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 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54By YM/GySgt Robert Gavin Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office (LA) This past summer I was able to par- ticipate in the Great American History Adventure-Revolutionary War with the Young Marines.This trip was especially important to me because one of the stops on the trip was Washington, D.C. which included a day at Arlington Na- tional Cemetery. My great grandfather, the late USAF Major Harold George Martin, is buried near President Taft in Arlington. Major Mar- tin was a experienced pilot who died in a tragic accident on 6 August 1958. My grandmother was 8 years old at that time. During his career, Major Martin flew on several missions of historical significance. These included missions in the Atlan- tic Theater of Operations during WWII, where he hunted Ger- man submarines off the Atlantic coast of the United States, and the famous Berlin Airlift in 1948-49. During the Korean War, Major Martin would fly several combat missions trans- porting infantry and supplies to and from bases along the front lines, drawing enemy anti-aircraft gunfire. He had received many medals and citations before his death and flew many different types of aircraft over the course of his career, includ- ing the F4 Phantom fighter jet (for which he was one of the test pilots). The day of my visit to Arlington was very hot and extremely humid. Nevertheless, the experi- ence was a very solemn (and eye-opening) one. After the main tour was over, it was my time to finally meet with the Major I had heard so much about. To be able to stand at his graveside was a very emo- tional and moving experience for me. My grandmother was greatly moved by the picture taken by Unit Commander Joe DiLeo, which she received later that day. It was an honor to be in his presence and to have been se- lected to take part in this trip. I wish to give a special thanks to Mrs.Theresa Aguilar for allowing me to have this moment. I would also like to thank the JPSO Young Marines (Division 4) adult staff, especially Unit Commanders Tammy Williams, Joe DiLeo, and William Jones, for sending me on this amazing journey. A Special Moment at Arlington During My GAHA Trip By YM/LCpl Chance McMurray Cross Roads (TX) Recent studies I’ve read show that American children become sluggish once they hit the teen years. While 90% of 9 year olds get a couple of hours of exercise most days, most teens would rather sit around all day and watch TV or play video games. It seems as if in this day and age, technology, social media, and pop culture are most peoples’ number one concerns. The population is getting weaker, and dignity and leader- ship are rare. It seems that there is a great lacking in young leaders. There are a few though, the ones who take respon- sibility for their actions. The ones who get up early on the weekends? Those are the Young Marines. Just a few years ago, I was one of the average teens. I was lazy, a trouble maker, and had some bad grades. I was at a point in life where I didn’t care about anything. And then one day, I was asked a very important question that changed everything.“What do you want to do with your life”? At first I didn’t think to much of it. I thought I didn’t care. But I started thinking about it. And then I started looking into the military. It appealed to me, and it sounded cool. I didn’t know much at the time, so I started reading about each branch. I became very inter- ested in the Marine Corps. I wanted to join right away, but since I was only 14, I couldn’t. I had once heard about this local group called the Young Marines. Now I was interested in joining, although I didn’t know anything about it. I joined thinking that this group was just like the Boy Scouts. I was very wrong, but I fell in love with it. I was like a sponge in water, soaking up knowl- edge left and right. Then (when I thought it couldn’t get any better) my Com- manding Officer put me in our color guard. I will never forget the experiences that I had with my Young Marines brothers. There is no better way to bond with each other than taking part in color guard and practicing close order drill with each other. Being a Young Marine means getting to have the experiences with fellow Young Marines, and also getting to learn valuable lessons in life. Being a Young Marine gives us a chance to give back to the community and more importantly, give back to our veterans. This what the Young Marines means to me. Having oppor- tunities and taking them. I joined over a year and half ago. I’ve gradually worked up through ranks. I never thought I’d get very far because I graduate high school in a few years. When I found out that I was named Young Marine of the Year, not only for my unit, but for Fourth Battalion as well, I was speechless. I couldn’t believe that a Young Marine from a small unit could ever get the honor of getting to go be- fore the regimental board. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my unit and family. I am very proud of myself for getting this far, and I look forward to what lies in my future. 4th Bn YMOY: From Average to Far Above Average 16 YOUNG MARINES ESPRIT ONLINE