Sailor from Jackson climbs Mount Fuji

The old recruiting slogan goes "Join the Navy and See the World."

That message has been a powerful incentive for attracting enlistees to the U.S. Navy, and through the decades countless sailors have visited ports of call around the world. The stories sailors tell about their visits, even the semi-truthful ones, often are special enough to be remembered long after their service to country has ended.

One sailor, Electrician's Mate 3rd Class Jordan Buterbaugh of Jackson, is among those who will have a special memory from their time in the service. In August, Buterbaugh participated in an overnight hike up Mount Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan.

"It was interesting to look up at the mountain and think that I would be up there in a few hours," Buterbaugh said in an interview from somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. "It was something I wanted to do."

Buterbaugh, a 2011 graduate of Saxony Lutheran High School, serves aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington. He was taking part in the ship's Morale, Welfare and Recreation program when he made the nearly 12,400-feet hike up the mountain.

"I signed up to make the hike with some of the guys on the George Washington," Buterbaugh explained. "We all thought, 'We're in shape, so let's do it.'"

Mount Fuji is about 60 miles southwest of Tokyo and is a popular tourist destination, attracting about 200,000 visitors a year. The mountain is divided into 10 stations for hiking, with the first station at the base of the mountain and the 10th station at the summit. Buterbaugh and his shipmates began their trek on the mountain's fifth station, but not before they received instructions about hiking from guides who would be making the trip with them.

"They said it could get pretty cold up there," Buterbaugh said. "We were also told that the air could get thin because of the elevation, but we weren't going to be using oxygen tanks. But I had a headlamp on my helmet for when it got dark, so I was good to go."

Buterbaugh said the hike, which totaled about eight hours, was made without a hitch, despite cold temperatures and the need to be constantly watching his footing.

"We took a nice little break in a hut," he said. "We got some rest, but at about 1 a.m. we started again. We got to the top at about 3 a.m. and waited for the sun to rise."

Seeing the sunrise from atop Mount Fuji was, in Buterbaugh's words, amazing.

"It was absolutely breathtaking and beautiful," he said. "But it was really cold up there, and I was excited to start heading down."

Buterbaugh said the hike was worth the effort, but he probably won't be making another attempt on Mount Fuji.

"There's an old saying," he said. "'He who climbs Mount Fuji is a wise man; he who climbs it twice is a fool.'"

However, Buterbaugh said he plans to hike, or climb, other mountains when he has the time. He also said he could be coming home to Jackson for a visit sometime in the spring.

"I'd like to thank everyone for the support they have given me over the last year," he said. "It means a lot. I miss you all and will see you soon."

klewis@semissourian.com

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