Much as I enjoy talking about the real estate and mortgage industries, I find it refreshing to dedicate the occasional show to other important topics. This week, the subject was veterans and their stories. If you’ve ever met a veteran, or a relative of a veteran, then you’ve no doubt witnessed the passion and reverence with which people talk about them. Every veteran has a story, and it’s a true blessing to share these stories with you.
During my time on the air, I’ve made constant reference and allusion to my time in the military. The first hour of this show was the first time I’ve gone into detail: How I joined the military during college, where I went afterwards, who got me there, and how I ultimately ended up in Colorado Springs. This was a life-changing experience, and I met countless life-changing people throughout it. You can listen to the full narrative in the archive for all the delightful details. But so far as this post is concerned, the details aren’t so important. What’s important is the significant impact the military made on my life for the better, and how there are literally tens of millions of similar stories out there.
At Garvens Mortgage Group, my mortgage company, several of the loan officers and managers have similar stories—similar, that is, in how the military changed their lives and contributed powerfully to who they are as people today. Whether a West Point graduate or Air Force electronics specialist, a submarine captain in the Navy or an infantry soldier in the Army, each has a powerful story to share, and often can’t help sharing the equally powerful stories of other men and women with whom they served.
Similarly, with our company’s strong focus on the VA loan program, we meet hundreds of veterans each year—again, each with fascinating stories to tell. Some are still active, others retired. We have met veterans from each major conflict since the Korean War. But no matter their current status, their length of service, or their time out of the service, each brings the same wild-eyed passion to their stories, and each will go on for hours if you let them—which, during an application, we typically do.
If you have a story of your own, or stories of your spouse’s/children’s/siblings’ that you’re eager to share, I am eager to hear them. Please don’t hesitate to call into the show or email and share these stories. And, truly, write these stories down. Share them with family and friends. Preserve them for posterity. For the vast majority of people, the legacy they leave is in their stories. If they aren’t preserved in writing, they will be lost forever.
5-24-14 Story of a Vet
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