Photo By Sgt. Ryan Pulliam | U.S. Marines with 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, pack up...... read more read more
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CHATAN, OKINAWA, Japan—U.S. Marines with 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group volunteered as crossing guards for the students, parents and staff of Kitatama Elementary School Jan. 7, 2021.
Since 2017, members from the U.S. military community on Okinawa have volunteered to act as crossing guards for the elementary school.
“We have crossing guards every Tuesday and Thursday starting from 7:30-9 a.m. to help the local community,” said Hiroko Tomimura, the community relations specialist for Camps Foster and Lester. According to Tomimura, she asked local senior citizens who were acting as crossing guards if they needed assistance in carrying out the task in the morning, to which they responded happily in agreement.
For approximately an hour and a half, the Marines guided students and staff in crossing two intersections that lead to the elementary school. The morning was filled with exuberant greetings between the Marines and students as they crossed the normally busy neighborhood road.
“This opportunity is really unique and has been my favorite since I’ve been on the island—I love it,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kyle Knepper, a heavy equipment operator with 9th ESB. “It’s one of the reasons why I come out: the little kids are so excited to come out here and they make my day.”
Knepper and six other Marines from 9th ESB, most of which were from his same platoon, volunteered together in assisting the local community arrive at school safely.
“I’ve been out here for a good eight or nine times and I really enjoy it,” he said. “It's a great way to get to know the people of Japan better and to familiarize [the local community] with us as Marines and Americans in general.”
After the Marines finished volunteering, they walked to the Kitatama Community Center where they met Tooru Yamashiro, the community leader for the community center. There, each of the Marines received letters of appreciation from Yamashiro as well as cold drinks for a good day’s work.
“The crosswalk is a very visible place,” said Tomimura. “Honestly, the mayor of Chatan, the Board of Education, the police chief, and the local community all appreciate us for what we do. It’s really simple stuff, yes, but they really respect the young Marines coming out.”
| Date Taken: | 01.07.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 01.14.2021 19:28 |
| Story ID: | 386572 |
| Location: | CHATAN, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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