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Phil Downer speaks to Marines and sailors Sept. 6, 2018, during a Persevering Though Trials special event at the Camp Foster Theater, Okinawa, Japan. Downer spoke about the Marine Corps Core Values and how they helped him throughout the struggles in his life. Downer is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Kelcey Seymour)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Kelcey Seymour

Persevering Through Trials, a suicide awareness month special event

6 Sep 2018 | Lance Cpl. Kelcey Seymour Okinawa Marines

Persevering Through Trials, a suicide awareness month special event, was held Sept. 6 at the Camp Foster Theater.

The guest speakers used personal experiences to help the audience get an in-depth understanding of how a service member can preserver through struggles and help those around them.

“The core values of the Marine Corps has served me well throughout my life,” said Phil Downer, a Marine Corps veteran. “Honor, courage and commitment.”

According to Downer, the core values can be further broken up to help guide people in their day-to-day activities. To honor is to respect, accept, appreciate, and to give attention to the people around you or the situation at hand. To have courage is to provide security, approval and encouragement to the people with you. To show commitment is by comforting, supporting and caring about the people around you. When this is applied, it can change a person’s life for the better.

“It is your duty to fulfil your obligations,” said retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Ronald Bailey Jr. “It is your duty to be a leader and to lead by example. A good leader lifts their people up, to help them succeed. It is your duty to be there for your people.”

The core values are the base of a leader. When a person lives by all the expansions of the core values, that makes them a great leader, but a leader is only effective when they have people with them.

“You are our hope, our future, our past, our past, and our future,” said Downer. “You are the heart of our country.”


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