MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Station residents participated in a Single Marine Program cleanup event, which took place at Futashika Umezu Falls and park. Volunteers donned gloves and traveled the main pathway of the park, picking up trash and debris along the way.
“I like to volunteer to a cause,” said Maria Molinalemus, SMP river cleanup participant. “If you can’t give out money, then you have to give a piece of yourself and I think helping out the community is the best thing. ... It’s about helping out.”
While each participant has his own personal reason for volunteering, A desire to help the local community can be an
underlying cause to give one’s personal time.
“It feels really good actually, it feels really nice,” said Molinalemus. “It keeps me humble. It keeps peace knowing that I could at least do something with my time and with the Japanese community. I think it changes, at least this community, their perspective of us, the military members.”
The event also gave participants the opportunity to meet new people and form new bonds of friendship.
“I came here by myself but that doesn’t ever matter,” said Molinalemus. “Being in a good environment and a watching everyone have a good time is all I need to make my day, and it’s made my day.”
Ryan Leming, installation solid-waste manager and Japan resident, facilitated the interaction with the local community.
“I coordinate with people here at Futashika and let them know we’re coming, make sure the pavilion will be available for us to use and get all the food together to cook up,” said Leming. “I’ve been here for almost 25 years, so I live in the area and have a home close to here. This is actually the fourth cleanup, I’ve done.”
Leming said that he hoped to provide more opportunities to do similar cleanup events in Iwakuni.
“We’re trying to make it a tradition to come out here every spring and fall,” said Leming. “This is just a beautiful place to come back to, and being an American out here, you’re kind of on the outside. (The locals) don’t see that I’ve probably been in Japan so long I’m part Japanese at heart. When they look at me, they still see an American, and everything we do over here reflects on us. Whether you’re associated with the base or not, if you look American, the locals will assume you’re part of the base. I try to make people understand that they’re in a beautiful country and we need to keep it that way.”