We stood in the foyer awaiting the guest speaker. We exchanged the usual pleasantries usually heard at networking events: “Where do you work?” “What do you do?” “That’s interesting.” “Tell me more about ______.” But, unlike most networking events I attend, another series of questions could be heard: “What branch?” “When were you in?” “Where did you serve?” “What was your MOS?” These are the questions veterans ask one another. Now, no longer donning the uniform, we all work in the civilian world. During this event, hosted by my friend Bob Louthan and his company VeteranCrowd, the questions about our time in the military came first, the questions about work second.
For the past few years, I have marveled at the messages about veterans. Major companies recruit us, charitable organizations heal our wounded and support our families, business consultants and government organizations help us with “the transition” to civilian life, and universities seek new, motivated students with some “real world experience.” We have come a long way from the 1960s and 70s; our society has restored its respect for the warfighter.
As I listened to various comments and conversations about veteran- led businesses, I thought about the question, “What is a veteran?” Of course, a technical definition exists — one who has served in our nation’s armed forces. But, the answer seems more nuanced than that. Perhaps the question to ask is not “What” but “Why?”
In the past month, I have listened to Dr. Bruce Heilman’s testimonial about fighting in the Pacific in World War II as a 19 year old Marine. I have heard retired Colonel James Hickey describe the downright frightening threats percolating around the world today. I’ve also heard plenty of expressions of gratitude to me and other veterans who did way more than I. Once again, I return to the question, “Why serve?”
Dr. Heilman said it best — “The only cause worth fighting for is human freedom.” Some people don’t believe freedom needs defense, that democracies have evolved and spread as to no longer require a robust military. Some even believe freedom is an illusion, that human suffering is a “product” of it. The truly uninformed or even insane romanticize anarchy or Communism or some other form of governance that destroys the individual human.
Behold these two pictures of the Berlin Wall, now displayed at the Newseum in Washington, DC. Can you guess which side faced democratic West Berlin and which one faced communist East Berlin? Can you imagine the different lives lived on either side of that wall?
At the networking event, I struck up a conversation with a new friend named Brandon who invests money in veteran- owned businesses. An infantry officer who served in the Army, he understands life at the extreme. He needs no explanation of why someone serves and what internal engines make that person go. But, as we talked, he expressed the difficulty explaining to non-veterans these virtues, why someone would subordinate the self for the good of the country, or why a veteran might be just the right person to lead a business. From his point of view, the non-veteran could not understand the life the veteran lived.
Many people do try to comprehend this life without having buttoned the uniform, or heard the yells of leather- lung drill instructors, or dodged hostile bullets coming their way. The other day, I watched this video of former Senator Bob Dole, a World War II veteran, barely able to stand, rise to salute President George H. W. Bush’s body lying in state in the US Capitol. It occurred to me at the root of Senator Dole’s strained effort lies the essence of why the veteran served: respect. Respect for this country and all her people. Respect for sacrifice. And most of all, respect for freedom and the price we must pay for it.
Thank you for reading.
photos by Mason New
