By Cara Pattison
Contributing Writer
Values. Service. Leadership.
Those are just a few things the National Boy Scouts organization has in common with the military.
On Monday night, Jan. 31, the Yukon Boy Scout Troop 395 “joined forces” with Yukon Veterans Museum volunteers to serve the community by offering free guided tours of the museum, 1012 W Main.
War veterans and Webeloes alike escorted families and visitors around the museum to share a piece of American military history, Yukon Veterans Museum curator Rick Cacini said.
Eagle Scout Christian Fishburn, 14, and retired Air Force air cargo specialist (1969-1976) Tom Thomas walked a small group around the museum together.
While Fishburn was in attendance with his troop to “do duty to their country,” Thomas wanted to make sure the scouts learned about those military brothers and sisters forgotten over time.
“This museum is a labor of love for me. I volunteer here to pay back to those forgotten in history. So many military members have been forgotten. World War 2. Korea. Vietnam. And bringing the Boy Scouts in to keep history alive for a younger generation brings me happiness.”
For Cacini, sharing both the museum and a personal memento with the Scouts and visitors – brought him happiness that night.
“I have a Civil War era pocket watch on display here at the museum that goes back in my family about seven generations of my grandfathers,” he explained.
“The watch was purchased in 1791 and has traveled in my family from London to New York City to Chicago. About a year and-a-half ago, it came from Chicago to me here in Yukon.”
Pack co-leader Maddison Spikes noted that it was fun to watch the kids’ eyes light up when they heard the story of the watch.
SOMETHING INTERESTING
Scout dad Donnie Robinson, who is currently an Army medic, brought is wife, Lisa, and kids – Nolan, 7 years, Declan, 4 years, and Tristan, 7 months – to see some of the gear his unit uses when on-duty.
“I was excited to find the old medic uniform and gear for the kids to see, and it was fun to tell them all about it. We came out to show our kids something interesting and the museum did not disappoint.”
Scout co-leader Brian Spikes summed up the evening as “enjoyable.”
“We love Scouts because we do it as a family with friends and it’s fun. Events like this teach all of our kids’ values, service, and leadership – just like the military does.”
