Supporting Veterans and Community is a Passion for Sanning

Supporting Veterans and Community is a Passion for Sanning

Born into a military family, Dotty Sanning grew up in several locations while her parents completed careers in the U.S. Air Force and in the federal civilian workforce.

Years later, she married a Marine, again embracing an itinerant lifestyle while developing an enduring interest in activities to support and honor the nation’s veterans.

Born at Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois, Sanning’s father brought the family along during several interesting military assignments that included stateside duty and several years living in France.

“I attended high school for a while in Easthampton, Massachusetts, but during the Christmas break of my senior year, we moved to Kansas City,” Sanning said. “I graduated from Ruskin High School in 1975 and later married someone in the Air Force, with whom I had a daughter in 1977.”

She and her first husband later divorced, influencing her decision to move to Arizona, where her mother was employed as a civil servant. In 1979, she and her daughter moved to California, embarking upon a new and interesting moment in her life.

“While living in California, I met Alan Sanning, who had been in the Marine Corps for a few years and was stationed at Camp Pendleton,” she said.

In 1981, the former Dotty McRae became Dotty Sanning, when marrying her fiancée. Throughout the next several years, her family grew with the addition of two daughters and a son, while they traveled to several locations and Alan completed his career with Marine Corps.

“Every time we relocated to a new duty station, I initially stayed home with the kids until everyone was settled in and then found a job,” she said. “That’s why it took me about 25 years to earn my college degree.”

With each changing duty assignment, Sanning explained, she became involved with different groups and activities that supported active-duty members of the military. While her husband was stationed at Camp Pendleton, this included membership in the Staff NCO Wives’ Club.

“Eventually I became president of the club and really enjoyed it,” she said. “It wasn’t just because of the fellowship with other women in the group, but we were involved in activities that were of service to others, which is something my parents instilled in me at an early age.”

In the late 1990s, when her husband retired from the Marine Corps, the Sanning family moved to Alan’s hometown of Jefferson City. With some of their children still in their youth, Alan stayed home with their younger children while Dotty was working.

Employed briefly for a couple different medical establishments, Sanning was eventually hired by the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department. Until her retirement in 2019, she performed a range of administrative tasks consisting of budgeting, finance and accounting.

“Prior to my husband retiring from the Marines, he joined the Marine Corps League,” Sanning said. “After we moved to Jefferson City, he suggested that I become a member of the Marine Corps League Auxiliary, which I did.”

Fully invested in the auxiliary, Sanning rose through the chairs within the local unit of the Marine Corps League Auxiliary and has gone on to serve in several state and national capacities with the organization. Currently, she is the national junior vice president of the Marine Corps League Auxiliary.

“I enjoy meeting people at all of our events, the camaraderie and being able to help others,” she said.

Sanning also became a member of the Marine Corps League Auxiliary unit in Lake Ozark, assisting the group with many charitable activities. Additionally, she is currently helping an auxiliary unit organize in Maryland, drawing upon her vast experience that comes from volunteering at different levels within the organization.

“Wherever there is a need, the auxiliary tries to be there and help,” she said. “We have collected items to support the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center; on another occasion, we purchased the supplies and painted the bathrooms for the Special Learning Center. Then,” she added, “there is also the care packages we have sent to our deployed troops and veterans in nursing homes.”

Seeking to be part of an organization that supports veterans of all branches of the military, Sanning has also become a member of the American Legion Auxiliary in Jefferson City.

“The Legion Auxiliary does a lot of service projects that are different than the Marine Corps League Auxiliary, but everything we do helps veterans and the community, such as donating time, money and items to the VA hospital.”

As Sanning maintained, she has been imparted with a great respect for the military and a sense of public service at a very early age. These were early lessons she has successfully passed on, as evidenced by the fact three of her four children have gone on to serve in the military.

“There is always some new or different need that arises, which we are pleased to assist with … whether it be a Project Graduation, donations to the fire department during Fire Safety Week or making lap blankets for veterans in the hospita,” she said.

She concluded, “When you serve in a volunteer capacity, I have found that it’s not only important to be able to effectively funnel that passion, but you must be a leader, striving to nurture and mentor other volunteers so that they can be successful as well.”

Jeremy P. Ämick writes on behalf of the Silver Star Families of America.

Source: https://www.newstribune.com/news/2022/mar/13/sanning-embraces-passion-of-supporting-veterans-community/