well,
(05:26):
you're not getting any of my soldiers. So the Continental
Congress said, well, we'll raise two battalions and marines for
service with the Navy. So they commissioned Captain Samuel Nicholas
and said you're the first marine. You're you're in charge,
you go to raise two battalions and marines. And Samuel
Nichols was a bar owner in Philadelphia, so he said, Hey,
come to Ton tavern a bar on the pier in
(05:48):
Philadelphia and seize your adventure. Become a marine and we're
going to go do this. So, yes, the Marines were
born in Ton Taverns on November tenth, seventeen seventy five.
So ever since then, for two in fifty years, we've
celebrated that.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Yeah, the Marine Corps, it is absolutely fantastic. I'm going
to circle back to what you're doing all this year
to kind of celebrate the two hundred fiftieth the anniversary.
But what I'd like to do now when it comes
to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, I love to talk
about mission and vision, and whether you're military or no,
mission and vision with all the CEOs and presidents that
we talk are very important to them and very specific. Jim,
can you talk about both of those?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Absolutely? So the mission of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation
is to preserve and promulgate the history, tradition, culture of
the Marine Corps and educate all Americans in its virtues.
So it's to preserve the Marine Corps story and share
it with America. That is our mission and the way
we do that. One of the ways we do that
is through the National Museum of the Marine Corps here
(06:46):
just outside of Quantico Marine Corps Base, just south of Washington,
d C. Many folks have driven by it on ninety
five because you can see it. It's a beautiful structure,
glass and steel that rises up with a spire and
don't know what it is because they have right by it.
But that is the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
So that is one of the most important ways that
(07:06):
we have preserved the Marine Corps story and share it
with all of America. We've had the museum open nineteen
years ago, well nineteen this November tenth should be nineteen
years old. As number tenth. We had over seven and
a half million visitors here into the museum, and it
really talks to two hundred and fifty years of American
history through the eyes of marines. So everything that's the
(07:28):
country's been involved in you'll see here in the museum
from a Marine Corps perspective.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Now, if I did my math correctly, the actual Marine
Corps Heritage Foundation started back forty six years ago, about
in nineteen seventy nine that original vision. Has it changed
at all or is exactly the same?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
It has changed some. So we originally were the Marine
Corps Historical Foundation back then in seventy nine, and then
what really changed was this decision to build a nice museum,
a beautiful museum for the Marine Corps. There was always
the museum, but it was a quant that hut with
a couple of stones out front, up on a base somewhere.
And so in the late nineties, the Marine Corps said, no,
(08:06):
we need to build a real museum for the Marine Corps.
Marine Corps Historical Foundation, will you take on that role
to raise the funds, design and build a national museum
for the Marine Corps, And so they changed the name
the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. We took on that role.
The legislation that was a company that that allowed us
to do this for the service and raise the funds
(08:29):
and built this magnificent museum, which has become our main
focus of effort really for the last twenty years. The
foundation does do more than that, though. We also support
the preservation of Marine Corps history in a lot of ways.
For instance, we're digitizing all the film that is in
the Marine Corps archives down at the University of South Carolina.
(08:50):
They're digitizing that to preserve it. We support the President's
owned Marine Band in ways that the government either can't
or won't do so other ways that we support the
tradition and culture of the Marine Corps. And this year,
in particular, being the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of
the Marine Corps, we have gone on a year long
nationwide campaign to reconnect America and remind them of what
(09:14):
it is the Marine Corps has done and what marines
have done for this country for the last two hundred
and fifty years.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
And I think if we could expound on that, because
I think it's a good segue about funding and about
how you're funded and the message you get out there.
And Jim, I know you don't do traditional golf tournaments
or galas and you kind of reach out to people
a different way, But can you talk about how you
are funded and how you do reach out to people
to get donations.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Yes, yeah, thank you for that. So yeah, the Marine
Corps Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit of five oh one
c three nonprofit, so all the money we raise is
poured back into preserving the Marine Corps history and tradition
and culture. So most of that is through regular donations
by tens of thousands of faithful supporters that just like
(09:55):
what they see in the museum, like the mission that
we are doing, and help us do that with nations.
There are also several marines who have gotten out of
the Marine Corps been very successful in business who are
large donors for us as well, and we're grateful for
that because every organization that seeks to do something like
we've done with is to build a museum like this,
(10:17):
needs that kind of support as well. And then there's
also some corporate support along the way that have helped
us build this museum and do what we do as
a foundation, but as a nonprofit, virtually all of our
income comes from donations from millions of Americans that help
us out.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
I realize once again as a civilian and not knowing
as much about the military as you do and your
decades and decades of service, But I'm always curious about
these things about correlations of military service towards the private sector,
whether it's profit or nonprofit. And I will talk about
leadership in a few minutes with you. But were there
any correlations of being in the military as long as
(10:54):
you were and you're a very high ranking officer to
major general, to the job as CEO and president. Anything
that's a lie ORPS was different, a brand new to you.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
The interesting thing is you, as you move forward in
the Marine Corps, you end up being in charge of
larger and larger organizations. So tens of thousands of Marines
might be in the organization that you're leading. I now
lead an organization of about twenty, which is terrific. We
are small but mighty non force US. Yes, but really
(11:23):
the principles of leadership don't aren't different. Yeah, you know,
what is our mission and what do we need to
execute our mission? And how do we best go about
doing that? The nonprofit world, I had to learn that,
So that's not something I knew as a marine. But
understanding how nonprofits function and operate and how you do
that in the right way to make it successful is
(11:47):
you can learn that, and so so I think I have.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Yeah, Well, you know, the one thing I was thinking
about is that I imagine as you moved up the ranks,
and this is my vernacular, that you had to clear
your throat at times to make sure you got the message.
But this kind of clearing your throat as a nonprofit
and trying to get money's probably a little bit different.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
It is it is, but you know what, the what
I've learned besides it being about relationships with people, this
museum sells itself in words. If people come to the
museum and see it and realize, wow, this is really
good I would like to score and then they trust
us as an organization to do the right thing with
their support. So you have a relationship with them, then
(12:27):
will they will contribute to it. They will say this
is a good organization, this is a great mission. I
want to be a part of that. And then we
help them be a part of it. So it's really
about building relationships and having a very good mission that
people get behind. So sharing what is best about the
Marine Corps with our country is a really good mission,
and we're taking that beyond the walls of the museum
(12:49):
this year to celebrate the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary
of the Marine Corps and trying to reach every American
with that message.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
You know, in this series we always talk about great
stories but also challenges too, because we joke that it
is only not always the unicorns and rainbows all the
time that things are glorious and everything is good. And
at the time of the taping, I realized there's a
government shut down. Hopefully that will end very quickly and
back to normal, but you do have some closures, but
in a bigger scheme of things, Jim, are there any
current challenges with the landscape or that you see right
(13:17):
now that you and your team have to kind of
conquer and take over or they get in your way
from time to time?
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Well, I think it's it's a it's a constant thing, Dennis.
The not a specific challenge that I can that I
can think of, but it's a constant effort. You need
to stay in front as a nonprofit. As a nonprofit,
if you're going to continue to do your mission, you
need to stay in front of the requirement and so
continuing to look forward to what the environment is providing
(13:46):
you and what will what will come, whether that's the
demographics of the people that support you or whether that's
the conditions of the of the community around where your
mission is. You have to kind of think ahead and
make sure sure you're preparing for that and you don't
get surprised, Yeah, by what's coming.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
That makes That makes a lot of sense. Jim, how
about a good story. I'm sure you have handfuls. Whether
it's a donor of family, maybe somebody came by the museum,
or just maybe something special happened. I kind of called
this series this is why we get up every morning
to have something special happen. Can you share at least
one story with us?
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Well? I can share a couple of stories. Yeah, please do,
please do.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
One of the things that has happened this year, because
it's the two fiftieth and we decided to go on
the road with this, with this, with this program, I've
ended up being involved in a variety of events I
never thought I would. So as part of taking the
message about what's great about the Marine Corps to the
American people, for this the two hundred and fiftieth year,
I have we brought Chesty the Bulldog, the mascot of
(14:46):
the Marine Corps. He's actually the mascot of Marine Barrack's eighth,
the ninth. Yeah, Chessey, but we brought him to the
Westminster Dog Show.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Okay, I'm more than that already.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
I went up there with Chesty the Bulldog, a color
guard from Marine Barrick eighth and I and we walked
and he were on the floor of the Westminster Dog
Show getting interviewed in front of everybody there. I've done
an equestrian show down in Florida where it's world class
questrian jumpers, and we had a guy parachuteing with a
(15:16):
Marine Corps flag on his heel and another Marine Corps
color guard come out and talk. I've done. I went
out in the USS Constitution up in Boston for a
float with Marines on board and flew the Marine Corps
flag from the USS Constitution. Then we had a cake
cutting with the Governor of Massachusetts on the pier side afterwards.
So there have been some events that have happened this
(15:36):
year for the two hundred and fiftieth, which I never
thought I'd be involved in, but it's been. It's been
a great year so far, and we're going to continue
to do that all across the country.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
That Westminster Dog Show thing, man, that's fantastic, I mean,
that's a real deal.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
That race. We had a NASCAR race out in Martinsville Mountains, Vil, Virginia. Yeah,
it was a two hundred and fifty lap race, So
we arranged to have that named the Marine Corps two fifty. Yeah, yeah,
the two hundred fifty. I'm a big fans, So we
had we had the honorary starter, we had the person
who says, you know, drivers start your engines. We had
(16:11):
all kinds of people, marines that marines singing the national anthem,
flyover Cuge. We had it all set up for that
NASCAR race. That was another great event. So the opportunity
this year for us to take the message that lives
here at the museum and the foundation, but to take
that to the American people in a variety of different
ways has been really a great opportunity this year.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
And I'm sure you experienced it. I've been a NASCAR
fan forever. I buy any kind of car racing. I'm
into it. Folks. NASCAR fans are fanatical in a real
good way. They are all in so I imagine you experienced that.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
It was a great day. It really was.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
It's an event too, It's actually all week, but the
day is huge. But I mean it is a week
event leading every series, and I'm so glad you are
part of that. Well, what I want to do now
jim Is talk about leadership and you and I could
do its own separate podcast on this, and I'm sure
you've got different levels of leadership. And you know, it's
really interesting as I talk to anybody in whatever sector
(17:05):
they do, because I'm a sports guy, and I know
you know this because you're a sports fan too, that
when it comes to duty and honor and leadership and
somebody's got to lead and somebody's got to follow. There
so many correlations of sports and sports teams, head coaches, gms,
and ownership when it comes to military service. And I'd
love for you to talk about leadership because we have
(17:25):
not only a lot of CEOs, entrepreneurs, presidents and listen
to the series, but also the future leaders out there
that'd love to hear from people like you. But what
leadership means to the gym. So if you could indulgence,
please leadership, let's talk about it. The floor is yours.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Yeah, I'll say a couple of things about leadership, and
then I want to I want to talk about a
couple of people that were marines that have gone on
to do great things as well. Please for the country.
I think one of the most important things about leadership
is earning the trust to your subordinates. So how there's
a lot of ways to do that. But leadership is
not about privilege for the leader. It's about selfless service
(18:02):
to those that you are leading, and they need to
understand that that you will make sure you're doing everything
you can to make them successful and that you are
not putting yourself first. The Marines basically, as a rule,
the way it works is the officers eat last. The
leaders eat last, and that is actually what happens when
(18:24):
the food comes to the organization. The officer will not
get food until the very last one and that is
always enough food, or usually enough food. So it's not
a matter of not getting food at all. It's a
matter of a physical manifestation of the fact that I'm
going to take care of you first before me, and
that feeling of selflessness towards those that you are that
(18:47):
are serving with is what makes leadership possible. They have
to have that trust that you have their best interests
at heart. So many Marines have gone on leave the
Marine Corps after four years and then gone on to
great things in their community that we started recognizing them
this year and we called it Marines across America, and
so we went state by state and identified Marines in
each state that have they were even some served in
(19:10):
the Marine Corps for a long time, some only served
for three or four years, but they've gone on to
do great things for their communities. Because we just wanted
to remind people that that's what the Marine Corps is
to this country is is it's more than just those
in uniform. So here's a sports figure for you, Yes
place Bill Greson. Bill Greeson was born in nineteen twenty four.
He's one hundred and one years old now. Bill is
(19:32):
a Black Marine. He joined the Marine Corps, listed in
the Marine Corps nineteen forty three, was trained at Momford Point,
became a Marine, served on Ewo Jima Wow. After the
Marine Corps, he's a baseball player after Marine Corps, played
in the Negro Leagues for a while. Was called up
in nineteen fifty four by the Saint Louis Cardinals. Incredible
so pitched for the Saint Louis Cardinals. Was the second
African American on their team ever. And then he became
(19:56):
a pastor down in Alabama. Preached for fifty years up
until two years ago, or a year and a half
ago and he's now one hundred and one years old.
But this is a marine who still goes back and says,
you know, what I learned in the Marine Corps made
me successful in all these other things I've done. And
there are examples like that all over I mean, you
(20:17):
know some of them. Some of the big industry folks
like Fred Smith from FedEx. He's a marine, was a
decorated in Vietnam. We're here Fred rest in peace now,
who passed away earlier this year. Virgil Miller, who's the
president of AFLAC Incorporated, was a marine, and again talks
about how what he learned in the Marine Corps made
him successful in business. Other folks that you probably know,
(20:41):
actors and athletes, Adam Driver was a marine. Politicians. There's
examples all over the place. But we've compiled these on
a Marine two fifty dot com web page, and not
just the stories of marines, but everything associated with the
two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Marine Corps is
on Marine two fifty dot com. So if you go
(21:02):
to that web page, you'll see all of this laid
out for you, including things that you can do for
the two hundred and fifty to yourself. So I think
Marine Corps takes great pride in teaching leadership and there
are many examples of folks that have gone on to
be very successful in life after the time in the
Marine Corps.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
It's stany. I appreciate sharing all that with us. Jim, Well,
let's get some final thoughts from you. I want to
remind people about the website that you can give, and
also the museum and all the events and things that
you're doing. And also when it comes to fundraising, how
to donate. That's really really important out there because I
know you've got some big partners, but also the tiny
donations or the one time donations also matter a lot too.
So just going to give you some final thoughts with
(21:43):
the floor and the website.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Go ahead, sure, it's Marine Heritage dot org is our
nonprofit website, and you can contribute on the website and
Rene Heritage dot org anyway you can, you know, with
a credit card or with a check or whatever. You
can contribute there. Come to the museum. It's right outside
of the Marine Corps based Quantico. Like Dennis said, it's
(22:04):
closed while the government is shut down, but we will
open again as soon as the government is back open,
and then they're open every day nine to five. So
we'd love to have you here. Marine two fifty dot
com is the place to go for two fiftieth stuff,
But contributing to us, you can do that anyway. We
accept all kinds of gifts at the Marine Corps Heritage
(22:24):
Foundation in person or on the website. You can even
do a planned gift if you want to do it
through your state. We accept that kind of thing as well.
So and every donation helps do what we do here
to preserve and share the story of the Marine Corps
with everybody. I think what if I left a final thought, Dennis,
with folks, it would be that what we want to
do this year with the country is to showcase those
(22:50):
things that people think about Marines. They think that they
have courage and selfless service and patriotism and honor, and
these are the things that we are known for, and
that we want to communicate that those values, those traits
are American values, and it's this pride in America. Proud
to be a Marine, for sure, but also proud to
(23:10):
be an American. And I think that the more we
can emphasize that throughout the country this year, especially going
into the two fiftieth next year. We can make our
communities better together. So we're really proud to be a
part of it. And I really appreciate the time this
afternoon to talk to you. Well.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
I appreciate your valuable time, sir, and if you don't
mind me giving you a compliment in the short time
I've got to know you. And I know this won't
surprise you, but almost every CEO and president and entrepreneur
that runs of company, one thing really resonates with me
in its passion, and I can tell you have passion
for this job. You have, of course, passion for the
core and it makes a lot of sense why you're
(23:49):
in the role you are now. And I can tell
you're really enjoying yourself. So I wanted to throw that
at you, and I really want to thank you for
joining us on this great series CEOs. You should know
and we could feature you. You're doing some great work there.
I hope people check out the museum have a chance
to make a donation. But we thank you for your
valuable time, sir.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
Thanks Dennis, I got the greatest job in the world.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
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Speaker 2 (00:07):
Let's meet Major General James W. Lupman. He is the
President and CEO for the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation that
preserves and promotes the history, traditions, and culture of the
Marine Corps by supporting the National Museum of Marine Corps
and the Marine Corps Heritage Center. Before we talk more
about Jim, the Marine's two hundred and fiftieth anniversary, the Museum,
(00:28):
and much more, I first asked him to talk a
little bit about himself, where he's from, and his origin story.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
The short answer was, I was raised in the Marine Corps.
So my father was a marine. He was a Marine
the whole time I was growing up. So I was
actually born in Beaufort, South Carolina, which is where Paras
Island Marine Corps bases. So I was born at Paras Island.
But then I lived all around the Marine Corps growing up.
So I rived in San Diego, North Carolina, Northern virginiaa Hawaii,
all at Marine Corps bases around the country. And then
(00:57):
I went to college on a Marine Corps ROTC scholarship,
went to the University of Notre Dame and then was
commissioned into the Marine Corps after that, and then I
spent the next forty years of my life as an
active duty Marine, retiring five years ago, and then pretty
quickly coming on as the president and CEO of the
Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, which is what I do now.
(01:18):
The other thing, Dennis, is I went to Shantilly High School.
So last three years anyway, tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade.
We're at Shantilly High School.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
All right, Well, you and I have a little bit
in common. I know we're big sports guys. As I
got to know you in the green room a little bit.
That's been thirty years of my life of being on
air with radio and TV and just being as sports
and as I was a kid. My dad was a
safety engineer for a world wide construction company. So while
we weren't in the military, we moved a lot like
you did. So I know what that's like to be
kind of a backpack kid and moved from city to
(01:46):
city to city. But also a big fan. And listen,
you know, I've been to a game in South Bend
and it must have been a treat to go to
school and go to a football game there. I mean,
it really is a historic place.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yeah. Every Notre Dame grad is a football fan, I mean,
so it just becomes part of when you go to
Notre Dame. I'm not sure if that was one of
the reasons I went there, but it might have been.
But I grew up a Redskins fan and now I'm
a Commander's fan as well. So sports has always been
a big part of my life, and yeah, Notre Dame
is a great place for that.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Well, listen, Jim, We're going to talk a lot about
the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, which your president and CEO of,
but I do want to talk about your military service
and beside thanking you for the forty years that you
gave to this great country. You know, I think there's
a lot of correlations when it comes to leadership and
all that comes with being in any type of military
to the private sector, and I want to talk about
(02:36):
that a little bit later. But as you did your
forty years of service, there's a lot of people that say,
you know what, I'm ready to check out and I'm
ready to vacation and take it easy, not you, sir.
So what I want to know and I'm very curious
about this about why you wanted to keep on working
in what it was about the Heritage Foundation that attracted
you to join them.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
So it is interesting when you come into the Marine Corps.
At least when I came into the Marine Corps, I
didn't think at that point it was going to be
a lifelong career. I wasn't sure, you know. I wanted
to join the Marine Corps. Figured that would do me
some good in four years in the Marine Corps would
be good for me. And then when I was getting
ready to think about getting out, I was like, I
kind of like, what I'm doing? Why am I? Why?
(03:17):
Why would I not stay in the Marine Corps? So
I did. I stayed in the Marine Corps and then
they just let me hang around for enough times and
to be able to make it a career. I've really
felt like that. It's been a great privilege to have
been able to serve with Marines for for so long. UH.
That's really it's really all about the people. The Marine
(03:37):
Corps is a people business, and UH and leadership is
a people business. It's all about how you can motivate
and a team to accomplish a goal and that's what
That's what the Marine Corps is really good at throwing
you into when you when you join the Marine Corps,
and then to be able to retire from the Marine
Corps and continue to support the Marine Corps from the
(03:57):
outside has just been terrific. So the opportunity to be
a part of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation now has
been just icing on the cake. So I feel like
I've been the most fortunate one to be able to
spend that time in the Marine Corps. It has been
challenging at times, like any profession will be, but I've
been fortunate enough to work with some terrific mentors and
(04:19):
examples for me to make me a better marine. I
just feel like I've had I've been blessed that way.
So I don't think there's any secret to it other
than doing the best you can at the job you're
in and you'll be rewarded for that.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah, I agree with that. Now, in just a minute,
we're going to talk about mission and vision. But I
have to give justice to the Marine Corps because it
really is for people don't know the story, and you
can give the abridge version if you want to, Jim,
but the whole darn thing two hundred and fifty years ago,
folks started in a bar, believe it or not. And
then we've got an anniversary this year and next year,
of course, this year for the Marine Corps two hundred
and fifty years. Yes, the Corps started before the America
(04:57):
was actually born, folks. And then we have a big
two fIF fft next year. But could you, quickly, Jim,
just tell us a story about the Marine Corps because
not only is it comical, but it's also cool too.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
So the Marine Corps was born in a bar in
Philadelphia in seventeen seventy five, that's correct. So you know,
they had created an army under George Washington. They had
created a Continental Navy, and the Continental Navy said, hey,
I need some marines. I need some people to go
to sea with me to shoot the Brits and to
go ashore and seize things ashore. So George Washington said, well,
(05:26):
you're not getting any of my soldiers. So the Continental
Congress said, well, we'll raise two battalions and marines for
service with the Navy. So they commissioned Captain Samuel Nicholas
and said you're the first marine. You're you're in charge,
you go to raise two battalions and marines. And Samuel
Nichols was a bar owner in Philadelphia, so he said, Hey,
come to Ton tavern a bar on the pier in
(05:48):
Philadelphia and seize your adventure. Become a marine and we're
going to go do this. So, yes, the Marines were
born in Ton Taverns on November tenth, seventeen seventy five.
So ever since then, for two in fifty years, we've
celebrated that.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Yeah, the Marine Corps, it is absolutely fantastic. I'm going
to circle back to what you're doing all this year
to kind of celebrate the two hundred fiftieth the anniversary.
But what I'd like to do now when it comes
to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, I love to talk
about mission and vision, and whether you're military or no,
mission and vision with all the CEOs and presidents that
we talk are very important to them and very specific. Jim,
can you talk about both of those?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Absolutely? So the mission of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation
is to preserve and promulgate the history, tradition, culture of
the Marine Corps and educate all Americans in its virtues.
So it's to preserve the Marine Corps story and share
it with America. That is our mission and the way
we do that. One of the ways we do that
is through the National Museum of the Marine Corps here
(06:46):
just outside of Quantico Marine Corps Base, just south of Washington,
d C. Many folks have driven by it on ninety
five because you can see it. It's a beautiful structure,
glass and steel that rises up with a spire and
don't know what it is because they have right by it.
But that is the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
So that is one of the most important ways that
(07:06):
we have preserved the Marine Corps story and share it
with all of America. We've had the museum open nineteen
years ago, well nineteen this November tenth should be nineteen
years old. As number tenth. We had over seven and
a half million visitors here into the museum, and it
really talks to two hundred and fifty years of American
history through the eyes of marines. So everything that's the
(07:28):
country's been involved in you'll see here in the museum
from a Marine Corps perspective.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Now, if I did my math correctly, the actual Marine
Corps Heritage Foundation started back forty six years ago, about
in nineteen seventy nine that original vision. Has it changed
at all or is exactly the same?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
It has changed some. So we originally were the Marine
Corps Historical Foundation back then in seventy nine, and then
what really changed was this decision to build a nice museum,
a beautiful museum for the Marine Corps. There was always
the museum, but it was a quant that hut with
a couple of stones out front, up on a base somewhere.
And so in the late nineties, the Marine Corps said, no,
(08:06):
we need to build a real museum for the Marine Corps.
Marine Corps Historical Foundation, will you take on that role
to raise the funds, design and build a national museum
for the Marine Corps, And so they changed the name
the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. We took on that role.
The legislation that was a company that that allowed us
to do this for the service and raise the funds
(08:29):
and built this magnificent museum, which has become our main
focus of effort really for the last twenty years. The
foundation does do more than that, though. We also support
the preservation of Marine Corps history in a lot of ways.
For instance, we're digitizing all the film that is in
the Marine Corps archives down at the University of South Carolina.
(08:50):
They're digitizing that to preserve it. We support the President's
owned Marine Band in ways that the government either can't
or won't do so other ways that we support the
tradition and culture of the Marine Corps. And this year,
in particular, being the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of
the Marine Corps, we have gone on a year long
nationwide campaign to reconnect America and remind them of what
(09:14):
it is the Marine Corps has done and what marines
have done for this country for the last two hundred
and fifty years.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
And I think if we could expound on that, because
I think it's a good segue about funding and about
how you're funded and the message you get out there.
And Jim, I know you don't do traditional golf tournaments
or galas and you kind of reach out to people
a different way, But can you talk about how you
are funded and how you do reach out to people
to get donations.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Yes, yeah, thank you for that. So yeah, the Marine
Corps Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit of five oh one
c three nonprofit, so all the money we raise is
poured back into preserving the Marine Corps history and tradition
and culture. So most of that is through regular donations
by tens of thousands of faithful supporters that just like
(09:55):
what they see in the museum, like the mission that
we are doing, and help us do that with nations.
There are also several marines who have gotten out of
the Marine Corps been very successful in business who are
large donors for us as well, and we're grateful for
that because every organization that seeks to do something like
we've done with is to build a museum like this,
(10:17):
needs that kind of support as well. And then there's
also some corporate support along the way that have helped
us build this museum and do what we do as
a foundation, but as a nonprofit, virtually all of our
income comes from donations from millions of Americans that help
us out.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
I realize once again as a civilian and not knowing
as much about the military as you do and your
decades and decades of service, But I'm always curious about
these things about correlations of military service towards the private sector,
whether it's profit or nonprofit. And I will talk about
leadership in a few minutes with you. But were there
any correlations of being in the military as long as
(10:54):
you were and you're a very high ranking officer to
major general, to the job as CEO and president. Anything
that's a lie ORPS was different, a brand new to you.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
The interesting thing is you, as you move forward in
the Marine Corps, you end up being in charge of
larger and larger organizations. So tens of thousands of Marines
might be in the organization that you're leading. I now
lead an organization of about twenty, which is terrific. We
are small but mighty non force US. Yes, but really
(11:23):
the principles of leadership don't aren't different. Yeah, you know,
what is our mission and what do we need to
execute our mission? And how do we best go about
doing that? The nonprofit world, I had to learn that,
So that's not something I knew as a marine. But
understanding how nonprofits function and operate and how you do
that in the right way to make it successful is
(11:47):
you can learn that, and so so I think I have.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Yeah, Well, you know, the one thing I was thinking
about is that I imagine as you moved up the ranks,
and this is my vernacular, that you had to clear
your throat at times to make sure you got the message.
But this kind of clearing your throat as a nonprofit
and trying to get money's probably a little bit different.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
It is it is, but you know what, the what
I've learned besides it being about relationships with people, this
museum sells itself in words. If people come to the
museum and see it and realize, wow, this is really
good I would like to score and then they trust
us as an organization to do the right thing with
their support. So you have a relationship with them, then
(12:27):
will they will contribute to it. They will say this
is a good organization, this is a great mission. I
want to be a part of that. And then we
help them be a part of it. So it's really
about building relationships and having a very good mission that
people get behind. So sharing what is best about the
Marine Corps with our country is a really good mission,
and we're taking that beyond the walls of the museum
(12:49):
this year to celebrate the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary
of the Marine Corps and trying to reach every American
with that message.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
You know, in this series we always talk about great
stories but also challenges too, because we joke that it
is only not always the unicorns and rainbows all the
time that things are glorious and everything is good. And
at the time of the taping, I realized there's a
government shut down. Hopefully that will end very quickly and
back to normal, but you do have some closures, but
in a bigger scheme of things, Jim, are there any
current challenges with the landscape or that you see right
(13:17):
now that you and your team have to kind of
conquer and take over or they get in your way
from time to time?
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Well, I think it's it's a it's a constant thing, Dennis.
The not a specific challenge that I can that I
can think of, but it's a constant effort. You need
to stay in front as a nonprofit. As a nonprofit,
if you're going to continue to do your mission, you
need to stay in front of the requirement and so
continuing to look forward to what the environment is providing
(13:46):
you and what will what will come, whether that's the
demographics of the people that support you or whether that's
the conditions of the of the community around where your
mission is. You have to kind of think ahead and
make sure sure you're preparing for that and you don't
get surprised, Yeah, by what's coming.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
That makes That makes a lot of sense. Jim, how
about a good story. I'm sure you have handfuls. Whether
it's a donor of family, maybe somebody came by the museum,
or just maybe something special happened. I kind of called
this series this is why we get up every morning
to have something special happen. Can you share at least
one story with us?
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Well? I can share a couple of stories. Yeah, please do,
please do.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
One of the things that has happened this year, because
it's the two fiftieth and we decided to go on
the road with this, with this, with this program, I've
ended up being involved in a variety of events I
never thought I would. So as part of taking the
message about what's great about the Marine Corps to the
American people, for this the two hundred and fiftieth year,
I have we brought Chesty the Bulldog, the mascot of
(14:46):
the Marine Corps. He's actually the mascot of Marine Barrack's eighth,
the ninth. Yeah, Chessey, but we brought him to the
Westminster Dog Show.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Okay, I'm more than that already.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
I went up there with Chesty the Bulldog, a color
guard from Marine Barrick eighth and I and we walked
and he were on the floor of the Westminster Dog
Show getting interviewed in front of everybody there. I've done
an equestrian show down in Florida where it's world class
questrian jumpers, and we had a guy parachuteing with a
(15:16):
Marine Corps flag on his heel and another Marine Corps
color guard come out and talk. I've done. I went
out in the USS Constitution up in Boston for a
float with Marines on board and flew the Marine Corps
flag from the USS Constitution. Then we had a cake
cutting with the Governor of Massachusetts on the pier side afterwards.
So there have been some events that have happened this
(15:36):
year for the two hundred and fiftieth, which I never
thought I'd be involved in, but it's been. It's been
a great year so far, and we're going to continue
to do that all across the country.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
That Westminster Dog Show thing, man, that's fantastic, I mean,
that's a real deal.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
That race. We had a NASCAR race out in Martinsville Mountains, Vil, Virginia. Yeah,
it was a two hundred and fifty lap race, So
we arranged to have that named the Marine Corps two fifty. Yeah, yeah,
the two hundred fifty. I'm a big fans, So we
had we had the honorary starter, we had the person
who says, you know, drivers start your engines. We had
(16:11):
all kinds of people, marines that marines singing the national anthem,
flyover Cuge. We had it all set up for that
NASCAR race. That was another great event. So the opportunity
this year for us to take the message that lives
here at the museum and the foundation, but to take
that to the American people in a variety of different
ways has been really a great opportunity this year.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
And I'm sure you experienced it. I've been a NASCAR
fan forever. I buy any kind of car racing. I'm
into it. Folks. NASCAR fans are fanatical in a real
good way. They are all in so I imagine you experienced that.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
It was a great day. It really was.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
It's an event too, It's actually all week, but the
day is huge. But I mean it is a week
event leading every series, and I'm so glad you are
part of that. Well, what I want to do now
jim Is talk about leadership and you and I could
do its own separate podcast on this, and I'm sure
you've got different levels of leadership. And you know, it's
really interesting as I talk to anybody in whatever sector
(17:05):
they do, because I'm a sports guy, and I know
you know this because you're a sports fan too, that
when it comes to duty and honor and leadership and
somebody's got to lead and somebody's got to follow. There
so many correlations of sports and sports teams, head coaches, gms,
and ownership when it comes to military service. And I'd
love for you to talk about leadership because we have
(17:25):
not only a lot of CEOs, entrepreneurs, presidents and listen
to the series, but also the future leaders out there
that'd love to hear from people like you. But what
leadership means to the gym. So if you could indulgence,
please leadership, let's talk about it. The floor is yours.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Yeah, I'll say a couple of things about leadership, and
then I want to I want to talk about a
couple of people that were marines that have gone on
to do great things as well. Please for the country.
I think one of the most important things about leadership
is earning the trust to your subordinates. So how there's
a lot of ways to do that. But leadership is
not about privilege for the leader. It's about selfless service
(18:02):
to those that you are leading, and they need to
understand that that you will make sure you're doing everything
you can to make them successful and that you are
not putting yourself first. The Marines basically, as a rule,
the way it works is the officers eat last. The
leaders eat last, and that is actually what happens when
(18:24):
the food comes to the organization. The officer will not
get food until the very last one and that is
always enough food, or usually enough food. So it's not
a matter of not getting food at all. It's a
matter of a physical manifestation of the fact that I'm
going to take care of you first before me, and
that feeling of selflessness towards those that you are that
(18:47):
are serving with is what makes leadership possible. They have
to have that trust that you have their best interests
at heart. So many Marines have gone on leave the
Marine Corps after four years and then gone on to
great things in their community that we started recognizing them
this year and we called it Marines across America, and
so we went state by state and identified Marines in
each state that have they were even some served in
(19:10):
the Marine Corps for a long time, some only served
for three or four years, but they've gone on to
do great things for their communities. Because we just wanted
to remind people that that's what the Marine Corps is
to this country is is it's more than just those
in uniform. So here's a sports figure for you, Yes
place Bill Greson. Bill Greeson was born in nineteen twenty four.
He's one hundred and one years old now. Bill is
(19:32):
a Black Marine. He joined the Marine Corps, listed in
the Marine Corps nineteen forty three, was trained at Momford Point,
became a Marine, served on Ewo Jima Wow. After the
Marine Corps, he's a baseball player after Marine Corps, played
in the Negro Leagues for a while. Was called up
in nineteen fifty four by the Saint Louis Cardinals. Incredible
so pitched for the Saint Louis Cardinals. Was the second
African American on their team ever. And then he became
(19:56):
a pastor down in Alabama. Preached for fifty years up
until two years ago, or a year and a half
ago and he's now one hundred and one years old.
But this is a marine who still goes back and says,
you know, what I learned in the Marine Corps made
me successful in all these other things I've done. And
there are examples like that all over I mean, you
(20:17):
know some of them. Some of the big industry folks
like Fred Smith from FedEx. He's a marine, was a
decorated in Vietnam. We're here Fred rest in peace now,
who passed away earlier this year. Virgil Miller, who's the
president of AFLAC Incorporated, was a marine, and again talks
about how what he learned in the Marine Corps made
him successful in business. Other folks that you probably know,
(20:41):
actors and athletes, Adam Driver was a marine. Politicians. There's
examples all over the place. But we've compiled these on
a Marine two fifty dot com web page, and not
just the stories of marines, but everything associated with the
two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Marine Corps is
on Marine two fifty dot com. So if you go
(21:02):
to that web page, you'll see all of this laid
out for you, including things that you can do for
the two hundred and fifty to yourself. So I think
Marine Corps takes great pride in teaching leadership and there
are many examples of folks that have gone on to
be very successful in life after the time in the
Marine Corps.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
It's stany. I appreciate sharing all that with us. Jim, Well,
let's get some final thoughts from you. I want to
remind people about the website that you can give, and
also the museum and all the events and things that
you're doing. And also when it comes to fundraising, how
to donate. That's really really important out there because I
know you've got some big partners, but also the tiny
donations or the one time donations also matter a lot too.
So just going to give you some final thoughts with
(21:43):
the floor and the website.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Go ahead, sure, it's Marine Heritage dot org is our
nonprofit website, and you can contribute on the website and
Rene Heritage dot org anyway you can, you know, with
a credit card or with a check or whatever. You
can contribute there. Come to the museum. It's right outside
of the Marine Corps based Quantico. Like Dennis said, it's
(22:04):
closed while the government is shut down, but we will
open again as soon as the government is back open,
and then they're open every day nine to five. So
we'd love to have you here. Marine two fifty dot
com is the place to go for two fiftieth stuff,
But contributing to us, you can do that anyway. We
accept all kinds of gifts at the Marine Corps Heritage
(22:24):
Foundation in person or on the website. You can even
do a planned gift if you want to do it
through your state. We accept that kind of thing as well.
So and every donation helps do what we do here
to preserve and share the story of the Marine Corps
with everybody. I think what if I left a final thought, Dennis,
with folks, it would be that what we want to
do this year with the country is to showcase those
(22:50):
things that people think about Marines. They think that they
have courage and selfless service and patriotism and honor, and
these are the things that we are known for, and
that we want to communicate that those values, those traits
are American values, and it's this pride in America. Proud
to be a Marine, for sure, but also proud to
(23:10):
be an American. And I think that the more we
can emphasize that throughout the country this year, especially going
into the two fiftieth next year. We can make our
communities better together. So we're really proud to be a
part of it. And I really appreciate the time this
afternoon to talk to you. Well.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
I appreciate your valuable time, sir, and if you don't
mind me giving you a compliment in the short time
I've got to know you. And I know this won't
surprise you, but almost every CEO and president and entrepreneur
that runs of company, one thing really resonates with me
in its passion, and I can tell you have passion
for this job. You have, of course, passion for the
core and it makes a lot of sense why you're
(23:49):
in the role you are now. And I can tell
you're really enjoying yourself. So I wanted to throw that
at you, and I really want to thank you for
joining us on this great series CEOs. You should know
and we could feature you. You're doing some great work there.
I hope people check out the museum have a chance
to make a donation. But we thank you for your
valuable time, sir.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
Thanks Dennis, I got the greatest job in the world.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
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