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Tag: U.S. Marines

  • Lake Forest resident Robert Morrison, former CEO of Kraft Foods and Quaker Oats, decorated U.S. Marine, dies at 83

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    Robert Morrison, a Lake Forest resident who led two of the nation’s most recognizable food companies after a decorated career in the U.S. Marine Corps, died of natural causes Jan. 16 at his winter home in Vero Beach, Florida, according to his family. He was 83.

    Morrison served as CEO of Kraft Foods and later Quaker Oats, guiding both companies through pivotal periods. To those who knew him personally, however, his character mattered as much as his résumé.

    “He was good in his personal relationships, he was good as a businessman. He was truly somebody you could depend on, no matter what the circumstance,” said longtime friend and fellow CEO Jim Farrell.

    Born in Jackson Heights, New York, the Morrison family moved to Wellesley, Massachusetts, when he was a toddler. He attended the College of the Holy Cross on a Naval ROTC scholarship, but his life took a decisive turn when his father died suddenly while Morrison was 19.

    “It was a major turning point in his life,” noted his daughter, Emily Morrison Krall. “At that point, he really wanted to challenge himself, see what he was capable of, and make his dad proud.”

    After graduating, Morrison was commissioned as a Marine Corps officer and deployed to Vietnam. During Operation Starlite — the first major U.S. ground operation of the war — he was wounded by enemy fire but continued to command his troops. For his actions, he received the Silver Star and Purple Heart, and later was honored with the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation’s Semper Fidelis Award and the Lone Sailor Award.

    Despite the recognition, Morrison rarely spoke about his time in the military.

    “My dad remained humble throughout his life, especially about Vietnam,” Krall said. “He was an extremely proud Marine, but Marines don’t talk about individual actions. He embodied that completely.”

    Following his military service, Morrison enrolled at the Wharton School of Business. His experience as a Marine made him older — and more confident — than many of his classmates, his daughter said, helping shape his leadership style.

    “That confidence led to natural leadership skills,” Krall said. “He began to see his potential as a businessman, and it grew from there.”

    Upon graduating from Wharton, Morrison joined Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, working in marketing on soap and cleaning brands and learning the fundamentals of brand development.

    His competitive nature fueled his success, according to his son, Jamie Morrison.

    “If there was market share to be gained, he wanted to win,” he said.

    In 1983, former business contacts recruited Morrison to join Northfield-based Kraft Foods, where he initially oversaw the company’s cheese division. He rose through the ranks, eventually becoming CEO as the company evolved following its acquisition by Philip Morris.

    In 1997, Morrison was hired as CEO of Quaker Oats, the venerable Chicago company struggling in the wake of its ill-fated acquisition of Snapple, a juice and tea company. Despite the challenges, Morrison saw opportunity — particularly in Gatorade and Quaker’s broader potential in health-oriented foods.

    “The allure was that he would have control and the ability to directly influence outcomes,” Jamie Morrison said. “He saw incredible value in Gatorade and a real opportunity to build on Quaker’s health credentials beyond oatmeal.”

    Morrison moved quickly, restructuring leadership and shedding brands he believed no longer fit the company’s strategy.

    Mark Dollins, Quaker Oats’ former communications chief, said Morrison brought clarity and discipline to the organization.

    “There was never any lack of clarity about what the decision was, why it was made, and the path forward,” Dollins added. “He was authoritative but not difficult — he inspired people.”

    Quaker Oats rebounded and was acquired by PepsiCo in 2001. Morrison was named vice chairman and remained with the company until his retirement in 2003. In 2005, he served a six-month stint as interim CEO of 3M.

    Beyond his executive roles, Morrison served on numerous civic and corporate boards in the Chicago area, including Illinois Tool Works, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Tribune Company during its final years as a publicly traded firm.

    “He had great vision and had angles that he would speak about that few other people would bring to the table,” recalled former Tribune Company CEO Dennis FitzSimons. “We had a distinguished board of directors, and Bob was just viewed very highly because he would come at problems with an angle that revealed elements that were important and somewhat unique. He had a different way of looking at things that could be very helpful in analyzing a problem.”

    Despite his demanding career, Morrison prioritized family. His children recalled that he made a point of being home for dinner, coached their sports teams, and attended every game. They also whimsically remembered his habit of correcting their grammar.

    Away from the office, Morrison enjoyed golf, bridge, trivia, and reading military history.

    He is survived by his children Scott (Torrie), Stephen (Kjersten), Jamie (Amy), Emily (Steven), and Catherine (Patrick), as well as 11 grandchildren. His wife, Susan, died in 2023.

    A celebration of life is scheduled for Feb. 12 at Christ Church in Lake Forest.

    Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.

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    Daniel I. Dorfman

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  • Padilla, Schiff request detailed breakdown of National Guard, Marine deployments in L.A.

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    U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff have sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting a detailed breakdown of military deployments to Los Angeles amid recent immigration enforcement protests in the city.

    The two California Democrats wrote Monday that they wanted to know how thousands of National Guard troops and U.S. Marines were specifically used, whether and how they engaged in any law enforcement activity and how much the deployments have cost taxpayers to date.

    The deployments were made over the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and other local officials, and sparked a lawsuit by the state alleging they were illegal. The letter came just hours before a federal judge agreed with the state in a ruling Tuesday that Padilla and Schiff both cheered.

    Padilla and Schiff wrote that the deployments were unnecessary and that greater detail was needed in light of similar operations now being launched or threatened in other American cities.

    “The use of the U.S. military to assist in or otherwise support immigration operations remains inappropriate, potentially a violation of the law, and harmful to the relationship between the U.S. public and the U.S. military,” they wrote.

    The Department of Defense declined to comment on the letter to The Times, saying it would “respond directly” to Padilla and Schiff.

    President Trump ordered the federalization of some 4,100 National Guard troops in California in June, as L.A. protests erupted over his administration’s immigration policies. Some 700 Marines were also deployed to the city. Most of those forces have since departed, but Padilla and Schiff said 300 Guard troops remain activated.

    Trump, Hegseth and other administration leaders have previously defended the deployments as necessary to restore law and order in L.A., defend federal buildings and protect federal immigration agents as they conduct immigration raids in local communities opposed to such enforcement efforts.

    Under questioning from members of Congress at the start of the deployments in June, Hegseth and other Defense officials estimated that the mission would last 60 days and that basic necessities such as travel, housing and food for the troops would cost about $134 million. However, the administration has not provided updated details as the operation has continued.

    Padilla and Schiff asked for specific totals on the number of California Guard troops and Marines deployed to L.A., and details as to which units they were drawn from and whether any out-of-state Guard personnel were brought in. They also asked whether any other military personnel were deployed to L.A., and how many civilian employees from the Department of Defense were assigned to the L.A. operation.

    The senators asked for a description of the “specific missions” carried out by the different units deployed to the city, and for a breakdown of military personnel who directly supported Department of Homeland Security teams, which would include Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. They also asked which units were assigned to provide security at federal sites or were “placed on stand-by status outside of the immediate protest or immigration enforcement areas.”

    They asked for “the number of times and relevant detail for any cases in which [Defense] personnel made arrests, detained any individuals, otherwise exercised law enforcement authorities, or exercised use of lethal force during the operation.”

    They also asked for the total cost of all of the work to the Department of Defense and for a breakdown of costs by operation, maintenance, personnel or other accounts, and asked whether any funding used in the operation was diverted from other programs.

    Padilla and Schiff requested that the Department of Defense provide the information by Sept. 12.

    Unless it is “expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress,” the use of military personnel for civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil is barred by law under the Posse Comitatus Act. The 1878 law applies to U.S. Marines and to Guard troops who, like those in L.A., have been federalized.

    In its lawsuit, California argued the deployments were a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act. In response, the Trump administration argued that the president has the legal authority to deploy federal troops to protect federal property and personnel, such as ICE agents.

    On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled for the state, finding that the deployments did violate the Posse Comitatus Act. The judge placed his injunction on hold for 10 days, and the Trump administration is expected to appeal.

    Schiff said Trump’s “goal was not to ensure safety, but to create a spectacle,” and that the ruling affirmed those actions were “unlawful and unjustified.”

    Padilla said the ruling “confirmed what we knew all along: Trump broke the law in his effort to turn service members into his own national police force.”

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    Kevin Rector

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  • Capitol riot, 3 years later: Hundreds of convictions, yet 1 major mystery is unsolved

    Capitol riot, 3 years later: Hundreds of convictions, yet 1 major mystery is unsolved

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of far-right extremist groups. Former police officers. An Olympic gold medalist swimmer. And active duty U.S. Marines.

    They are among the hundreds of people who have been convicted in the massive prosecution of the Jan 6, 2021, riot in the three years since the stunned nation watched the U.S. Capitol attack unfold on live TV.

    Washington’s federal courthouse remains flooded with trials, guilty plea hearings and sentencings stemming from what has become the largest criminal investigation in American history. And the hunt for suspects is far from over.

    “We can not replace votes and deliberation with violence and intimidation,” Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, told reporters on Thursday.

    Authorities are still working to identify more than 80 people wanted for acts of violence at the Capitol. And they continue to regularly make new arrests, even as some Jan. 6 defendants are being released from prison after completing their sentences.

    The cases are playing out at the same courthouse where Donald Trump is scheduled to stand trial in March in the case accusing the former president of conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss in the run up to the Capitol attack.

    Here’s a look at where the cases against the Jan. 6 defendants stand:

    BY THE NUMBERS

    More than 1,230 people have been charged with federal crimes in the riot, ranging from misdemeanor offenses like trespassing to felonies like assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy. Roughly 730 people have pleaded guilty to charges, while another roughly 170 have been convicted of at least one charge at a trial decided by a judge or a jury, according to an Associated Press database.

    Only two defendants have been acquitted of all charges, and those were trials decided by a judge rather than a jury.

    About 750 people have been sentenced, with almost two-thirds receiving some time behind bars. Prison sentences have ranged from a few days of intermittent confinement to 22 years in prison. The longest sentence so far was handed down to Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys national chairman who was convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as a plot to stop the transfer of power from Trump to President Joe Biden.

    Many rioters are already out of prison after completing their sentences, including some defendants who engaged in violence. Scott Fairlamb — a New Jersey man who punched a police officer during the riot and was the first Jan. 6 defendant to be sentenced for assaulting law enforcement — was released from Bureau of Prisons’ custody in June.

    ALL EYES ON THE SUPREME COURT

    Defense attorneys and prosecutors are closely watching a case that will soon be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court that could impact hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants. The justices agreed last month to hear one rioter’s challenge to prosecutors’ use of the charge of obstruction of an official proceeding, which refers to the disruption of Congress’ certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory over Trump.

    More than 300 Jan. 6 defendants have been charged with the obstruction offense, and so has Trump in the federal case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. Lawyers representing rioters have argued the charge was inappropriately brought against Jan. 6 defendants.

    The justices won’t hear arguments in March or April, with a decision expected by early summer. But their review of the obstruction charge is already having some impact on the Jan. 6 prosecutions. At least two defendants have convinced judges to delay their sentencings until after the Supreme Court rules on the matter.

    RIOTERS ON THE LAM

    Dozens of people believed to have assaulted law enforcement during the riot have yet to be identified by authorities, according to Graves. And the statute of limitations for the crimes is five years, which means they would have to be charged by Jan. 6, 2026, he said.

    Several defendants have also fled after being charged, including a Proud Boys member from Florida who disappeared while he was on house arrest after he was convicted of using pepper spray gel on police officers. Christopher Worrell was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in prison after spending weeks on the lam.

    The FBI is still searching for some defendants who have been on the run for months, including a brother-sister pair from Florida. Olivia Pollock disappeared shortly before her trial was supposed to begin in March. Her brother, Jonathan Pollock, is also missing. The FBI has offered a reward of up to $30,000 for information leading to the arrest of Jonathan Pollock, who is accused of thrusting a riot shield into an officer’s face and throat, pulling an officer down steps and punching others.

    Another defendant, Evan Neumann, fled the U.S. two months after his December 2021 indictment and is believed to be living in Belarus.

    WHAT ABOUT THE PIPE BOMBER?

    One of the biggest remaining mysteries surrounding the riot is the identity of the person who placed two pipe bombs outside the offices of the Republican and Democratic national committees the day before the Capitol attack. Last year, authorities increased the reward to up to $500,000 for information leading to the person’s arrest. It remains unclear whether there was a connection between the pipe bombs and the riot.

    Investigators have spent thousands of hours over the last three years doing interviews and combing through evidence and tips from the public, said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office.

    “We urge anyone who may have previously hesitated to come forward or who may not have realized they had important information to contact us and share anything relevant,” he said in an emailed statement on Thursday.

    The explosive devices were placed outside the two buildings between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2021, but officers didn’t find them until the next day. Authorities were called to the Republican National Committee’s office around 12:45 p.m. on Jan. 6. Shortly after, a call came in for a similar explosive device found at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. The bombs were rendered safe, and no one was hurt.

    Video released by the FBI shows a person in a gray hooded sweatshirt, a face mask and gloves appearing to place one of the explosives under a bench outside the DNC and separately shows the person walking in an alley near the RNC before the bomb was placed there. The person wore black and light gray Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers with a yellow logo.

    ____

    Richer reported from Boston. Associated Press reporter Lindsay Whitehurst contributed from Washington.

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