A group of 18 Marines, sailors and civilians from Camp Fuji, Japan, recently spent an afternoon at a retirement home in nearby Gotemba, where they volunteered to clean gutters, storm drains and outer walls at a facility that had fallen into neglect.
The community-relations pro- ject, initially discussed in 2004, was carried out Monday at the Juji-no-Sono Convalescent Home, about a 25-minute drive from this tiny Marine base that sits in the shadow of Mount Fuji.
“There was just enough work for us and just enough people there,” Lt. j.g. Ned Alderman, the Fuji chaplain, said Thursday. “We’d been looking around for something and called them last year. They basically told us there were no projects until after April. I guess they wanted it to get warm enough for us to do some work outdoors.”
The Fuji faction — which included personnel from Marine Corps Community Services, the communications shop, motor pool platoon and logistics — spent about three hours scrubbing walls and sweeping dirt and muck out of drains and gutters. One Marine worked on leveling the facility’s dusty parking lot.
“It was a very satisfying experience to be able to help them out and fix a lot of the issues they were having over there,” said Cpl. Angel Valdez of Fuji’s communications shop. “It’s a good feeling to be able to help.”
During the visit, the Marines also brought along their mascot, a bulldog named Jiggs.
“They loved him out there,” Alderman said. “I was a bit skeptical about taking a bulldog, but several Marines suggested it. The people there wanted him to run loose in the courtyard. He stayed back with the Marines instead. But he charmed everybody, quite frankly.”
Fuji Marines routinely volunteer for projects both inside and outside the camp’s gates.
For the past 51 years, they’ve made annual visits to the Seishin Orphanage in Tanashi City. Its children came to the base for Halloween and Easter functions and are set to return for a barbecue in July.
Last Saturday, 10 representatives from Fuji went bowling at the Joyland Mishima entertainment center with five children from the Izu Mama day-care facility.
“We had a good time,” Alderman said. “The great thing about working with some place regularly is the Marines foster personal relationships. The Marines remember them, and they remember the Marines.”
