MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP SMEDLEY D. BUTLER, OKINAWA, Japan -- The official date of Earth Day may be April 22, but Marines and Okinawa residents, equipped with trash bags and plastic gloves, spent an entire week celebrating the environment at various events aimed at cleaning public areas on Okinawa.
Marines from various units assigned to Marine Corps Installations Pacific, III Marine Expeditionary Force and local volunteers cleaned public baseball fields, playgrounds and beaches April 19-25 across the island of Okinawa.
Earth Day began in 1970 to raise worldwide environmental awareness with the hope that participants would continue to make environmentally conscience decisions year-round.
“Maintaining a tone of respect in everything that you do goes a long way, and it really shows here with everything so clean,” said Lance Cpl. Gregory Linn, a volunteer at the Kin Town Eco Park cleanup and field artillery radar operator with 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III MEF.
Every year, new objectives to help the Marine Corps reduce energy and hazardous waste are published, according to Shawn Williams, the environmental coordinator for Camp Kinser.
“The goal is to teach participants how to protect the environment by using less energy, water or fuel,” said Williams.
Keeping the environment pristine is a major goal for everyone on Okinawa, according to Williams, a New Albany, Miss., native. All Marines receive a welcome aboard brief when they arrive on the island that explains how to best support the fragile local environment.
“My Marines and I take part in an avid recycling program,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Liberty, a volunteer for the Uchima-nishi Park cleanup and ammunitions chief with Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III MEF. “We recycle everything from caps to wrappers, and then separate.”
Most Marines are stationed on Okinawa for two years, and the cleanup events allow Marines to get out and explore different parts of their temporary home.
“I really hope Marines will be more comfortable in the community after attending some of the events,” said Ichino Kuba, the community relations specialist for Camp Kinser. “The walls between Marines and local (volunteers) break down through these joint community events.”
The residents of Okinawa and the Marines share the island, but creating relationships with each other can be challenging given the language barrier, according to Kuba. One way to break the ice is to find a common interest, like appreciating the land.
“The wildlife and scenery is amazing,” said Linn, a Lagrange, Ohio, native. “A lot of us don’t have cars on Okinawa, so when we get a chance to carpool out to parks, it’s quite an experience.”
Along with celebrating Earth Day, Marines helped hang decorative flying carp for Children’s Day, a traditional holiday in Japan, at Uchima-nishi Park. At the Kin Town Eco Park, each volunteer teamed up with school children to pick up trash and plant mangrove trees.
“I enjoy personal interactions with Americans,” said Kazunari Oshiro, a volunteer at the Uchima-nishi Park cleanup and member of the Uchima Community Residents’ Association. “The Marines were very helpful and friendly, and some talked to me in Japanese.”
Every year, the parks end up cleaner as more Marines volunteer, according to Williams.
For the last 15 years, installations on Okinawa have celebrated Earth Day annually and plan to keep celebrating it, supporting a healthy environment.
“Any opportunity where you get to volunteer and help out is a good one,” said Liberty, a Kinston, N.C., native. “The fact that these events also coordinated with Earth Day is a (great thing).”