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ESPRITPage25ByYMGySgtLucasJ.WardMidwestCentralILInNovembercentralIllinoiswaspum-meledbyaseriesofveryviolentandunex-pectedtornadoes.Whatyoumaynotknowisjustwhatkindofeffectthatsortofdisasterhasonacom-munityandonindividualsdirectlyandin-directlyinvolvedinthestorm.Mostofushaveprobablyseenthosebreakingnewsshowsthatcutintoourfa-voriteshowstellingusofsometowninsomestategettingleveledbyatornado.Youseeeveryonetalkingabouthowhor-ricitisthewayitsoundedlikeatrainandalltheotherclichthings.Youmakeasilentremarkabouthowsadthatisandhowyouwishthebestforthepeopleaf-fectedandyoumoveonwithyourlife.IknowthatishowIalwaysworked.SureitishorriblebutwhatcanwedofromsofarawayWeallheardaboutplaceslikeJoplinMissouriandMooreOklahoma.Butthesearealljusttownswehaveneverheardofbeforethis.ThenanothertownwasaddedtothatlistWashingtonIllinois.IknowtosomeofyouthisisjustanotherdisastersomewhereintheUnitedStatesbuttousitwasnot.ThecityofWashingtonisabout40milesawayfromthetownIliveinandonly10milesfromMortonthetownwherewenormallyconductourdrills.SeveralYoungMarinesinourunitliveinWashington.Werushedtohelpout.Wespentanentiredayinacorneldpickingupdebrisfromthehousesthathadbeenshredded.AsIde-scribedtomyfamilyandfriendswespentthedaypickingpeopleslivesoutofthefrozenmud.ItwasabsolutelyfrigidbutweenduredasYoungMarinesalwaysdo.IdontevenknowonewordtosumupallofthethingsIfeltasIwalkedthroughthoseelds.Idontthinksuchawordevenexists.Itwashorrictoseethekindsofdamagethatyouseeonthenewsinfrontofyou.Itissomehowdifferentwhenyouphysicallylookintoagarageandseeouttheothersidetoseesomeonewalkuptheirstaircasetonowheretoseeabat-teredandruinedcarthrownthroughahouseasifitwereatoy.Itisamazingandinspiringtoseethewaythewholecommunitypullstogethertogivealittlebitbacktoacommunitythathasgivenussomuch.Itisweirdtodriveintotownfromonewayandseelifegoingonasnormaleverythingperfectandpris-tinedriveablockandbesurroundedbytheremnantsoftornhousesandhavedebrispiledhighoneachsideoftheroadthendriveanotherblockandseetheperfectlytrimmedgrassofanupscaleneighborhoodmerelyablockawaythatisuntouchedbythehorrorsofthenextstreetover.WhatImgettingathereYoungMarinesisthatyoushouldneverunderestimatethedamagedonebytheseamazingnaturaldi-sasters.Howeveralsoneverdoubtorunderes-timatetheabilitiesofyourcommunitytopulltogetherandgivesomuchtopeopleinneed.Volunteerspouredintotheareaandmorewillbeneededastheweatherallowstheclean-upeffortstoresume.My6thhourBiologyclassaloneraisedmorethan150injustthreedays.T-shirtsbeingsoldforthesupportofWashingtonwereonback-orderwithinhoursoftheirrelease.Taketheselessonsofgenerosityandser-vicetocommunitytoheartYoungMarinesandusethatinyourowncommunitynotonlyintimesofcrisisbutallthetime.Thankyou.SemperFidelisYoungMarinesAssistIllinoisTornadoReliefEffortsAnAdultProudtobeAssociatedwithYoungMarinesByTerriLoriaRegisteredAdultLeaderColWesleyFoxVAItisaprivilegeofeveryUnitCommanderandregisteredadulttobepartofapro-gramthatprovideskidsopportunitiestheywouldnotndelsewhereinschoolclubsorevenothersocialorganizations.InmyeighthyearasaRegisteredAdultIhaveseenmanychangesbuttheonethingthatremainsconstantisthesenseofac-complishmentpridecondenceandlifeskillsthatareavailabletoyouthswhotakeadvantageofthewondrousexperiencesprovidedbythehighercommandersandtheHeadquartersstaff.LastNovembertwoYoungMarinesfromtheColWesleyFoxunitstoodwithinfeetofthePresidentsawtheFirstLadysmileatthemandknewtheyweretheonlytwoyouthmemberswhowerepartoftheVet-eransDayceremoniesatArlingtonNation-alCemetery.Notonlyweretheypartofthefestivitiestheyledalloftheotherparticipantsintotheamphitheaterwhothenledalong-sidethewallswhilethesetwoyoungmenmovedforwardtotaketheirpositiononthelowerstagebeforeapackedaudience.ThisrequiredcondenceandcouragebothqualitiesinstilledbytheYoungMa-rinesprogram.MomentslikethesemakememoriesofalifetimenotonlyfortheyouthmembersbutshouldalsomakeRegisteredAdultLeaderseverywhereproudtobepartoftheYoungMarinesprogramaswell.YoungMarinesfromtheColWesleyFoxunitserveatVeteransDayceremoniesatArlingtonNationalCemeterybeforecrowdsanddignitariesassembled.