thedrifter
08-28-07, 11:20 AM
‘Devil Pups’ get taste of life as Marines
BY NATHANIEL LIEDL - Staff Reporter - ncliedl@gmail.com
School may have just started, but a group of local youth just graduated last month.
Eleven youngsters became Devil Pups in July, after completion of a ten day program under the eyes of Marine Corps drill instructors.
Cavvy Cavalliere, Keith Christman, Amber Eshelman, Ashlee Essam, Stephen Harlow, Erik Winters, James Richardson, Marshall Ritchie, Cristobal Rodriguez, Scott Rosario, and Katrina Sherman joined more than 300 local boys and girls who have graduated from the Ridgecrest academy since 1978.
The program was established in 1954 by a group of retired Marine Corps Reserves Officers under the auspices of the United States Marine Corps. “Devil Pups” is a play on “Devil Dogs” — the nickname given to U.S. Marines by German troops during World War I.
During ten days in Camp Pendleton, the group observed Marine Corps training activities and participated in events that emphasized physical fitness, teamwork and personal responsibility such as conditioning exercises, first-aid instruction, leadership classes, organized recreation, camping, and swimming. Pups also attend educational lectures on self-confidence, teamwork, drug and alcohol abuse, and the importance of life goals.
“By the time they graduated, each had accomplished far more than they could have imagined, and left camp with self-confidence, self-esteem, and an ‘I can’ attitude,” said Lori Casperson, the Devil Pups program coordinator for the local area.
Essam and Sherman scored 400 on the final physical fitness test and Harlow scored 390, all in the top five percent, said Casperson. Winters passed with a 371 out of 400. They received a cash award for their efforts.
Casperson thanked Enterprise Rent-A-Car for their donation of a van to transport the youth, the Ridgecrest Chapter of the Knights of Columbus for the use of their meeting facilities for an award ceremony, and to Stater Bros Market for donating the ceremony cake.
Ellie
BY NATHANIEL LIEDL - Staff Reporter - ncliedl@gmail.com
School may have just started, but a group of local youth just graduated last month.
Eleven youngsters became Devil Pups in July, after completion of a ten day program under the eyes of Marine Corps drill instructors.
Cavvy Cavalliere, Keith Christman, Amber Eshelman, Ashlee Essam, Stephen Harlow, Erik Winters, James Richardson, Marshall Ritchie, Cristobal Rodriguez, Scott Rosario, and Katrina Sherman joined more than 300 local boys and girls who have graduated from the Ridgecrest academy since 1978.
The program was established in 1954 by a group of retired Marine Corps Reserves Officers under the auspices of the United States Marine Corps. “Devil Pups” is a play on “Devil Dogs” — the nickname given to U.S. Marines by German troops during World War I.
During ten days in Camp Pendleton, the group observed Marine Corps training activities and participated in events that emphasized physical fitness, teamwork and personal responsibility such as conditioning exercises, first-aid instruction, leadership classes, organized recreation, camping, and swimming. Pups also attend educational lectures on self-confidence, teamwork, drug and alcohol abuse, and the importance of life goals.
“By the time they graduated, each had accomplished far more than they could have imagined, and left camp with self-confidence, self-esteem, and an ‘I can’ attitude,” said Lori Casperson, the Devil Pups program coordinator for the local area.
Essam and Sherman scored 400 on the final physical fitness test and Harlow scored 390, all in the top five percent, said Casperson. Winters passed with a 371 out of 400. They received a cash award for their efforts.
Casperson thanked Enterprise Rent-A-Car for their donation of a van to transport the youth, the Ridgecrest Chapter of the Knights of Columbus for the use of their meeting facilities for an award ceremony, and to Stater Bros Market for donating the ceremony cake.
Ellie