Sgt. Dakota Meyer, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and the youngest recipient of the military’s highest honor, the Medal of Honor, said during a veterans program Thursday that serving in the Marines meant forgetting differences between soldiers.
When Meyer spoke of his experiences overseas, he shared pictures and stories about members of his unit. “You forget about the outside differences you have and learn about each other’s core.”
“The one thing Marines have in common is that you tell us we can’t — and we can say we did.”
While serving in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, as a turret gunner and driver, Meyer performed the heroic actions for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
In September 2009, three U.S. Marines, a Navy corpsman, and Afghan soldiers went missing in Afghanistan after being ambushed by 50 insurgents. Defying orders, he went into the “killing zone” to help. Through five successive missions over the course of six hours, he helped save the lives of many American and Afghan troops.
The honor guard from American Legion Post 94 posted the colors prior to Meyer’s arrival on stage, where he addressed the crowd at Ivy Tech’s Valparaiso campus and showed a slideshow of his time in the military. Meyer received a standing ovation when he took to the stage.
“The military takes the foundation of the pieces you grew up with and makes you into the person you are, ” said Meyer, who said that his father was his most influential person in his life. “Being a Marine was not a dream that I had, it just happened.”
Meyer was walking through his high school cafeteria and saw the Marine table and figured he would give it a try. The recruiter said he wouldn’t be able to do it and Meyer saw that as a challenge. His dad thought he was kidding,
He is a New York Times bestselling author of the book “Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle of the Afghan War.”
“I come and speak because I want to remind people of how great the country is that we live in,” said Meyer. “This is a time more than ever to talk about things and come together, and I try to be a positive influence on people.”
Pines Village Communities sponsored the event, which was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Vendors including the VNA of Northwest Indiana, the Gary Area Veterans Center and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center also had information booths.
“Many of our residents are veterans and we have a special place in our hearts for veterans. I am so happy with the turnout,” said Amy Page, corporate relations director for Pines Village Communities.
Ryan Kominakis of Valparaiso is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and attended the program with his wife Alyse.
“I was in Afghanistan around the same time he was. It was inspirational to see a Medal of Honor in person and I think he delivered a good message. I definitely believe in the message of continuing to serve after you serve, and that is what we should all try to do,” said Kominakis, who is an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Valparaiso.
Deena Lawley-Dixon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
