Remembering the “Who” & the “Why” on Memorial Day
While we plan our Memorial Day BBQ menus, I want to pay tribute to a brave friend and role model named Corporal Dustin Chaney.
The first time I met Dustin was in the fall of 2004. I was a newly minted Corporal in the United States Marine Corps who had been attached to Tango Battery, 5th Battalion, 11th Marines. We were a part of a deployment with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit headed into the Western Pacific. Dustin was the most sincere friend one could have, not just to me, but to anyone he crossed paths with.
I remember meeting Dustin for the first time. I went into the Motor Transport office right after I checked in. As the new guy, I got a ton of grief from many of the other Corporals and Sergeants. However, Lance Corporal Chaney was all business and no nonsense. While others did the usual trash talking, Dustin was the consummate professional. How he treated everyone with respect — regardless of their rank or experience — left an impression on me that still resonates to this very day.
Standing Out Amongst Others
Chaney stood out in a crowd of other Marines. He had the ability to carry a room or lead a conversation. When you’re surrounded by Alphas, it speaks volumes when everyone loves and admires you. Dustin was always the first to volunteer. The first to take charge even when others didn’t want to. The first to hold you to task for something not getting done, again regardless of rank. He judged people only on their character.
We made it to Iraq and everyone came back in one piece. I received orders to leave Tango and, over the years, moved on to serve with other units and deployments. When you’re moving around, it’s hard to keep track of the people and personalities you bonded with in the past. The Tango Battery guys would eventually go back overseas. I learned that Chaney was a big part of that next tour. He was subsequently injured in Ramadi. As a result, he was sent home and would remain with his family.
A New Path
After eight years in the Corps, a new career path and new life with my wife and kids became my focus. I had simply lost touch with Dustin. I didn’t find out until years after he had already left us that Dustin had died. After it had already left a mark on so many others, I was only just beginning to process the loss of Corporal Chaney, a brave friend and role model. I felt guilty for not knowing or finding out about his death sooner. Since then I’ve made an effort to catch up with almost everyone I’ve served with over my career in the Marines. A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to reunite with many of my closest Tango brothers. Even though many others have passed, I’m thankful for the ones that are still around. I can count on them as friends for life.
Chaney’s death had an impact on more than myself and the Marines I served with. He left behind his wife and two beautiful daughters who loved him deeply, along with the rest of his family and friends. Memorial Day is about remembering those who died while or after serving. Maybe the reason we, as a society, don’t practice that as much anymore is because it hurts, it really freaking hurts to remember.
I am grateful for the opportunity to support VA to help other Veterans. My day-to-day work at Oddball involves writing code, troubleshooting issues, and helping to lead others. Our team works on improving the submission speed of Disability Claims, and we’ll eventually get to tackle challenges Veterans and their family members face with Pensions and Burials. As a disabled Veteran who has gone through this process myself, it reminds me of the people I’ve crossed paths with over the years. They have submitted forms and gone through paper processing. We hope we are simplifying the process through the APIs we are building and promoting. Trying to find solutions to make it easier for Veterans and their families to get through some bureaucratic hurdles. It’s a task I take personally because I know many of these guys both past and present.
The Meaning of Memorial Day
A Marine once told me, “Death is being forgotten.” We remember the brave actions of military personnel who died on distant battlefields far away, but in our minds they are always faceless and nameless. Someone, somewhere, did something for our country but few Americans these days take the time to learn their names, the stories of who these people were and what they did.
So this Memorial Day, while you’re spending time with your loved ones, I implore you to google “Corporal Dustin Chaney” or another Veteran that has passed. Learn a little bit about their life, the people they left behind and the incredible sacrifices they made for their country. Don’t do it out of guilt, but out of a sincere desire to know who the person was and what they did. Make it personal and share their story with someone else, even if you didn’t know them yourself. While it might hurt a little at first to hear about what they went through and how their family may have suffered, it will help you appreciate what this holiday was created for — remembering them.
About the Author
Michael Bastos is a former U.S. Marine and startup CTO. At Oddball, he serves as VA Lighthouse API Engineering Team Lead responsible for ensuring that the Benefits API Team helps the VA process claims faster and more efficiently. To learn more about Michael and Oddball, visit the Oddball website.
