Association
Annual scholarship
National awards for children and dependents of tracks community sponsors — veterans, active duty, and reserve Alligator Marines connected to the LVT–ACV lineage. Award amounts and dates are set by the board each cycle.
Established for those who rode the iron ashore
YAT-YAS Association
Preserving the legacy of the Alligator Marines for those who served, those serving, and those still to come through family, fellowship, and the next generation.
Amphibious vehicle community · LVT through ACV
Exhibit I
About YAT-YAS
The tracks motto
YAT-YAS is the amphibious tracks community motto — the full call shared among Alligator Marines who manned the iron from ship to shore: You ain’t tracks, you ain’t shit.
It belongs to the Assault Amphibian lineage: 2d Tracks at Camp Lejeune, 3d Tracks at Camp Pendleton, and 4th Tracks of Marine Forces Reserve — the battalions that carried LVT, LVTP, AAV, and today’s ACV. The motto is not a generic veterans tagline; it is the identity of the tracks community itself.
This site gathers that heritage — history, fellowship, and the next generation of the amphibious-vehicle story — under the name the community already knows.
Exhibit II
Heritage
The iron lineage
One community across generations of amphibious vehicles — from Alligator to ACV.
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1940sLVT
Landing Vehicle Tracked
The Alligator that carried Marines from ship to shore across coral and surf — the beginning of the lineage.
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PostwarLVTP
Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Personnel
Personnel carriers that refined amphibious assault doctrine for a new generation of operations.
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Modern eraAAV
Assault Amphibious Vehicle
The workhorse of late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century ship-to-shore movement.
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TodayACVP
Amphibious Combat Vehicle — Personnel
The personnel carrier of the modern lineage — 8×8 wheeled, troop-carrying, and still writing its story.
Exhibit III
Fellowship
Family & gatherings
Reunions, chapter gatherings, and quiet remembrance — where those who served, those serving, and the families who waited reconnect.
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I
Association & chapter events
Welcoming veterans, active duty, and families into shared tables, ceremonies, and the long conversation of the community.
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II
Stories for the next generation
Keeping the Alligator Marine tradition present — not as museum glass alone, but as living memory told aloud.
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III
Standing with one another
Mutual support when a brother or sister — or their household — needs the strength of the Association.
Exhibit IV
Announcements
News
Updates from the Association — gatherings, scholarships, and the work of preserving the amphibious lineage.
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Association formation underway
Placeholder: Articles of incorporation have been filed. Further updates on entity status and next organizational steps will appear here.
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Founding roster to be published
Placeholder: Names of founding members will be listed on the Roster exhibit once the Association’s initial roll call is finalized.
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Scholarship program details forthcoming
Placeholder: Association and chapter annual scholarship criteria, deadlines, and application guidance will be announced on this page.
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First fellowship gathering — date TBD
Placeholder: Information about an inaugural Association or chapter gathering will be posted here when venue and timing are confirmed.
Replace these placeholder items with real Association news as announcements are ready.
Exhibit V
Founding members
Roster
Founding names will appear here when the Association’s initial roll call is ready.
Roll call coming soon.
Exhibit VI
Next generation
Scholarships
Investing in education for the children and dependents of the amphibious tracks community — not open to the general public.
Who can apply
Eligibility
Applicants must be a child, stepchild, adopted child, or dependent of an eligible sponsor; enrolled in or accepted to an eligible school or training program; and able to verify the tracks connection and enrollment.
What it covers
Education costs
Tuition, fees, books, required tools or training materials, and similar school expenses — paid to the school when practical, or reimbursed against receipts.
Chapters
Chapter scholarships
Local chapters may offer their own yearly awards later, under the same eligibility spirit and Association financial controls — not from national scholarship funds without board approval.
Help sustain scholarships, gatherings, and the living legacy of the amphibious-vehicle community.
Donate / SupportWorking draft — applications are not open yet. Questions: board@yatyaslegacy.com
Exhibit VII
Contact
Write the Association
Questions about membership, events, scholarships, or giving? Email board@yatyaslegacy.com or send a message below.
- board@yatyaslegacy.com
- Website
- yatyasassociation.com
- Members