About

Marine looking at past self in mirror

Semper Fi Society of St Louis History

Shortly after the invasion of Iraq in March of 2003 a need was borne to provide assistance to our injured Marines and their families in order to deal with the trauma, separation, and ongoing care these Marines required. Spouses of Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton began holding bake sales to raise funds to support those needs. This led to the foundation of the Semper Fi Fund in 2004, which was later renamed to the Semper Fi & America’s Fund.

In 2005 General James T. Conway, USMC, who spent his formative years in Missouri, reached out to contacts of his in the St Louis area to help raise funds for the Semper Fi Fund and thus the Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund was created. This was the predecessor to the Semper Fi Society of St Louis. In the early years the golf tournament was held at Forest Park. As popularity of this event grew and through the generous offering from St Albans Country Club and its members, the tournament was moved to St Albans. In 2015 the Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund was retired in favor of the Semper Fi Society of St Louis to broaden the reach and scope of the charitable work our local volunteers do. Since it’s inception in 2005, The Semper Fi Society of St Louis has given more than $5 million in donations and matching grants to the Semper FI & America’s Fund. This has been made possible through the generosity of our local citizens and corporations.

Headshot for USMC (Ret.)19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Joseph F. Dunford

Joseph F. Dunford, Jr.

  • Chairman of the Board
  • General, USMC (Ret.)
  • 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • 36th Commandant of the Marine Corps

General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. served as the 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council from Oct. 1, 2015, through Sept. 30, 2019. Prior to becoming Chairman, General Dunford served as the 36th Commandant of the Marine Corps. He previously served as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps from 2010 to 2012 and was Commander, International Security Assistance Force and United States Forces-Afghanistan from February 2013 to August 2014. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, General Dunford graduated from Saint Michael’s College and was commissioned in 1977. He has served as an infantry officer at all levels, to include command of 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, and command of the 5th Marine Regiment during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. General Dunford also served as the Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Director of Operations, and Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations. He commanded I Marine Expeditionary Force and served as the Commander, Marine Forces U.S. Central Command. His Joint assignments include duty as the Executive Assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of the Global and Multilateral Affairs Division (J-5), and Vice Director for Operations on the Joint Staff (J-3). A graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School, Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, and the U.S. Army War College, General Dunford also earned master’s degrees in Government from Georgetown University and in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.