NOVEMBER 7, 2025 – The U.S. Marine Corps is celebrating its 250th anniversary on Monday. All year, the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation has been spotlighting notable Marines in every state as part of the Marines Across America program.
The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation today celebrates Virginia Marines as part of the organization’s Marines Across America program, leading up to the Marine Corps’ official 250th Anniversary on Monday, Nov. 10. In addition to spotlighting notable Marines, MCHF has partnered with each of the 50 states for a November cake-cutting ceremony to mark the occasion.
The Marines Across America program highlights Marines who embody the values of honor, courage, and commitment within their communities and showcases the contributions Marines make in their local communities or nationally following their active-duty service.
Virginia’s Marines include a former governor, the current mayors of Newport News and Virginia Beach, the Secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan, and a former University of Virginia football player who made national headlines by playing after his active-duty service ended.
“Marines have always made their mark on the battlefield, but it’s important to remember they’ve also made their mark in their hometowns and communities,” said retired Marine Major General James Lukeman, president and CEO of MCHF. “As we celebrate 250 years of the Marine Corps, we honor the significant contributions that Virginia Marines have made to our nation.”
Notable Marines with Virginia ties include:
- Albert Diaz: Albert Diaz built a distinguished legal career following his time in the Marine Corps, serving as an appellate judge for the Navy and Marine Corps before moving to the civilian bench. He was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in 2010 and became its chief judge in 2023.
- Art Nalls: Art Nalls parlayed a long career as a Marine Corps aviator into a civilian career that still centers on flight, restoring and flying rare jets for air shows. A former Harrier pilot and Marine lt. colonel, he founded a private air show business that made national headlines for flying privately owned Harriers.
- Charles Bolden: Charles Bolden moved from Marine Corps pilot to NASA astronaut and then to the agency’s top job, commanding four Space Shuttle missions before leading NASA as administrator from 2009 to 2017. His career bridges military service, spaceflight, and public leadership, and he remains a prominent figure in aerospace and engineering circles.
- Chuck Robb: A veteran of the Vietnam War, Chuck Robb carried the ethos he gained through Marine Corps service into a life of public service in Virginia, where he served as governor from 1982-1986 before transitioning to a 12-year term as a U.S. senator representing Virginia.
- Jim Webb: Jim Webb combined combat service as a Marine officer with careers as a writer, filmmaker, and cabinet official, serving as Secretary of the Navy for the Ronald Reagan administration and later as a U.S. senator from Virginia. He is also an award-winning journalist and author whose work often reflects his military experience and concern for veterans.
- James Lewis: James Lewis drew from his Marine Corps experience to build a career in law enforcement in the Washington, D.C. area, where he serves the community as a police officer and has been recognized for actions taken while on duty. His transition from military logistics and deployments to public safety reflects a continuing commitment to protecting others, exemplified when he helped to cut short a violent attack on the office of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) in 2023.
- David Pelletier: David Pelletier served in the Marine Corps as a legal service specialist before earning a juris doctorate. and becoming a national leader in veterans treatment courts, a treatment-based alternative to criminal courts. He now directs programs that help courts and communities implement veterans treatment courts and trains veteran mentors who guide peers through recovery.
- Jane Cross: Master Gunnery Sergeant Jane Cross spent decades supporting the Marine Band and its library and archives, rising to a leadership role in the band’s music library while preserving historic scores and preparing music for high-profile national ceremonies. Her work blended deep musical knowledge with steadfast support for Marine Corps traditions and events. Cross joined the Library of Congress as a music archivist in 2019.
- Jon Myers: Jon Myers served nearly three decades as a Marine intelligence officer and later entered civic life in Virginia, running for public office while drawing on a military career that included high-profile intelligence assignments and leadership in national security work. His record highlights the way operational Marine Corps experience can translate into public service and policy engagement.
- Mary Beth Bruggeman: Mary Beth Bruggeman served eight years as a Marine combat engineer, including a deployment to Iraq, and then moved into leadership roles in the veteran and nonprofit sectors. She has led organizations focused on veteran service and civic engagement and now directs regional and national efforts to help veterans continue serving in their communities.
- Mayor Bobby Dyer: Bobby Dyer brought years of local public service after his Marine Corps service to his role as mayor of Virginia Beach, where he has emphasized public safety, education, and economic stability since taking office in 2018. He is the first veteran directly elected to that mayoral office and continues to combine civic leadership with community ties.
- Matt Ganyard: Matt Ganyard served a decade as a Marine Cobra helicopter pilot before returning to civilian life and enrolling at the University of Virginia and Darden School of Business, where he made national headlines as an older student athlete and kickoff specialist for UVA’s football team. His journey from combat pilot to MBA student and collegiate athlete is a modern example of veteran reinvention.
- Mayor Phillip Jones: Phillip Jones accepted an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a Marine infantry officer before earning a graduate degree from Harvard University. He then entered local politics, now serving as the youngest directly-elected mayor of Newport News, where he has worked to place an emphasis on education and public safety.
- Trish Manghelli: Trish Manghelli applied her Marine Corps background to a civilian career in government contracting and contract administration across the Washington, D.C. area, where she has held senior contracting roles and supported defense and federal programs. Her work in complex contract management shows how military experience often prepares veterans for high-responsibility civilian roles. She has also volunteered at the National Museums of the Marine Corps in Quantico as a guide.
“The list of notable Marines from Virginia is impressive and showcases how they used the values and skills they learned in the Marine Corps to become leaders in their communities,” said MajGen Lukeman. “Today marks a special opportunity to recognize these extraordinary men and women for their service to our nation as well as their communities.”
Members of the public are encouraged to join the anniversary celebration and Marines Across America by sharing stories of Marines they know, both active and retired, who make a difference in their communities and their professional lives. Submissions may be made through the Marine250.com website.
About the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation:
Dedicated to the preservation and promulgation of Marine Corps history, the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation was established in 1979 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The Foundation supports the historical programs of the Marine Corps in ways not possible through government funds. The Foundation provides grants and scholarships for research and the renovation, restoration and commissioning of historical Marine Corps artifacts and landmarks. The Foundation secured the necessary funding for the construction of the National Museum of the Marine Corps and Heritage Center, located in Triangle, Virginia, and continues to expand programs at the National Museum of the Marine Corps and beyond its walls. For more information, visit MarineHeritage.org.