November 17th the Oakridge Mobile Home Park in Sylmar once called the "Beverly Hills of mobile home parks." Once considered a paradise with swimming pools and tennis courts, the park was now a site of total devastation with 484 homes in the park Saturday of the roughly 600 homes. Firefighters were able to save about 120 homes, but many were badly damaged and the park is flattened except for charred trees with blackened branches bent in one direction by the hot winds. Twisted metal foundations and pipes are all that is left of many homes. The mostly retired residents returned to see what was left of their homes at Oakridge Mobile Home Park, where winds with hurricane intensity blew a wall of fire through hundreds of manufactured homes and set them ablaze so quickly that even firefighters had to drop their hoses and run.
On November 21st at around 1400 Sgt. Major Perkins from the Carlsbad Army Navy Academy in Carlsbad California (http://www.armyandnavyacademy.org/). Called CO Guiles to ask for assistance from the Young Marines. It seems that most of the Army Navy Cadets had gone home for Thanksgiving week so that left a small cadre of Cadets. Sgt. Major Perkins asked CO Guiles if he could have the help of a few Young Marines to help the senior citizens of the Oakridge Mobile Home Park sift through the ashes of their home for any memories. CO Guiles rogered up the unit and that night Young Marines 1st Sgt. Guiles and MSgt/ guiles called all of 13 and up. we were to meet at the rancho Community church and caravan up the where the fire had struck. We left Temecula with 13 Young Marines and 3 Staff members along with Cadets Lt. Frank Perkins, SSgt. Jackson, C a friend Austin Young and Sgt. Major Perkins (USMC, Ret). It took roughly and hour and forty minutes to get to Sylmar and the site was total amazement to everyone. You see something like this on TV but to be at it up close and personal was something that makes you think really hard. As we arrived Sgt. Major Perkins made liaison with the American Red Cross they informed us that if we see anyone sifting through the debris we can ask them if they need help.
As our vehicles pulled to a stop we encountered two sets of Seniors sifting through the debris that was once their homes
,
. The Young Marines split into two groups and helped out. at One site a woman approached CO Guiles and asked if they could help try and fins any silverware, anything whole and her fathers World War II medals. the CO and his group searched for about to hours and then they heard the call from the Units Adjutant Mrs. Guiles "I found something" "Found the medals"! Exclaimed Mrs. Guiles the CO and Young Marines Rivera and Tashoff went over to help Mrs. Guiles the CO helped identify medals, rank
, Shooting badges
an ribbon holders. The two groups eventually moved on to help others find more lost memories.
On the last home before the end of the day the entire unit and the Cadets converged on one home where they were able to recover three whole collectors plates and two plaster of paris hands prints of the owners children
. Mrs. Guiles was busy collecting as many of the collectors plates as she could find as one of the owners daughters was going to make a mosaic out of them. The time finally came to an end and as we said goodbye to Sgt. Major Perkins and his cadets we took one last look around and just could not believe the damage.
It was hard work and you all did an outstanding job today and helped raise the Young Marines to a higher caliber in the public eye. Ooh-Rah!!! Young Marines and Semper FI to our new friends to the south at the Carlsbad Army Navy Academy.
More photos of todys Community Service event can be seen on the units photo page.
