Lessons From Our Veterans

In recognition of Veteran’s Day today, as well as U.S. Marine Corps Day, yesterday, November 10th, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for our Veterans and their unwavering loyalty and patriotism.  Veterans are true examples of goal-oriented individuals who exemplify resiliency and purpose, which is defined by their motto and/or core values.

Each branch of the armed forces has its own motto or set of core values.  The U.S. Army’s motto is “This We’ll Defend.” The Navy, although without an official motto, is often cited with “Non Sibi, Sed Patriae,” or “Not for ourselves, but for our country.”  They also abide by the core values of “Honor, Courage and Commitment.”

The U.S. Air Force defines their core values as “Integrity First, Service before Self, Excellence in All We Do.”  The U.S. Coast Guard’s motto is “Semper Paratus,” or “Always Ready,” and the U.S. Marines are recognized by “Semper Fidelis,” or “Always Faithful.”

Veterans are, by the truest sense of the word, heroes.  They put their country before themselves, and sacrifice many things in their lives to defend the rights and freedoms of the citizens of their country.  Therefore, I want to share some lessons I have learned from veterans, and how we can all apply these strategies to carry out our own goals.

I have had the honor and privilege of knowing a few veterans in my life, including my own father who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II.  The stories, of the time he served in the marines, were examples of “Honor, Courage and Commitment” as defined by the Marines’ core values.

During his time on the small island of Tinian, he (as well as all veterans have done throughout history) sacrificed a great deal to defend his country, including the food, water and shelter we take for granted on a daily basis.  He continues to share his stories with pride to this day, as he should.  He risked his life and escaped gunfire, bombs, disease and death, yet still lived with a positive attitude to achieve his own personal goals. After all, he was, and always will be, a Marine.

That being said, there is one commonality that our veterans in all branches of the military share that helps them sustain the obstacles of war – they work together as a team.  Being part of a platoon, a unit, a squad, an infantry, a group or a section of any branch of the military, means being part of a collaborative effort for one common goal.  When people work together for a common purpose, they gain support from one another.  This is true in the military as well as for everyone else who sets out to accomplish a goal.

When setting goals, it is important to select people to be part of your “dream team” that can encourage, mentor and lend support in the achievement of your goals, as well as allow you to help them in the same manner.  Gaining support from other individuals has been proven to increase the rate of success as well as decrease the time required to achieve a given goal.  Remember, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

In the words of Confucius, “He who wished to secure the good of others, has already secured his own.”

Semper Fi

Kay L. Fontana
“The Grandcoach”

P.S. I invite you to watch this brief 3 minute video, “A Tender Warrior,” from Simple Truths.