"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." - Elmer Davis
At 11:00 am on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the major hostilities of World War I ended with the Germans’ signing of the Armistice. In 1938, Armistice Day was officially recognized. In 1954, after having experienced the greatest mobilization of forces in US history during World War II as well as aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress and President Eisenhower changed the name to Veterans Day in order to honor all who have served. Now, on November 11 each year, we pause to recognize all that our veterans have sacrificed for our great country.
But how many times have you been surprised to find out that someone you know, maybe even see every day is a veteran? It is estimated there are currently 5 million active military personnel and 23.5 million veterans in the U.S. Chances are you know several and don’t realize it! And chances are you could learn something from their experiences. We started poking around here and found this to be true at RCC Western Stores.
Jeff Williamson, Assistant Store Manager in Rapid City, served in the Navy from 1995-1998, and in the Army National Guard since then. He has spent time in Spain, France, Greece, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Souda Bay, Crete, Bermuda, and St. Thomas. He was deployed to Iraq in 2005 and to Kuwait from 2009-2010. He credits his time in the service as where he developed the work ethic and the accountability that he displays on the job every day.
Network Administrator Stephen Capistrant served 8 ½ years in the US Coast Guard, three of which were on the polar icebreaker Westwind. He has literally seen the world from pole to pole!
Steve shared this memorable story with us: “I remember a rescue mission and a little kid fell asleep on his raft on Lake Huron and drifted out of sight of land and we were sent out to find him. I was the electronic tech for the station so I would not normally be on a rescue but the radar on the boat went out so I had to speed to a dock up the coast to try to fix it. Well, I got stopped for speeding doing 80 in a 50 zone. The cop came up all upset but when I told him what was happening I got a police escort to the dock!! Boy, the guys on the small boat got a kick out of that! Yes, we did find him the next morning, safe and sound.”
When asked what his military time taught him, he replied, “I learned to take care of your team and they take care of you.”
Ron Cordes, Customer Service Specialist for our internet site, served in the Navy from 1973 to 1979 and from 1985 to his retirement in 2000, making him one of few who have served in four different decades! He has seen much of the world, also: Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Sicily, Turkey, Israel, and Romania. Ron says, “Seeing different countries and their way of life makes me appreciate our way of life that much more. I think the things that the military has impacted on me is a deep patriotism for our country and our way of life and growing intolerance for those who would try and take away our freedoms that have been fought and died for; also, the structured way of doing things, i.e. self-discipline, organization, and pride for those who currently are serving.”
Duane Brunsen, manager of the store in the Mall of America, served from 1979-1985 and found himself stationed in Bamberg, Germany with the 82nd Combat Engineer Battalion. He received an injury while there, returned home to heal and rehab, and then reenlisted in the National Guard 367th Engineer Battalion in Minnesota where he finished out his duty.
“I guess the best things I've taken with me from my military experience are fulfilling a sense of duty, an understanding of leadership, (a good leader is a GREAT follower,) a sense of belonging, and team work," Duane says. "Most importantly is a sense of honor. My father and I never really saw eye to eye and we had more than our share of father/son arguments, but the one thing that always held true between us was our love and respect for our flag and country. My father passed last June and one of the greatest memories I will carry with me for the rest of my life was the 21-gun salute in his honor. Not a dry eye there, and I can respectfully say, including mine!
"Regardless of what you believe in, support, agree, or disagree with what our men and women in the military are doing I ask you this: When you pass a soldier or the family of a soldier do you stop and say 'thank you' or do you just keep on walking by? Do you offer a smile or are you too busy with what you're doing? Do you think to remember them in your prayers or do they just slip your mind? As we approach Thanksgiving, will you bow your head and give thanks for what's in front of you or will you give thanks for each and every member of or military, past and present, who have given up so much, (some gave the ultimate sacrifice,) for us in order that we may sit down in a peaceful home and enjoy our day of eating and watching football."
This is just a small sample of RCC Western Stores employees who have served this country. We are proud of all of them and are honored to be working with them.
To celebrate this Veterans Day, I’m going to start a new personal tradition. I am going to find a stranger who has served and shake his hand. I’m going to do it again next year, and the year after that. Who wants to join me?
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