thedrifter
09-02-09, 08:51 AM
Marine receives national service award
September 01, 2009 6:04 PM
By Drew C. Wilson
Havelock News
Nikolai N. Atkinson-Pettigrew has one goal in life — to help people.
"To me, it is very important for people to volunteer," said Atkinson-Pettigrew, a Marine Corps sergeant based at Cherry Point. "To get the chance to see a smile on someone’s face that you have impacted, that’s the best gratification ever. I live to help people."
Her volunteer efforts were awarded when she earned the American Legion’s Spirit of Service Award last month in recognition of extensive volunteer efforts while she served in Okinawa, Japan.
"I’m not proud that I received this award. I’m humbled," she said. "I was surprised that I was nominated for this by my commanding officer."
Atkinson-Pettigrew is a single mother of three children ages 13, 10 and 5. She would make a point of taking her children on the volunteering excursions.
"It was a teaching experience for my kids," she said. "It wasn’t ‘hey kids I’m going to volunteer.’ It was ‘hey kids, let’s get ready so we can volunteer.’"
Of her many programs, one stood out among the rest.
"The one that I felt most rewarded was the Japanese Christian Education Center School," she said. "Personally, mainly it was the relationship between the Japanese and the Americans."
She said some of the older Japanese were at times hard to get to know, but the children were more open.
"If we mold the children into the way we want them as adults, to me this is the best place to start," she said. "The school that we were going to was for age six and under. This was the most crucial time of their lives to show that the Americans and the Japanese can work together for the same cause."
The volunteer hours were spent in large part painting, moving furniture, doing landscaping, building a playground, reading and teaching, all with the help of more than 100 Marines.
"It kept the Marines out of trouble on the weekends," she said. "They were very enthusiastic to volunteer.
"To me it was a perfect school because it was open on weekends. It was open on weekends to help the parents who were working on weekends."
Atkinson-Pettigrew, a supply clerk with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 36, said she was speechless upon learning she had earned the award.
"I felt proud, happy, excited, but most of all, humble," she said.
She said it made her really appreciate The American Legion.
"How awesome it is to know how involved they are and about what wonderful role models they are," she said.
This is the 10th year that The American Legion has sponsored the Spirit of Service award program.
David K Rehbein, American Legion national commander, made the presentation to Atkinson-Pettigrew at the organization’s national convention on Aug. 25 at the Louisville International Convention Center in Kentucky.
Atkinson-Pettigrew was one of five military personnel honored at the convention.
A native of St. Andrew, Jamaica, she came to Lauderhill, Fla., at the age of 15 and later graduated from Boyd Anderson High School in June, 1994. She joined the Marine Corps in 2001.
Rehbein said that Atkinson-Pettigrew’s extensive work helped strengthen the relationship between the Japanese community and the U.S. armed forces in Okinawa.
Sgt. Atkinson-Pettigrew organized more than 562 volunteer hours and coordinated 131 volunteers for the Japanese Christian Education Center. She managed 10 Toys for Tots collection sites. She also assisted in a health assessment for more than 560 children of U.S. service members during a middle school project.
Atkinson-Pettigrew volunteered as a hugger/helper with the Special Olympics and participated in multiple sessions to introduce Japanese Children to American culture through readings, music, games and field trips.
Rehbein said in a statement that her volunteer efforts improved community relations between military personnel and communities in Okinawa.
"Our nation is fortunate to have such dedicated service personnel as Sgt. Atkinson-Pettigrew who represent the very finest our nation has to offer," Rehbein said. "For both her military service and her community service, Sgt. Atkinson-Pettigrew is a credit to her uniform and to her country. She makes me and all of the other men and women of the American Legion very proud."
Ellie
September 01, 2009 6:04 PM
By Drew C. Wilson
Havelock News
Nikolai N. Atkinson-Pettigrew has one goal in life — to help people.
"To me, it is very important for people to volunteer," said Atkinson-Pettigrew, a Marine Corps sergeant based at Cherry Point. "To get the chance to see a smile on someone’s face that you have impacted, that’s the best gratification ever. I live to help people."
Her volunteer efforts were awarded when she earned the American Legion’s Spirit of Service Award last month in recognition of extensive volunteer efforts while she served in Okinawa, Japan.
"I’m not proud that I received this award. I’m humbled," she said. "I was surprised that I was nominated for this by my commanding officer."
Atkinson-Pettigrew is a single mother of three children ages 13, 10 and 5. She would make a point of taking her children on the volunteering excursions.
"It was a teaching experience for my kids," she said. "It wasn’t ‘hey kids I’m going to volunteer.’ It was ‘hey kids, let’s get ready so we can volunteer.’"
Of her many programs, one stood out among the rest.
"The one that I felt most rewarded was the Japanese Christian Education Center School," she said. "Personally, mainly it was the relationship between the Japanese and the Americans."
She said some of the older Japanese were at times hard to get to know, but the children were more open.
"If we mold the children into the way we want them as adults, to me this is the best place to start," she said. "The school that we were going to was for age six and under. This was the most crucial time of their lives to show that the Americans and the Japanese can work together for the same cause."
The volunteer hours were spent in large part painting, moving furniture, doing landscaping, building a playground, reading and teaching, all with the help of more than 100 Marines.
"It kept the Marines out of trouble on the weekends," she said. "They were very enthusiastic to volunteer.
"To me it was a perfect school because it was open on weekends. It was open on weekends to help the parents who were working on weekends."
Atkinson-Pettigrew, a supply clerk with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 36, said she was speechless upon learning she had earned the award.
"I felt proud, happy, excited, but most of all, humble," she said.
She said it made her really appreciate The American Legion.
"How awesome it is to know how involved they are and about what wonderful role models they are," she said.
This is the 10th year that The American Legion has sponsored the Spirit of Service award program.
David K Rehbein, American Legion national commander, made the presentation to Atkinson-Pettigrew at the organization’s national convention on Aug. 25 at the Louisville International Convention Center in Kentucky.
Atkinson-Pettigrew was one of five military personnel honored at the convention.
A native of St. Andrew, Jamaica, she came to Lauderhill, Fla., at the age of 15 and later graduated from Boyd Anderson High School in June, 1994. She joined the Marine Corps in 2001.
Rehbein said that Atkinson-Pettigrew’s extensive work helped strengthen the relationship between the Japanese community and the U.S. armed forces in Okinawa.
Sgt. Atkinson-Pettigrew organized more than 562 volunteer hours and coordinated 131 volunteers for the Japanese Christian Education Center. She managed 10 Toys for Tots collection sites. She also assisted in a health assessment for more than 560 children of U.S. service members during a middle school project.
Atkinson-Pettigrew volunteered as a hugger/helper with the Special Olympics and participated in multiple sessions to introduce Japanese Children to American culture through readings, music, games and field trips.
Rehbein said in a statement that her volunteer efforts improved community relations between military personnel and communities in Okinawa.
"Our nation is fortunate to have such dedicated service personnel as Sgt. Atkinson-Pettigrew who represent the very finest our nation has to offer," Rehbein said. "For both her military service and her community service, Sgt. Atkinson-Pettigrew is a credit to her uniform and to her country. She makes me and all of the other men and women of the American Legion very proud."
Ellie