Graduation Day for Class 10-08

It has been 9 long weeks for Recruit Class 10-08 their day finally arrived on March 22nd 2008. The 28 Recruits of class 10-08 proudly filed off to their chairs and sat ready to commence their graduation ceremony. There were over 200 guests present for the graduation. The weather was sunny and and warm you could see that only one thing mattered to the Recruits marching up on stage in front of the CO and his staff and receiving their graduation certificates. Before the graduation started the CO called of his Instructors and adult staff together and thanked them for an outstanding job during the recruit class. At the same time the CO handed a Unit Coin to every instructor as a token of his appreciation. After the CO's thank you's the Staff and CO took their seats . CO Guiles came to Center stage and gave the order for the guide to march on her Recruits. the Recruits filed in and took the positions in front of their seats. CO Guiles gave the order to the color guard to march on the colors . The CO asked for everyone to please stand and join the recruits of class 10-08 in the pledge of allegiance . The Recruits and Young Marines all stood up and placed their right hands over their hearts and led their guests in the pledge of allegiance . The CO then asked everyone to then be seated ,, . The Guest of Honor for today’s ceremony was Mr. Don Krampe . Our guest of honor Mr. Krampe landed with the U.S. Marines at Inchon during the Korean War, met with presidents and danced with their daughters, hobnobbed in Hollywood and helped establish a nearly 50-year-old international organization called HOBY with his brother legendary actor Huge O' Brian that has provided leadership and critical-thinking skills to more than 350,000 young people around the globe. As a young man, Krampe joined the U.S. Marine Corps, as his father and his older brother -- famed actor Hugh O' Brian, who starred as Wyatt Earp in the top-rated ABC television show of the late 1950s -- had before him and who (Mr. O' Brian is made Marine Corps History as the Youngest drill instructor the Marine Corps has ever had at the age of 17 during World War II).  In 1965, Mr. Krampe was called to service again. This time, the YMCA director was asked to go to Vietnam and run that organization's United Service Organization clubs for the growing number of U.S. servicemen who were being sent to Southeast Asia (Vietnam). Today Mr. Krampe led our Guests, Young Marines and Recruits in the “Americans Creed” . Our Guest speaker was the Honorable Mayor of Temecula Mike Naggar , . The Honorable Mayor. Naggar talked about what it takes to be a Young Marine, What it means to hold the name of Young Marines and family. The Mayor also talked about how please he was to have Young Marines working on Community Service projects in our City. as the Mayor took his seat the Units Adjutant Mrs. Guiles took her place at the podium it was now time to retire the Recruit class guidon . The Adjutant read what the significance of the guidon means and why it it is retired.The guide presented her guidon to the CO who then gave it to the Company 1stSgt to retire the guidon.uide Retired her Guidon the . With the guidon retired it was time to start the graduation ceremony as the graduation started awards started first for the Young Marines Sgt. Bryanna Vaughn , Sgt. Joshua Currier, Sgt. Zechariah Taylor all received “Young Marine Achievement awards”. Young Marine LCpl’s.  John Masters and Nathan Taylor both received “Unit Meritorious Masts”. Next it was time for the Recruits to receive their Graduation certificates. The Recruits filed up the stairs and one by one received their Certificates one squad at a time. Once they received their graduation certificate the CO unbuttoned their top button signifying the end to their recruit status and emergences as a Young Marine. . The Recruit awards were handed out for the “Iron Mike Award which went to Recruit Jacob Simms with a PFT score of 500” and our “Molly Marine went to Recruit Mariah Masters with a PFT score of 485”, our High Academic went to Recruit Mariah Masters with a 96.7% standing within the recruit class.  Next came our Chesty Puller award which went to Recruit Mariah Masters she was voted by the recruits as the most motivational and inspirational. The Honor Graduate of Recruit class 10-08 went to 10 year old Recruit Caleb Hoover with an Academic standing 94.7% throughout Recruit training. the very last thing were the Meritorious promotions went to Class 10-08went to the: Guide YM/PFC. Mariah Masters, 1st Squad Leader YM/PFC Anissa Tashoff, 2nd Squad leader YM/PFC Conner Michalak and 3rd Squad Leader YM/PFC Chatell Riopelle and the Honor Grad YMPFC/Caleb Hoover

The time finally came with all of the Recruits sitting in their seats the Commanding Officer the CO stepped away up to the center stage and loudly announced. “RECRUIT CLASS 10-08 ATTENTION!!!” The Recruits sharply came to the position of attention . The anticipation could be seen in their faces the CO stalled for a minute just a little stress one last time. Then the startled the Recruits with “CLASS 10-08…..DISMISSED!!” the recruits loudly sounded of with “DISMISSED AYE, AYE SIR!!! OOH-RAH!!!” With the graduation of another Recruit class over and 28 new and eager Young Marines ready to take part in some adventures. The CO and his staff mingled through the crowd of people and congratulated the recruits and took pictures with the Recruits and talk to their guests ,, . Cake , and punched were supplied by the units XO and Logistics Officer while the Young Marines and Recruits raided the Units PX , , . It was a long Recruit training as always but well worth it. Our Numbers grow and maintain and the thirst for adventures continue to grow. Ooh-Rah!!! class 10-08 Welcome aboard, welcome to our Young Marines family.

To see more images of Recruit class 10-08's graduation please click here