Center House Association
Marine Barracks — Washington, D.C.
Perpetuating the special privileges and
traditions of the
Center House Officers' Mess,
Marine Barracks, 8th & I Streets, S.E.,
Washington, D.C. 20001
"The Oldest Post of the Corps"
Established by President Thomas Jefferson, 1801
The Passing of CHA's Webmaster, Steve Trimble
We are very sad to report the passing of Stephen A. Trimble. He died on Wednesday, 5 August 2009 at 1:45 p.m. His family reports that he died fairly suddenly and peacefully with the care and support of hospice, family, and friends.
First Lieutenant Steve Trimble marched as the first Platoon Leader, 1st Platoon, MCI Company, for the first Evening Parade, held 5 July 1957. He also served as the USMC liaison for the Burial of the Unknowns in 1957-1958. Most recently, he has served the Center House Association as its webmaster from August 2003 until his passing.
There are no words to say how much we will miss Steve. His “Can Do” spirit, instinct, and flair for beautifully communicating Center House Association (CHA) information on our website, and his quiet, behind-the-scenes-yet-persistent push for excellence made his takeover of the website in August 2003 an immediate win for CHA. It soon became obvious that maintaining the website was a labor of love for him and a great vehicle for channeling his love of the Marine Corps and the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. After completely overhauling the look and feel of the website into a polished and consistent presence, he continually kept it updated with compelling information such as: a history of Center House; Marine Barracks medal recipients throughout the ages ("Uncommon Valor" page); updated names of all Officers serving at the Marine Barracks since its founding in 1803; a four-part in-depth history (as well as a photo collage set to music) of the Evening Parade on the occasion of its 50th anniversary (5 July 2007). Our membership remains delighted with these offerings.
Please join us as we remember, honor, and thank Steve Trimble for his faithful and outstanding service to the United States Marine Corps, from the 1950s to 5 August 2009.
Semper Fi, Steve. You are very sorely missed.
New Book Featuring Marine Barracks, Washington DC!
One of our Center House Association members, Major William F. ("Bill") Lee, USMC (Ret),
who served at the Barracks in the early 1960s, is a published author of several books.
His latest is titled "The Boys in Blue White Dress" and heavily features life at Marine
Barracks, Washington, DC! Please
click here to read a writeup on the book -- from the author himself!
The Silent Drill Team performs at an Evening Parade
The 2007 CHA Reunion and Celebration of the
50th Anniversary of the Evening Parade
was held during 5-7 July 2007, in Washington, D.C.
Click on the following for:
Photo Slideshow! In .wmv format
Powerpoint 1950s-era Slide Show
(with parade music, including first Evening Parade shots!)
Background and History of first Evening Parade
For the details as to the CHA Reunion and celebraton of the 25th Anniversary, as
well as the Minutes of our Annual Meeting, check the "2007 Events" navigation tab,
or click here.
New! Listing of CHA Gifts to Center House!
CHA Membership dues and donations are used to
fund gifts that enhance the surroundings and/or functionality of Center House. CHA
has given several such gifts to Center House since its inception in 1998.
Click here for a listing and photos
of these gifts.
As always, a hearty thanks goes to our generous members who made these gifts possible!
News Flash! Center House Mugs and Books!
The location of former Barracks' Officers's Center House mugs is now available, and may be
reviewed here. Similarly,
the identification and location of books donated to the Center House library
may be reviewed here. Both lists
are searchable by name, year, location, etc.
Check out our new feature!
On the navigation bar above, select our "Uncommon Valor"
section, which honors those Barracks officers who have been awarded our Nation's
highest medals for valor on the field of battle.
Marine Barracks, Washington D.C., is a truly remarkable and historic place.
Founded in 1801, it is the oldest post in the Marine Corps, and as such,
maintains the Marine Corps' battle colors, with streamers and ribbons
marking every engagement in which the the Corps has participated, beginning
with the Revolutionary War.
Established by President Thomas Jefferson "within easy marching distance of
the U.S. Capitol" building, it is the residence of the Commandant of the
Marine Corps, whose house is the oldest public building in continuous use in Washington,
D.C. The Barracks, known throughout the Marine Corps as "8th & I,",
occupies an entire city block in Southeast Washington, with additional
buildings in the nearby area.
The Barracks has numerous missions assigned to it, the most prominent ones
involving particpation in ceremonies of many types, including funerals at
Arlington Cemetery, and during the summer months, full dress parades at the Barracks and
at the Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima Statue) in Arlington, Virginia. The number and
variety of events is amazing -- during the past fiscal year, the Barracks
participated in 2,469 separate events!
To serve at 8th & I is an awesome responsibility, for in carrying out the
various missions of the Barracks, the 8th & I personnel must represent
the entire U.S. Marine Corps, past and present. All officers and enlisted
personnel are hand chosen for service at the Barracks, and must
epitomize the highest military, ethical and physical standards of the Corps.
The Center House Officer's Mess is located within the Barracks, and is
composed of commissioned officers assigned to 8th & I. Among its long list
of members are found many names constituting the rich history of the Marine
Corps, including former Commandants, storied Marine heroes, and other
notables, such as John Phillip Sousa, the "March King."
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by BT Productions