Posted on 08/14/2005 6:07:46 PM PDT by The Mayor
No R&R for you. Knock it out of the ballpark tomorrow, Rus!
Corporals help improve local orphanage
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification #: 2005814201623
Story by Pfc. C. Warren Peace
ITOMAN, OKINAWA, Japan (Aug. 15, 2005) -- Twenty-six students from 3rd Material Readiness Battalion, 3rd Force Service Support Group's corporals course volunteered their time to make some improvements at Tai Chu En orphanage Aug. 2.
The Marines painted a mural of a landscape on a wall that is 6 feet tall and 35 feet long, cleared a 6 feet wide strip of sugar cane from the wall with gas-powered trimmer garden tools and played with the orphans.
The orphanage has more than 100 residents and was established 23 years ago. It is named after a Buddhist monk who brought Buddhism to the island 500 years ago, according to Makio Yamamoto, head of the orphanage.
Navy Capt. William F. Cuddy, chaplain with Navy Chaplain Corps, was the first to establish a steady schedule of events with the orphanage and the Marines, said Yamamoto.
"The biggest thing for me is having a schedule of events," Yamamoto said. "Even if the members (of the volunteer group) change, the orphans still have the opportunity to interact with Marines."
Volunteer efforts such as this are a great way to get to know and help out our Japanese neighbors, said Sgt. Paskell M. Elliot, a heavy equipment operator with Material Readiness Company, 3rd MRB, 3rd FSSG.
"It's good to get out and show the locals another side of the military other than (M-16A2 service rifles) and camouflage uniforms," Elliot said.
This is not the first time 3rd FSSG has volunteered at the orphanage.
"We have had this type of relationship with the Marines for over 15 years," said Yamamoto. "It's nothing new to the staff members who have been here for a while, but a lot of the kids haven't had a chance to experience things with service members."
Over the years, the relationship has positively affected both communities, he explained.
"It creates cultural benefits that help us and (the Marines)," said Yamamoto. "The Marines get to see Okinawan culture, and the kids at the orphanage get to see something they otherwise would not have the chance to see."
According to Elliot, volunteering has more than political benefits.
"It helps you feel good as a person," Elliot said. "Nobody will leave here without a smile on their face."
Ah, yes, Okinawa, Japan - the same Japan upon whom we dropped two atomic bombs when I was in grade school...have occupied them for 60 years -and the libs are upset we have been in Iraq for a year and a half??
The detractors deny the concept of helping others help themselves after the bullets slow down, and what the future *might/COULD* bring!
Should I have 'hated' the Japanese all my life, so many thousands of our sons and daughters fighting and dying to overcome Japanese aggression and barbarism all the way through China to Burma, and throughout the Pacific?
In occupying it after their surrender, should we have totally subjugated them?
No - we allowed them to see the advantages of another way of life,
as is our goal in all our deployments!
Only if we act as God would want us to, can mankind make forward strides.
God bless a President who has this vision and will not be swayed and relent in his efforts to do things the "right way."
- and Lord, especially bless our sons and daughters who go forth around the world in Your Holy Name.
~LadyX
Jemians Terror (my son) is on the left and two of his battle buddies are on the right.
It was pointed out at graduation that these young people VOLUNTEERED during TIME OF WAR!
It equipped me well to be a military wife for 12 years, flexible and adaptable and forward looking, until we opted to return to civilian life, with three children to better support ....
Thank you very much for your service to our country. I know that many here voluteered during war time. I thank you for that. It was and is, an honorable and worthy of respect, action. I can never express enough gratitude.
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A sincere "Welcome to The Finest" - where you surely belong!
A very special Good Morning and {{{hugs}}} to you, Tonk..:))
*HUG*
Thank you for your welcome. Just a bit of clarification: I am my wife. LOL! I became a freeper a number of years ago and have been known to post on America~The Right Way!. The older two children are registered freepers themselves and voted for the first time in the last election. Hubby is at heart a freeper, but he isn't an internet and political and current events junkie as I am.
I thought I'd include JT's picture in today's line-up as he has just passed this milestone.
YOU'RE HERE!!!
Welcome, Jemian. I have been pinging you here for a better part of a year.. Glad you made it. Monday is the official military day but other days are always a feature... and we do a lot of interesting things here. tomorrow & Wed will be the FReeper get together in Ohio/WV that I was a part of..
I am really covered up at home with a few SNAFUs.. I need to post/run..
So good to see you hear & we can put JT on the Military Prayer list..
Love & Hugs Hon
Fort Lost in the Woods.
I haven't been there myself, went to Fort Sill, but I do hear tell that Fort Leonard Wood is a rather pretty post.
(Any truth to what I was told, if you know offhand?)
I spent the weekend watching the Night Court marathon on the TVland channel.
You're doing a good job!
Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to celebrate today. I had too much to do this morning.
We were pounded flat by a good sized thunderstorm.
*chuckle*
YIPES!
I had to keep dropping offline.
Eventually, it was safer to stay off.
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