Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Gabrielle Joyner | 170127-N-WC566-074 PEARL HARBOR (Jan. 27, 2017) Retired Navy veteran Aaron Wiser, his...... read more read more
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U.S. Navy Veteran Aaron Wiser looked stunned as he stood in front of a crowd of more than 30 Pearl Harbor Sailors looking at him expectantly. He couldn’t believe that all of these relative strangers had gathered there to see him. However, it didn’t take long for Wiser to feel right at home, as he chatted over a special Navy galley lunch with his wife, Kim, and 11-year-old son, Arik, a new but somehow familiar group of Navy service members.
Wiser was finally realizing a lifelong dream of visiting Pearl Harbor for the first time.
Wiser has been living with Urothelial Cancer for 18 years. He had been an active duty Sailor for eight years when he was diagnosed in 1998. Last year, when his case manager came to see him at the cancer infusion center, she somberly explained to him and his family that his cancer had become terminal. That’s when she told them about the dream foundation.
Wiser dreamed of visiting Pearl Harbor, to learn more about its rich Navy history and meet with Sailors stationed there. His wife, Kim, wrote a letter to the Dream Foundation’s Dreams for Veterans program, and the foundation helped make his dream possible. His bond with the Navy is unwavering, he was able to relink with the Navy for an inspired source of strength through the remainder of his courageous journey.
“Serving your country is, I feel, one of the most important things you can do,” said Wiser. “I honestly loved every bit of it, from working in the mess, to sweeping and swabbing decks and even keeping watch for six hours at a time.”
Religious Programs Specialist 1st Class Petty Officer Matthew Timper, assigned to Joint Base Pearl Habor-Hickam Pearl Harbor Base Chapel, was among the Sailors to welcome Wiser at the luncheon. When he heard the event and the story behind it through his Chain of Command, he was eager to participate and to find out what the Navy veteran, who had been through so much, had to say.
“I was kind of curious. I wanted to know what it was like when he was in the Navy,” said Timper. “I didn’t expect the situation to be gloomy, I expected to go there and have a good conversation with him.”
All of the service members Wiser met, from Timper, to Cmdr. Colby Sherwood, commanding officer of the USS O’Kane, were taken by his story. They asked him any question they could think of to learn more about his experiences with the Navy, his life after his service, and merrily traded sea stories with the straightforward and friendly veteran.
“I think he wanted to be here because of the memories, in a setting where he remembers being happy, and I hope that we provided that for him,” said Timper. “Ultimately, if you talk to people who have been out for five or six years, they say they loved their time in the Navy. They love and miss the connection, the people and the environment that the Navy fosters.”
Timper’s hopes of creating a good environment for Wiser to come and feel at home were not in vain. Wiser was taken aback and moved at the same time when he saw how many people were there to share in the moment.
“You know, I’m just a former 2nd Class Operation Specialist, one of many, but it was really nice to see all those Sailors and be able to talk to them,” said Wiser. “It made me feel good, because I haven’t felt that kind of camaraderie in 15 years.”
In 2002, Wiser medically retired from service. Even after he had been diagnosed with cancer, he pushed through and stayed on as an operations specialist, providing communications and radar support to several Navy ships for four more years, before parting ways with the Navy to take care of himself, his mother and his father. This display of tenacity is a reflection of the sense of purpose that Timper feels the Navy offers to its Sailors.
“When you have a sense of purpose, the feeling that you’re actually doing something that’s part of a team and you can be relied upon, is what gives a person drive,” said Timper. “A lot of first-term Sailors don’t understand that the things we experience can be tough, but in the end, it makes us better. Some might not understand the bonds that they’re creating yet, but it should help when they see how much it really did mean for Aaron when he was here, so I hope that this was an eye-opener.”
Members of every generation in Wiser’s family have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, dating back to the Civil War. His father retired from the Air Force and his grandfather was an officer in the Army. Both are now buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Through rich heritage, firm values and uncompromising commitment, his family helped to shape the man he is today, and help him to face whatever obstacles are in his way.
“I’ve always had a strong sense of patriotism,” said Wiser. “My son makes me feel strong and I’m making sure I’m around for as long as I can, for him and my wife.”
Wiser explained matter-of-factly that when he was diagnosed 15 years ago, he knew the eventuality of what would happen, but he wasn’t fazed. At least not until the probability became a certainty. In any case, he is determined to persevere.
| Date Taken: | 02.01.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.01.2017 20:25 |
| Story ID: | 222199 |
| Location: | PEARL HAROR, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 319 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Navy Veteran Fulfills Dream of Visiting Pearl Harbor, by PO2 Gabrielle Joyner, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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