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ESPRITPage21ByYMSgtMajBlakeDeWeeseOregonCascadeORTheYoungMarinesisaprogramfoundedonchanginglivesforthebetterandmineisoneofthem.Icanstillrememberbe-ing11yearsoldstandingatattentionconfusednervousscared.Atthattimetheideaofevengraduatingrecruittrain-ingandbearingthetitleofYoungMarineseemedallbutimpossible.Icouldnothavefathomedhowmuchthisprogramwouldtransformmeasanindividual.AtthattimeIhadlittletonoself-condence.Thethoughtofspeakinginfrontofacrowdofmorethan3peopleterriedmeandmarchinginastraightlinewasastretchofmyimagination.ImaturedthroughoutmymanyyearsintheprogramasIlearnedself-condenceandmyleadershipskillsincreased.IrecallattendingNationalJLSinVirginiaduringtheSummerwhentheheatandhumiditywassomethingIwasnotusedtobeingfromOregon.JLSwasmyrstSPACEStripandtheexperiencewasmotivatingIsawthebiggerpictureoftheprogramandthatgavemealong-termvisionformyYoungMarinescareer.TwoyearslaterIattendedtheNationalSLSwithavisionofreturningwithaper-fectPFTscorebeingthehonorgraduateandreceivingapromotiontoYoungMarineGunnerySergeantattheSLS.NoneofthosethingshappenedandIwasdevastated.Insteadoflettingtheapparentfailurede-termefrompursuingmyvisionIchosetoletitfuelmeinthecomingmonths.ThefollowingyearIwentbacktoCampPendletonVirginiafortheALS.Itwasthemostprofoundandhumblingtwoweeksofmylife.WithevenmoremotivationIworkedharderthanIthoughtpossibleofmyself.GraduatingsecondinmyclassandlaterbeinginvitedtotheNationalLeader-shipSymposiumduringOctoberwereun-forgettableexperiences.AsIreectbackuponmytimeintheprogramitisremarkablehowmuchIhavechanged.PublicspeakingisnowoneofmyfavoritethingstodoIpridemyselfonmycloseorderdrillabilitiesandIfeelcon-dentinmyselfatalltimes.Ourprogramisanoutstandingonetosaytheleast.AtransformationisvisibleineachandeveryYoungMarinewhoearnsthetitle.Isharemystoryasameansofin-spiration.Iamnotaoneinamillioncase.MyexperienceatSLStaughtmethatlikeeveryoneelseIwillfailatsomeofmyob-jectives.Ihavelearnedthatsomefailuresareinevitablebutyoumustnotallowthemtocontrolyourlife.Youmustacceptthatfailureisapossibilityandpressforwardregardless.Ifyourememberthisyoucanbemoresuccessfulinlifethanyouthoughtpos-sible.EditorsnoteYMSgtMajBlakeDeWeeseisthe2014NationalYoungMarineoftheYear.AYoungMarineonLearningtheImportanceofFailureBlakeDeWeeseleftandYMSgtMajIanSearchpriorDivision6YoungMarineoftheYear.LearningtoPayTributeandRespecttoOurNationalColorsByYMPFCSebastianDoddOregonCascadeORDuringaagretirementceremonytheagisfoldedinaveryspecialwaywithmuchsymbolism.Eachfoldhasitsownmeaningandwhentheagiscompletelyfoldedthestarsarehighlighted.ProperlyretiringtheStarsandStripesrequiresaagceremonywhichisusuallyconductedoutdoorswitharetoincineratetheag.Theceremonyrep-resentshonoringallwhohaveservedourcountryandthesacri-cesmadetocreateandpreservetheval-uesuponwhichourcountrywasfounded.December72013atourunitdrillweheldourannualagretirementceremo-nies.LikelastyearthedrillinDecemberwasontheMarineCorpsbaseonadayofaMarineCorpsReservedrill.InadditiontotheMarinesbeingtherewehadrepresentativesfromtheVeteransofForeignWars1stMarineDivi-sionAssociationandotherswhohadbroughtagstoretire.ThisyearIservedasamemberofthecolorguardduringthecer-emonies.AagretirementteamofveYoungMarinesconductedtheagfoldingandplacingoftheagsinaburnbarrel.Itwasahum-blingexperiencetobeabletoparticipateinthiseventandIamlledwithhonorandpridewhenseeingthecolorsproperlyretiredinthissolemnmanner.Retirementofaaghasastrongimpactonme.WhenitisbeingfoldedIen-visiontheagyinghighaboveourheadsandtheprideofthatagcarryingontothenewYoungMarines.IamproudtobeapartofthecolorguardteamduringtheseceremoniesbecauseIrepresenteveryonepayingthenaltributeandrespecttoournationalcolors.Iamflledwithhonorandpridewhenseeingthecolorsproperlyretiredinthissolemnmanner.