USAA executive: 'encourage service to the nation'

The term “greatest generation” commonly refers to Americans who fought to eradicate Axis tyranny during World War II. “That is a well-deserved distinction – they truly saved the world from extreme evil,” USAA Military Affairs Director Robert Winzenried told thousands of veterans and families gathered in Cincinnati Wednesday for the 98th American Legion National Convention. Those who followed in U.S. military service, along with men and women serving today, have left their own legacies, he added, and they can motivate young people to join up and understand what it means to put service ahead of self.

“Each succeeding generation has contributed in their own great way, from those who served in Korea, Vietnam and numerous Cold War skirmishes, to those who served in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and other locations too numerous to mention,” Winzenried said. “I believe that in the decades to come, young people serving today will also be looked upon as a great generation.”

Future military recruitment, he told the crowd, can benefit from the endorsements of those who have served before and benefited from the experience.

“It amazes me and should trouble all of us that less than 1 percent of our population serves in our Armed Forces today,” said Winzenried, who spent 37 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a command sergeant major. “I can tell you, as a young’n, hearing about the exploits of all the men and women who served in the military, that had a huge influence on my signing up. I think we have too many veterans who are not willing to share their military experiences with our youth. We need to continue to encourage service to the nation as a noble endeavor.”

Winzenried told the crowd too few young people today understand the importance of service to others. He related to the crowd the story of one soldier who fully understood the importance.

U.S. Army Pvt. 1st Class Ross McGinnis was 19 when he had a split second to decide what to do when a grenade was thrown into the Humvee he and four other soldiers were occupying on a patrol in August 2006 in Iraq. His decision was to leap on the grenade and save the lives of the other four. The act took his life but saved everyone else. In 2008, he received the Medal of Honor, America’s highest military decoration.

“Ross exemplifies selfless service,” Winzenried said, adding that as a leader of enlisted personnel in the Army over the years, he imparted the importance of that virtue often. “I challenged all my soldiers and leaders to continue to pass along the desire to put service above self. That’s what Ross did, and because of that, four of his comrades are alive today.”

Winzenried commended The American Legion for its full understanding of service ahead of self. “I am proud to be a member of The American Legion,” he said. “As a veteran, I can think of no better way to continue to serve.”

USAA is The American Legion’s preferred provider of financial services.