Young Marines of Doral, Florida Honored in Ceremony as Young Marines National Unit of the Year

PFC Bruce W. Carter MOH Young Marines of Doral, Florida Honored in Ceremony as Young Marines National Unit of the Year

The Young Marines, a national youth organization, named the PFC Bruce W. Carter MOH Young Marines of Doral, Florida as the National Unit of the Year, the top national honor for all units in the United States. Presented with the Distinguished Unit Commendation on June 1st at the Drill Center Ceremony, Miami-Dade Public Safety Training Institute and Research Center, this honor is awarded for the unit’s community service, program achievement, and dedication to the mission. 

Joining in the honor ceremony was the Chief of Staff to Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart,  Jennifer Blanco, and Col. William P. Davis USMN (Ret), national executive director and CEO of the Young Marines, as they presented the award. Others in attendance were 3rd Division Commander John Gionet; City of Doral Veteran and Military Affairs Advisory Board Bill Watts, United States Army; City of Doral Mayor Christi Fraga; City of Opa-locka Chief of Police and retired Marine, Kenneth Ottley;  City of Sweetwater Mayor,  Jose “Pepe” Diaz,  retired Marine; the Bruce W. Carter Veterans Affairs Medical Center Hospital; South Florida Honor Flight; veterans’ organizations and many more. Special guest was PFC Carter’s mother, Georgie Carter-Krell, who has been active in the unit for many years.

PFC Bruce W. Carter lost his life in Vietnam in 1979 as he bravely saved his unit from a live grenade. He was honored posthumously with the Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and Republic of Vietnam Company Medal. The Bruce W. Carter Veterans Affairs Medical Center Hospital in Miami was named after him. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

“In the spirit and unwavering dedication of their namesake, the PFC Bruce W. Carter MOH Young Marines truly deserve this national honor,” said Col. Davis. “Their tireless efforts to serve their community and honor veterans have clearly made a difference.  By participating in our program and setting their goals at a high level, they have made an investment in their community and themselves.” 

The unit, led by Unit Commander Alain Rodriguez, has 44 youth members and 12 adult volunteers who meet in Doral, Florida. The Young Marine members are from South Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe (Florida Keys) Counties. 

“We are incredibly honored to receive this national honor,” said Unit Commander Rodriguez. “Our Young Marines have worked very hard, having volunteered thousands of hours of service. Our recipe for success for our Young Marines and adult volunteers is to respect them all and to see potential in every future leader. Also, when you show the community around your respect, you will have a perfect recipe for success.” 

In addition to receiving this national honor, the unit’s Adjutant/Drug Remand Reduction officer, Melissa Sauer was named the Adult Volunteer of the Year for Division 3.

The PFC Bruce W. Carter MOH Young Marines unit is highly active in the community and events that honor veterans. The unit has performed thousands of hours of community service, and they are always willing to serve. Last year, they attended several trips at the national level. While attending the Memorial Day Parade in Washington, they paid their respects to PFC Bruce W. Carter. Each Young Marine placed a yellow rose at his grave in Arlington National Cemetery. The unit also attended the Navajo Code Talkers Day events and parade in Window Rock, Arizona. They were honored to perform color guards for community events including Wreaths Across America, City of Miami Lakes events, Marine Corps League Balls, and the Miami Marlins MLB game. They participate in a number of parades to honor veterans including Freedom Walk every September 11.  

An important project for the unit is their service as Toys for Tots ambassadors, raising money to purchase enough toys for local children in need at Christmas. They’ve also established partnerships with several local, state, and federal organizations and law enforcement agencies such as the Miami Field Office of Customs and Border Protection, the Miami DEA office and others. Working at Bill Bass State Park is an additional project.

The Young Marines is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) youth education and service program for boys and girls, age eight through high school graduation. The organization promotes the mental, moral, and physical development of its members and focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork, and self-discipline, so they can live and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

For more information about the PFC Bruce W. Carter MOH Young Marines, visit the website at https://youngmarines.org/unit/pfcbrucewcartermoh/page

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