Young Marines Names Division Young Marines of the Year

News provided by

Ginny Richardson Public Relations

Feb 11, 2016, 07:00 ET


Washington D.C. (PRWEB) February 11, 2016 -- The Young Marines, a national youth organization, has named six division winners of one of its most prestigious awards - the “Division Young Marine of the Year.” The winners will travel to Guam and Iwo Jima in the spring and vie for the title of “National Young Marine of the Year” in May.

The division winners are:

  • Div. 1 – YM SgtMaj Joseph J. Bacon, 16, of Ludlow, Massachusetts. He is a member of the Westover Young Marines under the command of Edward Mitrook in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Bacon is a junior at Ludlow High School.
  • Div. 2 – YM SgtMaj Caleb Maurer, 15, of Bromley, Kentucky. He is a member of the Northern Kentucky Young Marines in Latonia, Kentucky, under the command of Lynne Arnold. He is a freshman at Dixie Heights High School.
  • Div. 3 – YM SgtMaj Cooper Johnston, 16, of Wakefield, North Carolina. He is a member of the Capital City Young Marines in Raleigh, North Carolina, under the command of Doug Smith. Johnston is a junior at Wakefield High School.
  • Div. 4 – YM SgtMaj Seraphina Faye Gayle, 17, of Waco, Texas. She is a member of the Heart of Texas Young Marines in Waco, under the command of Henry Gonzales. Gayle is a junior at Rapoport Academy High School.
  • Div. 5 - YM SgtMaj Matthew Carr, 17, of Greenwood, Indiana. He is a member of the Columbus Young Marines under the command of Scott Riley. Carr is a junior at Greenwood Community High School.
  • Div. 6 – YM SgtMaj Abigail Bambilla, 17, of Vancouver, Washington. She is a member of the Lewis and Clark Young Marines in Vancouver under the command of Brian R. Hildebrant. She is a senior at River HomeLink High School.

“These Young Marines represent some of the best and brightest young men and women from across our great nation,” said Bill Davis, national executive director and CEO of the Young Marines. “They competed at the highest level. Each one of them is well on the path to future success as our next generation of leaders. Their communities, divisions and fellow Young Marines should be proud of the accomplishments of one of their own.”

The six honorees are invited to the annual Reunion of Honor trip to Guam and Iwo Jima. The year 2016 marks the 71st anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima and the 72nd for Guam. Annually, American and Japanese veterans come together for remembrances of their fallen brothers and to recall the fierce battles that took place on the two islands during World War II. The Young Marines act as escorts for the veterans during the trip.

The Young Marines organization is divided into six divisions across the United States. Each Young Marine goes through a series of selection processes starting at the unit level, going through battalion, regiment and on to the division. Then one Young Marine of the Year is selected from each division.

From these six winners, one will be named the “National Young Marine of the Year” which will be announced on May 7, 2016, at the Adult Leaders’ Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

About the Young Marines

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 280 units with 7,000 youth and 2,500 adult volunteers in 40 states, the District of Columbia and Okinawa with affiliates in other countries.

For more information, visit the official website at: http://www.YoungMarines.com.

Andy Richardson, Ginny Richardson Public Relations, http://www.gr-pr.com, +1 (630) 789-8899, [email protected]