 In New York City in 1962, a group of service-minded Marines, led by Brigadier General Martin F. Rockmore, learned that a Marine World War II Medal of Honor recipient could not afford to send his child to college.Concerned, General Rockmore and his peers organized a charity ball that December, which raised $1,500 (1962 dollars); at the Ball, these funds were awarded as a scholarship to a single student.The annual charity ball, known as the New York Leatherneck Ball, continues to this day, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2012.