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
MeetinganIndianChiefandPanningforGoldByYMCplNathanByrdNorthernKentuckyKYTheWildWestExcursiontripItookpartinthissummerwasagreatexperi-ence.ImetmanyotherYoungMarinesfromallacrossthenationwhoIamnowgoodfriendswith.ItwasaweekofexploringtheBlackHillsofSouthDa-kotawherewewentallaroundseeinghistorictrainsawesomeviewsofthemountainsandforestandwildlife.ThestateofSouthDakotaisveryma-jesticandthelandscapesareunique.Theygofromaatplainsregionwhereranchersherdtheircattleandfarmersgrowcropstoamassivemountainousregionwhereelkandmountainlionsareeverywhere.OnepointinthetripthatIreallyenjoyedwasmeetingaNa-tiveAmericanchiefoftheLakotatribeChiefBaldEagle.Heis94yearsoldandaWorldWarIIveteranwhoservedasaparatrooperandwasoneoftherstalliedmentomakeitintoNormandy.Weallthankedthisgreatpersonforhisserviceandgotapicturewithhim.WealsowenttotheCrazyHorseMe-morial.ThismemorialisalotlikeMt.Rushmorebutmuchlarger.Theyhavebeencarvingthemountainfordecadesandhaveonlynishedthehead.AllfourofthepresidentsheadsatMt.RushmorecouldtinsideoftheCrazyHorsememorialsheadWealsowenttothehistoricaltownofDeadwoodwhichhasalwaysbeenfamousforitsgamblingandsaloons.DeadwoodwasalsothehomeofWildBillHickockthefastestgunintheWesthisrealnamewasJamesButlerHickok.Oneotherstopwasatanac-tualoldwesttown.Thiswasnoreplicatherewereactualoriginalbuildingsdirtroadsandeverythingyouwouldseeinanoldwesternlm.WewentinsidehistoricalminesfromthefamousGoldRushintheWestandwereabletopanforgoldaswell.IwasevenabletocollectafewakesofgoldtokeepasasouvenirSouthDakotaisagreatplaceandthiswasanawesometrip.ThiswasthersteverWildWestExcursionforYoungMarinesandIde-nitelythinkthatotherYoungMarinesshouldhavetheopportunitytoexperi-encethistripinthefuture.SimulatedSpecialOpsatMachIAviationChallengeByYMPFCConradMcLeodCherryPointNCIwashappythattheYoungMarinesallowedeleven-year-oldstogotoMachIAviationChallengethisyear.IhavebeenintheYoungMarinessinceIwaseightbutthiswasmyrstSPACEStrip.TheschoolislocatedatTran-quilityBaseinHuntsvilleAL.WhenIrstgotthereIwasputintothegroupnamedtheMustangsandgivenmyroomassignment.Weweregivenlinenandhadtomakeourracks.Wewereintroducedtoourinstructorswhogaveustheruleswewereexpectedtofollowandweweregivencallsignsbytheothersinourgroup.MycallsignwasShrugs.Duringmyweektherewehadclassesonthedifferenttypesofaircraftusedbythearmedforceslearnedhowtooperatetheightsimulatorsandlearnedwatersurvival.WedidaNavySealopsmis-sion.Myfavoritetimewaswhenwedidateamexerciseatnight.Theobjectwastogetobjectstotwodifferentlocationsinthedarkwithoutbeingdetected.Anotherfuntimewaswhenwedidthehelicoptercrashsimulator.Itwasaheli-copterinthewaterthatwassinkingandwehadtogetoutofitbeforeitsank.IwouldencourageotherYoungMa-rinestoworkongettingpromotedandmeettheotherrequirementssothattheycangotoMachIortootherSPAC-EStripsnextsummer.DontworryparentsItwasntarealsinkinghelicopter.EditorLearningtoDriveCattleFromRanchersByYMSgtMajAlexanderMessmerCherryPointNCTheCattleDriveExperiencewiththeYoungMarinesgavemeawholenewinsightintohowwegetourfoodandwhereitcomesfrom.WearrivedinBill-ingscheckedinandthenwemetwiththestaffofthecattleranch.Itwasaneatexperiencetomeetwithpeoplewhohaveworkedaroundcattletheirwholelives.Thesepeopletoldusaboutthem-selvesandalittlebitofhistoryabouttheranch.Wethensettledinforthenightsothatwaywecouldprepareforthecomingdays.Withinthenextfewdayswelearnedaboutthedifferentpartsofourequip-menthowtoproperlyusetheequip-mentandtechnique.Overallthiswasabigexperienceforusfromwakingupandpreparingourhorseforthedaysworktobrandingcattle.AsidefromlearningabouttheranchandtheworkthatisdoneontheranchImetalotofYoungMarineswhoIbondedwithandworkedwithasateam.TheseYoungMarineswerealsogreatpeopletolearnfrom.WhenallissaidanddoneIlovedtheexperienceandwoulddoitoveragainifIcould.ConradMcLeodproudtobeatMachIcamp.AlexanderMessmerridinginonawhitehorse.14ESPRITFall2013