Archive of 2008 Activities
On 6 December 2008, Young Marines manned four locations around Knoxville to collect funds and toys for the annual Toys for Tots drive. In spite of the bitter cold weather, the effort was very successful. At the end of the day, the YM turned over more than $1,600 in cash and two pick-up loads of toys to the Marine Reserves.
On 22 November 2008, a Young Marine Color Guard presented the colors and another YM played “Taps” as part of the Marine Corps League’s memorial ceremony at the Knoxville memorial to Lt. Alexander Bonnyman, our unit’s namesake. Later in the day, the unit celebrated the 233rd birthday of the Marine Corps at a Birthday Ball. After a traditional Birthday Ball ceremony, the Young Marines, their families, and friends enjoyed a dinner before hearing from the Ball’s Guest of Honor, Maj. Brian R. Griffing, the Inspector-Instructor of “D” Co. at the Reserve Center. After Maj. Griffing’s remarks about the meaning of the Marine Corps’ core values of “Honor, Courage, and Commitment,” a DJ played music for dancing. There were about 120 people who enjoyed the festivities.
On 15 November 2008, the Adult Leaders and some of the Young Marine Senior NCOs met to plan our unit’s schedule and activities for the next 6 months.
On Veterans Day, 11 November 2008, Young Marines carried the Young Marines and Marine Corps League banners in the 2009 Knoxville Veterans Day Parade.
On 8 November 2008, Young Marines and Adult Leaders helped put out flags on the graves at the Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery on Lyons View Pike in preparation for Veterans Day. One of the graves decorated was that of Willie Sanders, the grandfather of Young Marine Sgt. Dominique Sanders.
The drill on 1 November 2008 started out with a Drug Demand Reduction lecture from a former drug dealer telling how his life was ruined by the use of drugs. Then Marine 1st Sgt. Charles Wright with the I&I Staff at the Reserve Center in Knoxville taught the Young Marines how to execute proper Color Guard and Guidon Bearer movements. A number of Young Marines also went before Promotion Boards.
On 19 October 2008, some of the unit’s Adult Leaders went to Crossville for the fall YM Regimental Staff meeting. One of the items discussed was the 2009 Regimental Encampment, which our unit will host in September 2009. In addition, our unit’s YM GySgt. Nicholas Hedge was first selected as the 2nd BN Young Marine of the Year (YMOY) and then as the TN Regiment YMOY. He is now in contention for the Division YMOY award, which will be decided about the first of the year.
On 18 October 2008, the YM went to the Knoxville Police Department Range for marksmanship training with .22 caliber pistols and rifles. The FBI Citizens Academy was also meeting there that day so they also got to see the FBI’s armored rescue vehicle and hear a talk on the FBI’s SWAT program in addition to practicing marksmanship skills and riding on the KPD’s Driving Course.
Over the weekend of 10-13 October 2008, two Adult Leaders drove four Young Marines to the Marine Air Station, Cherry Point, NC, to participate in a Division Senior Leadership School (SLS). YM GySgt. Benjamin Brott and GYSgt. Patrick Lawson were the YM SLS Staff for the school while YM Sgt. Jamaica Morrow and Sgt. Weldon Humphries III were students at the school. They all did very well, with YM Sgt. Humphries capturing an award for having the highest PFT score.
At our first drill in October 2008, Betsy Cunningham from the Blount County Human Resources Department gave the Young Marines a very informative class on public speaking. Her class included covering the Ten Commandments of Public Speaking: Be Prepared; Practice; Be Enthusiastic; Act Confident; Have a Good Opening and Closing; Never Make Apologies; Focus On Effective Non-Verbal Behavior; Don’t Hold Anything in Your Hands; Be Sincere; and, Be Yourself.
On 14 September 2008, Young Marines and Adult Leaders helped the Marines of “D” Co., 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, celebrate “Family Day” at the Navy Operational Support Center/Marine Reserve Center in Knoxville. So that the Marines could spend time with their families, the Young Marines ran some of the children’s games for the event. They ran a moonwalk, a merry-go-round, and a jousting game as well as a sno-cone machine. During the day, the Young Marines also had some time to try the climbing wall themselves and to do some jousting. The weather was good, the hamburgers and hotdogs were delicious, and the Young Marines enjoyed helping the Marines have a fun day with their families.
On 13 September 2008, about 40 Young Marines and Adult Leaders helped the Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Marine Corps League Detachment #924 and the Marine Reserves put on the 2008 Marine Mud Run, a 5-K cross-country race at Knox County’s Melton Hill Park. With almost 1,300 registered runners, there was plenty for everyone to do. Our unit’s members helped with registration starting at 0700 and four Young Marines presented the colors at the start of the race. Young Marines helped hand out water at two water points on the race course, helped collect the racers’ timing chips at the end of the race, collected trash, and performed many other services. They also helped hand out awards at the Awards Ceremony after the race. In addition, based on their having attained the highest scores on the fall Physical Fitness Test, eight Young Marines got to run the race as part of the two teams sponsored by the Marine Corps League Detachment. At least two younger Young Marines participated in the “Kids’ Mud Run,” a shorter race run after the conclusion of the Awards Ceremony. Everyone enjoyed the excitement of race day and, since the race was a drop-off point for the “Toys for Tots” campaign, they were glad to see that a lot of toys were collected for the annual toy drive sponsored by the Marine Reserves.
Over the weekend of 8-10 August 2008, 39 Young Marines and 8 Adult Leaders from our unit went to a Regimental Encampment at the Army Reserve Center in Smyrna, TN. Although there are 8 Young Marine Units in the Tennessee Regiment, unfortunately only three units attended the encampment. However, all of those attending the encampment enjoyed themselves – the food was good in the dining hall and the barracks were air-conditioned! Our unit’s Young Marine Derek Reimann was named the Regimental Sergeant Major, the senior Young Marine at the encampment, and was placed in command of all the Young Marines during the weekend.
In addition to a drug demand reduction class and a Sunday morning service, there were four competitions during the weekend: uniform inspection, platoon drill, color guard drill, and pistol simulator competition. Our unit’s Young Marines did very well, winning 1st place in the platoon drill and pistol competitions and taking 2nd place in the other two competitions.
At the end of the weekend, it was announced that the Lt. Bonnyman Unit would sponsor the 2009 Regimental Encampment in the Knoxville area. Planning is already underway to have an even better regimental encampment in 2009 that will attract all 8 units in the state to participate.
19 July 2008 - 58 Young Marines and Adult Leaders went to the McGhee Tyson Air National Guard (ANG) Base for a briefing on the operations of the ANG’s 134th Air Re-Fueling Wing. It was a great opportunity for them to hear and see how the members of the ANG remain ready and able to help protect our nation. After a brief base tour, they were taken to a hanger where one of the Wing’s massive KC135 aircraft was located. Members of the aircraft maintenance crew then spent about an hour and a half showing the Young Marines through the plane and explaining its functions. The YM got to sit in the cockpit seats, lie in the re-fueling boom operator’s position, and hear all about how the aircraft is maintained in operational readiness. At the conclusion of the briefing, the Young Marines went to the base dining hall for a delicious lunch.
6-11 July 2008 – Forty-three Young Marines and six Adult Leaders saw the sights around Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, FL on the unit’s summer trip. From 0600 until 2200 each day, they were on the move. On the first day in Pensacola, they learned how the Navy and Marine Corps train their pilots on the T-34 fixed wing trainer and the TH-57 helicopter trainer and climbed all over those aircraft. They visited the control tower and radar room at Whiting Field to learn how the air traffic controllers and radar specialists get trained and do their jobs. They visited the Pensacola Coast Guard Station and learned how the Coast Guard patrols our nation’s inland waters and performs rescues at sea. They got to ride a Coast Guard cutter around Pensacola Bay. They took a tour at Ft. Barrancas, a restored Civil War-era coastal fort, and ended with a few early evening hours at the beach before heading to the barracks. And that was just the first day! During the rest of the trip, they visited the Naval Aviation Museum, participated in Leadership Reaction Courses and drilled with Marines from the Marine Aviation Training Schools, learned about Navy Rescue Swimmer Training, visited the Navy Operational Medicine Institute, and were briefed on the Navy’s Aviation Technical Training. They even got to spend an afternoon at the beach watching the famed Blue Angels perform. As you can imagine, there were a lot of people napping on the bus ride home!
7 June 2008 – Assisted wheelchair-bound veterans from the East TN Veterans Nursing Home at the Salute to Service Festival at Island Home Airport, Knoxville.
26 May (Memorial Day) 2008 – Conducted Memorial Day Service with Marine Corps League at Sgt. Mitchell Stout Medal of Honor Memorial/Virtue Cemetery, Farragut, TN. Young Marines presented the colors, read scripts related to the history of Memorial Day, presented the memorial wreath, and played “Taps.”
24 May 2008 – Put out flags on the graves at the TN State Veterans Cemetery before Memorial Day weekend.