More than 175 members of the Young Marines from 18 individual units throughout the United States traveled to Hawaii to participate in the remembrance ceremonies of the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.
On Thursday, December 2, youth members of the Young Marines performed a wreath laying ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, the Punchbowl, in memory of all the brave men and women who are interred there.
A significant honor for the Young Marines was leading the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade, on Tuesday, December 7, in Honolulu. Young Marines had a color guard and carried the banners of the 12 capital ships that were attacked, as well as many of the floats in the parade. The parade’s objective was to honor the heroes and survivors of Pearl Harbor and World War II, to pay tribute to veterans, active-duty military members and military families, to celebrate freedom, and to keep in remembrance the heinous events of Sunday, December 7, 1941.
The Young Marines performed community service by cleaning up several beaches located on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, including Ft. Hase Beach, North Beach, and Pyramid Rock Beach, and the Hale Koa Beach in Honolulu.
“Because of the pandemic last year, we were unable to participate in remembrance events, so it is doubly meaningful that so many Young Marines were present here in 2021,” said Col William P. Davis USMC (Ret), national executive director and CEO of the Young Marines. “It is an honor and lasting memory for each Young Marine to participate in the 80th anniversary, meet and listen to veterans tell their stories, and memorialize veterans who are no longer with us.”
The participating Young Marines units were:
Ashtabula County Young Marines, Jefferson, Ohio
Captain Art Jackson Young Marines, Nampa, Idaho
Eagle Young Marines, Camp Pendleton, California
East Valley California Young Marines, Redlands, California
Golden Gate Young Marines, Hayward, California
Greater Cleveland Young Marines, Fairview Park, Ohio
Kingman Young Marines, Kingman, Arizona
Miami Valley Young Marines, Huber Heights, Ohio
Mid Cumberland Young Marines, Mount Juliet, Tennessee
North San Diego Young Marines, Vista, California
PFC Bruce W. Carter MOH Young Marines, Doral, Florida
Pulaski Young Marines, Ft Leonard Wood, Missouri
Pyramid Rock Young Marines, MCBH Kaneohe, Hawaii
San Bernardino Valley Young Marines, Rialto, California
Scott County Young Marines, Scottsburg, Indiana
Southeast Wisconsin Young Marines, Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Southland Young Marines, Pomona, California
Swansboro Young Marines, Swansboro, North Carolina
Young Marines units raised funds at the local level to supplement the costs of traveling to Hawaii. These youth members used their creativity, and applied the program’s core values – leadership, teamwork, and discipline – to implement unique and effective fundraising efforts to attend this educational and patriotic event.
About the Young Marines
The Young Marines is a national non-profit 501 (c)(3) youth education and service program for boys and girls, age eight through the completion of high school. The Young Marines promotes the mental, moral, and physical development of its members. The program focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork, and self-discipline, so its members can live and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
Since the Young Marines’ humble beginnings in 1959 with one unit and a handful of boys, the organization has grown to over 235 units with 7,500 youth and 2,500 adult volunteers in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Japan, and affiliates in a host of other countries.
For more information, visit the official website at: https://www.YoungMarines.com.
