Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Cindy Fisher | Cpl. Charles Prickett, with III Marine Expeditionary Force Civil Affairs, lifts a...... read more read more
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OKINAWA, Japan - More than 55 children from the Wai Mentally Challenged Home in Okinawa City visited Camp Courtney May 4 to have lunch with Marines and play at the Ironworks Gym.
The children’s home is small and does not have a lot of room for the children to run around, said Ichiro Umehara, the Camp Courtney community relations specialist.
In past years, the children visited one of Courtney’s playgrounds for Kodomono Hi, the Japanese children’s day holiday celebrated May 5, he said. However, this year it was rained out.
When Marines with III Marine Expeditionary Force’s Civil Affairs were looking for a way to help the community, Umehara suggested they volunteer to help care for the children as they played at the gym. The 10 Marines took it one step further by hosting a hamburger and hot dog lunch.
“This is a way to give back to the community and build on our relationship, the Marine Corps relationship, with the civilian population,” said Gunnery Sgt. Wendall Lewis, with Civil Affairs.
This is a good time for families to go on picnics, and, with the Marines’ help, the Wai children are enjoying a picnic and playtime, said Takehiko Uehara, the children’s home director.
“On base, the facilities are nice and clean, and for the children, it’s good,” Uehara said through an interpreter.
“I’m very impressed at how the young Marines treat the children well, how the Marines interact with the children,” he said.
The children’s home was named Wai because that is the sound of joy that children make when they are happy, said Uehara. Wai was the sound that filled the gym as the Marines and Japanese children ran, passed basketballs back and forth, shot hoops and made new friends.
Despite the language barrier, the children and the Marines still found ways to communicate, Uehara said.
“It’s a good experience for the children, and the children really enjoy it when they are invited to Camp Courtney,” he said.
The Marines have just as much fun as the children at these volunteer events, said Lewis.
“I think it’s really fun,” said Cpl. Joshua Sheets, with Civil Affairs, of volunteering. “It gives us a good chance to interact with the community and show them that we’re here together.”
Sgt. Patrick Tosetti, with Civil Affairs, agreed the event was “awesome.”
“We’ve done some other events with this group and enjoyed it every time,” he said, adding all the previous events were coordinated off base.
“So, it’s good they could come on base this time and see things on base,” he said.
As the children lined up to leave, they individually thanked the Marines for a fun day.
| Date Taken: | 05.13.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.13.2011 01:09 |
| Story ID: | 70303 |
| Location: | OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 92 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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