Stories of Service, Sacrifice and Strength
Podcast Transcription
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Maddy: Welcome to PFCU's Money Talk podcast. I'm your host Maddy. In honor of Veterans Day, I was privileged to sit down with an incredible individual whose service and sacrifice remind us of the courage and commitment of those who serve. This guest is a veteran who has served our country and through his story, we hear the impact his service has had on him, his community, and his loved ones. And this episode we'll hear firsthand about Benjamin's journey, his experience, and the impactful, and at times emotional, message he shares. So please join me as I sit down with Benjamin and as we honor our veterans, reflect on their stories and express our deepest gratitude.
Thank you for being here with me today. And thank you for your service because that's why we're here, right? We want to talk about…
Benjamin: Thank you.
Maddy: Yeah, you're welcome. And I have no background knowledge of your service at all so, I'm excited to learn a little more about you. So, if you want to share a little bit about that, your experience and what branch you served in and all that good stuff, that'd be a great start.
Benjamin: Yeah. In high school, I was, toyed with the idea of joining the Marines, but that seemed a bit too much because their physical standards are crazy and Marines are just different. But then after I graduated, I spent a couple years going to college, but then I was like, no, I need to join the military. Like, it was just kind of like a feeling. So, I joined the Army because one of my friends did and he went and did basic and then came back for a vacation and he was different. Like more physically fit, less excitable, I guess. Like, I don't know, I just saw something in him. I was like, I want to, I want to do that. So, then I decided, oh yeah, let me join. Let me join the army. So, I joined the army, but it was like, in a reserve capacity. Like I joined the army reserves. So, you go to basic and then you go back to your reserve unit and you just one weekend, a month, two weeks a year. Okay. That's basically what I did.
Maddy: That's a really cool story that you saw someone kind of go through that and change and you wanted to, I think that's really neat that that inspired you.
Benjamin: Yeah, like I don't want to say he was lazy and a slob, but basically when I graduated high school, I was lazy and a slob and I didn't like that. But then joining the army you spend, basically it was like 14 weeks at the time, it's different now, but you spend those 14 weeks just transforming out of that. So, it gives you discipline, it gives you like you wake up at like five in the morning and stuff every day. So, it's this discipline and like a polished professionalism that I liked about that. I was like, I want that.
Maddy: Yeah. So, you would say it was a positive experience for you, that you got a lot out of it then.
Benjamin: Yeah. I would go back now knowing what I know now, I would go back and do basic again and it would be fun.
Maddy: Yeah.
Benjamin: But at the time they're just trying to destroy you mentally so that they can rebuild you as a soldier.
Maddy: Right.
Benjamin: Cause they don't need your personality. They need you as a soldier.
Maddy: So you talked a little bit about discipline and all of those things. Can you speak to maybe any lessons that you learned and lessons that you use now?
Benjamin: Yeah, time management is part of the discipline because you're given a schedule through basic, but then once you graduate and you're out of classes, you're kind of on your own. So, you have to maintain your own schedule and learn how to do all that stuff. Time management aspect, but also the self-motivation. Where instead of having the drill sergeant yell at you all the time, eventually you will just internalize that and not need the external force to make you keep going. So, you just do it on yourself. And doing that stuff has given me a good feeling of duty, honor, and integrity that I have internalized from the Army that I bring to my everyday life now.
Maddy: Yeah.
Benjamin: Where it’s anywhere you go, you're gonna want those three things are gonna help you in every aspect of life and joining the army and doing that through basic but also getting deployed twice and going to war like those things really stand up because that's what you stand on while you're over there and even if you're not doing that stuff things go bad quick.
Maddy: Is there a moment you can look back on or it doesn't have to be a single moment but that really makes you proud to have served? Like that just really hit you. You're like, wow, I'm proud of this.
Benjamin: Yeah. When I came home from Iraq, my dad was, he was so proud. And when I get home, because I spent the whole time, you know, in Iraq, we were actually a very good unit and we got selected to stay, to train. So, instead of a 12 month deployment, it turned into 15 months.
Maddy: Wow.
Benjamin: So, that was great. But when we were training people, it was whatever, and it was great and we were very high speed. And when we finally got home, my dad had made a huge banner, like you see on TV. He's like, welcome home and my picture was there and like, I started crying and I was like, this is it. I'm going to cry now, l, like, you hear it in my voice. In that moment, I was like, not only did I make my dad proud, but my whole family's here supporting me. Like people I've never even met, you know.
Maddy; You’re gonna make me tear up.
Benjamin: Like people I've never met at the airport were like, oh yeah, you know, it just, when I came home that first time, it was like, yeah, this was worthwhile. I did something good.
Maddy: Yeah.
Benjamin: And just that feeling never goes away. Even though I made bad choices afterwards, but that right there, that moment, I was doing something good. So, that was very exciting.
Maddy: That's amazing. I love that. So, let's switch gears a little bit and look at maybe your community or just communities in general and how they can support veterans. Maybe if there's something more that communities could do. Do you work with any organizations that work with veterans, can you speak to that a little bit?
Benjamin: Well, not a whole lot.
Maddy: That’s okay.
Benjamin: But the VFW here in town is great. When I first moved to Portland, got a job here, I met some VFW people when I first came to the area, and they've been great. They're super supportive. Like whenever I see them, or shopping, or whatever, they'll wave and say hi. And they always hand me a, here's our pancake breakfast menu and stuff. But I think, and even before moving here, I was part of a VFW in Indiana and that's actually is, it's a good group. And I know it’s veterans of foreign wars, so if you don't get deployed, you're not technically eligible to join it, but the VFW helps. Like they're great people. They know everything. And if you're struggling to, where do I go? What do I need? Find a VFW and just ask them, even if you don't qualify for membership, they're not going to turn you away and be like, no, no, no. But it's a great place to start and they've been helpful for me transitioning out of active duty into regular life.
Maddy: Yeah. Is there anything you wish more people understood about serving in the military or about veterans?
Benjamin: Yeah, we think different. It's just normal people, they don't have the same experiences we do so, it's different. When you're faced with a choice like in Iraq, we were driving down the road and then the village, every light in the village turns off. A flare shoots up and you're like, okay, we can go in there and drive through like we're supposed to, or we can turn around. Like these are the choices we're making. So, we think different when we get into the civilian world. Sometimes it can manifest itself with like, I'm too anxious about this decision and that's obviously PTSD. So, if you're dealing with a veteran, know that that's a possibility. They don't think the same way you do. We don't think the same way civilians do and so on and so forth. So, just a touch of grace and saying like this person may be high strung and that anger may be coming from a past trauma that was experienced and maybe it's not from this situation. So just a little bit of grace for the veteran, I guess.
Maddy: Yes, yes, absolutely. Is there anything else you wanted to share?
Benjamin: Yeah, I think that was it. I guess one thing going back to like what have you taken into your civilian life? General order number one is I will guard everything. I will guard my post and everything within the limits of my post until properly relieved. And that kind of translates into everyday life for me. Like, okay, now you have a job as a DSS at Portland, whatever, PFCU. So that is my post. So, everything within the limits of my post, I am responsible for this until properly relieved. And that mentality gives me a framework and a structure to work on. Even if I don't know what I need to do, I know this is my post and I will be here. So, it kind of gives you confidence, but also somewhere to go if you don't know what to do.
Maddy: Yeah. Love that. You had some awesome insight and perspective from, where you're at.
Benjamin: Wel, thank you.
Maddy: I really appreciate it. And thank you again for your service. That's absolutely amazing.
Benjamin: Thank you. Money Talk is a podcast brought to you by PFCU.
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