Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
Page 31
Page 32
ByYMCplJudeSmithCapitolCityNCIlearnedmorehistoryontheGreatAmericanHistoryAd-venturethanIeverdidbefore.OurrststopwasintheBostonareawherewegottoseetheSalemWitchMuseuminSa-lemMAandlearnedaboutthewitchtrialsandhowscaryitwasbackthenbecausepeoplewerekilledwhentheywerewrongfullyac-cused.WhileatPlimothPlantationwegottoseewhatlifewaslikeinthelate1620s.ThetwoexhibitstheyhadweretheWampanoaghomesiteandthe1627pilgrimsettlementthelastwasspecialtomebecauseJohnandPriscillaAldenareinmyfamilytree.Myfavoritepartofthetripwasgo-ingallthewaytothetopoftheEm-pireStateBuildinginNewYorkCitywheretheviewwasgorgeous.The911Memorialwasaverysol-emnplacetovisitbecausewesawwherethetwintowerswerethenamesofthevictimswholosttheirlivesthereandthetreethatsurvivedtheattacks.WhenwewenttoPhiladelphiawesawtheplacewheretheDeclarationofIndependencewasrstreadandbronzelife-sizedstatuesthatreplicatedthesigningoftheDeclara-tion.WewenttotheRevolutionaryWarsiteofValleyForge.WelistenedtostoriesaboutGeorgeWashingtonsexperi-encewhichwascoolandwesawWashingtonsheadquar-terstherewhichwas80percentoriginalincludingthehandrailingwhereWashingtonshandswere.LaterdowninVirginiawewenttoMountVernonwhereWashingtonlivedandsawthebedwherehesleptandwherehealsopassedaway.WhenwewenttoGettysburgPAwewereabletoseethebattleeldwhereover46000Americanswerekilledorinjured.Wealsovisitedtwoothercivilwarbattle-eldsbothinVirginia.Ourexperi-enceatPamplinParkinPetersburgVAwasreallyawesome.Weredrealmusketscanonsandmortars.ItwasarealopportunitytofeelwhatitwasliketobeaCivilWarsoldier.AnotheroneofmytopplacestogotowasArlingtonNationalCemeterywherewesawthe1983SpaceShut-tleChallengermemorialthechang-ingoftheguardattheTomboftheUnknownsandJohnF.Kennedysgravesite.WealsowenttotheNa-tionalArchiveswhereoriginalcopiesoftheDeclarationofIndependencetheUnitedStatesConstitutionandtheBillofRightsarekept.ThebestpartinDCwasseeingtheWashingtonMonumentlitupatnighteventhoughtherewasscaffoldingcoveringtheentiremonument.IreallyenjoyedthisS.P.A.C.E.S.eventwhereIhadtheuniquechancetodiscoverournationshistory.IhopethatwhoevergoesnextyearhasasmuchfunasIdid.HisOwnAmericanHistoryAdventureJudeSmithwithYMOYDakotaRichter.BYYMPFCJeremyHoltzEagleCAThissummerforthethirdyearourEagleYoungMarineswereaskedtovisitBalboaParkinSanDiegotohonortheveteransofWorldWarIIbymarchingthecolorguardattheVeteransMemorialandMuseumCentersKeep45Aliveevent.Itwasnothingshortofaneyeopeningex-perienceaswegottoviewthemuseumwhichwasformedin1989tohonorandperpetuatethememoriesofallmenandwomenwhohaveservedinourArmedForces.Weaponsfromnumerouswarsareondis-playatthemuseum.Equipmentandgearwerealsovisibleonmannequinsandinpicturesandstoriesframedtoeducatethevisitors.WealsohadtheopportunitytospeakwithWorldWarIIveteranswhosharedstoriesabouttheirtimespentservingourcountry.OnemantoldusaboutatimewhentheJapanesetookhimtoaPOWcampforthreeyears.Thiswasalsoexcitingasitwasmyrsttimeperformingcolorguard.ThankfullyformeEagleYMCpl.Morenowastheretoteachmehowtomaneuvertherie.Priortoourreturnhomewewerefedpas-tawithmeatballsandasaladwithbreadandbutterforfree--soifyouwereamongthepeoplewhofedusthatdayabigthank-youtoyouagain.Manynewadventuresarecomingmywaywiththisunit.Thehistoricalexposuregrowthanddevelopmentismosthonor-able.HonoringandLearningfromtheVeteransofWorldWarllDISCOVERINGHISTORYOurNations10ESPRITFall2013