The few, the proud: Volusia County gets its first Young Marines unit

Patricio G. Balona, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
·4 min read
Sara Zettlemoyer, far right, unit commander of the newly formed Volusia Young Marines, prepares her unit to present the colors recently at VFW Post 3282 in Port Orange.
Sara Zettlemoyer, far right, unit commander of the newly formed Volusia Young Marines, prepares her unit to present the colors recently at VFW Post 3282 in Port Orange.

To Sara Zettlemoyer, it took off like a rocket.

That's how she described the popularity of the newly-formed Volusia Young Marines, part of a national non-profit that teaches youngsters discipline and leadership skills patterned after the U.S. Marine Corps.

It's the first unit of the national group established in Volusia County with the help of the Marine Corps League of Daytona Beach, said Zettlemoyer, who is commander of the fledgling group. The AmVets Post 2 in Edgewater also made a large donation to help the unit get started, Zettlemoyer said.

The group was presented to the public at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3282 in Port Orange earlier this month.

Parents express interest in group

Zettlemoyer, also a member of the Marine Corps League of Daytona Beach, said five youngsters currently make up the Volusia County unit, but the program has attracted a lot of interest.

"There are five recruits currently in the application process and 60 plus parents that have contacted me and are interested in getting their children involved," Zettlemoyer wrote in an email.

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Members of the Volusia Young Marines gather at VFW Post 3282 in Port Orange recently. The unit is part of national group that promotes leadership and discipline skills patterned after the U.S. Marine Corps.
Members of the Volusia Young Marines gather at VFW Post 3282 in Port Orange recently. The unit is part of national group that promotes leadership and discipline skills patterned after the U.S. Marine Corps.

Zettlemoyer was the driving force behind bringing the Young Marines program to Volusia County, said Tara Crossland of the Marine Corps League of Daytona Beach.

The cost to join is $200, a fee that covers about $250 worth of gear.

"It includes the camouflage uniform (blouse and trousers), boots, a camouflage cover (hat), a web belt, name tapes and patches, guidebooks, canteens, T-shirts, and other miscellaneous items," Zettlemoyer said. "There is an annual membership re-registration fee of $35."

Crossland added that The Marine Corps League of Daytona Beach is also helping raise funds to help those youngsters who want to join the Volusia Young Marines but don't have the money to pay the fees.

'Take off like a rocket'

Zettlemoyer is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served from 1995 to 2003, retiring as a sergeant. She served in Okinawa, Japan, Pensacola and Cherry Point, North Carolina.

After leaving the service, Zettlemoyer's 10-year-old stepson, Eddie Evans Jr., joined the Orlando Devil Dogs, the Young Marines unit in Orange County. But since Zettlemoyer lived in Edgewater, driving twice a month to Orlando was too much, she said.

"So, I discussed opening up a unit in Volusia County with the Marine Corps League of Daytona Beach . . . and found out they had been wanting to open a unit in this area for eight years," Zettlemoyer said. "I knew this type of youth program would take off like a rocket in this area, and so far it has."

Effective leadership development

According to its website, youngmarines.org, the Young Marines is a youth education and service program for boys and girls ages 8 to 18. It promotes the mental, moral and physical development of its members and focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork and self-discipline.

Those values are what made Anita Barbee of Merritt Island prompt her son to join the Young Marines.

Members of the newly-formed Volusia Young Marines take the oath recently as the group gathered at VFW Post 3282 in Port Orange.
Members of the newly-formed Volusia Young Marines take the oath recently as the group gathered at VFW Post 3282 in Port Orange.

Barbee's son, Paul, 13, initially joined the Space Coast Young Marines in Brevard County two years ago, but when that branch closed, Paul transferred to the Volusia Young Marines.

Barbee said her son displayed leadership skills at a young age so she pointed him to the group.

"I wanted him to learn how to use those leadership qualities effectively," Barbee said. "The Young Marines Unit helps with leadership and discipline."

Paul transferred to the Volusia Young Marines as a corporal. The highest rank that can be attained in the Young Marines is sergeant major, Zettlemoyer said.

"When the Young Marine reaches four years in the program or the age of 18, they can officially retire," Zettlemoyer said. "If a Young Marine joins the program very young and stays in it for many years and works hard at each promotion level, they can become a sergeant major, which is the highest rank for Young Marines."

Paul said he is looking forward to rising through the ranks. He said he likes the group because it helps him become disciplined and focused on what he wants to do in the future, he said.

"I love the military and I've always wanted to go into the military," Paul said. "Also, you form good friends with others in the program," he added.

For information on how to join the Volusia Young Marines, contact Sara Zettlemoyer at 386-479-5165 or email her at volusiayoungmarines@gmail.com

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Young Marines chapter established in Volusia County