On Memorial Day, we find ourselves thinking about the men and women who have served in uniform, from those whom we served alongside, to those before us and those serving and sacrificing today. Collectively, as comrades in arms, as bonded brothers and sisters, we honor the bravery, courage, dedication and ultimately the sacrifice of all whom have served our country.
In September 2017, I was invited to be a part of a mentorship for a group of wounded warriors with the intent of summiting Grand Teton at 13,775 feet in the Tetons. It was to be a challenge and a feat that was guaranteed to be an effort for all of us. The group was climbing under the banner of the “Mission Memorial Day Foundation,” a foundation established to give purpose to the value of Memorial Day.
Among the members of our group is a Marine who took the brunt of an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. He now dons a prosthetic leg with the other leg a bit mangled, one good eye and other assorted shrapnel wounds. This Marine now earns a living as a yoga instructor. His positive nature and can-do attitude alone should give us the emotional strength to reach the summit.
There is an Air Force veteran whose disability doesn’t allow him to walk without a cane or allow him to grip a glass with one hand. He had failed in three previous attempts to summit the Grand.
There was the one lone airborne soldier with post-traumatic stress who, after three tours in Afghanistan, didn’t fit into his community as well as he would like to. He made it his goal to prosper in life by beating the Grand and winning against the stress that ails him.
Also on board was a retired Navy Senior Chief with traumatic brain injury who can’t sleep unless he has put away at least a “six-pack” and then is content if he gets in a solid three-hour night’s sleep.
Late in the afternoon before our summit bid the next morning, the 13 of us, mentors and wounded warriors, were asked to speak on behalf of fellow service members who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. We were asked by the leader of the group to sign the name of that fallen warrior on the flag we would carry to the summit the next day. Reaching the summit of the Grand was going to be a bit less demanding than having to open up my soul and emotions for all to witness. One by one, stories of loss were told, tears were shared and hearts and emotions were bared for all to see.
I made an attempt to hide in the shadows of the sunset, but I knew I had to share my story and write the names of my teammates on that flag because 12 others had the strength to do so. I told my story from 47 years ago and signed the names of my fallen teammates on the flag as the sun settled into the horizon, my emotions drained. I stood among my peers without embarrassment, among fellow veterans who shared their closely guarded emotions of love and loss and shared in a prayer of remembrance.
The next morning, with a 3:30 a.m. start from 11,500 feet under a starlit sky, with the aid of headlamps, we headed up the trail toward the summit of the Grand. As noon approached, our final warrior reached the top, and together, all 13 of us celebrated with hugs, tears and the flag with the names of those warriors who we’d honored the night before.
These wounded warriors, as with many of our fellow combat veterans, have stories that are seared in the deep recesses of our soul, moments that are difficult to share especially with those that may not understand. We make our best attempt at chasing angels on the outside but just end up fleeing demons on the inside, so we just keep our combat experiences to ourselves.
We gather as veterans with family and friends on occasion to support one another, to share our stories, our lives and to honor the sacrifice of service.
To quote a fellow veteran, “You have never lived until you have almost died. For those who have to fight for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.” Let us make it our mission to make every day a Memorial Day, because the sacrifice given lasts a lifetime.
Rep. Laddie Shaw, elected in 2018, serves in the Alaska House of Representatives.
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A sacrifice that lasts for all time - Anchorage Daily News
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