Young Marines from Across the Nation Travel to Hawaii for 72nd Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Attack
Washington D.C. (PRWEB) December 02, 2013 -- Sixty-seven youth members of the Young Marines from seven states will travel to Hawaii to participate in the 72nd anniversary Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration. In addition, twenty-seven adult volunteers for the Young Marines will accompany the youth members.
“It is an honor to attend and be included in the remarkable events that are part of the Pearl Harbor commemoration,” said Michael Kessler, national executive director and CEO of the Young Marines. “Our youth members meet some of the survivors of that historic event of 72 years ago, and such meetings leave invaluable positive impressions.”
On Thursday, Dec. 5, the Young Marines will gather at the Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, to clean up a beach as a community service project. The following day – Friday, Dec. 6 - they will perform a wreath laying ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in memory of all the brave men and women who are interred there.
On Saturday, Dec. 7, the Young Marines will lead the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade in Honolulu. They will carry the banners of the 12 capital ships that were attacked. The parade’s objective is 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 Dec. 7, 1941.
“We are very proud of the Young Marines and consider them a crucial part of our events each year,” said Earl Hurrey, Peral Harbor Parade committee member and retired member of “The President’s Own,” the United States Marine Band, conducted by John Philip Sousa from 1880-1892.
The participating Young Marines units are:
• Quantico – Division 2 – Old Dominion Regiment, MCB Quantico, VA
• Hamilton – Division 2 – Maryland Regiment, MD
• Upper Marlboro – Division 2 – Maryland Regiment, MD
• Southeast County – Division 6 – California Regiment, Seal Beach, CA
• Northern KY – Division 2 – (Current National YMOY's unit), KY
• Columbia River – Division 6 – North West Regiment, Kennewick , WA
• Pyramid Rock – Division 6 – MCB Kaneohe bay, HI
• PFC Bruce Carter – Division 3 – 1st Florida Regiment, Margate, FL
Young Marines units raised funds at their local level to supplement the costs of traveling to Hawaii to attend the commemoration ceremonies. The youths used their creativity, and applied the program’s core values - leadership, teamwork and discipline - to implement unique and effective fundraising efforts.
The Young Marines is a national non-profit 501c(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 300 units with 10,000 youth and 3,000 adult volunteers in 46 states, the District of Columbia, Germany, Japan and affiliates in a host of other countries.
For more information, visit http://www.YoungMarines.com.
Andy Richardson, Ginny Richardson Public Relations, http://www.gr-pr.com, +1 (630) 789-8899, [email protected]
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