I first met J about 18 years ago. I’ll simply call him “J” because he’s too humble to want recognition. J was our waiter extraordinaire in a Waikiki hotel suite 12-hours a day as we presented TV advertising campaign opportunities to potential local business clients. Through 20-25 meetings, he was the best- calm, quiet, observant, thorough, polite, unobtrusive, and friendly- everything we needed to help make the meetings memorable.
As we finished annually, we’d exchange bro hugs and goodbyes, and say “see you next year, same time, same place”. But in 2007, J told me he was soon heading to Afghanistan. I knew he’d served in the Navy and was now in the reserves, and I realized the severity of what might lie ahead for J. He was a father, a husband, and he had become my friend; his duty was to answer his country’s call.
I worried that I might not see him again- a stark reality. So when he returned from that deployment, we hugged, again. I never bothered to ask him details about what I knew he couldn’t tell me. He is the best in so many ways, and I was happy to work with him again in our now comparatively mundane marketing endeavor.
A month ago, I dined recently at that same hotel- 15-years later- and there was J! He’s grayer (who’s not?), and his son is now approaching age 30. He’s also now the service boss at the hotel; but hey, he’s been a leader in many ways for many years.
So here’s to J on Veteran’s Day, 2022. Here’s to the people who put themselves in harm’s way for you and I and a system that is sadly under fire these days… from within. Here’s to all the men and women serving in our armed forces.
And here’s to you, Dad, gone now for 15-years, for the job you did on the front lines in Italy during World War II. You sacrificed 85% of your hearing to a mortar shell that killed a half dozen soldiers in your infantry unit who were charging up that muddy hill, just yards away from you. You lived with those memories and wounds for 62 more years- you never complained, never looked back. Like others in our “greatest generation”, you did what was necessary- humbly, valiantly, without personal expectations- and for that we are eternally grateful.
Think about it…