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YMCplCalebWalkerOregonCascadeDuringSeptemberof2013myfatherandIwenttoPearlHarbor.Iwasaston-ishedbywhatIsawincludingthemorethan70yearsoldcolossalshipstoweringabovemeliketheUSSMissouri.WevisitedtheMuseumwatchedamov-ieonthePearlHarborattackandtookaboattovisittheUSSArizonamonumentwithmanyotherpeople.TheUSSArizonavisitwasanemotionalexperiencethatmademefeellikeIhadaconnectionwitheachofthepeopleontheboat.Themonumentwaswhitewithnamesofpeoplewhodiedduringtheattackandowerstohonorthem.OilstillleaksfromthehulloftheUSSArizona.InthegiftshopIsawanoldergentlemansittingataboothwithastackofbooks.IstoppedtotalktohimandlearnedthathewasretiredUSMCBrigadierGeneralJeromeT.Hagen.WetalkedforalongtimeandhesharedwithmehowhejoinedtheMarineCorpsin1952servedinKoreaandasaDrillInstructorandthenlaterasanofcerduringtheViet-namWarwhereheew483missionsinanA4Skyhawk.Afterhisretire-mentfromtheMarineCorpshewroteaseriesofbookstitledWarinthePacic.IboughtacopyandBGenHagensigneditToCa-lebYoungMarineThisisthewaythePacifcWarre-allywas.Wemustneverforget.Con-gratulationsonyourparticipationintheYoungMa-rines.Stickwithit.SemperFidelisJe-romeT.HagenBGe-nUSMCRet.Ireadhisbookanditisamazing.Itwassuchanin-spiringdaybeingabletovisitPearlHarborandthentalkingwithBGenHagen.ThiswasalifeexperiencethatIwillneverforget.AnInspiringTriptoPearlHarborOneIllNeverForgetByYMSgtMajKeonBurtonQuanticoVAAsDecemberapproachedmyexcite-mentstartedtobuildandbuildasIpre-paredtoparticipateinthePearlHarborAnniversaryeventswithYoungMarinesfromallover.IwasreadytopackupleavethemainlandasHawaiianscallitandheadtotheGreatStateofHawaii.ThiswasmythirdtriptoHawaiiandtakingpartintheactivitiesvisitingthePunchbowlandthePearlHarborsiteexploringtheis-landandspeakingwiththesurvivors.YetitsalwaysanewanddifferentIkeexperi-ence.IlearnsomethingnewIseethingsinanalteredlightandthestoriesalwaysamazeme.SeeingmyYoungMarinesfriendsfromacrossthestatesislikehavingafam-ilyreunion.Wearenolongerlabeledbyunitsortitleswearebrothersandsisters.ThebeautyoftheIslandisbreathtak-ing.TheYoungMarinesparticipatedinawreathlayingceremonytouredtheUSSArizonaMemorialandmarchedinthePearlHarborParade.WealsoattendedaretirementceremonyforYMSgtMajStormeDiGiovanniofthePyramidRockYoungMarinesandacook-outattheDiGiovannishome.AfterourobligationsMr.MichaelGuilesfromHeadquatersgaveusorderstoex-ploretheislandandItakeordersverywell.TheQuanticoYoungMarinesheadedoutforfun.Wetookaridealongthenorthshoresstoppingalongthewayatseveralbeachestoswimsurflearnaboutthecultureandsoakupsomesun.WevisitedhistoricalsitesTurtleBeachsampledlo-calfoodscanvasedtheareatoimmerseourselvesinHawaiianartmusicandlit-eraturewalkedalongtheshorelineandmetafewinterestedpeople.WeevensawafewcelebritiesfromHawaiiFive-O.TheseactivitiesarewhatIlovemostaboutthisprogramitcontinuestoopendoorsforyouthsandconstantlyofferspositiveinuencesonitsmembers.IwillforevercherishmemoriesofthePearlHarborAnniversaryevents.SoHawaiiIsayAlohaoefarewelltoyouandIllseeyounextyearHawaii-AHuiHouKakouUntilWeMeetAgainCalebWalkerandPacifcWarhistorianandauthorBGenJeromeT.HAgenUSMCRetThevisitmademefeellikeIhadaconnectionwitheachofthepeopleontheboat.ESPRITPage17