Young Marines graduate program; some enlist

Tehama County Young Marines Commander Sgt. John Minton believes in the saying, "every child needs another healthy adult in their life."

He also believes "every adult needs another healthy child in their life."

In his case there have been quite a few healthy children, now young adults, in his life, including recently honorably discharged Young Marines First Sergeant Mary E. Hurton and former California Regimental Sergeant Major Annie C. Bennett, both retired members of the Tehama County Young Marines.

The local group is one of the highest decorated, award-winning and recognized Young Marine units in the 52 year history of the national program.

Minton gives much of the credit to the success of the local Marines unit to Hurton and Bennett, and several other Young Marines, who made all the awards and national recognition happen.

On Saturday, during the Tehama County Young Marines Boot Camp graduation at Camp Discovery, 7 new recruits graduated and Hurton was recognized and discharged from the unit after serving as a Young Marine for more than four years.

During the day the unit also held a going away party for Bennett and Hurton, as each will be leaving soon, Hurton to a college in Ohio, and Bennett to school in Florida.

Both girls, along with Carlin Bowles, Debbie Ortiz, Mikayla Erickson, Chris Collins and others, were instrumental in the unit earning the 2009 Fulcrum Shield award from the Secretary of Defense for youth drug demand reduction education, and the 2010 National Unit of the Year, with proclamations from the California State Assembly, California Sheriffs Association and Representative Wally Herger that the Tehama County Young Marines are one of the leading youth organizations in California for youth drug demand reduction education.

Hurton and Bennett were named as special delegates at the United Nations, voted to stop violence against women world-wide, and both were have been named as national Jimmy Trimble Scholarship winners - Bennett for 2009 and Hurton 2010. Only one male and one female Young Marine are selected each year nationally.

As Jimmy Trimble recipients they traveled to Washington, D. C. to attend the National Veterans Conference, and also to Guam and Iwo Jima to assist World War II veterans who were able to revisit these islands many years after the war ended.

Both Hurton and Bennett were also awarded the highest award in the Young Marine program, the Distinguished Service Ribbon, by National executive director, Lt. Col. Michael B. Kessler, retired Marine.