04/10/2025
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Harrison High senior honors WWII veterans
By Jack Lindner
[email protected]
A Harrison High School senior summitted to the top of Mt. Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima, Japan, last week to honor the Marines that came before him in the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima.
Once on the mountaintop, Kennesaw's Adam Robinson, 17, and other members of the Young Marines program planted American flags at the summit. This action served as a tribute to Joe Rosenthal's Pulitzer prizewinning photograph of six American Marine
"It was definitely cool to see how, 80 years ago, these men fought where we were standing, so it was amazing," Robinson said. "When I got to the top, it was honestly breathtaking to see history and everything that took place."
Robinson and fellow Young Marines traveled to Guam and Iwo Jima as part of an annual trip hosted by the organization. This year's trip to the island held special significance, as 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Young Marines is a nationally- recognized youth leadership and service nonprofit that focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork and self-discipline, so members can live and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Robinson became a member of the Gen. Raymond G. Davis Metro Atlanta Cobb Young Professionals.
Harrison High School senior Adam Robinson of Kennesaw, a member of the Young Marines, stands atop Mt. Suribachi, in Iwo Jima, Japan, with an American flag honoring fallen WWII Marines in the Battle of Iwo Jima. Young Marines
Marines of Marietta when he was eight. Even back then, he said, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in the military.
Now, almost 10 years later, his dedication to the group is stronger than ever, he said. After graduation in May, he plans to pursue his dream by enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps.
"It's really pushed me beyond my comfort zone," Robinson said. "It's helped me to grow as a person and grow more confident in myself. It's really brought a lot of good out of me."
The Young Marines' annual trip to Iwo Jima is meant to honor the 6,821 Americans who were killed in the World War II battle. The six winners of the organization's annual Young Marine of the Year award, which includes Robinson, are invited to go on the trip alongside former U.S. Marines who fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima.
During the week-long excursion, the 12 Young Marines are tasked with looking after their seven elder servicemen as some return to the battlefield for the first time since the war.
The pinnacle of the trip is the journey to the top of Mt. Suribachi. Along the way, the Young Marines encountered various remnants of the World War II battle that sit throughout the island to this day, including rusted tanks, bunkers and ships.
"As a retired Marine, standing atop Mt. Suribachi with these Young Marines is more than a privilege — it's a living tribute
to the courage and sacrifice of those who fought here in 1945," said retired Marine Corps Col. William Davis, national executive director and CEO of the Young Marines. "Watching them reenact the raising of the flag reminds us that the legacy of Iwo Jima isn't just history, it's a torch being passed to the next generation."
Although the journey to the top of the over 500-foot mountain was tough, Robinson said it does not compare to the journey their predecessors had to take 80 years ago.
"Just seeing that and living in history was just amazing," he said. "For us to stand in the exact same spot where they raised that American flag 80 years ago and for us to raise our own flag was such an honorable experience."
Adam Robinson of Kennesaw (fifth Young Marine from left) and other Division Young Marines of the Year from across the U.S. es**rt WWII veterans at the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, Japan. Young Marines
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