Over the summer I had participated in a weeklong USMC Summer Leadership and Character Development Academy. Where rising juniors across the country had came together to lean, practice, and share ideas/ concept about what it means to be a leader in ever aspect of the word. This meaning how a leader can contribute to the world and society as a whole in a vast majority of ways. For example: serving the community, and during this program that’s exactly what we did. During my time there we would go to the Quantico National Cemetery we’re we would do a number of tasks such as: clearing the trials of all trash and leafs, defining trials in the parks, cleaning headstones, cleaning memorials, and taking a few moments of our time to giving respect to our nations hero’s. This was a vary unique expires because it allowed me to see, kind of, the realness of life and war. I say this because by seeing all the men and women that have serviced and died giving their lives for something greater than themselves. Men and women who have give their lives for ideals such as the American dream/ the American way. People so selfless that they would give up everything for people whom they will never know. Just knowing that about these, truly, heroes to our nation makes this experiences/ opportunity all the more meaningful and memorable, and I couldn’t be any more honored to have had this opportunity to try to give back to all those who have serviced us.
Also, this experience had not just affected me but also the lives of the family members whose headstones we had cleaned. While at the cemetery we would often time encounter families who had came to visit their loved ones. They would tell us the story’s of the fallen and how they would do anything, even at a young age, to help their fallow people. Many times we would also encounter former solders (vitrines) who had also came to see their loved ones and former comrades in service. They too would tells us about their time in the military, the experiences they had, why they join, and how it has shaped their lives now after of service. What I have learned from all this is that there is a pattern to ever ones stories. It’s that all of these fallen heroes and former service men and women never joined for the honored or the recognition, but for the sole face that they believed “If not me then who?” If they do not sand against those how cause us harm then who will?
By the end of all this I walked away with a few things: A new outlook on life, A deeper respect for our country’s service men and women, and a strong reinforced desire to join the services myself. It has been a deep desire of mine to give back to the community in a greater way. I love to help people and I’ve always known that I want to live my life in the services of the people. I have always seen the military as a symbol of this, and I know there are any different ways to give back, but this is the way I want to do it. I believe that there is no greater contribution one can give then all of ones own self to the belief they are fighting for, and by doing this service project it has only made this belief stronger. I recommend to anyone who is considering the military to do similar service around there comment for our nations heroes.
Also, this experience had not just affected me but also the lives of the family members whose headstones we had cleaned. While at the cemetery we would often time encounter families who had came to visit their loved ones. They would tell us the story’s of the fallen and how they would do anything, even at a young age, to help their fallow people. Many times we would also encounter former solders (vitrines) who had also came to see their loved ones and former comrades in service. They too would tells us about their time in the military, the experiences they had, why they join, and how it has shaped their lives now after of service. What I have learned from all this is that there is a pattern to ever ones stories. It’s that all of these fallen heroes and former service men and women never joined for the honored or the recognition, but for the sole face that they believed “If not me then who?” If they do not sand against those how cause us harm then who will?
By the end of all this I walked away with a few things: A new outlook on life, A deeper respect for our country’s service men and women, and a strong reinforced desire to join the services myself. It has been a deep desire of mine to give back to the community in a greater way. I love to help people and I’ve always known that I want to live my life in the services of the people. I have always seen the military as a symbol of this, and I know there are any different ways to give back, but this is the way I want to do it. I believe that there is no greater contribution one can give then all of ones own self to the belief they are fighting for, and by doing this service project it has only made this belief stronger. I recommend to anyone who is considering the military to do similar service around there comment for our nations heroes.