Page 42 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2020- Online Magazine
P. 42
Les Beaty
Thank You for Your
Service
by Robert Swyers
For Les, “service” another one and a half years
is a life-long after Vietnam in the States
journey. He and Europe. When he was
describes himself discharged, he came back to
as a trained Lubbock.
go-getter who
knows how to Les continued his education
get the job done. by enrolling at Texas Tech.
After meeting What he encountered at Tech
veterans who as a former soldier, especially
had encountered from the professors, was
even more than disdain and discrimination.
he had, while also After only one semester, he
knowing friends left Tech, only to continue
who gave the last and finish his education 10
full measure of years later. Les is a go-getter
devotion, he does and overcomer. He started
not see himself as several successful businesses
a hero. Les will but was struggling with
tell you, as many anger, alcohol, depression,
veterans will also, denial and survivor’s guilt.
he was just doing He approached the VA for
his job. We hear help and found multiple
that all the time. layers of resistance. It took
t has become But for Les, his him 25 years to get the help
commonplace when we time in Vietnam, being on the he needed from the VA. But
Isee a military person, front lines, including patrol as Les has done his entire life,
whether active or retired, as an infantry soldier, a tank he took these obstacles and
turned them into his life’s
to say, “Thank you for your crewman, and eventually a
service”. But do you ever “tunnel rat” was life shaping, mission.
stop to think what that really but not life defining. Les realized that other
means? Recently, I had the When Les came home to veterans were either denied
privilege of meeting Leslie their rightful benefits or
Lee Beaty. A Texas native, he the States, he was a marked were not educated on how
man. The country was
was a Coronado High School to access what was due
graduate who left the plains divided about the war in them. He further realized
Vietnam, and he became a
of Lubbock and joined the US that PTSD could manifest
Army, beginning a career for target of endless insults and itself years after the soldier
which he was awarded four even worse. In his heart, Les returned to civilian life.
Bronze Stars and a Purple had performed his duty to The inherent problem with
Heart. Only one year after an extent that many would that is that young, recently
graduating from Coronado, never know, but his country discharged veterans may not
Les found himself on the had changed and suddenly know they have a problem,
front lines in Vietnam. he was a villain. He served
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