By YM/Sgt Raegan Jahn Ashtubula County (OH) The Ashtabula County Young Marines of Ohio took a trip to Virginia and Wash- ington, DC. We visited many places I’ve never seen and some I may never get to see again.We also got to go to the Flight 93 National Memorial. I was honored to be able to pay my respects to all of the Americans who innocently lost their lives on 9/11. We first visited Young Marine National Headquarters. There I met Mr. Bill Davis, Mr. Joe Lusignan, Mr. Mike Tracy, and Ms. Kaylyn Lonergan. I was honored to meet such amazing people who make us who we are and see what they do and how they work to make an amazing program for us.Our unit also went to the United States Marine Corps Base in Quantico, VA. This was my favor- ite part of the entire trip. I loved being able to talk with the Marines personally. I asked questions , and I enjoyed their telling us their stories about what they do on an everyday basis. We met a for- mer Young Marine (who is now a United States Marine) and we talked with him as well. At Quantico, we also saw the simula- tors used by Marines in training.We went to Washington, DC, and visited many me- morials and saw important buildings.We went to the Library of Congress, the Na- tional Archives, the U.S. Capitol Building, and many memorials such as the Wash- ington Monument,the Lincoln Memorial, the Marine Corps War Memorial, the Na- tional WWII Memorial and the Vietnam War Memorial, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Statue. Another one of my favorite things we did was visiting the Arlington National Cemetery. Although it was very sad to see the markers of all of the lives that were taken, it was also extremely inter- esting. I loved watching the Changing of the Guard Ceremony on the Tomb of the Unknowns. It was fascinating to see and learn the meaning of the ceremony. Finally,we visited the National Museum of the Marine Corps It was so interesting seeing all of the artifacts and displays there. You can experience everything from the climate of the wars where Ma- rines have fought to what it’s like being yelled at during USMC bootcamp. The Museum is also adding a new display which will include mention of the Young Marines, which is exciting for us. This trip was an experience I will re- member forever. Ashtabula County: Our Trip, From Ohio to Washington, DC and Virginia Editor’s Note: In Volume 2, 2017 of Esprit On- line, YM/Pvt Connor McElyea of the Swansboro (NC) Young Marines shared his ideas for how units can fundraise while also contributing to wildlife conservation. While there are many dif- ferent types of fundraisers groups can do, Con- nor’s suggestion was that Young Marines units can make and sell birdhouses to fundraise. This can be a profitable venture and building birdhouses helps spread the importance of lo- cal wildlife conservation and encourages Young Marines to earn their Conservation Ribbon. YM/Pvt Connor McElyea and his broth- er made birdhouses while earning their Conservation Ribbons, then made more birdhouses to sell to raise awareness about the local bird populations. Their birdhouses provided the birds in their area a place to live, make nests and stay safe from predators. The brothers sold their first birdhouses to support their grandparents’ church mission trips, then decided it was a good idea to make and sell birdhouses to raise money for their Young Marines unit, hop- ing to fund activities or trips. Local lumber businesses offered dis- counts on materials, while another lo- cal business agreed to allow them to sell birdhouses outside their store once a month during summer. Using donated and discounted cost materials helps profitability of these birdhouses. The birdhouses sell for around $5 each.Their mother has posted their bird- houses on Facebook as well, and they have been requested to design and make special things likes bat boxes and duck houses or multiple level birdhouses. All of these things help with the environ- ment by helping the local bird popula- tion by giving them homes and inform- ing the public about how they can help conserve wildlife in a fun way. Connor concludes,“Making birdhouses is a good fundraiser for the Swansboro Young Marines, because it encourages members to challenge themselves, to use their imaginations and be creative, and get them concerned about the envi- ronment and what they can do to protect local wildlife”. YM/ Swansboro: An Idea Good for Our Unit, and Good for Conservation Swansboro Young Marines with some of their completed birdhouses. YM/ Pvt Connor McElyea. 36 YOUNG MARINES ESPRIT ONLINE