Whose shoulders do you stand on?
"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Issac Newton
Today, March 29th, is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. I once heard a former boss and mentor of mine - a Vietnam veteran himself, honor the veterans of World War II by saying, "we (meaning his generation of veterans) stand on your shoulders." I've used the same line when honoring Vietnam Veterans. My generation - the post 9/11 generation who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, does indeed, stand on the shoulders of the veterans of Vietnam.
These Americans - some volunteers, some draftees fought a brutal war against a fiercely committed foe in the toughest environment imaginable. They did so without the support of many of their countrymen. They came home to a nation which spat on them and a government which paid little attention to their suffering and I consider that a national shame. I'm thankful we, as a nation have overcome and that today, Vietnam Veterans get the recognition and the welcome home they deserve.
These men and women - people I call my military fathers and mothers, blazed the path we travel today. Helicopter-borne operations began in Vietnam. Advancements in battlefield point-of injury care, combined arms warfare, and even lessons in counterinsurgency and family care came from the nation's second longest war. The officers and noncommissioned officers of that era, who remained in uniform, took what many called a hollow military and rebuilt it into the professional, all-volunteer force it is today.
They sought little recognition for what they did. Many sought no government compensation. Most blended quietly back into society never losing their love of country. And when it came my generation's time to serve, they refused to let the nation repeat what it had done to them. I felt the backing of my country when in harm's way. I knew my family would be cared for. I knew the Vietnam generation had our backs. I and my fellow veterans hold them in the highest regard and I say with pride that we do indeed, stand on their shoulders.
When it comes to leadership whose shoulders do you stand on? It is worth contemplating. Whether you knew them or not, who went before you and what is it they did which you emulate today? What lessons did they leave for you? Many of us remember a leader of our youth who did that special thing which moved and motivated us. It may have been a boss from a job you had in high school, a teacher who challenged you, or a parent whose selflessness and example you imitate. I know my leadership, to this day, is an assembly of the example set by those who went before me - of lessons I carry forward in honor of them. I'm a man of few original ideas and I suspect you are as well. Whether you model the behavior of a leader in your life or what you might have read in a book or watched in a video, you're standing on someone's shoulders.
Today I honor the veterans of Vietnam. I say, "welcome home," and "thank you for your service and sacrifice and that of your spouse and family." I'm deeply grateful for your service, for your lessons, and I work diligently each day and with each subordinate I encounter to honor your work. I work hard to earn the next generation's admiration. I hope my shoulders are worthy enough for them to stand on.
I close with a quote from Senator John McCain, a Vietnam Veteran who spent five and one half years in captivity. His words, I believe, capture the spirit of the veterans of Vietnam. "... I harbor no anger or rancor. I'm a better man for my experience, and I'm grateful for having the opportunity of serving."
That's a shoulder to stand on.
Rob Campbell
Rob Campbell