With gratitude for your service to America today and every day, DAT Freight & Analytics wishes all veterans a Happy Veteran’s Day.
George Marshall, Secretary of State under President Harry Truman, said: “The soldier’s heart, the soldier’s spirit, the soldier’s soul, are everything.” We honor that sentiment and the men and women who inspired it then – and continue to serve in inspirational ways. Who among us couldn’t benefit from going about our lives with the purpose, commitment, and dedication of our troops?
While DAT celebrates all veterans with reverence, our company’s focus on the supply chain naturally draws our attention to veterans involved in the trucking industry. To commemorate Veterans Day, we’ve identified two programs that draw attention to the sacrifice and heroism our veterans make, even after they’ve completed their service to the country.
Veterans: Heroes of the Highways
When we think about the men and women who serve in the armed forces, we often use the word “heroism” to describe them. Their collective and individual willingness to stand in harm’s way to protect the homeland is inspiring – clearly the most easily identifiable representation of true heroism in modern life (sorry, Ironman).
For many veterans, a career in the trucking industry follows a fulfilled commitment to military service. But their heroism doesn’t stop just because they’re no longer on active duty.
Each year, Goodyear’s Commercial Tire division recognizes a North American Highway Hero – a trucker (many of whom are ex-military) who has performed life-saving heroics in his or her experiences on the roads. Some highlights:
- Paul Mathias, a U.S. military veteran, was stopped in his truck at a red light when he saw a vehicle slam into an SUV occupied by a mother and her two young children. Mathias rendered CPR on the woman’s son, who survived thanks in part to Mathias’ heroism.
- Last year’s winner, a trucker named Andrew Waits, witnessed an accident that caused a motorcyclist to be thrown from his bike on a busy four-lane highway. Waits heroically positioned his truck in front of the unconscious motorcyclist to shield him from oncoming traffic and provided care to the man using skills he’d honed as a volunteer firefighter.
Honor Flight: Taking Veterans to Memorials
Also at the confluence of veterans and transportation is the Honor Flight Network, whose stated vision is, “a nation where all of America’s veterans experience the honor, gratitude, and community of support they deserve.” More specifically, Honor Flight Network is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating American veterans “by inviting them to share in a day of honor at our nation’s memorials.”
Veterans who participate in an Honor Flight travel free of charge (thanks to generous donations to Honor Flight), and honors go to “those who served during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and veterans of any service era who are critically ill.”
DAT honors these heroes, whether or not they make their living in the trucking industry. Wish them each a happy and proud Veterans Day.
