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    Over 100 Marines gather to clean Okinawa’s beaches

    Over 100 Marines gather to clean Okinawa’s beaches

    Photo By Cpl. Alex Fairchild | U.S. Marines with 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine...... read more read more

    NAGO, OKINAWA, JAPAN

    07.30.2021

    Story by Lance Cpl. Alex Fairchild 

    Marine Corps Installations Pacific

    SEA GLASS BEACH, OKINAWA, Japan -- With the relentless Okinawan sun rising on the morning of July 30, over 100 Marines with 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, gathered together with one goal in mind: to make the beaches of Okinawa spotless.

    At 7:00 a.m., the Marines did just that. Splitting up into five different groups, they maneuvered to beaches neighboring Camp Schwab including Meinohama Beach, Sea Glass Beach, Sand Dollar Beach, and the Futami coastline.

    “We are guests in this country, our host nation, and it is our job to keep it clean,” said 2nd Lt. Ethan Jones, the amphibious assault vehicle platoon commander with 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I MEF. “And we had fun doing it. It was peaceful to participate yet powerful to see how much of a difference we made at the end of the day.”

    Throughout the morning, armed with gloves and trash bags, the Marines walked up and down each beach, missing no piece of litter along the way. The bags quickly filled up as the day went on.

    “I have always had a passion for cleaning up oceans and beaches,” said Lance Cpl. Wesley Watson, an amphibious assault crewman with 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I MEF. “I always get a sense of responsibility when I see any, because trash simply doesn’t belong anywhere near the ocean or beach.”

    Wesley, a native of Ozark, Missouri, explained that the cleanup was additionally a great opportunity to bring the unit closer together outside of training. He said that camaraderie grew higher and higher with each trash bag filled.

    As the cleanup reached its end, the service members turned their attention to the roads leading up to the beaches that were in need of repair. Using any tools available to them, they quickly filled up sandbags and used them to patch up the damaged roads.

    “Today was special because it was not just a beach cleanup,” said Jones, a native of Nokesville, Virginia. “Getting to repair some of the roads was a great experience as well. All of us could see the difference we were making.”

    Upon returning to Camp Schwab, the Marines returned with a sense of accomplishment and separated the trash accordingly so it could be disposed of properly.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 07.30.2021
    Date Posted: 08.05.2021 19:52
    Story ID: 402470
    Location: NAGO, OKINAWA, JP

    Web Views: 159
    Downloads: 1

    PUBLIC DOMAIN