It’s 1986. I am 10 years old. I awaken regularly to my father’s cries mid-night. As a child, I learned to close cabinets softly, that loud bangs triggered emotion.
I turned the pages of the photo album, viewing army uniforms. I created my own stories about the men and women in the pictures, wondering in silence because I knew the memories were too painful to put into words.
As I got older and braver, I asked questions that were mostly left unanswered. During my teenage years, our family took a road trip to see a man my dad thought was the last living member of his army squad. The man had whiskey for breakfast. His life was hard.
It is 2009. For the first time in over 30 years, my dad is contacted by an old army friend he thought was missing since 1968. He was invited to a reunion, the second ever, organized by sisters who lost their brother at war. He learned he wasn’t alone, and he started talking.
This year (2015), my sisters and I joined him at the reunion. We heard raw stories of war: we heard stories of fear, pain, strength, and commitment. We experienced love, respect, and heroism. We learned about the challenges these men faced finding jobs and investing in their future careers when back home, and we finally understood the silence.
We were introduced to the Captain who my dad claims kept him alive. Captain McGinnis greeted us with pride and loving, joyful tears.
I had the opportunity to have a heart -to- heart with the Captain. I wanted to know how, in a battle of life and death, he kept his confidence as a leader.
Q: “As a leader, how did you maintain your confidence in battle?”
A: “As their Captain, it was my job to keep them safe. I walked among my men with bullets flying and I knew I was protected – I had an aura, a shield of safety around me.”
Q: “What would you tell others to keep them motivated as leaders?”
A: “Have confidence that you were chosen to walk with them (your staff). Train them to walk without you. Believe in God and believe in yourself- you were chosen for this work, do it with courage.”
Q: “How did you keep everyone aligned when they were so far apart trudging through rice fields?”
A: “We knew what to do. We were trained well, respected, and we made the right decisions out there. We saved each other’s lives.” October 17th, 2015. Interview with Captain James McGinnis, served in the Vietnam War, 199 Charlie Company.
For almost 40 years, veterans from the 199th Company who spent time in combat together lived their lives wondering what happened to friends they fought alongside in the Vietnam rice fields in 1968-1969.
In 2009, thanks to sisters of a soldier killed in combat, these soldiers started to reconnect again and eventually met again at their Captain’s home. Every year, more veterans of Charlie Company are found and reconnect. After years of silence, they have begun talking and healing.
Q: “Captain, What is your final advice for leaders new and old?”
A: “Let the Lord guide you.”
Captain McGinnis passed away on November 22nd, 2015. His courage and love lives on through all of us. View his obituary: http://m.legacy.com/obituaries/jdnews/obituary.aspx?n=james-mcginnis&pid=176710710&referrer=0&preview=false
Inspiring New Leaders 