Thursday, March 27, 2008
Heroes are often people we know
Shanna Flowers
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Like most journalists, I'm wired to go into overdrive for the big stories -- the tragedy of the Virginia Tech shooting, a city councilman who resigns in disgrace after he betrays the trust of his constituents.
But I'm equally wired for the stories of everyday people, who in their daily lives undertake extraordinary tasks.
Listening to those people and writing their stories have yielded some of the greatest personal rewards I've experienced in journalism.
That's why I was drawn to the article headlined "Heroism" on the front page of Wednesday's Virginia section.
Rob Johnson's story was about 19 Roanoke-area people the American Red Cross honored this week. They ranged from educators to police and rescue workers to an activist for military veterans.
These good Samaritans performed feats such as saving lives and extending kindness, generosity and empathy to others.
"It's a way for us to highlight people in the community who have done extraordinary things," said Amy Whitaker of the Red Cross. "It's nice to know we have neighbors out there who are looking out for us."
These "Everyman" stories resonate because they remind us of people we know. Let's be honest: How many professional athletes or other celebrities can we relate to?
But most people know someone like Randy Vest.
Vest, a car salesman and Army veteran, was honored for helping military veterans navigate government bureaucracy as they try to get benefits and services.
One thing many folks don't know about the Department of Veterans Affairs is that it doesn't exactly help you find your way through its system. That can be very tricky for someone who doesn't understand how the system works.
Filling that gap are volunteers who've learned it by doing it themselves. They often work through the American Legion or Disabled American Veterans.
Randy Vest is one of those people. He served in Vietnam in 1969-70. He returned home with physical and stress disabilities.
Vest said he first filed a claim for benefits in 1990. It went nowhere. At the urging of a friend who's also a veteran, he applied again in 2000. His 30 percent disability was approved in 2003 -- 13 years after he first requested it.
So many veterans, he said, think you just file documents and wait for a check. Not true.
Vest is modest about his efforts. When I asked, he estimated he'd helped as many as 200 veterans.
"You have to be the motivator. You have to push it through," Vest said.
Spoken like a good neighbor.
