Justin Low, son of a veteran with PTSD, shares a tribute to veterans and a challenge to his fellow Americans at Oregon City High School:
All of you have paid the price to keep our nation safe and secure during times of calamity. The patriotism and security all of you brave veterans and servicemen demonstrated in serving our nation, will never be forgotten. Especially for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and never made it home to their loved ones.
Over the past 18 years, I’ve had the honor and pleasure of personally knowing one of these incredible servicemen in the crowd today, and his name is Terrance Earl Low, my father.
The year was 1968 when he got his draft notice in the mail. Just 7 years prior to getting his draft notice, President John F. Kennedy gave his inaugural address, where he said one of his most famous quotes, “And so my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for you country.”
Although he was being forced to join the military, my father took this opportunity to fulfill JFK’s challenge of doing something for his country. He would spend the next two years on a tour of duty in Vietnam and Cambodia, and although he made it home safe and sound without any exterior wounds, he had them internally. Those internal wounds would then go on to affect me when I was born.
Growing up with him as my father was challenge. His Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which created flashback and nightmare problems for him, also created socialization problems with me. We would always fight over the littlest things, he would blow up really easily, and sometimes I’d have enough of it to the point that I would just run away from home for a night or two.
Another problem was that he had type two diabetes from chemicals he was exposed to in Vietnam. Diabetes damaged his nerves in his hands and feet, and it kept him from being a prominent figure in my athletic life. I never had that father son relationship where I could always go and play ball with him or train with him. Despite these setbacks, I couldn’t have asked for a better dad. He made me grow up in a way I could have never imagined, and he taught me life lessons the “old school way.” I know I’m off to college next year, but I want you to know that I will always love you, and I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for me.
On that note, I’d like to finish up by talking about the theme of today’s assembly. The blessing of having a veteran as dad, was that I was always exposed to the idea of service. Today’s theme is service… it’s more than just a word. It’s an action, it’s a commitment, and it’s a lifestyle. My father always made sure that I knew that service was the most important thing I could ever do in my life, whether it be for my school, community, family, country, or God.
I was raised with the vision that we are all equal on this planet, and that we all deserve to live a good life, and anyone who didn’t, should be helped and cared for. It was the basic right of a human being. There are always people who is worse off than us, people that need protecting, or people that need assistance. Service is what can help them get through those hardships. Everyone has the duty to serve somehow in some form, one way or another. So my challenge for the student body is to serve. It doesn’t matter what you do or how you do it, just find a way to serve in your life. The world will then become a better place, because we choose to make it a better one.
