USO News

USO Japan's Camp Fuji Christmas Exemplifies the Best of the Holidays, USO

Friday, December 23, 2011

By Christian Pelusi 

All events that USO centers conduct are cherished by the servicemen and women and their families that benefit from them, but the ones that take place during the holiday season take on a special air.

For many of those troops, they are young and away from their homes and loved ones, often for the first time in their lives. And these facts are never lost on USO center staffs and volunteers.

Take Christmas at Camp Fuji. Thrown by USO Japan on Dec. 15, it was a microcosm of the USO’s mission of lifting the spirits of troops and their families while displaying the great relationships that USO centers around the world engender with businesses and citizens of those countries.

About 100 Marines, roughly the total based at Camp Fuji, came out for the celebration that included stuffed stockings for the troops, baked goods and giveaways, but the highlight was a tree lighting that showcased the true nature of the holidays.

A local farmer donated a tree that was planted on the base so it can be decorated, year after year. (See photos on USO Japan’s Facebook page.) Not just a great example of truly “going green,” but it was also a symbol of the close ties to the community that have been forged by years of respect, cooperation and gratitude between the base and the city.

For Jewell Willett, Programs and Marketing Director for USO Japan, the new tree means new traditions. The base and center decreed that the youngest Marine on base would have the honor of lighting the tree and the inaugural lighting went to a Marine who arrived just one day before the event.

"This was a reminder of how many people are sacrificing their traditions to join the Armed Forces. No matter what time of year it may be, they answer the call," Willett said.

The poignancy of that moment was almost usurped by what followed.

"Another memory will be when Col. [Anthony J.] Johnson kicked off the caroling event ... with a surprisingly deep, smooth voice," she said. "It definitely loosened everyone up and the lineup of singers formed quickly after that!"

But few things could match the scene as dusk descended on "The Land of the Rising Sun."

Willett said: "The vision of the tree with Mt. Fuji in the background was a reminder of how, with a little help from some friends, you can create Christmas wherever you may be in the world."