YM ESPRIT ONLINE 25 By YM/GySgt Micenna Brooks Etowah Valley (GA) Last summer I had the opportunity to go on the trip of a lifetime, the Great American History Adventure (GAHA) – Revolutionary War. A total of forty nine Young Marines went on this trip.We were gone for two weeks during the summer and traveled to Massachusetts,New York, Pennsylvania,Virginia,and the District of Columbia. When the trip started most of us where strangers who met for the first time in Boston’s airport. By the end of the trip we had all grown to be close friends. On the first night we simply grabbed dinner and went to our hotel. We awoke early the next morning and traveled down the road to Salem, Massachusetts to visit a handful of extremely historic locations.One of those locations has had a book written about it (Nathaniel Haw- thorne’s The House of Seven Gables). The house was built in 1668. Another location was right across the street and just so happened to be America’s oldest candy store (So, yes we were allowed to have pogey bait). Would you believe me if I told you that the location historians believe to be the location where 19 people were hanged during the Salem Witch Trials is behind a Walgreen’s Pharmacy? Well, it’s the true! We later traveled to the build- ing in which our second President, John Adams, was born. We learned all of this (and more) within the first two days of our trip. We remained in Massachusetts for three days and then went to New York. While in New York City, we went to the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. After all of us went through the museum, it began to rain and we ran to meet our bus driver, Walt. We saw Walt driving the bus down the road, and even the adults were shouting his name. The traffic was total chaos and Walt stopped in the mid- dle of the street, in New York City, and opened the doors. As he did that, all of the cars’ horns started honking and we had to quickly get aboard the bus and try to keep from blocking traffic for too long. That is probably the moment when we all truly became lifelong friends,. We all also realized that Walt will be someone we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. Another place that was exciting was Philadelphia,Pennsylvania (our country’s first capital). We went to Independence Hall and stepped in the room that the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and The United States Constitution were signed. All of us also went to the burial location of the first Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, Samuel Nichols. He went against his family and faith to fight with the colonists and General George Washington, our nation’s first president. Our next stop was the extremely mem- orable District of Columbia. On our first day in D.C. we went to the National Mu- seum of the United States Marine Corps. We learned that the Young Marines are being included among displays in the Museum. (Isn’t that amazing?). Day two in Washington D.C. was just as fantastic. We went to Capitol Hill, The Supreme Court, and The Library of Congress. All three of those locations are so historic and very beautiful, both inside and out. When we stepped outside of those buildings we where blinded because the buildings are made out of white marble and the sun was beating down on us. Once inside, we were disappointed, in that there were very few locations where we could take pictures. Before we knew it, the trip was over and we all had to go our separate ways. None of us thought that those two weeks would go by as quickly, but they did. I will always remember this trip. If you ever have the opportunity to go on a Young Marine SPACES event, you should take it. You will meet many new people who you have something in common with… all of you are Young Marines. SPACES: Great American History Adventure/Revolutionary War By YM/SSgt Cody Dochnahl Southeast County (CA) Last February, YM/Pvt Wade Lakin and I took part in a Revolutionary War-era Reenactment at the Huntington Beach Central Park. We were assigned the roles of colonial rebels fighting against the British. There were two battles that day. Our mission was to repel the advancing British army. In the first battle,I fell in with the Con- tinental Marine Corps and had the honor of carrying the Gadsden, or “Don’t tread on me” flag.YM/Pvt Lakin fell in with the Continental Army as a rifleman for both battles. In the first battle,the Colonials marched onto the field supplemented by mili- tia. Halfway through the battle, General Marquis de Lafayette was wounded.This, and mounting casualties caused the militia to retreat from the battlefield. A few more volleys sent the rebel forces marching off the battlefield as well. The British fought well and took the day, but the colonials would be back. The Marines had to return home to their farms, so for the second battle I brought shame to the Corps by falling in with the Continental Army. I carried the original American flag for this battle.By the time the army marched onto the battlefield, the militia skirmish- ers had been slowing the redcoats (the British regular army) down, but taking a beating in the process. A several vol- leys from our artillery and brave soldiers forced a slow retreat for the British. Eventually, we pushed them back to- ward the edge of the battlefield. At that point the commanding officer of our bat- talion gave the order to charge. I raised the flag high and the we rushed forward, sending the British into a full retreat. We had taken the battlefield and de- feated the enemy. I had the time of my life, I always do when I get to participate in a reenactment. It’s something that a textbook or a Hollywood movie can’t properly explain. Reenacting brings a person that much closer to understand- ing what the the brave warriors long ago would have experienced and felt. Sem- per Fi! A Revolutionary War Battle Reenactment Brings Understanding YOUNG MARINES: WE LEARN ABOUT HISTORY