Young Marines SgtMaj Caleb Maurer, 15, of Bromley, a freshman at Dixie Heights High School, recently returned from a trip to Guam and Iwo Jima for the annual “Reunion of Honor” where he escorted WWII veterans back to the island.
As part of the trip Mauer visited the top of Mt. Suribachi. The island of Iwo Jima is only open one day of the year for the Reunion of Honor.
Earlier this year Mauer was named the Young Marine of the Year for Division 2 and in May, he will vie for the title of National Young Marine of the Year at the Adult Leadership Conference in Las Vegas.
“This is an amazing honor to be given the opportunity to do even more with this astounding program,” Maurer said. “I had never been more excited than the morning I got the call about Young Marine of the Year for Div. 2.
“I know that with the help of the other five division winners, we can do great things and further benefit this amazing program.”
The Young Marines is a national non-profit youth education and service program for boys and girls, age eight through the completion of high school.
It promotes the mental, moral and physical development of its members in a program that focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork and self-discipline, so its members can live and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
Maurer joined Young Marines at age 11 and is in his fourth year in the program. He credits the Young Marines for teaching him discipline, teamwork and integrity.
He is a member of the Northern Kentucky Young Marines under the command of Lynne Arnold. The unit meets in Latonia.
Maurer will represent his division in competition with five other regional Young Marines of the Year for the title of National Young Marine of the Year which will be announced at the Adult Leaders’ Conference for Young Marines from May 4–8 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Maurer has earned 32 ribbons in the Young Marines. He saved his sister when she was choking, so he richly deserved his Life Saving ribbon. He earned a Perfect PFT ribbon for achieving a perfect score of 500 on a Physical Fitness Test.
Another award he particularly values is the Honor Graduate ribbon for being named the best of his class in Junior Leadership School (JLS).
“The trip to Guam and Iwo is one of the most talked about things this program has to offer,” he said. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, an opportunity to speak to veterans who fought there.
“It’s living history. To have the honor of escorting these men on their journey back to a place where they fought for their lives, their families and the United States of America – and live to tell the story – is simply something I will never forget.”
Outside of the Young Marines, Maurer plays lacrosse and football. He hopes to serve one term in the Marine Corps and then go to college and major in Graphic Design.
“The Young Marines has shaped me into the person I am today,” he said. “I have the discipline to stand out among others my age and to do my work quickly and efficiently. I have the integrity to do what’s right no matter what.
“Above all, it has given me leadership abilities and the ability to work with others, get along and complete the task at hand in the best way possible.”
Maurer is the son of Erin Maurer and Joshua Messmer. He has one sister, one stepsister and one stepbrother. His 11-year-old sister is also a Young Marine.
The Young Marines organization is divided into six divisions across the United States. Each Young Marine goes through a series of selection processes starting at the unit level, going through battalion, regiment and on to the division. Then one Young Marine of the Year is selected from each division and from these candidates, one will be named the National Young Marine of the Year.
Since the Young Marines’ humble beginnings in 1959 with one unit and a handful of boys, the organization has grown to 281 units with 9,600 youth and 2,400 adult volunteers in 40 states, the District of Columbia and Okinawa with affiliates in other countries.
For more information, visit the official website at: http://www.YoungMarines.com