The Young Marines were honored to send 24 units from throughout the United States to Hawaii to participate in the remembrance ceremonies for the 84th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.
The Young Marines is a national youth organization for boys and girls from age eight through high school graduation. The Young Marines pledge to live a healthy, drug-free lifestyle when they take their oath to become a Young Marine.
The Pearl Harbor trip provided an excellent opportunity for Young Marine units to enrich experiences outside their usual training environments. The historical impact, education, and adventure opportunities offered on the island of Oahu were defining moments that inspired and shaped their lives.
Among the events in which the 25 Young Marine unit participated were:
*Community service beach clean-up on Marine Corps Base Hawaii Kaneohe Bay
*Wreath laying ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, “The Punchbowl,” in memory of all the brave men and women who are interred at the site
*Klipper Ceremony, Marine Corps Base Hawaii
*Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade, Honolulu
Hundreds of Young Marines from across the country lead the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Parade in Honolulu on December 7th, 84th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack.
A significant honor for all the Young Marine units in 2025 was to lead the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade on Sunday, December 7, in Honolulu. Young Marines performed a color guard and carried the banners of the 12 capital ships that were attacked. They also assisted with many of the floats in the parade. The parade’s objective was to honor the heroes and survivors of Pearl Harbor and World War II, to pay tribute to veterans, active-duty military members, and military families, to celebrate freedom, and to keep in remembrance the events of Sunday, December 7, 1941.
“Pearl Harbor reminds our Young Marines that courage and sacrifice are not distant lessons from a textbook — they are living values,” said Col William P. Davis USMC (Ret), national executive director and CEO of the Young Marines. “Every conversation with a veteran, every wreath laid, and every salute exchanged helps these young leaders understand what it truly means to serve.”
Young Marines escort World War II Veterans to Pearl Harbor Remembrance Parade.
The participating Young Marine units included those from Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C. Tennessee units have previously participated.
Young Marine units raised funds locally to cover the costs of traveling to Hawaii. These youth members used their creativity and applied the program’s core values – leadership, teamwork, and self-discipline – to implement unique and effective fundraising efforts to attend this educational and patriotic event.
– Young Marines from throughout the country hike to Makapu’u Lighthouse on Oahu.
Young Marines History
Since the Young Marines’ humble beginnings in 1959 with one unit and a handful of boys, the organization has grown to over 200 units with over 5,000 youth and 1,950 adult volunteers in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Japan (Okinawa), and affiliates in a host of other countries. There are 205 Young Marine units in the U.S. including five in Tennessee and two in East Tennessee: Maryville and Crossville.
For more information on the Young Marines, visit the website at https://www.YoungMarines.org.
Melanie Staten is a media and communications consultant for the Young Marines headquartered in Dumfries, Virginia.
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