Posted by
Dr. Jay Uomoto, DCoE deputy director for veterans affairs on October 28, 2010
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Sailors salute the American flag to kick off a night of entertainment provided by the U.S. Navy ceremonial guard and Navy Band at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Abraham Essenmacher)
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As DCoE’s interim deputy director, I’ve had the great privilege of serving as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) liaison for traumatic brain injury, a Department of Defense (DoD) and VA collaboration to provide the comprehensive care that our service members and their families need and deserve. I recently took some time to reflect on two relatively famous quotes from people that I admire, and found both to have intrinsic relevance to DCoE’s mission and the work that many do for the military community.
The first is by Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, who would make his mark in history by ordering his 20th Maine Infantry to charge down the bloody slopes of Little Round Top, Penn., a tactic which resulted in a startling-yet-critical victory at the Battle of Gettysburg. Chamberlain delivered the following speech on the dedication of the Maine monuments at Gettysburg, Oct. 3, 1889:
"In great deeds, something abides. On great fields something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear, but spirits linger, to consecrate the ground for the vision-place of souls. And reverent men and women from afar, and generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them...."
By reflecting back upon those who have fallen and those who have sustained losses (..."by whom great things were suffered") it provides an impetus for drawing the straightest, shortest line to relieve suffering and restore hope in our service members and veterans. At DCoE, the ability to identify and acknowledge where new practices are needed is imperative to improving treatment and raising quality standards, thus creating the best possible future for our service members.
The second quote comes not from a military hero, but from Arthur Ashe (1943-1993), one of the most decorated competitors in the history of tennis:
“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”
The theme of this quote is servanthood as heroism. This is applicable to the work of so many of us. Moreover, how we serve our service members and their families sets the tone of how well we can serve our veterans and their loved ones life long. In this task, the importance of continuous collaboration between the DoD, VA and civilian communities is not only essential, but inevitable.
We are making a difference, but there remains much to accomplish. We must continue to act swiftly, demonstrating an urgency deserving of a task of this magnitude – for our service members, veterans and families now and in the future.
We are all in this together!