The Young Marines elects a Young Marine of the Year every spring. This year, a local Colorado Springs teen is one of six finalists!
Angel Luiz Orozco has loved a challenge for as long as he can remember. That fearless spirit is what prompted him at age eight to join the Young Marines. Now, nine years later, the hardworking and helpful 17-year-old has been named one of six division winners of the Young Marine of the Year Award. The six division winners will compete for the national title in May.
Orozco, a junior at Sierra High School, said of the Young Marines that "The organization has definitely been a cornerstone in my upbringing... It taught me a lot about myself, about leadership, about how to live a healthy lifestyle and about moving forward to be successful."
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Retired Marine Col. William P Davis, the executive director and CEO of the Young Marines, shared in a statement what the qualifications are for the Young Marine of the Year.
[The Young Marine of the Year] shares qualities of leadership, self-confidence and good citizenship, and each lives a drug-free lifestyle, which is a cornerstone of the Young Marines."Orozco, along with the other five finalists, will leave on March 26 for the Annual Reunion of Honor trip to Iwo Jima and Guam. 72 years after American military troops erected a flag on top of Mount Suribachi during an intense battle, Orozco and his fellow winners are preparing to escort World War II veterans around the famous site. During the trip, American and Japanese veterans will come together in memory of fallen comrades and the battles that took place there.
Because of his involvement with the Young Marines, Orozco has also attended the Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony in Hawaii; sailing academies in Maryland, Virginia, and Oregon; and a training mission in New Mexico.
A big congratulations to Orozco from all of us here at OCN! Continue representing our state well, and best of luck in May!
