Former U.S. Marine Shares Lessons in Leadership
Veterans Day is a time-honored occasion to pay respects to all who have served in the U.S. military.
Veterans Day is a time-honored occasion to pay respects to all who have served in the U.S. military.
Community members, including many veterans, gathered Nov. 11 during snow showers at the already snow-blanketed Chardon Square gazebo for the annual Veterans Day ceremony, hosted by Chardon Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6519 and Chardon American Legion Post 167.
“Veterans Day is a day to thank those who served this beautiful country,” said Michele Pemberton, Geauga County Veterans Services director, who greeted fellow veterans prior to the ceremony with hot coffee and donuts. “The community comes out to support, regardless of the weather. I remember giving the Veterans Day speech early on in my career. It was snowing and I couldn’t feel my hands to turn the pages or my lips as I spoke. Yet, there was a crowd of veterans and civilians standing shoulder to shoulder. As soldiers, we are trained to adapt to weather and our surroundings, so we ‘suck it up and accomplish the mission.’”
Master of Ceremonies Steve Oluic, Chardon VFW quartermaster, first became interested in Army ROTC during his last two years at Case Western Reserve University, he said, adding after graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
In his 19th year of service, the Army offered him an assignment to serve as an assistant professor of geography at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He later became assistant dean of strategy and policy, he said.
Oluic welcomed keynote speaker Joe McNamara, a former combat-decorated U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer and founder of Iron Leader Team, a leadership development firm.
During McNamara’s service, he built and led elite teams through multiple combat deployments in Afghanistan, orchestrating and leading hundreds of mission throughout enemy strongholds, he said.
After returning from combat, he was selected to command and lead Marine Corps drill instructors at the “notorious” Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island, he said.
“People often ask me about the greatest lessons I learned after my time as a ground force commander in combat,” McNamara said. “After all the years, hundreds of missions and all the miles … I’ve realized it comes down to something simple, but not easy. Be a great teammate.”
He believes service is a gift.
“It’s not something we earn — it’s something we’re entrusted with,” McNamara said. “It’s a chance to carry the weight alongside great Americans … men and women who give their best for something bigger than themselves. It’s an opportunity to carry the torch and continue the legacy of those that have come before us.”
When McNamara thinks of that gift, he recalls the men he served alongside.
“I think of two key areas that stick out to me and are what the veterans miss the most. Brotherhood — knowing that no matter the danger, the struggle or the glory, you will have men and women who are prepared and willing to walk into the valley with you every single time,” he said. “My responsibility isn’t to be the hero. My responsibility is to be a great teammate and to bring something to the fight, every single day, knowing that we had teammates that would hold us accountable each day, demand excellence from us, and ensure we were an asset and not a liability.”
He also spoke about the role of pressure.
“Pressure is preparation,” he said.
He called it a force that forges a person into someone stronger and more prepared to handle future battles.
“Let no man’s ghost ever return to say, ‘Had I only been trained,’” he said. “That hits different when you’re the one leading young Americans into battle. The pressure is what gives us the calm to be able to lead when surrounded by chaos. Pressure is one of the greatest teachers … for those willing to stay in the discomfort long enough to learn the lessons she provides. Armed with much more, but the brotherhood and pressure tested mentality prepares our veterans to be a force for good even when the uniform comes off.”
The nation’s veterans are built through adversity, brotherhood and the courage to keep showing up when it matters most, McNamara said.
“So, when I look around at the men and women who have worn our nation’s cloth, I don’t see victims,” he said. “I see capability and wisdom that was forged under fire. I see men and women who know how to lead, how to serve and how to bring people together during tough times. I see great teammates.”
This spirit is what America needs more of right now, he added.
“So, to the 22 veterans a day that are committing suicide … we must remember the brotherhood and pressure are what forge us into a force for good,” McNamara said. “It’s our responsibility to be a great teammate. One of the best organizations driving the way for our nation’s heroes is Operation Patriot’s FOB, (which allows) veterans to regroup and refocus. A place to combat the darkness and lead in a world that desperately needs our nation’s warriors at their best.”
Oluic also highlighted the benefits of VFW membership.
“Our Chardon VFW Post 6519 is very active in the greater region and is an extremely comfortable ‘place’ for veterans to share memories of service, war stories, earthy humor and all in a language that is common to us. We know suffering, we understand what fear is, the meaning of loss and the sense of honor-service-country, all without elaboration,” Oluic said. “I miss my time in the Army, but the VFW is where I can be among comrades, help one another and feel the spirit of service and love of country.”
Pemberton said Veterans Day encourages Americans to reflect on the cost of freedom and to show appreciation and support to veterans long after their service ends.
VFW Chardon Post Commander Bill Richardson called Veterans Day a very special day for him.
“It honors all those who served, whether or not they were in harm’s way,” he said. “I spent 14 months in Vietnam at a time when we weren’t respected by many in our own country. It’s refreshing to see that attitude has changed for the better. Our country called and we answered. Nothing more needs said. We deserve everyone’s respect.”
