Young Marines @ Lapeer MI - July 2023

[T. WOLF]

Thank you to the Young Marines of Lapeer County for participating in a very memorable event last weekend.  I'd also like to thank Lapeer County Sportsmen's Club for their ongoing/unwavering support of Project Appleseed and youth shooting sports.

Our weekend got off to a rough start when a massive derecho storm cell emerged from the horizon on Friday night.  The aggressive lightning triggered safety protocols by both organizations, and the Young Marines took shelter in the main clubhouse while the Appleseed volunteers sheltered in the smaller outbuilding at our 25m range.  What followed was 60 minutes of torrential rain, hail, thunder, lightning, and violent wind.  It was truly epic.  I was grateful to be at the Lapeer club, despite the flooding, we were safely sheltered and both orgs were able to stay in communication via handheld radios.  Had we been at an 'exposed range' the experience could have been much more challenging.

Unfortunately the Young Marine's camp was completely destroyed.  As the storm began to pass, the adults conducted a search and recovery mission with their headlamps in the rain, attempting to extract waterlogged sleeping bags/pads from demolished tents that were hanging from trees, or impaled along the fence line. Large tree limbs had fallen amongst the YM encampment, reminding us that storm safety protocols exist for a reason.  We moved quickly to get the recovered gear drying under fans in the main clubhouse, but it was already quite late and the marines were ordered to go 'lights out' with minimal reserve bedrolls.  I heard zero complaints, and the Appleseed instructors retreated to their own camp down the hill to do the same.  The 25m range had become a lake.

Surveying the damage on Saturday morning:


Apparently picnic tables can fly - here's one that made it up onto the roof of an outbuilding:


I awoke sometime around 3AM Saturday morning to discover we had permanently lost power, which unfortunately meant we also lost water and plumbing (electric well pumps).  After checking with the utility company I determined the likelihood of restoration during our event was slim (indeed we remained off-grid for the remainder of the weekend).  When I approached the main clubhouse at 0700 Saturday morning to check on the Marines status, I anticipated I might be informed that they were 'calling it quits'.  Fully understandable in light of the circumstances.

Instead, I found the Young Marines serving a healthy breakfast under the covered porch in the rain.  Morale was high, and everything appeared to be on track.  Nobody was complaining about the uncontrollable circumstances, they were simply rising to the occasion.  After a quick consultation with YM leadership, we determined the lack of power/water/plumbing posed no safety risk to our event, and both orgs quickly agreed to forge ahead with our Appleseed itinerary.  Our indispensable State Coordinator number6 showed up on a tractor to deliver a port-o-john to our 25m range, and we gathered at the flag pole to raise the colors:



Our message to the Young Marines that morning was simple and concise:  A Rifleman Persists.  We had a brand new group of shooters this year, and despite the tribulations from the weather, all 'Eyes and Ears' were focused on the safety briefing and the story of what unfolded in Lexington MA on the morning of April 19, 1775.  These new cadets reinforced their organization's long standing reputation for safety and attentiveness.  I could not have asked for a better audience to share in our nation's history and traditions... it was truly an honor.

We put in a full day on Saturday, working through the foundational marksmanship techniques of Steady Hold Factors, Six Steps to Firing a Shot, and Natural Point of Aim.  It was awesome to see the engagement and progression of our young marksmen as these concepts took hold.







Sunday morning was a much brighter day - and although the power/water remained out, spirits were high.  Unfortunately we only had 1.5 hours of range time with our marines that morning before they had to depart for other adventures, and we chose to spend that time experiencing our shared history in a tangible way that only Roundballer can provide:











To our Young Marines, our youths - our posterity - thank you for participating in this event.  Cramer, Payten, Logan, Daymeinn, Luke, Keelan, Dylan and Henry… you all did a fantastic job, and we hope to see you again next year.  One of my Appleseed mentors said "If you want to do something, you will find a way. If you don't want to do something, you will find an excuse".  Remember… a Rifleman persists.  I hope your journey is rewarding.



To our fellow YM volunteers and support staff - Jeff, Heather, Lisa, Dennis and Jeremiah - we salute you. Great job!

And to our indispensable crew of Appleseed volunteers - Pocket Watch, Bogie, Surplus and number6 - we could not keep this tradition alive without you. Thank you so much.





I have asked the Young Marines staff to contribute their event photos to our shared album - standby for updates.