Week 5: Processing a Veteran: The Story

The Introduction

Last week on the Veteran's History Project, I remarked about the story of a veteran we had interviewed last semester and the thoughts I had whilst reviewing his interview footage. As I mentioned last week, he is the youngest veteran that I have interviewed so far. During his service in the United States Coast Guard, Mr. John Doe rose to the rank of E-5 and served in a unit regarding Port Security in Iraqi Freedom. Here, I'll tell a short synopsis of his story and try to expand on my thoughts from last week.

The Story

Mr. John Doe held a thirty minute interview where a plethora of topics were discussed. We were able to learn about his childhood and his upbringing in a military family during the war on terror in the late 90s. During the end of his high school career, Mr. Doe enlisted into the United States Coast Guard where he was sent to Port Clinton, Ohio and trained in Port Security. He underwent multiple specialized training assignments focusing on boat combat and search and rescue. During Hurricane Katrina, Mr. Doe was sent to the Gulf for several months where he had his first taste of Emergency Service management, a career he would later take. After his time working in Hurricane Katrina, he reported back to Ohio where he was sent to Kuwait for several months. He worked in the Kuwait Naval base at Camp Patriot as a naval security advisor working 12 hour shifts on a boat in heavy gear and armor. He remarked of the times he held tense moments dealing with fishing boats entering militarized zones and other times where he dealt with stubborn travelers. From there, he served on an oil refinery as a guard where he experienced more of the same in terms of stubborn vessels entering military zones. From there, he decided to take his leave and went home for a few months. It was during this time he met his wife and participated in President Obama's inaugural march. From there, the discussion was ushered towards post service where we discussed his roles after leaving the military. Staying in the same branch, our veteran worked with 911 dispatching before attempting to work in the fire department and being denied. From there, he came to work at UCF in Emergency Management services where he currently works. 

The Brutality of War: An Addendum

Last week I discussed the nature of war and the brutality that faces the American troop; War is the simple act of humankind reinventing ways to destroy each other.  

During my evaluation of this interview, I noticed a story our veteran had told. As part of the training, Coast Guards are told to taste the sea water and become familiar with it due to the fact that it is the last thing that many who serve will ever taste. This is a gruesome, hard reality, but it is one that is rooted in truth. The darkness may be present in the practice, but the reminder of human good can also be found here. The fact is that while the Coast Guard forces its troops into a hard reality, they also wake them up to the existence of life. The sea salt, as bitter as it is, wakes them up and puts things into perspective. Life, when put into perspective, is much more valuable to the human eye. Things that bring joy can be appreciated in a new way once you realize that you may never have the opportunity to do it again. Death may knock on the door, but the joy of life and prosperity it offers the human mind creates a sense of appreciation that not even death can take away.