Young Marines honor those serving in Middle East

By DEBRA LEMOINE
Valley Press Staff Writer

The Young Marines spent Saturday morning tying the yellow ribbons to trees and lampposts.

"We're out here to show support for our troops as they're getting back," Gunnery Sgt. Heath Grennen, 13 said. "It's all for one and one for all."

"We're out here to support our troops in Iraq," Cpl. Jerred Fricke, 16, said. "Just to let them know we're thinking about them."

"Let them know they aren't forgotten, especially the POWs," Sgt. Stephen De Francessa, 13, added.

The Young Marines is a program designed to instill the Marine values of honor, courage and commitment in youths ages 8 though 17. They spend 13 weekends studying military courtesy and U.S. history and learning to march to earn the right to wear the same fatigues as Marines. Students also must pass a physical fitness test.

"We try to support any civic activity, especially military based activities," said Stan Grennen, a former Marine who is the troop's commanding officer.

As Young Marines, they earn ribbons for their uniforms by performing community service activities.

"It's about helping out the community and showing what people can do," Louis Ojeda, 16, said.

The young Marines also appoint their own inner command structure.

"The young Marines run their own program," Grennen said. "We teach them leadership. They learn it by being leaders."

The Young Marines gathered in front of the airplane at Lancaster Boulevard and Sierra Highway that marks the starting point for the Aerospace Walk of Fame. Vice Mayor Bishop Henry Hearns, a Korean War veteran, greeted them and called them to attention.

"We're still with them until every last one of them are back home and accounted for," Hearns said.

The campaign to place yellow ribbons along the main stretch of downtown Lancaster started with phone calls to the Lancaster Old Town Site office. Then, Old Town members brought the idea to the city, which donated money for ribbons.

"Even though the war is not as much of a threat as it was, we still have some guys over there," said Julie Foster, manager of Lancaster Old Town Site. "The community as a whole wanted to support them."

Foster, who also owns Julie's Flower Baskets, donated the labor for creating bows out of the yellow ribbons. Memorial Day weekend seemed the perfect time to tie the ribbons along Lancaster Boulevard, Foster said.

Memorial Day observances continue tonight. The Marine Corps League Antelope Valley Detachment 930 will play host to its eighth annual memorial candlelight ceremony at the Joshua Memorial Park and Mortuary veterans feature - a permanent memorial on the park's Avenue of the Flags. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. at the park, 808 East Lancaster Blvd.

Guest speaker will be Sgt. Maj. James Banks of Marine Aircraft Group 46, Detachment Bravo, assigned to Edwards Air Force Base.

In honor of the holiday, U.S. post offices, federal, state and local government offices and public schools are closed Monday.

Monday's Memorial Day ceremony at Lancaster Cemetery, 111 East Lancaster Blvd., begins at 8 a.m.

The Memorial Day program at Joshua Memorial Park and Mortuary will begin at 11 a.m. Monday at the veterans feature. Guest speaker will be Col. Harry A. Talbot, mobilization assistant to the commander, U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base. Other speakers will include state Sen. William J. "Pete" Knight and Assemblywoman Sharon Runner.

In Palmdale, the Antelope Valley Service Organizations Association will have its annual Memorial Day remembrance ceremony at Desert Lawn Memorial Park, 2200 East Ave. S. The event begins at 11 a.m.

Lake Los Angeles VFW Post 2989 will have a veterans memorial service and day of remembrance at 11 a.m. Monday at the flagpole in Lake Los Angeles Community Park, Avenue P and 170th Street East.