Congressional Medal of Honor Society president and recipient addresses Legion national convention about America’s covenant to those who wear the uniform.
Retired Navy SEAL Master Chief Britt Slabinski’s name is engraved on the nation’s highest medal that he wears around his neck, but he has never felt it belongs entirely to him.
“The DNA of so many other people is embedded within,” Slabinski said of the Medal of Honor to attendees of the 107th American Legion National Convention in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 1. “If you think deeply about this, you think about the men that fought beside me, keeping their promises. Men who were wounded beside me, keeping their promises. And the men who died by my side, also keeping their promises. It also belongs to the generations who came before us and showed us the way and showed us what duty looks like when duty became difficult. The medal is indeed a great mentor, and its message is clear. Honor is not something you possess. Honor is something you practice, especially when it costs you something.”
Slabinski, president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, continued to reflect on what the Medal of Honor means – honor, courage, conviction and compassion. And the covenant that America owes to the men and women who serve.
“When America asks its citizens to go to war, America assumes a debt. When a veteran reaches for help, there ought to be a hand there. That is America's side of the covenant,” Slabinski said. “The American Legion has spent more than a century helping America keep that covenant. From its leadership, securing the passage of the original GI Bill, to the fight today behind the Take Care of America's Veterans Act (TCAVA). This is legislation that the Congressional Medal of Honor Society is proud to support and stand side by side with the Legion.”
Slabinski added that the covenant has two sides.
“We cannot spend the rest of our lives waiting for someone else to rescue us. So I challenge my fellow veterans to file the claim, see the doctor, talk to somebody, accept the hand when you need it. But never confuse seeking help with surrendering your responsibility for your own life. That responsibility belongs to you.”
He encouraged Legion members to self-rescue by getting active, getting outside, doing something hard, finding work worth doing, building something, coaching or mentoring someone, and calling a battle buddy.
“Purpose isn't something we find sitting around waiting for it. Purpose is found through action. And I reject the idea that the most important thing that a veteran will ever do happened while wearing the uniform. In uniform, you learned to function when you were tired, to think when you were afraid, and to improvise when the plan fell apart. You learn to put someone else's welfare ahead of your own. These are skills for living. Use them.”
The American Legion is saving lives through its Be the One suicide prevention program which encourages everyone to reach out to a veteran, ask if they are OK, and act when they need help. Slabinski reminded the audience that it’s OK to reach out and ask for help.
“There are veterans among us fighting battles that nobody can see. Please believe me when I say, I get it,” he said. “My fellow teammates that are out there, if you are losing ground in this battle, say so. Tell somebody the truth. Yes, that takes trust, that takes courage. But you know what? You have that in spades. If somebody tells you they are losing ground, sit down. Listen, stay, act. That takes compassion. So don't surrender the battlefield inside your own mind. Don't accept the verdict that you're finished.”
In reflecting upon America’s 250th birthday, Slabinski said that everyone should not question the country we inherited, but what kind of country are we going to leave for future generations. Those who fought in the Revolutionary War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan never knew our names yet they “sacrificed for our future,” he said. “Now you're responsible for people whose names you will never know. That is the covenant between generations. For one brief moment in history, the watch is ours. That is why the Legion matters.
“America doesn't simply need an organization that advocates for veterans. America needs veterans who advocate for America. Brave people who remember that citizenship has obligations. That rights and responsibilities belong together, that freedom isn't self-sustaining. The Legion mission must and cannot simply be preserving the memory of service. It must preserve the ethic of service – duty, responsibility, courage, conviction, compassion, honor. Those aren't simply veteran’s values. Those are American values.”
Over the next 250 years, Slabinski said we must keep the promise to ask for help and give when it’s needed, stand up for what is right even when it costs us something, and carry our share of the weight and those of others.
“For 250 years, Americans have carried this forward. Now it's our turn. Find your purpose, carry your weight, help your person aside you. Live with honor.”
- Convention