A Tribute to Our Veterans: Share Your Story
Today I had the privilege to see a Medal of Honor recipient, Staff Sergeant Romesha speak at a school where I intern at. I was deeply touched by the ceremony as a whole and the efforts that St. Thomas Academy made to make today what it needed to be.
Since starting my internship at this Catholic Military Academy, I have been reflecting a lot lately about why I joined the service, and why there isn't ever a moment where I regret making the choice to serve. Through my reflections, I came to this conclusion: I am proud to be an American. I am proud to serve behind some of the greatest heroes our world has ever known. I am proud to follow my father and grandfathers in service. I am proud to be part of the 1%, part of a family so large, and so vastly different. The family I gained when I raised my right hand, has changed my life forever.
One thing that really struck me today in SSG Romesha's speech, was the fact that he didn't acknowledge the award he was given as his. He said it wasn't his award. It was the award of his brothers fighting to the left and right of him in the intense battle in Afghanistan. It was the award of all of the service members who put that uniform on before him, and it was the award of the service members who will come after him. It is truly amazing to me that someone who had given so much and had a great impact on the outcome of a battle could barely take credit for any of it. That is why I am proud to serve. Soldiers like Romesha, selfless, and humble. He was not afraid of his own possibility of injury or death, he was only concerned about getting his brothers out and all accounted for.
He emphasized that the real reason why they defeated the odds of that battle (~400 enemy troops vs. ~50 Americans), was love. Love for the battle buddies to his right and left. Love for the families and friends they were all fighting for back home. He explained that the enemy is fueled by their hate for us and all that we stand for, and we combat that with love. We don't return the fight with more hate for them, we return it with the love we have for each other and the love we have for our country. I thought this was a very unique perspective on why we do what we do, but this was when it was starting to all make sense to me. We don't achieve anything by returning the hatred. This is true in more than just war. I guess my challenge to you is, instead of responding to anger and hatred with more anger and hatred, try to have a more compassionate and empathetic heart. Just this small switch could change the world.
I have also had the honor to talk to all of the military instructors who teach at the academy, and I have been inspired by each of them. All of these service members had truly inspiring reflections on leadership and their role in the mission of the school. I am amazed at each of their servant hearts, and the passion they have to teach the students about character and military leadership. Each of their stories and experiences is unique, and so impactful to those who are blessed to learn from them. I found myself excited to learn more and started to really reflect on where my career in the military will lead me to.
An important part of being a Veteran is sharing your story, something many of our Veterans have not had the opportunity to do. SSG Romesha strongly believes that each Veteran has a story to tell, regardless of how long they've been in service or the things they have seen. Our Veterans need to share their stories, they can teach you so much. I encourage you to give them the opportunity to share those stories. Not just today, on Veteran's Day, but every day. Today is for honoring those who have served our country and fought for our freedom. Today is for all of the men and women who have sacrificed so much to put on that uniform. Today is for our Veterans, past, present, and future.
