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CAMP SCHWAB, Okinawa, Japan - Marines from Camp Schwab and surrounding areas gather in the base theater, their chatter fading as the lecture is about to begin. The purpose of their gathering is made clear: Okinawa Prefecture has had the highest number of drunk driving incidents in Japan for the past three years. To address this, lectures are being held to shed anecdotal light on the realities faced when driving under the influence. Guest speaker Keisuke approaches the stage to share his story.
“If you carry one thing with you today, let it be this: don’t be like me,” Miyagi begins.
After celebrating his 21st birthday with friends, Miyagi drove home under the influence, failed to navigate a curve, hit a fence, and was thrown from his motorcycle. The accident left him with paralysis on the left side of his body due to a cerebral contusion and severed nerves in his right arm.
After the lecture Miyagi used a brace on his left hand with an attachment for his phone to take photos with Marines, aiming to connect with them.
“I thought about how happy and fortunate it is to have a body that can move freely, along with how life is priceless,” said Miyagi. “I realized what I can do now is convey this message to others by using experience as an example of what not to do, I can deter other from making the same life altering mistake. That is my mission.”
Miyagi spoke on the few silver linings to his accident and how it could have ended much worse.
“The only fortunate thing about this accident is that it was a solo crash,” said Miyagi. “If I had run over a pedestrian causing serious injury or death my life would have been even more difficult, I would have been unable to bare the heavy responsibility of causing trouble to the lives of strangers.”
Similar scenes have occurred over the past few weeks at other bases and local facilities across Okinawa as part of the Okinawa Prefectural Government’s campaign to combat drunk driving. The people of Okinawa are seeking cooperation from the U.S. military, as both populations share the same prefecture.
“They approached the Army first, then they reached out to us, so we observed the situation and joined in on the cause,” said Edwin Ventura, safety director with MCIPAC Safety Office. “This was able to happen due to the relationship between the Okinawa Prefecture Government and all branches of the U.S. military here.”
The campaign includes lectures from experts to highlight the importance of eliminating drunk driving, as well as demonstrations of sobriety tests conducted when a driver is suspected of being intoxicated.
“I think the demonstration they gave will really help deter Marines from taking the risk of driving under the influence,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Gavin Adams, transmissions system operator with Headquarters Company, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division.
The lectures have reached a broad audience within the Marine Corps, from junior enlisted personnel to senior enlisted members and officers.
“I think Mr. Miyagi presenting his story really shows the Marines the effects of drunk driving can cause,” said Master Sgt. Rafael Untalan, operations chief with 3rd Supply Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group. “As much as I think it was inspirational, it was a wakeup call for Marine that drive in Okinawa and hopefully opened their eyes to that.”
The MCIPAC Safety Office, the Okinawa Prefecture Government, other U.S. military branches, and local organizations will continue these lectures across the island in the coming weeks. Okinawa is united in its goal to eradicate drunk driving within the prefecture.
“This is a social problem. It’s not individual, it’s not a race, and it’s not a religion problem. It’s social,” said Ventura. “And we need to eradicate it. We can only do that together.”
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.12.2024 22:38 |
| Story ID: | 480468 |
| Location: | CAMP COURTNEY, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, The Okinawa Prefecture Citizens Movement to the Eradication of Drunk Driving, by Cpl Jesse Davis, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
