Last modified: Monday, December 21, 2009 10:44 PM EST

Lynn Marine helps build school overseas

By Laura Paine/For The Item
LYNN-Marines overseas are doing more than just
fighting wars — they are helping to build a better future
for foreign nations while strengthening military bonds.

Marine 2nd Lieutenant Alexander Mora grew up in Lynn

and is now a combat engineer with Marine Wing
Support Squadron 171 based out of Iwakuni, Japan. This
past October, Mora took the role of detachment
commander to lead a team of 39 Marines and two Navy
hospital men in their annual amphibious landing Marine 2nd Lieutenant Alexander Mora, a
exercise (PHIBLEX), which took them to Arayat, a townLynn native, helped build a school in the
in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. province of Pampanga, Phillippines.

“We were tasked with replacing an existing school with a new school. While we were there we got hit
with a storm, Tropical Storm Ketsana, and Typhoon Parma,” Mora said. “Therefore, we built the school
and did disaster relief simultaneously.”

The purpose of PHIBLEX is to improve the capabilities of U.S. and Philippine armed forces, preparing
them for future humanitarian crisis or disaster relief efforts in the area. Together with 14 Philippine
soldiers, the Marines demolished and rebuilt a portion of the San Juan Bano Elementary School, which
had been deemed unstable and unsafe for students after damage done by flooding from recent storms.

“We had 20 days to complete the school. We did it in 17 because we had to work 15- to 16-hour days in
order to get ahead of schedule because we started late due to the two storms, and there was another
typhoon coming. Luckily, it missed the country and headed north. We worked everyday,” Mora said.

The school, comprised of eight buildings, serves 1,426 students. Filipino schools are designed in the
same format as schools in America and courses are taught in English, which is the second national
language of the Philippines. Mora said he felt a lot of uncertainty upon his arrival because he wasn’t
sure how the people would receive them. He found the nation to be hospitable, the parents, teachers and
students grateful. He said the children loved that the Marines were there and often left them flowers
and notes.

“They watched us work everyday. Many of them told us they wished we could stay permanently. Many
of the kids had nicknames for us, this way they identified us faster,” Mora said. “My name was Barack
Obama, I guess because I was in charge and I gave speeches all the time, don’t ask me why.”

At the completion of the mission, Marine units based out of Okinawa, Japan, donated food, clothing
and school supplies to the town, as they have many of these goods stored due to the number of tropical
storms that occur in the Pacific each year. The school was also given a gift from the Marines at the
closing ceremony.

“Our welder became creative and took some left over reinforcement bars from the school house and
built a traditional engineers castle with our unit’s name and the Philippines army engineers (that
assisted us in the project) unit’s name,” Mora said.

“The day we left (Oct. 28), many of the children and teachers cried,” Mora said. “It was a sad day for
everyone.”

Mora, 28, graduated from Lynn Classical High in 1999 and immediately joined the Marines, something
he said his friends were not doing. Though he was supposed to be out in 2003, Mora took part in an
education program in which the Marines paid for him to receive his undergraduate degree. After
graduation he became an officer.

“I went to Worcester State College and graduated in May of 2008 with a (degree) in History with a
concentration in foreign service. I’ve been in 10 years and I plan to do another 10 to hit 20 and retire at
38,” Mora said. “I want this story to be told to show people Marines do more than just fight wars.”