SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — As we honor those who served our country on this special day, ABC 10News Anchor Max Goldwasser met with two retired veterans to better understand what Veterans Day feels like through their eyes.
Tom Caughlan is a retired Marine Corps Colonel who served from 1971-2001. Caughlan compiled a decorated resume over the course of those three decades, helping carry out Operation Desert Storm, serving as the last Commanding Officer of Marine Corps Helicopter Air Station Tustin (1996), and as the first Commanding Officer of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (1997).
Goldwasser asked Caughlan to describe how his 30 years in the military helped shape him into the person he is today.
"That's like tell your life story and give three examples," he joked. "You learn self-reliance. You learn to count on other people. You learn to keep your word. You learn to work hard. You learn that there's no escape from failure. You're responsible for it. You learn to take responsibility for your actions, and you learn to lead people."
Goldwasser also asked Caughlan what Veterans Day means to a veteran like himself.
"It's a nice national acknowledgment, among many others," Caughlan said. "It comes from First World War. My father fought in the First World War. So, it was a nice touchstone for me personally to think back to the young corporal who was stringing wire in France. But for just about everybody else that served, it's a day to reflect and maybe think, and smile, and laugh, and remember all the good times."
Caughlan has been a Midway docent since 2019, with more than 2,700 volunteer hours.
You can watch a condensed version of their conversation here:
ABC 10News also spoke with Dave Daugherty, a retired Navy Commander and Naval Flight Officer who served from 1975-1998. Three of those years (1987-1990) were spent aboard the USS Midway when it was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan.
As far as what drove him to a life serving our country, Daugherty said, "The primary reason I wanted to do it was my dad had been a pilot in World War II. So, I always grew up wanting to fly, so I joined the Navy to fly."
Daugherty was a member of the Airborne Early Warning Squadron 115 (VAW-115), flying the E-2 Hawkeye. He's also flown an F-14 Tomcat.
Since 2019, Daugherty has been a Midway docent, accumulating nearly 2,000 volunteer hours.
Just like he does every Monday, Daugherty trains future docents and meets with visitors from the public, taking tours of the ship.
"On Veterans Day, what do you hope they take away on a deeper level," Goldwasser asked.
"I hope they take away a sense of pride that this is their country and what their country has put together to help defend our way of life and our democracy," Daugherty said.
You can watch a condensed version of their conversation here:
Follow ABC 10News Anchor Max Goldwasser on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
