One hundred and fifty members of the Young Marines from 20 separate units throughout the United States traveled to Hawaii to participate in the 78th anniversary Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance.
Seventeen year-old member of the Young Marines from the North San Diego Young Marines in Vista traveled to Pearl Harbor to perform a wreath laying and meet Pearl Harbor survivors at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
The Young Marines along with the leadership of the American Legion, Marine Corps League Hawaii, Vietnam Veterans of America Hawaii, AMVETS Hawaii, and Best Defense Foundation performed a wreath laying ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, the Punchbowl, in memory of all the brave men and women who are interred there.
YM/SgtMaj Megan Lynch, National Young Marine of the Year, from Southeast County Young Marines in Seal Beach, CA; and YM/MGySgt Luke Smith from North San Diego Young Marines in Vista, CA; lay a wreath at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in memory of all the brave men and women who are interred there.
A significant honor for the Young Marines was leading the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade in Honolulu. Youth members of the Young Marines carried the banners of the 12 capital ships that were attacked. The paradeโs objective was to honor the heroes and survivors of Pearl Harbor and World War II, to pay tribute to veterans, active duty military members and military families, to celebrate freedom and to keep in remembrance the heinous events of Dec. 7, 1941.
In addition, the Young Marines performed community service by cleaning up two beaches, Ft. Hase Beach, and Pyramid Rock Beach, at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
โThe Young Marines personally met five of the survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor,โ said Col William P. Davis USMC (Ret), national executive director and CEO of the Young Marines. โThose veterans are, in every sense of the words – living history, and each has a story to tell. It is an honor, and lasting memory, for each Young Marine to meet these veterans and memorialize the ones who are no longer with us.โ
The participating Young Marines units were:
โขEagle Young Marines
โขGolden Gate Young Marines
โขLCpl. Brian R. Buesing Young Marines
โขLCpl. Caleb John Powers Young Marines
โขMountain View Young Marines
โขNorth San Diego Young Marines
โขNorth Valley Young Marines
โขSanta Clarita Valley Young Marines
โขTri State Young Marines
โขWest Texas Young Marines
โขAshtabula County Young Marines
โขBlackstone Valley Young Marines
โขColumbia River Young Marines
โขMid Cumberland Young Marines
โขPalm Beaches Young Marines
โขPyramid Rock Young Marines
โขSoutheast County Young Marines
โขSouthland Young Marines
โขWest Texas Young Marines
โขYuma Young Marines
Young Marines units raised funds at their local level to supplement the costs of traveling to Hawaii to attend the remembrance ceremonies. Young Marines used their creativity, and applied the programโs core values – leadership, teamwork and discipline – to implement unique and effective fundraising efforts.
The Young Marines is a national non-profit 501c (3) youth education and service program for boys and girls, age eight through the completion of high school. The Young Marines promotes the mental, moral and physical development of its members. The program focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork and self-discipline, so its members can live and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
Since the Young Marines’ humble beginnings in 1959 with one unit and a handful of boys, the organization has grown to 264 units with 8,500 youth and 2,500 adult volunteers in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Japan, and affiliates in other countries.
For more information, visit the official website at: https://www.YoungMarines.com.
